Bridgeport spending plan restores funds

Hey bob, "most should be happy". You are a public official. You are SUPPOSED to look out for the people....... That's your job!!!!!! u should put more than a dollar surcharge on arena tickets. you succumbed to the pressure, it was the right thing to do for the people. you still have a LONG way too go as a council.. LOOOOOONG WAY too go.

As someone that has been following this issue, I applaud Finch for taking such a bold stance on his cuts. If I had his ear, I'd have encouraged him to cut more city staff, school admin staff, and yes, all the nurses. Bridgeport is getting too top heavy in terms of the number of people we employ. Since when are we in the business of health care? In times like this, we have to make sacrifices. All of us.

It's just too bad the Board of Education and the nurses union used kids as an excuse to save their jobs. That was such a revolting tactic, but that really showed to me their true colors.

Still NO administrative budget cuts of the overpriced do-nothings working in the mayor's office. If these politicians were personally responsible for their decisions on a fiscal level they'd ALL be bankrupt. We need some experienced business people in this city government, not career politicians who don't know how to maximize their revenues.

"One of the biggest problems we found is the public was unaware of the financial crisis the city is really in," Curwen said. "Most should be happy and satisfied. The children of the city are going to be taken care of."

Interesting take on it, Mr. Curwen, especially since it's the greedy POLITICIANS who have caused the city's current "financial crisis".

This was a ploy all along by Finch to make himself look like the god guy. Politics as usual, screw this guy for toying with all those nurses and librarians jobs!!!!!! GOTTA GO FINCH!!!!!!

LynnB, that's quite a statement. I'm assuming you mean Fabrizi and Ganim are the greedy politicians. Which I have to agree with you. Ganim built a palacial city hall and hooked up him family and friends with city business and jobs and Fabrizi, while not that greedy, was just a very poor fiscal manager. (I won't go into his other vices, which we all know about.)

Amazing how if you play with the numbers cuts in spending just disappear in Bridgeport. Way to cave, Finch. What a tough guy you are. Not! I could swear I ready dozens of quotes by you saying you would not rely on one time infusions of cash. What happened to make you go back on your word. LIAR.

Sherry wrote:

LynnB, that's quite a statement. I'm assuming you mean Fabrizi and Ganim are the greedy politicians. Which I have to agree with you. Ganim built a palacial city hall and hooked up him family and friends with city business and jobs and Fabrizi, while not that greedy, was just a very poor fiscal manager.(I won't go into his other vices, which we all know about.)

You assume correctly. Finch hasn't been in office long enough to have created the crisis, he inherited it. But by attempting to follow in his predecessors' footprints, I think he may have thought if they could do it, so could he. It's a mess any way you look at it.

You know what, I know many people are still unhappy but we really shouldn't be. Its not as bad as it could have been. I have to agree with Bob, hes been working sooo hard to fix those problems in the budget. People, you don't even know how hard hes been working for you. I'm glad he was able to creat some changes within the budget to keep some nurses and the libraries, that is so important. We have to give a little to get a little. I would gladly pay an extra dollar at the arena then have such a huge tax increase. Way to go council-you tell Finch what you will and will not tolerate!!!!!!

To me it is so frustrating to know that people/companies owe the city millions in back taxes and no one is pursuing this. Yet we spend tons of police man hours searching for cars that owe more than $100 in back taxes.
Also, I totally disagree with the tax hike. It's not 10% but it still is 7.5%, not much different, how about 0% hike. I've owned a house in this city for 7 years now and I have never heard of a mili decrease. I would also suggest to P&Z to deny any new request for non-taxable projects in this city. This city has to have one of highest non-taxable property rate in the country. How can the city eat when in every corner there is a new church (nothing against churches).

Another note, if the mayor doesn't want to include these one-time cash payments (4.5 million from Steel Point, X amount of millions from American Fabrics sale), then where was this money going to end up once the city recieves it.

Just a thought...

He caved because he couldnt hide the fact that he just hired a bunch of his friends to new positions.

BPT Property Owner wrote:

As someone that has been following this issue, I applaud Finch for taking such a bold stance on his cuts. If I had his ear, I'd have encouraged him to cut more city staff, school admin staff, and yes, all the nurses. Bridgeport is getting too top heavy in terms of the number of people we employ. Since when are we in the business of health care? In times like this, we have to make sacrifices. All of us.
It's just too bad the Board of Education and the nurses union used kids as an excuse to save their jobs. That was such a revolting tactic, but that really showed to me their true colors.

I guess you're one of the many who still do not understand that the school-based clinic and the school nurses are TWO SEPARATE ENTITIES. Bridgeport has had school nurses for decades. School clinics have been in existence for only twenty years. I also presume you never had to fight for your job. I applaud those who did what they felt they had to do for both the children and their jobs! Remember, many of those protesting not only faced lay-offs, but they live in Bridgeport and will have to pay the higher taxes also.

are all churches tax excempt? how about their luxury cars, furs, gold, vacations, etc? how can the city bring in money?

Why does Finch get to hire a bunch of cronies into made-up "special projects" positions while laying off school-based health clinic workers?

BPORT PROPERTY OWNER -- you say, "Since when are we in the business of health care?" Well, if you accept the premise that we're in any human services businesses at all as a society (like, education) it's pretty clear that investing in childrens' health pays high dividends in the long run and makes the investments that we already do in their education much more cost-effective.

A sick kid, a kid in pain from a tooth abscess, a kid with chronic untreated asthma, etc., is not a kid who is going to learn well during the school day.

somebody musta put a pen in his hand, and a gun to his pointy little head.

Sherry wrote:

LynnB, that's quite a statement. I'm assuming you mean Fabrizi and Ganim are the greedy politicians. Which I have to agree with you. Ganim built a palacial city hall and hooked up him family and friends with city business and jobs and Fabrizi, while not that greedy, was just a very poor fiscal manager.(I won't go into his other vices, which we all know about.)

And now he is bilking the BOE out of a hundred plus salary for doing "NADA"!!

Capricious wrote:

You know what, I know many people are still unhappy but we really shouldn't be. Its not as bad as it could have been. I have to agree with Bob, hes been working sooo hard to fix those problems in the budget. People, you don't even know how hard hes been working for you. I'm glad he was able to creat some changes within the budget to keep some nurses and the libraries, that is so important. We have to give a little to get a little. I would gladly pay an extra dollar at the arena then have such a huge tax increase. Way to go council-you tell Finch what you will and will not tolerate!!!!!!

reply: Who ever wrote this we all know they do not live in the city, let me ask you this. Would you still feel that way if woke up one morning and sent your child to school, you went to work thinking nothing unusal is suppose to happen. But then you receive a phone call saying your child is very sick. We are waiting for a nurse to come from the other school to check them out. To see what is the matter, mean while your child is sitting up there getting sicker and sicker. If there was no nurses in the school that maybe your child would not have gotten that sick because they would have caught it in time. Or ask yourself how about a child that is allergic to a lot of things, and there is no one there to help them. Before you speak on something you need to put yourself in somebodies elses shoes.