It used to be when city employees were required to live in Bridgeport they were a political force. In 1973 city employee voter strength was probably enough to reelect Republican Mayor Nick Panuzio who promised generous 20-year-and-out pensions for uniformed services.
In 1985, a nasty legal fight for control of the Police Department between Mayor Lenny Paoletta and Superintendent of Police Joe Walsh led to split loyalties. Cops actively supported Democrat Tom Bucci for mayor. Bucci won.
As collective bargaining regulations eliminated residency requirements, police employees began moving out of the city.
Mayor Bill Finch has a running battle with some city employee unions. Tensions are the highest with city cops. The arrest of Finch’s son Pete over a felled street sign has not made it any better. Lots of short fuses out there as we head into the Fourth of July weekend. Finch wants concessions to close a multi-million dollar budget gap. Cops feel they’ve done their part to help city finances. They feel Finch is reneging on a labor contract.
No doubt Finch faces a tough reelection next year with State Rep. Chris Caruso poised to challenge in a primary. The challenge cops have — if they really want to work against Finch (and many do) — is that so many don’t live in the city. They can still weigh in, organizing friends and relatives to vote their preference, but it’s not like the old days.
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Local EYES you should call yourself finchs lackey,flunkie etc etc…..and Finch is underrated as a politician,are you Fing kiddin me??
Local eyes so what city dept do you work for??
Look Pete…you really think the thousands of folks here in Bpt with “for sale ” signs are stubbornly unwilling to sell ?There’s noone even looking at houses here.Mine was listed for a yr and not even one looker !The high taxes crime and corruption are keeping the buyers away.And your dad,Bill Finch is not helping anything
The Mayor stands alone in his mandate to balance Bridgeport’s budget. As such, Mayor Finch earns my respect. He’s making decisions and using hard-boiled, Bridgeport-style political practices. Although the situation is fluid, I like his chances and think he’s underrated as a politician.
Just as stubborn sellers do not understand existing realities in the housing market (and can’t sell their houses), labor leaders don’t understand the new normal in the labor market.
I hope you’re right. FINCH MUST GO next election.I hope the people wake up and dump him in the next primary
ANY ORGANIZED COP GROUP can influence an election. I’m convinced the BPD could sway voters in Bridgeport or anytown USA.
Why?
Because when cops talk as a group somebody listens-even if the BPD is talking to doped-out farmers in Oregon!
Let Finch go after the guys that owe millions in taxes,before bullying the city employees.They will tow your car and sell it if you owe $100 in car taxes.How about it Mr. Finch? Why not make your buddy Sal pay up? I’m no fan of cops,either.I was hassled by this egomaniac a few yrs ago.I have a flashy car and I took a shortcut through a bad area.I get stopped and the cop seems agitated that all my papers were legit.He even looks to see if I have a front plate (grasping for ANYTHING to write up).He then makes up a story that I “went though a stop sign-a few blocks back” -a lie.
Bridgeport cops be speeding for nothing they was speeding like 70 mph down the street. Putting sirens on just go to burger king across price rite
I for one completely support Mayor Finch. I have no problems with cops, as many members of my family have been cops. I do have a problem with many cops in Bridgeport. Part of the reason the city is in such a financial crisis is because there are lots of tickets that can be given out, but some cops refuse to do it. Granted many of the tickets may go unpaid, but at least write them and give the city a chance. I personally love the times where the cops are breaking the laws in uniform. Parties in Seaside Park, leaving alcohol behind…. again, not all Bridgeport cops are useless, but too many of them are.
Johnny, HAVE A NICE DAY – unless you’ve made OTHER PLANS.
Bridgeport is biggest ghetto in ct i am glad i left
I don’t know many cops that live here in town.And if I could sell my house-I’d get the hell out too.The good people of Bpt just need to say ENOUGH ! Enough of the “party endorsed stooges” they throw at us.Liars,drunks,crooks,thieves and coke heads.And the “sheep” just vote in whomever the party endorses.Vote Caruso this time.Like the old saying goes….”politicians and diapers need to be changed often-and for the same reason”
Cops don’t have a constituency. Not like the old days when I had my trigger finger on the pulse of the city.