Radio ad bashes Finch’s comments to state board

BRIDGEPORT — In a radio spot set to debut today on WICC, Mayor Bill Finch is criticized for telling the state Board of Education last week that doing away with the local BOE race is not a “great loss” because few people vote in Bridgeport and many parents are ineligible due to their citizenship status or for “having done things in a previous life.”

In the ad, a young girl named Ashley says she wants everyone to respect Bridgeport and was shocked when Finch told the state BOE that he “lost faith in the voters and asked the state Board of Education to take away our right to vote for our Board of Education members.”

The mayor is then heard, in an audio snippet from the meeting in Hartford, saying: “I don’t see it as a great loss for a few years to lose the electoral process.”

Then, the ad plays a snippet of Finch’s response to a question about why the city is asking for a takeover when the November elections are only months away.

“I just do want to remind you that there is many of my parents who either because of them not being citizens or having done things in their previous life cannot participate in the Democratic process,” the mayor said. “Democracy doesn’t work. It doesn’t work in all cases.”

The clip ends with young Ashley saying: “Let’s show Mayor Finch democracy does work. Vote for Mary-Jane Foster and let’s get the respect that we are entitled to.”

Foster, a Democrat set to challenge the mayor in the September primary, then asks listeners to vote for her and hold her accountable for the city’s education.

Finch has yet to comment on the radio ad.

Finch’s remarks to the state board can be seen in this video courtesy of CTN:

Keila Torres Ocasio