Colin spent the last few weeks speaking with each of the Bridgeport mayoral candidates likely to qualify for the September 16 primary. First, Joe Ganim. Last week, Mary Jane Foster. Today, we talk to incumbent Bill Finch.
Bill Finch has a record he can show voters. The development at Steelpoint is making progress after many years sidelined by corruption and recession. He's known as the 'green mayor' for his efforts to decrease Bridgeport's carbon footprint by 2020. So far, he's brought the biggest fuel-cell power plant in North America to Bridgeport and opened an eco-technology park that turned an unused industrial site into a hub for green job creation. And, who isn't happy with the re-opening of Pleasure Beach on these hot summer days.
But, he's in a tight race with his competitors, including a former mayor convicted of corruption, partly because he's made enemies along the way. He's been accused of being a liar, a bully, and of promoting initiatives against the grain of the public will, such as a public school takeover ultimately deemed unconstitutional by the Connecticut Supreme Court.
Who is the best candidate to lead Bridgeport, Connecticut's largest and one of its poorest cities?
GUEST:
- Bill Finch is the Mayor of Bridgeport, serving since 2007. Prior to that he was elected to the State Senate in 2000, serving as Majority Whip. He's currently the national co-chair for the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Task Force.
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Colin McEnroe, Chion Wolf, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.
