Former Bluefish owner Mary-Jane Foster is swinging for the fences in mayoral run

Sitting in her spacious headquarters on Fairfield Avenue in the heart of downtown Bridgeport, mayoral candidate Mary-Jane Foster ruminated on her new digs and thought about the contrast between the bustle of activity near her office and the now nearly barren Arcade Mall, located a stones throw away.

“I think there are a lot empty storefronts all through the city because I don’t think we have leadership with a strong mayor supporting marketing and retail with consistency,” said Foster.

Once political allies, Foster became disillusioned with Mayor Bill Finch and launched her first campaign against him in 2011. Although Finch defeated her four years ago, Foster is eager for a rematch this year joining the fray with fellow Democrats Charlie Coviello, Howard Gardner and former mayor Joe Ganim. The five candidates will be squaring off on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Republican City Councilman Enrique Torres is not being challenged by anyone from the Bridgeport GOP.

Foster was particularly irate about the mayor’s recent response to the mass shooting at Trumbull Gardens in which nine people were shot and one man died.

“What shocked me most was how unresponsive the mayor was,” she said. “Where was the outrage? Where was the sorrow? Where was the reaction plan? Why was there such a lack of press conferences?”

Foster added, “Arrogance is the hallmark of this administration.”

As for what she would bring to the Park City’s table, foster has plenty of ideas, the first of which is reining in the budget.

“The first thing I’m going to do is get my arms around the budget. We need an administration that is efficient and transparent and only then can we think about bringing in new businesses and create jobs,” Foster declared. “”The mayor thinks building new schools and building parks but he doesn’t recognize that these don’t generate tax dollars.”

She also pointed out, “Since he has been in office the Mayor’s budget has increased 62% from $235,000 to $600,000. That is staggering. Why does Bill Finch need so much money to run his office? Somebody has got to pay for this spending spree he’s on. Not just raise taxes automatically.”

When asked what she would do to improve Bridgeport schools Foster quipped, “Well, I wouldn’t be hatching a conspiracy for the state to take over city schools and then saying reason is that democracy doesn’t always work,” a reference to Finch’s botched attempt to institute a Board of Education appointed by the state. That scheme was eventually declared illegal by the state Supreme Court.

Foster said, “It’s been nothing but chaos for five years,” also noting that she is a “big fan” of Bridgeport School Superintendent Fran Rabinowitz and that with the defeat of the Democratic Town Committee’s candidates is the last Board of Education election it is now a “board of civility.”

Foster stressed that for Bridgeport to realize sustained economic development it needs an administration that embraces sales and marketing saying that “this policy wonk approach doesn’t work.”

“For instance we could create incubators for food entrepreneurs,” said the candidate. “There could be an innovation center where permanent farmers markets could be established and where food trucks could prosper. Any creative thinking that can make this city a halo of activity.”

Politically, Foster likes her chances in the upcoming primary.

“I’m hearing more and more this time around that it’s time we had a woman mayor again,” she noted. “People are telling me, ‘maybe now it’s time for a change.”

She also believes that Finch has sustained repeated political defeats since his re-election campaign in 2011.

“Absolutely the mayor has shown vulnerability,” said Foster, pointing to a series of mayoral defeats including a referendum to increase library funding, the defeat at the polls of Finch’s proposed charter revision, the loss of the endorsed candidates in the Board of Education race and the election wins of state Senators Ed Gomes and Marilyn Moore, who did not have the mayor’s support. “”It’s a reflection of his performance.”

As for Gardner and Coviello Foster said, “Howard is a good friend of mine and a good and decent man whom I respect. Charlie is Charlie. He’s the Harold Stassen of Bridgeport politics.”

And the former Bridgeport Bluefish owner and current University of Bridgeport Vice President has had dealings with Ganim for years and is not a fan of his re-emergence into Bridgeport politics.

“I’ve employed more former offenders probably than anyone else in this city. I believe in second chances. I don’t believe a public official who is convicted of corruption should get the chance to return to office. And I know some people are feeling nostalgic about Joe Ganim’s return but I can’t forget that week after week and year after year he sat there and lied to me.”