“It had to be you” and “I can’t quit you” also come to mind as musical and movie lines that sum up the courtship of Av Harris by Joe Ganim, the once and current mayor of Bridgeport.
Harris, who volunteered as a press liaison for Ganim following his election last year, had been scheduled to start a new job with the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services this week, but Tuesday Harris announced he has been convinced to take a job as Ganim’s director of communications.
Harris says, “the opportunity is so compelling that I could not pass it up.”
We certainly understand that point of view. Think of it this way: After his first day on the job Harris will be able to say he has done something few others have had an opportunity to do; be an eyewitness to the redemption of a politician who won his job back after a conviction for corruption while in office. Let’s hope it works out that way for everyone’s sake; especially the city of Bridgeport.
This weekend on Face the State(WFSB), Hartford Courant columnist Kevin Rennie made an important point. He said Ganim is now much “more than just the mayor of Bridgeport.” He is a public symbol for anyone in life who desires a second chance. If he fails to redeem himself, his failure will add an additional burden for anyone(not just politicians) looking to make a comeback.
Good luck to Av.
BTW – There’s been a lot of coverage of Joe Ganim’s remarkable return to the city hall, but he’s not the first Connecticut mayor to spend time in the big house and make a comeback.
Hartford Courant – NAUGATUCK, Nov. 1, 2000 — There was no in between with former Naugatuck Mayor William C. Rado, a controversial and colorful political figure for 54 years, who died at home in his sleep Monday at age 83.
Despite two criminal convictions and serving time for accepting bribes, Rado consistently won the hearts and votes of the Naugatuck people when their Election Day rolled around in May.
