[kidyankee764]

Citing poor air quality, water quality, and lots of abandoned buildings. Finch isn't helping anything by denying that there is a problem.

Many on this board deny that there is a problem with air quality in Connecticut as well. Driving over the Q bridge you can see the smog last for miles. I posted a thread with a photo of it this past summer and most people said, "oh, that's just humidity". Well, here is proof that our air quality is horrific, with Bridgeport ranking 8/100 by the EPA and New Haven's even worse at 6.

New Haven was ranked seventh, with the article stating its residents' "lungs pay the price" for its location at the junction of Interstate 95 and Interstate 91.

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/...ty-4109650.php

http://www.forbes.com/sites/christop...iest-cities-2/

[7express]

Main St in Bridgeport, the part from the Cardinal Sheehan Center where the SB exit/NB entrance to 25 is, to about John St is one of the most depressing areas of a street I've seen in the US. Lots of abadonments, especially on the left side of the street.

[Comp625]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Citing poor air quality, water quality, and lots of abandoned buildings. Finch isn't helping anything by denying that there is a problem.

Based on the CTPost article, it doesn't sound like he's denying a problem, but rather, citing his own initiatives that are helping and/or have helped to improve the city since taking office. He's being tactful about it; a very smart political P.R. move.

In a way, I can't blame him for not coming out and bluntly saying that the city IS a dump. Imagine if the CEO of Blackberry (or the CEO of other failing company/organization, or the head of a municipality or country) came out and said that their company sucks and that their products or quality of life sucks.

P.S. I am not defending Bridgeport. I, too, agree that it is dumpy, has terrible air/water qualities, and the abandoned buildings are sad to look at.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Comp625

In a way, I can't blame him for not coming out and bluntly saying that the city IS a dump. Imagine if the CEO of Blackberry (or the CEO of other failing company/organization, or the head of a municipality or country) came out and said that their company sucks and that their products or quality of life sucks.

He's not selling a product, Comp. He's trying to revitalize a city. It seems to me he's giving excuses as to why Bridgeport should not rank number 4.

[andthentherewere3]

I have often heard in the last several years that Ct. has terrible air quality due in part to NYC and other states to the west of us,, the wind carries the air polution east. We have a high rate of asthma and lung disorders. I seem to remember the laws for factories with smoke stacks etc. in Ct. are too lenient, too. As for the cities themselves, yeah, I don't think they are particularly clean.

[Wilton2ParkAve]

Our cities stink.... literally.

andthentherewere3 also brings up a good point.

[JayCT]

It has long been known that the air quality problems of Connecticut are due to industrial pollution from the midwest. Still we have our own sources of air pollution as well which add to it. Given that our industrial base has been reduced, nothing short of moving people out of the state will actually help. Jay

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by andthentherewere3

I have often heard in the last several years that Ct. has terrible air quality due in part to NYC and other states to the west of us,, the wind carries the air polution east. We have a high rate of asthma and lung disorders. I seem to remember the laws for factories with smoke stacks etc. in Ct. are too lenient, too. As for the cities themselves, yeah, I don't think they are particularly clean.

Unfortunately, this is a serious problem not just in lower CT but in and around the city as well. I-95 is one of the busiest interstates in America, even at night and on the weekends. As long as this remains, so too will the poor air quality. And it's probably worse in New York. In graudate school, one of my professors grew up in the Bronx, and she told me the south Bronx is still known as "asthma alley." It's the only boro connected to the mainland, it's got some of the most traveled highways running through it - and some of the least amount of parkland. The boro does have some large greenspace (Pelham Bay Park, Soundview Park, etc), but that area in particular is still lacking it.

[Blazah1080]

When you head out to the middle of the sound... you can seriously look back over the land and see a huge BROWN layer of crap over it..

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

It has long been known that the air quality problems of Connecticut are due to industrial pollution from the midwest. Still we have our own sources of air pollution as well which add to it. Given that our industrial base has been reduced, nothing short of moving people out of the state will actually help. Jay

Sure, maybe a percentage comes from the midwest, but when I'm in the sound (I boat every weekend in the summer), you can see the cloud of air hovering over Connecticut. If this were solely due to the Midwest it would be over the sound as well. We have a lot of traffic that contributes to this so it should not be a surprise. We need to stop blaming others for issues that we contribute equally to.