ARE WE READY TO TAKE OUR CITY BACK ?

Since beginning this blog, I have put my thoughts together on numerous issues and shared them with anyone having enough free time to read them. Some serious, some lighthearted, some tongue-in-cheek, but none as important as the thoughts I'm trying to put together here. I keep wondering how President Lincoln felt as he sat down and wrote the Gettysburg Address, did he realize how he would affect the history of our country? Did he think his thoughts penned on a piece paper would become one of the most quoted speeches in history?

As I think about President Lincoln's thoughts, several words keep repeating over and over, "that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth". And then I think back to our city, a city that many of us, no, probably the majority of us, still love and still believe in. With all of its flaws, all of its imperfections and what many see now as a total lack of leadership, we still believe. Maybe part of this comes from being a Red Sox fan, but just when you think things can't get any worse, that rally spirit kicks in and you decide to fight back and turn a loss into a win. I for one am not ready to give up on Hartford, its people, or its potential. I am tired though of corruption, criminal investigations, back door deals, two-faced politicians,self serving people ready to feed at the trough funded by us and people who have a definition of transparency not found in any dictionary I've ever read.

The time for us as a city to say "enough is enough" has arrived. Although many are posturing to run for Mayor, most are going to hopefully have to answer some tough questions about their past performances when they had a chance to make a difference and chose instead to support business as usual at City Hall. Those that publicly said they support transparency and don't support backroom deals, yet quickly walk through the door into the backroom and slam it in the public's face, hoping that no one will notice. Those that speak out in favor of Democracy, yet do the opposite and ignore the "democratic process" by slamming their deals through because "they are the Democrats and they have the majority".

Hartford has suffered for over eight years now under this type of government. Not only implemented by a "strong Mayor" but aided and abetted by a City Council, less one councilman, who allowed the reign of terror at City Hall to exist. People that are in fear of their careers if they speak out, people that have allowed corruption to exist because they feared the repercussions if they spoke out. Council people that have been beaten down so bad they now argue about subpoenas to get public documents. The list could go on and on but anyone familiar with Hartford gets the point. So let me get to my point.

A little over 3 years ago I received a call from someone I knew of, but didn't really know personally. J. Stan McCauley called me and said he was considering a run for Mayor in 2007, he noticed at the time I was on the Republican Town Committee, and he wanted to know what I thought. After catching my breath again from the laughing spell that anyone thought they could get elected as a Republican ( just kidding, I wasn't that rude, but I think I did tell him he was crazy)I asked him to give me a day or two to think about it. After sitting down and talking to him, I liked what he had to say, he had a very calm and reassuring demeanor, actually put a lot of thought into his vision for Hartford, and just seemed like a decent guy and a potential leader. Unfortunately, 2007 wasn't Stan's year to begin leading the city. Even after a loss to a Mayor under investigation for corruption allegations, facing potential arrests which would soon become a reality, Stan didn't give up. Stan's message didn't change, he didn't drop out of sight, and he didn't give up on Hartford. If anything, his commitment seemed to grow stronger. He has persevered, and unlike many in positions of power in Hartford, he has worked tirelessly to move his vision of "1 Hartford" forward. A city that thrives and moves forward unified, rather than a city that stumbles and fails by those that try to divide it for their own gain.

On Monday, October 5, 2009 at 3:00PM on the steps of Hartford City Hall, J. Stan McCauley will announce his second candidacy for the Office of Mayor of the City of Hartford. This time will hopefully be much different as a new era of leadership in Hartford begins. No more corruption, no more shutting the public out, no more backroom deals. But rather, people willing to roll up their sleeves and do the backbreaking work to take back our city from the politicians who have nearly run it into the ground. People that are willing to step up and do the right thing for all the right reasons, forgetting about how it will benefit them personally, but rather thinking only about what is best for the City we love. We can do it, but it is not going to happen without the good people of Hartford stepping up and making a bold and clear statement,"Enough is enough and we are taking our city back". The clean sweep of Hartford City Government begins now and we need every one's help. I understand that many are afraid to speak out under this administration, but the opportunity to change is in your hands. Are you willing to accept politics as usual or are you willing to be part of the solution? Please join us as we start the clean sweep and begin to restore Hartford to what it once was and what we know it can be once again. A city that once again will be the destination for people from across the region to visit as an entertainment destination, not a city to be feared for violent crime. A city that understands what true economic development means and realizes that small business is the engine that drives successful cities, not a city that taxes small business out of existence due to out of control spending. A city that has a respectful relationship with our Governor and state officials, realizing that the majority of our budget is funded through the State of Connecticut's coffers. A city where the Mayor and city officials spend the majority of their time making Hartford a better place, not spending time testifying before Grand Jury hearings and attending court proceedings. A city where every idea and every thought is valued, not shouted down and dissenters "squashed like bugs".

I would ask anyone and everyone that is available to attend, please stop by and listen to Stan speak about his ideas for leading Hartford and its people forward. Whether you know Stan McCauley or not, whether you support Stan McCauley yet or not, whether you are registered to vote yet or not, all I ask is that you listen and then make your decision. Are you satisfied with politics as usual in Hartford, or are you ready to support a change?

"All that we're asking, is give Stan a chance" hopefully you sang that like a Beatles tune. I couldn't be completely serious for too long. Remember, Monday at 3:00PM at Hartford City Hall, if you support Stan, great, if you want to hear what he's about, even better, if you want to be a part of the change, excellent.

And remember those famous words by President Lincoln "this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." It begins with you. Thanks

IT IS OFFICIAL- HARTFORD GOVERNMENT IS A FRAUD

After the sudden death of Hartford City Clerk Dan Carey, the Hartford City Council seemed to move at lightning speed to fill the vacancy. Apparently a little too fast for a lot of people. After word began to circulate that an heir apparent had already been chosen without a legitimate selection process,Democratic Council people received numerous phone calls and objections to the flawed process. On Friday, September 18th, the Council Democrats held a caucus with the intention of naming Carey's successor. Due to the uproar from their constituents the Council Democrats emerged from their caucus without naming a successor. Through the Council President, Calixto Torres, it was announced that applications would be accepted for the position of City Clerk through noontime on Friday, September 25, 2009. Although a dozen applications were received from individuals with varying experience and qualifications, apparently no interviews were conducted prior to the naming of Carey's replacement. This was another back room closed door deal hammered out by the Democratic Majority on the Council,without any input from the community and definitely without any consideration of the other candidates who applied.

Hartford is a city that is suffering from a tarnished image brought about by an administration that has faced criminal arrests and accusations of corruption as well as a city that promises to bring cronyism and corruption to new heights. How do you imply any sense of legitimacy when you ask people to spend the time and energy to submit resumes and then totally ignore them for the original choice anyway? How as a Councilperson can you stand and say that new leadership is on the way and a new era of transparency is dawning on the City? This is more of the same old "business as usual" politics that has driven Hartford into the ground. It clearly proves that old adage that "actions speak louder than words". Although this Council seems to try to distance themselves from the Perez Administration, they also endorse his backroom politics every chance they can. We saw it recently when the Council voted to hand out close to $350,000 to political allies and non-profits without any input from the community, no regard as to who was more deserving, and as one Councilman said essentially "we are the Democrat's, we have the majority, so we can do it". Maybe actions true as a Democrat, but definitely not actions of the democratic process or worthy actions of a democracy.

And to those people who submitted resumes and were ignored by this sham process, I for one, as a resident of Hartford, wish to apologize for the Council wasting your time. They had no intention of an open and transparent process, and apparently thought no one would notice, because as you know, according to the "Gospel of Perez" Hartford's voters have a short attention span. And to the members of the Council that say one thing in public, and do the opposite behind closed doors, the day of reckoning is coming when we will hold our elected officials responsible for your deeds.

Municipal elections in 2011 will be here before we know it, now is time to start to take back our City, both through the Mayor's Office and the City Council

"HOW TO BUY A COW- HARTFORD STYLE" UPDATE- CRIMINAL PROBE UNDERWAY BY HPD

Last week Channel 3 aired a report in which allegations of bribery were made against the Principal of Batchelder School in Hartford. Principal James Pappas was being accused of offering a payment to the PTO President's business in exchange for the PTO's support of Pappas. Through an FOI request I made to the Board of Education, documents were provided that seemed to outline a pattern of potential criminal conduct. Including larceny, forgery, bribery and fabricating evidence, the statements made by Board of Education employees and obtained through the FOI request seem to paint a troubling picture. After the documents were turned over to Hartford Police Chief Daryl Roberts on Monday, a criminal investigation was begun by the Hartford Police Department Major Crimes Division. An Internal Affairs Investigation apparently has also been started into allegations as to the way the original complaint by the PTO President and his wife to HPD officers was handled.

CLUB BLU/MANSION/ENTOURAGE FAILS INSPECTIONS AND REMAINS CLOSED

Last week I posted that an agreement had been reached between the State of Connecticut Consumer Protection Commissioner, the City of Hartford and the owners of the Mansion Nightclub to re-open the club. Apparently that re-opening has been delayed due to Health Department inspection issues and the clubs failure to be granted the proper permits. The Mansion had been closed by the State of Connecticut after several violent incidents occurred in the club.

The club will remain closed at least through the weekend and no new date for opening is available at this time.

HOW TO BUY A COW, HARTFORD STYLE

On April 27, 2009 a check from the City of Hartford in the amount of $500.00 was issued to the Coolest Cow Bakery on New Britain Avenue in Hartford. That part is a fact. Another fact is that the owners of the Coolest Cow Bakery are Epifanio and Yessica Perez. Epifanio Perez is also the PTO President at the Batchelder School, located a few blocks east of the Coolest Cow Bakery, also on New Britain Avenue. From this point on the facts differ, depending on who you believe.

Sometime after April 27, 2009 Yessica Perez received a check for $500.00 made out to the Coolest Cow Bakery from the City of Hartford. Since they had not done any work for the City or provided any services, the Perez's were "in dismay" of the payment. Apparently there was tension at Batchelder Scool between the new Principal, James Pappas and the staff and parents. Norma Castro, a staff member at the school, at the urging of Pappas, asked the Perez's to fill out paperwork so that the Coolest Cow Bakery could become a vendor for the school. Perez apparently perceived a potential conflict of interest in being a vendor and PTO Prsident at the same school. Surprisingly, Principal Pappas, in his written statement,also had thoughts that he "was not 100% sure it would be the right thing to do" to offer money to the Coolest Cow Bakery. When Epifanio was originally asked if he would accept the check and was told it was on the way already, Epifanio told Norma Castro "I did not want any money for what we have given the school". Epi Perez further stated "the check for $500.00 just appeared made out to us". Barbara deJesus, the school secretary, according to Epifanio "kept calling us to cash the check" and they told her they "were concerned about the legality of us receiving the check" And here is the clincher according to Epifanio Perez. On April 16th, Epifanio stated that he was in Batchelder School and was approached by Principal Pappas. He claims that Pappas asked him to help "because the parents are against him (Pappas)". Epifanio states that Pappas said "I had to help him.Remember I gave you $500.00 for your business". Epifanio, in his written statement says " I told him I never asked for any money and I did not want any money. I felt he was trying to bribe us.". From here it gets even more questionable as to the intent of the payment. When the Perez's began looking into and questioning the payment, an invoice from "the Coolest Cow Bakery" was produced. The only problem was the logo created on the invoice was not their logo and the signature identified as that of Epifanio Perez was not his and apparently a forgery. Eventually as part of the investigation conducted by the Board of Education, Norma Castro admitted in her statement that apparently Barbara deJesus had made up the fraudulent invoice and she (Castro) eventually forged the signature on the document(copy of invoice included in PDF file below along with investigation report and statements). Castro says in her statement that she signed Epifanio's signature at his request during a phone conversation, but he strongly denies that he ever authorized her to sign his name.

Principal Pappas's statement seems to concur with Epifanio's statement that he was having a rough time with parents at the school. Pappas wrote that he reminded Perez that "we had already allocated money to his business as part of being involved with the school". Pappas never defined what that involvement was and there is no mention of services or goods being delivered in exchange for the $500.00 payment. There also was never any mention of any agreement requiring future goods or services being delivered in exchange for the $500.00. In reviewing the documents provided through this FOI request, there was no record of the required vendor application forms or W-9Tax forms that are normally required to process a payment. That raises further questions about the accounting practices and safeguards being used to process payments by the Board of Education.

What exactly the $500.00 payment was for or what the expectations were in exchange for the $500.00 were never spelled out in any of the statements, other than Epifanio's statement that he felt he was being bribed.

Investigation Report Part 1:
FOI Batchelder Investigation, Part 1

Investigation Report, Part 2

Foi Batch Elder Investigation Part 2

Batchelder Investigation, Discipline Letters
Foi Batch Elder Investigation Letters

WHY THE RUSH TO FILL DAN CAREY'S SPOT?

For anyone that has read the paper the past week, read the blogs, or even attended Dan Carey's wake or funeral, it is pretty clear that he is held in high regard. It seems pretty obvious that no one of Dan's style of class and integrity will walk into the Clerk's Office to fill Dan's position anytime soon.

Whether the Hartford City Council realizes it or not, it is not only the Mayor that is under a cloud of suspicion. Anyone observing Hartford City Hall from the outside seems very suspect of any action taken now by municipal government. To quickly fill the position of Hartford City Clerk , just for the sake of filling it, would be a huge mistake. If the City Council is serious about doing the right thing for Hartford, inserting another political operative is definitely not the right thing. The position of Hartford City Clerk is a critical position in the smooth operation and credibility of our city. And no, this is not an attempt at comedy, credibility and Hartford can be used in the same sentence, but it starts with cleaning out cronies from City Hall, not putting more in.Realistically, the life expectancy of the Perez Administration is most likely very short. The time is now for the City Council to find the best person possible to fill this position and start the house cleaning while they have the chance. Short of Dan Carey's long lost identical twin walking into City Hall, that is not going to happen easily.

Is there any reason to fill the position within a week after Dan's death? Yes, I know the business of Hartford goes on. But Dan was a person that built a loyal and faithful, and most importantly a very competent staff. Although Dan was at the top of the ladder, the office didn't run itself. Unfortunately, early retirement buyouts have just taken a hit on the clerks office as key peole put in their papers to retire just days before the loss of Dan. But, those retirements are not set in stone. I would venture to say that anyone of them would gladly stay on to honor Dan's memory if asked to help guarantee a smooth transition.Wouldn't it make sense to name an "acting" Clerk while we search for the best possible candidate?

In all the calls and information I get complaining and giving me information about City Hall, I can honestly say that not once have I heard a complaint about Dan Carey or the operation of the Clerk's Office. That in and of itself speaks volumes about the operation of the office, that in the cesspool we know as Hartford City Hall, Dan and his staff were able to stay far away from the stench.

Another big issue that I have though, is the selection process. It seems to me that this would be another big reason to gather information before any appointment as to what has been happening for the last few years in City Hall. With the Grand Jury report having been sealed, we have no way of knowing if potential names mentioned for Carey's replacement have clean hands in the operation of City Government. I am not a gambler, but I think it is a safe bet that information is in that final report that might hurt the chances of some. And what are the qualifications of those mentioned to properly do the job? Any knowledge of real estate transactions and procedures? campaign finance laws and filings? corporate law? This is an appointment for life. An incoming Mayor or Council can not remove the Clerk at will. This is a selection that needs to make sense for the long haul, not just short term because someone wants or needs a job and is a good guy.

Appoint an acting clerk, start an honest and fair selection process and find the best person possible to carry on Dan's legacy. And maybe we should start with people who haven't been key players in City government during some of the most corrupt times in recent history.

"WHEN HONESTY JUST ISN'T ENOUGH, CALL TREMONT"

Can anyone identify Matt Hennessey in the picture above from his new website?

Another plug for Jeff Cohen and "Cityline", but Jeff dug up the story about the "private sector" business opportunity that Perez's former Chief of Staff Matt Hennessey left for.

read Jeff's blog entry here at Cityline

Most people starting a new business want to establish a reputation for themselves, that's only logical. But most people starting a new venture also base that reputation in some sort of reality. To view Hennessey's image of himself, click here

Luckily, after reading this website, I myself am able to make a few new claims about my experience to enhance my resume. First off I see that Mr. Hennessey has proclaimed himself an alumnus of the Harvard Business School (this apparently is due to his taxpayer financed 6 weeks at Harvard). I, therefore am declaring myself an alumnus of the UConn School of Law because I once walked through one of their buildings. Out of respect. please call me "Attorney" from this point on. And although Mr. Hennesey has some very nice pictures of the Oval Office and President Obama "deplaning", I once saw Air Force One land, so I guess that means I have closer ties to the Commander-in Chief. And didn't Mr. Hennessey and Mr. Perez shun the Obama Campaign during their stop at the XL Center last year? I guess Hennessey must have rebuilt that relationship with "B" after Hillary gave up. "B" is what Barack asked me to call him when we hang out. I used to always do the respectful thing and call him "Mr. President", but "B" says that is just too formal when we are just 2 buds having "Buds" and smoking cigars in the Rose Garden.

Well, best of luck to Mr. Hennessey. As Councilman Segarra was quoted as saying, that ESI bonus was money well spent if it helped Mr. Hennessey vacate City Hall. But after viewing this website, I guess it is very obvious who was behind the empty facade we know as the Perez Administration.

HAS THE CORPORATION COUNSEL MADE A MOCKERY OF HIS OFFICE? ... OR ... YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

The updated numbers are in and it seems that the City of Hartford continues to spend a huge amount of money on outside attorneys. Considering some of the legal opinions issued by Mr. Rose, Hartford's Corporation Counsel, this might be money well spent if it was in fact keeping the City out of legal problems. But it would appear that Mr. Rose's decisions, under the guidance of the puppetmaster Eddie A. Perez, have led Hartford down a path of continued wasted spending. Whether it is wasted money spent on FOI Appeals and FOI Hearings,(Guest and Associates $80,480 as well as other firms). A no win suit against the Waterford Group in which both sides admitted a draw and walked away (Ford & Paulekas, $188,824. And a few other payments that weren't broken out as to why lawyers were used. Bird & Apostilidis($58,446) could that be the same Apostilidis that retired from the City of Hartford Corporation Counsels Office? Crumbie Law ($155,605) number 2 on the dollar amount billing list? Kainen Escalera ($157,522)number 1 on the dollar amount billing list, any relation to Yasha Escalera, Perez ally and recent City of Hartford hire during a hiring freeze?

And look at the list for Fiscal Year 07-08, Levy Droney ($10,077.50) was contracted for advice on "Ethics". Maybe if we had spent a little more there on ethics advice it could have saved us the $181,503.95 spent on "Grand Jury Outside Counsel".

LISTING OF OUTSIDE LEGAL PAYMENTS, OBTAINED FROM CITY OF HARTFORD CORPORATION COUNSEL'S OFFICE THROUGH AN FOI REQUEST:

Foi Outside Legal as of Sept 15 09

MONDAY'S WNPR INTERVIEW... THANKS COLIN

Here's a link to Colin McEnroe's WNPR site where you can find his recent interviews, including my segment with him on Monday regarding this blog. My segment starts at about 18:00 minutes, but feel free to listen to the entire interview.

http://www.cpbn.org/program/colin-mcenroe-show/episode/cms-ct-bloggers-steampunk



And I'm still trying to figure out how to put working links in the post, until then, just cut and paste

*****UPDATE***** FORGET THE ABOVE SENTENCE, I FIGURED IT OUT, JUST CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE TO GO TO WNPR AND COLIN McENROE

DECEPTION OR HONEST MISTAKES ?

At the risk of driving everyone over the edge with FOI comments, it really is the main tool we have to find out what is going on in Hartford, but definitely not the only tool. As much as we keep hearing about transparency and openness, anyone who has dealt with Hartford realizes that is the furthest thing from the truth. The fact that Corporation Counsel John Rose has appointed himself "Editor-in-Chief" of all FOI Act requests speaks volumes about the bunker mentality at City Hall. Another critical question is whether or not honest responses are given in reply to FOI requests. A perfect example is in requests both Jeff Cohen and myself put in at about the same time regarding Hartford's ESI bonus program. I took the list at face value and posted it here, Jeff did some more digging (it is his full time job you know). In his blog at courant.com, "Cityline", today Jeff reported that the city had "inadvertently" left Police Chief Daryl Roberts of the list of employees receiving an ESI bonus. Are we supposed to guess who else might have been left off, maybe Susan McMullen, maybe Sarah Barr, maybe John Rose? How are we to trust the accuracy of their information?

While Jeff was tracking down the "inadvertent omissions", I received a tip from another source regarding a three day seminar that was held at the Hartford Marriott for over 600 Hartford School employees. The source advised me that the event was complete with a catered breakfast every morning, validated parking in the Convention Center garages paid for by the Board of Education, as well as other amenities. Well, maybe I'm still naive, but I put my faith in the FOI Act and requested any records and information about the event especially the cost. I promptly received an e-mail back from the Board of Education that they had no idea what I was talking about. The e-mail is below:
Foi Board Marriott

I immediately called the author of the e-mail,Milly Ramos-Agosto, and stated that there must be an error. I told her that the source that advised me about the conference was very specific and knew exactly what they were talking about. I told her I was going to continue to look into it and she might want to do some further checking. She stated that the Superintendent's Office was unaware of the event and she had spoke to the Board's "financial person", and no such event took place. Ok, I figured they would know by now that FOI is not the only way to get information, so off I went to gather the information. I must have shook the right trees and stirred things up because at 2:28PM today, 24 hours to the minute after the original request I received the following e-mail, again from Milly Ramos-Agosto. The complete text of the e-mail is below:
FOI Board Marriott #2


Ms. Ramos-Agosto stated "that after further research based upon our telephone conversation, it has been identified that an event was held at the Hartford Marriott during the month of August 2009".I understand that Ms. Ramos-Agosto is only doing a job and can only forward information that she is given. The big question is regarding the Superintendent and his staff and their level of honesty and integrity. Are we to honestly believe that the people in Dr. Adamowski's office asked about this event actually forgot about that "little" three day rental of the Hartford Marriott where more than 20% of your staff were given catered breakfast and paid parking for three days? Or was it more of an attempt to divert attention away from something that has the potential to become a big issue of fiscal responsibility. How do you justify laying employees off in the midst of a budget crisis, while throwing catered seminars with free parking? And with all these beautiful schools that we keep hearing about, would one of them have met the needs for hosting this event for far less money?

FOIA is a great tool, but definitely not the only tool. It can't be if we are going to keep City Hall honest. I trust my sources far more than I'll trust John Rose or anyone else inhibiting the publics right to know. And as usual, feel free to keep calling with information.

IF JOHN ROSE WON'T GIVE IT UP, SOMEONE ELSE WILL

For over a week now I have been trying to get an e-mail that was sent by Sarah Barr, Mayor Perez's Press Person , to WFSB Channel 3. Although the FOI request I submitted was pretty clear, Hartford Corporation Counsel John Rose late last week said he had received the wrong items from MHIS and was waiting for the correct e-mails. Well, an FOI complaint has been submitted to the State of Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, because after a week, the e-mail has not been provided to me. A source in Hartford's MHIS Department advised me they could have the information in a matter of minutes if they were instructed to do so.

Since John Rose wouldn't provide the e-mail, someone else that understands transparency and public documents did. Apparently, on September 3, 2009 at a taping of WFSB's "Face the State" program the guests included Hartford Council President Calixto Torres, Councilwoman Rosezina "rJo" Winch, and the man who wants to change the direction of Hartford's Democratic Town Committee, Bruce Rubenstein. Sarah Barr, according to the e-mail,has a problem with Rubenstein appearing and not the current Democratic Town Chairperson, Sean Arena. That is not a problem for private citizen Sarah Barr, but it is a problem for City of Hartford employee Sarah Barr to use city resources, her position and her hartford.gov e-mail to advocate political positions. The e-mail is below but the text portion states "It has come to my attention that a candidate for dem town committee chair was the opposing viewpoint on face the state. I am certain that you'll give sean arena equal time".

This is just one more example of the arrogance of this administration. While they continue to be under a microscope it seems that laws just don't apply to them. Using her position for political gain is unethical at the least and illegal at the worst.Sarah, have you ever heard of gmail? Open an account ther and e-mail to your heart's delight, but there is a problem doing it in our name using city resources

With all the issues facing the city, is this the best Sarah can do?

A copy of the e-mail is below:

Sarah Barr Wfsb Email

JEFF COHEN AND CITYLINE WENT RADIO LAST WEEK, NOW IT'S MY TURN

This blog continues to surprise me as to who is actually reading it. This morning I received an e-mail from Colin McEnroe and then a little later one from his producer for his new venture on WNPR radio. I guess they both have been following the blog and in their words are "enjoying" it. They invited me to be on Colin's program Monday for the 1:00PM segment. I guess we will be discussing the role that blogs play in their communities. Listen in, I believe WNPR can be found at 90.5 on the FM side and also on their website cpbn.org

CLUB MANSION TO RE-OPEN THURSDAY....SORT OF

After being shut down for repeated problems inside the club, the mansion will reopen Thursday as "Club Entourage". The press release from the Department of Consumer Protection is below and outlines the changes that will be made before opening:

Suspension To Be Lifted On Closed Hartford Nightclub

Entourage will Replace The Mansion


HARTFORD, September 11th -- The Department of Consumer Protection and the owners of The Mansion, a Hartford night club, met several times over the summer months to address the safety and security of the club following a shooting on the dance floor of the club earlier this summer. A signed written agreement issued today by Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr., which outlines public safety improvements, led to the lifting of the summary suspension of its liquor permit. The lifting of the suspension will be effective September 17, 2009. With their signature, the operators of the former Mansion nightclub agree to numerous terms and conditions including the following:



The name of the club will be changed to Entourage; the club will feature a Top 40 theme and will enter into a partnership with radio station KISS 95.7 fm.


For the first four weeks that Entourage is open, the club operators will pay for overtime hiring of two (2) Hartford Police officers at all times that the business is open. After four weeks, the issue will be reviewed by the Hartford Chief of Police to continue, modify or end the added police detail.


A dress code for entrance will be enforced, barring loose clothing, any clothing with gang insignias, and other clothing considered inappropriate by the security staff in light of the new theme.


Wide-angle surveillance cameras will be maintained throughout the premises, sending images to a digital video recorder with extended memory. Both entrances will be well-lit.


The entrance located at 191 Ann Street shall be open only to persons twenty-one (21) years of age or older; when juice bar events are held, patrons 18 years of age or older will use the entrance located at 183 Ann Street, and the club will take measures to ensure that underage patrons do not walk through or remain in an area where alcohol is served.


Specially trained and identifiable security personnel will be posted at both entrances during all times the club is open. All current and prospective club employees will undergo criminal background checks.


All club employees, promoters, consultants, and managers will cooperate with local police and fire officials regarding any lawful request or demand, and any non-cooperation will result in that person’s immediate termination and barring from the club.



The club’s liquor permit was suspended on June 12, 2009 following a review of Hartford Police reports detailing a shooting on the dance floor of the club a few nights earlier. Since the suspension, the Department of Consumer Protection, the Hartford Police Department, and the Hartford Fire Marshal’s Office have been meeting with the owners and permittee of The Mansion on a regular basis, developing a security enhancement plan designed to better protect the patrons and employees of the club, as well as provide increased safety and security for the neighborhood.



“I am grateful for the valuable input and advice we received from both the Hartford Police and Fire Marshal’s Office, together with the willingness of the owners of The Mansion, in crafting this agreement which leads me to lift the suspension,” Farrell said. “However, actions speak louder than words, and we will ensure that the terms of the agreement are followed.”



-end-

DAN CAREY PASSES, A TRUE LOSS FOR HARTFORD

I received the first call a little after 9:00am today informing me that Dan Carey was found dead in his home. I was in utter disbelief and had the feeling of helplessness as I felt nauseous.

I first met Dan Carey during the Mayor Mike years as I was one of the founders of Mayor Mike's Companies for Kids. Through the "Irish" circle of friends I found a group of people that were always ready to step up and make Hartford a better place. The Jim Donnelley's, the Bill Hogan's, and the Dan Carey's of our city. Dan was always instrumental in stepping up and doing his part to help make Mayor Mike's "Mayor's Trophy Golf Tournament" a huge success. He also loved his involvement in the "Sister's City" program with New Ross,County Wexford, Ireland and the picture above shows his pride as he was named Irish person of the year for 2009. Dan was always someone that was more than willing to help, but less than willing to be in the limelight. I think he was very content keeping a low profile in both his community efforts as well as running an extremely well organized operation in the Clerk's Office at City Hall. Dan would have no hesitation coming out from his office and from behind the counter in the Clerk's Office to help someone navigate the bureaucracy of City Hall. Whether he knew you or not, whether Republican or Democrat, Dan took his position as a public servant seriously. I know we always talk about people kindly after they pass, but with Dan, his Irish charm always shone through. Before many Council meetings Dan would find me in the hallway and quietly say "take it easy on them tonight" or during one of my rants before the Council give me a subtle wink of support.

Although Dan had a lot of great attributes, the two major ones that cemented my view of him were his love of Ireland and his over the top support of the Boston Red Sox. Any guy with those two charms is ok in my eyes, everything else was just icing on the cake. Dan was a true Red Sox fanatic and anyone that ever spent any time with him or walked into his office at City Hall would be well aware of that.

Dan, the City of Hartford and City Hall won't be the same without you. Your absence at Council meetings will be strongly felt. Say hello to our buddy Mayor Mike and may your Irish eyes continue to shine down on our city. Thanks for a job well done.

AN IRISH PRAYER
May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be ever at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And the rain fall softly on your fields
And until we meet again, May God hold
you in the hollow of his hand

GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE- POINTS FOR HPD

I spoke to someone over the weekend who had parked downtown, only to return to their car and find what appeared to be a parking ticket on the windshield. They were pleasently surprised when they went to read the ticket though. The bright "ticket" appeared to be the old style orange front tickets issued by the city before the switch to computerized tickets. After the ticket was removed and crumpled in the drivers clenched fist, they finally read the back. They were pleased to find that the "ticket" was actually a warning from the Hartford Police Department that they had left items in plain sight in their car. Items that are attractive to thieves breaking into cars downtown and across the city. The warnings are disguised as parking tickets so as not to tip off the would be thieves which vehicles to hit. And before someone jumps on me for giving away some top secret tip, I doubt I have more than a few car thieves reading my blog. Although I'm sure criminals do read my blog, from what I understand they are more of the white collar, political type.

It is good to see HPD being creative and proactive. Maybe someone responsible for this should get an "ESI" bonus

The front and back of the "warning" are below:

HPD Warning

WHO IS PAYING FOR THE MAYOR'S ATTORNEY?

I mean the Mayor's defense attorney for his criminal arrests. We already know who is paying for John Rose, the man who thinks he is the "Mayor's Attorney". But I'll try to focus on real attorneys here, not John Rose.

The question keeps coming up as to whether the City of Hartford and its taxpayers are paying for an attorney to keep Eddie out of prison. I requested verification of this question through Sarah Barr, the Mayor's Media Mouthpiece, I mean spokesperson. She did not respond to me, rather I received an e-mail from Carl Nasto, Hartford's Deputy Corporation Counsel. The ambiguous e-mail really didn't answer any questions, other than we may be "obliged" to pay for Perez's attorney to avoid his pending reservation at the Graybar Hotel. I'll keep asking the question until I get a definite answer.

Here is the e-mail response from Nasto:

Request for Information

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "Nasto, Carl R."
To: krbrookman@earthlink.net
Subject: Request for Information
Date: Sep 4, 2009 4:59 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kevin: In response to your request for information to Sarah Barr earlier today, I can provide the following. To date, no City of Hartford funds have been spent on the criminal defense of Mayor Perez. I cannot at this time anticipate whether funds will be spent for such defense. The City may be obliged under law to pay for the Mayor’s defense.



-Carl

IMAGE IS EVERYTHING...EXCEPT IN HARTFORD

Athe August 10, 2009 Hartford City Council meeting, one of the things I spoke about was the poor condition of many area the City is supposed to maintain. One of the most highly visible spots is the traffic circle at Pulaski Circle. I posted the slide show to the right here and also called Hartford's solution to everything, "311". I figured after bringing the matter to the attention of the City Council, action would be swift. I guess I gave them too much credit.

Today, an event was held at the XL Center to a sold out crowd of 19,000 people. People from throughout the state and beyond attended as well as speakers such as Barbara Bush, Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Joe Montana and others. For many of them the "Welcome to Hartford" sign was a planter overgrown with 5 foot high weeds, a planter not maintained at all this year. For many of these visitors it may have been their first visit to Hartford, for others it may have just reinforced the image that Hartford's leaders just don't care. And maybe for Rudy Giuliani, it may have reminded him of what a city at its lowest point looks like before real leadership takes control and turns things around as he did in New York City. For a city whose Police Department was able to put out media alerts and advise commuters of the potential gridlock and did a great job handling traffic, probably double that of a normal rush hour, wouldn't you think someone could have the foresight to get the weeds pulled? Not only Pulaski Circle though, even the new Gateway that was built as part of the streetscape for the reconstruction of Trumbull Street was also overgrown with weeds. I guess we are seeing the results of what happens when our Mayor lays off the Public works laborers so that his cronies can get their bonuses.

How many Public Works laborers could Eddie hire back with the $300,000 plus he gave out to his buddies in bonuses? Probably enough to get some weeds pulled. Like they say, first impressions are lasting. What do you think many thought as they saw the poor condition of our city?

To give you a better idea of what the view looks like, watch the video below:

NO TIME FOR GOVERNING AGAIN THIS WEEK

Well, Monday was a holiday for the City. Tuesday the Mayor is in Hartford Superior Court on his latest round of felony charges. Now, after his appearance this morning, the case has been bound over to Superior Court Part A, which handles the more serious charges. That has resulted in another court appearance for Perez being scheduled for Friday in Superior Court.

Does anyone think that we are getting the full benefit of our elected CEO, Mayor Eddie A. Perez this week? And does anyone feel confident that his "acting" Chief of Staff Susan McMullen is at the helm during his absences?

SHOULD MAYOR PEREZ RESIGN?

Should Mayor Eddie Perez resign as Mayor of Hartford ? That was the question posed by the Hartford Courant last week on their website, courant.com. According to the poll numbers below, people overwhelmingly answered yes. Almost 60% answered that Perez should resign because he has been a disgrace to the City. Another 13.8% answered that he should resign because he can't be taken seriously. The "yes, he should resign" votes amounted to 73.4 percent, or almost 3/4 of the people responding think Perez should resign.Only 4.4% of those responding think Perez is doing a good job and should stay on. This poll is by no means scientific, but it was also by no means close, it seems pretty obvious what people are thinking.

Poll
Should Mayor Eddie Perez resign?

Yes. He's been a disgrace to the city. (779 responses)

59.6%

No. He is innocent until proven guilty. (290 responses)

22.2%

Yes. Who can take him seriously? (180 responses)

13.8%

No. The voters elected him and the city is running well enough. (58 responses)

4.4%

1307 total responses

(Results not scientific)

HUBIE SANTOS IS A LEGAL GENIUS

Yes, you read that right. The more that I watch the antics surrounding the Perez arrests, just when I thought I was totally confused by Santos' actions, I read the Hartford Courant today and it all began to make sense. After the first arrest of Perez on felony charges, Santos stood in court and said he was ready to go to trial that afternoon. I thought that was the height of lunacy, what about preparing a defense, what about all these "discovery" motions we see the television lawyers doing? Then we didn't want a trial right away because they needed to tear down this racist attempt on the part of the State of Connecticut to remove a strong hispanic Mayor. Then it went back and forth a few times, we want a speedy trial,then no we need more time, then we want a speedy trial, no we need more time. Finally, jury selection is scheduled for September. Then, that racist State's Attorney's office has the audacity to use information obtained from an 18 month Grand Jury investigation to obtain arrest warrants for Perez and others. Apparently it was clearly obvious that this was another attempt to remove a strong Hispanic Mayor for purely political reasons. Since Perez was now apparently the victim, Santos made the argument that all charges should be dismissed. Unfortunately for Santos and Perez, the judge hearing the motion immediately dismissed it. Then, after Santos had said the day of Perez's first arraignment that he was ready for trial that same afternoon, the dismissal changed all that. Santos stated that a trial at this point would be "suicide" and now the date has been moved to February 2010 at the earliest.

See what I mean? All very confusing, "we want a speedy trial, we don't want a speedy trial"

And then this Sunday, the following statement from Perez appeared in the Courant:

Every day I work hard for the people whose names you never hear and faces you wouldn't recognize — the people who open the doors of their businesses every day, send their children to school here, the people who make up Hartford's 17 neighborhoods. The job that they elected me to do is not complete.

Every day, I work to make people's lives better through education, jobs, housing and, of course, newfound hope. Since my arrest in January on unfounded charges of bribery and with my subsequent arrest Wednesday on allegations of extortion, my critics have taken the opportunity to question my ability to continue as mayor.

Some have asked me to step aside. I am eager to have the full truth surrounding these allegations revealed in court and am confident that I will be exonerated. I asked to go to trial and get this ordeal over with in January. The state did not honor that request. I have not, and will not, let the court proceedings impede the progress we have made in Hartford. This administration has 2 1/2 more years to continue to make a difference. I made a commitment to the people of Hartford and I will not walk away from that promise.

The people who raised me in this community have always said that if you work hard, good things happen. I came to Hartford as a boy and lived and worked in virtually every neighborhood, where people provided me with gifts of hope and opportunity. One person at a time, the people of this city have given me the drive to carry on their dreams. They have lifted me up and expect me not to give up. Because of their passion, I started public service at 14 years old and I'm not finished giving back as a man or as a mayor.

To be mayor, you need to be passionate, persistent and patient — all in the name of progress. When nobody believed in Hartford, I believed and Hartford has believed in me. Together, we are doing great things and great things can still be accomplished. As long as we are passionate about people, persistent in putting a long-term vision in place and patient when progress doesn't happen fast enough, we will continue to turn the corner.

The residents of Hartford made history in 2001. Three elections later, I am still humbled that people see in me the essential qualities to lead Hartford to new heights with a broader and bolder outlook that goes far beyond our city borders. We must be competitive globally and that commitment starts — and ends — with the CEO of Hartford.

Education of our youngest residents is the cornerstone of my administration. What started with developing the Learning Corridor has blossomed into new schools, new curriculums and new uniforms, with a new attitude toward learning.

As a member of the board of education, with more than three years as its chairman, I have been in the forefront of raising the standards of academic excellence and expectations. We cannot jeopardize the reform we have started together. Young people graduating from college, achieving world-class employment and reinvesting skills in our neighborhoods are all crucial elements for our future. That is why I am so persistent with my vision for job training.

Our residents need jobs. Our school construction projects have not only yielded buildings with award-winning architecture and positive learning environments, they have given employment and skills for life to thousands of Hartford residents.

On another front, homeownership, which stabilizes and revitalizes our neighborhoods, continues to be a key to our city's growth and potential. This is the toughest economy in 80 years, however, so we must demonstrate patience and be persistent in finding ways to keep people in their homes and provide opportunities for new homeowners.

This patience must also be extended to our business community. Small business owners are the backbone of our economy. Without them, Hartford would lose the traction it has gained in economic development along with some of the city's quaintness, uniqueness and diversity.

That diversity is on display every day in our shops and restaurants and is highlighted through our history, culture, architecture and arts. It is why my administration is such a strong supporter of our arts community — to grow jobs and to put more feet on the street.

The increased vibrancy on our streets also comes with a major decrease in crime. Hartford is the safest it has been in decades, thanks to neighborhood policing and strong community partnerships. However, there is still a perception of crime and perceptions must be overcome with the facts. In the end, the truth prevails.

Which leads us back to the original question: Why am I mayor and why do I want to continue to be mayor?

The answer is simple. I was raised never to give up. If one person does, it is a domino effect. I will not be responsible for setting the ripples of defeat into motion. We have accomplished so much, but the progress is not yet complete. There's a vision for the future and sometimes you don't realize how far you've come until you look back to see where you have been.

With that, I invite people to come see for themselves and rediscover Hartford — its faith and its future — as well as the man who wanted to be, is, and will continue to be mayor.

After reading this statement and wondering what Perez is thinking, and even further thinking that anyone who believed this garbage must be crazy, the little bulb went off on my head. It all made sense now, Hubie Santos is laying the foundation for an insanity defense for Perez.

Hubie Santos is brilliant, it just might work.

THE BULLY ON THE PLAYGROUND

This past Friday I posted an entry regarding the case of Officer Matthew Secore and the way his "due process" rights have been trampled by the City of Hartford as Mayor Eddie Perez demands his due process rights for himself as he faces potential jail time on numerous felony charges. Keep in mind, Perez's charges are all felonies, Secore's one charge was a misdemeanor, which has been dismissed by the court, but unfortunately for Secore, was committed against the Mayor's nephew. There have been a few replies to that entry, one from Matthew Secore himself, and yes I verified it so I know it's from him.

Below is the text of Matthew Secore's comments:

Matt Secore said...

Hi Kevin, it was nice meeting you. It's also my opinion based on how my case was handled that the Hartford Police Union has been compromised by city politics. I often wondered why some of the veteran cops refused to deal with our union. I now know why. Regardless, of what you think of me or my case the fact is I had my day in court and won. My charge was dismissed and I won my job back through arbitration. It appalls me the Mayor could care less about my due process yet has the nerve to ask the public for his day in court. You have my full support exposing this double standard and I would be happy to appear on your show to answer any questions.

September 5, 2009 3:52 PM

I too have heard the same comments that the Hartford Police Union has been compromised by city politics and know several veteran officers that have questioned the Union leadership. I also have heard the same thing about the other Municipal Employee Unions as well as community groups and individuals . Although I understand the frustration, consider the alternative. In 2007 at a time when the Police Union was preparing for, or already involved in, contract negotiations, do you think they endorsed the best candidate they thought for Mayor? Or did they stand behind the candidate they knew they had to support or suffer the consequences. Myself and others have referred to this administration as an organized crime operation. Mess with a loan shark or a drug dealer and you might get your legs broken or worse, mess with the Perez Administration and you might see your job eliminated, a sudden termination, the funding eliminated for your non-profit agency, loss of your city contracts or worse. I'm sure there are many instances when the Union's would have liked to have spoke out on issues they thought were wrong or they didn't agree with. I have the luxury of being able to speak out without fear of Perez, he has already exercised his pressure over me and it hasn't stopped me yet. I have no family members working for the City for him to terminate, I am not affiliated with any non-profits that he can cut their funding and most importantly, although Eddie talks about "truth", I do have the truth on my side and I am able to prove what I say with documents. I would also argue that the union leaders, not just the Hartford Police Union, do have a strong sense of right and wrong, and for the most part the leaders and their membership do care about Hartford. They must weigh their actions in opposing the Perez regime and the consequences of their actions. This is not about the five or six members on the executive committee of the Hartford Police Union, but is more about their members and protecting their well being. The Police Union could see jobs eliminated on a moments notice if they issued the wrong press release or made a statement in opposition to the "Gospel of Perez". Just ask Clarence Corbin or Dan Nolan, and most likely if the truth were known, Tom Morrisson, Matt Hennessey, Bhupen Patel and Lee Erdmann.

I do fault the Unions as well as the Council and others for allowing this situation to develop essentially unchecked, but for any of them to come out challenging it now would be suicide, for the Unions and their members. Just ask the leadership of the Hartford Federation of Teachers who are facing legal action by the Superintendent of Schools after he hired an outside law firm to threaten them.

I understand your point 100%, but remember , in a perfect world you would be back to work already re-gaining our trust in you as a police officer, and proving your actions were a one time misdemeanor "lapse of judgement". Instead , we are too busy trying to prove that our Mayor's numerous felony "lapses of judgement" were just that and that he is not a crook as the evidence might suggest.

WEEKEND TELEVISION VIEWING

Just a reminder for two television programs I recommend for this weekend.

First off is our weekly program, "1Hartford" which can be seen tonight at 10:00PM on Hartford Public Access Television channel 5 and repeated tomorrow at 10:00AM on Channel 5. It can also be seen at any time on www.accesstv.org, just click on the "1Hartford" screen.

Also tomorrow at 11AM watch "Face the State" on WFSB Channel 3 with Susan Raff discussing the arrest of Mayor Perez and his future with Council President Calixto Torres, Councilwoman Rosezina "rJo" Winch and Democratic Activist Bruce Rubenstein

IS "DUE PROCESS" A ONE WAY STREET IN HARTFORD

We keep hearing about the rights of Mayor Perez as he continues to fight criminal charges against himself. After his second arrest this week on felony charges, immediately both he and his attorney insisted on his day in court to plead his case and asked for people to keep an open mind until such time. When Perez was arrested in January of this year he claimed his alleged felonies were nothing more than a "lapse of judgement".

This call for "due process" and another "lapse of judgement" brings me to think about another situation that Perez has overseen that has turned out much different and due process has been totally ignored. This story is difficult because I have mixed feelings, but in the end what's right is right and for Eddie to request his due process rights, I guess it has to apply to all.

In the spring of 2007 a tow truck driver from Whitey's Towing, Slade Secore, was towing a vehicle out of a private parking lot. As he began to leave the lot, a crowd formed and people supportive of the vehicle owner, tore the driver from his truck and severely beat him. The driver eventually identified one of his assailants as Ruben Perez,21, the nephew of Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez. Perez was eventually arrested,(no, not that Perez, the nephew Perez, but yes they were both arrested once or twice)and was detained at the Harford Police Department booking facility.Here is where the decision for me gets difficult. I believe in peoples rights, holding police officers to a higher standard and all that.Slade Secore, the tow truck driver, happened to be the brother of Hartford Police Officer Matthew Secore. After police arrested Ruben Perez for the assault and he was being held at HPD, Officer Secore, while off-duty, made a decision to visit Perez in booking. Apparently Officer Secore had seen his brother's bloody face, eyes swollen shut, and hearing that his brother could potentially lose sight due to a crushed eye socket. It probably wasn't the best time to be making a visit to Ruben Perez in a jail cell, but it involved, what shall I call it...maybe "a lack of judgement". I have to say, after seeing the picture of Slade Secore, if that was a family member of mine, the spineless person conducting the assault might become a victim themselves at the end of a baseball bat. I don't say that lightly, but it is human nature. We're not talking here about someone sucker punched in a bar fight, were talking about someone who was just doing their job and their face was beaten to a pulp.

Anyway, Officer Secore, suffering from that same "lack of judgement", left his severely beaten brother and proceeded to the HPD lockup. The police officers working at the booking desk also suffered their own "lack of judgement" and allowed Officer Secore to enter into the locked facility. Officer Secore apparently had an exchange of words with Ruben Perez and let it be known that the assault victim was his brother. Ruben Perez apparently responded with "f*** your brother" and the culmination of the "lack of judgement" occurred. Officer Secore punched Ruben Perez once. No broken eyesocket, no threat of losing his eyesight, not even any blood, no need for any treatment. Again, I am not trying to minimize Officer Secore's actions, but it is something I think many of us might be driven to under the circumstances. And I have to admit in all honesty that I have met and talked to Officer Secore, and he doesn't seem like the quick tempered type, just my gut feeling. Well , Officer Secore was eventually arrested for his actions and this is where the whole due process thing comes in. After his arrest for one misdemeanor charge of Assault 3rd, (not multiple felonies as are Mayor Perez's charges) Officer Secore was suspended and then terminated from the Hartford Police Department. The case worked its way through the courts and Officer Secore was afforded the same "due process" rights we keep hearing Mayor Perez mention. The end result was the one, single misdemeanor charge was dismissed by the Court and then it was a matter of trying to win Officer Secore's job back through those same "due process" rights we keep hearing the Mayor mention. At a hearing of the State of Connecticut Labor Department Board of Mediation, it was ultimately determined that the punishment of termination for Officer Secore was too severe for his actions, and the State of Connecticut ordered the termination be reduced to a 90 day suspension, and that Officer Secore be reinstated as a Police Officer, and receive all back pay less the 90 day pay loss. The City of Hartford has chosen to ignore the order and is appealing the case in court.

I find it somewhat hypocritical for Perez (the Mayor, not the assaulter) to insist on his due process rights so vigorously when he has no process denying others their rights. If Officer Secore's case isn't enough of an example, why not ask former Public Works Director Clarence Corbin, Deputy Fire Chief Dan Nolan, former Tax Collector Donald Lefevere or many of the others that Perez (the alleged felonious Mayor, not the tough guy assaulter) has had no process trampling on their due process rights.

Oh well, only in Hartford I guess. An FOI request has been submitted to Corporation Counsel John Rose for the full file on this case, but I suggest you not hold your breath waiting to see the documents. This case stainks and the City knows it. But in the meantime the back pay for Officer Secore keeps adding up with interst , and when he prevails it will all be due. In the meantime, a good Police Officer who suffered from a "lack of judgement" is off the job at a time when we need every one of them on the streets.

If Eddie Perez's lack of judgement should be forgiven, shouldn't Officer Secore's? I think they call that "due process" rights.

LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE--- MUD WRESTLING HARTFORD STYLE

Sorry, but after Helen Ubinas threatened to punch me in the head while we were watching Wednesday's perp walk, I'm in a fighting mood. I offered to mud wrestle Helen on the lawn of Troop "H" with the caveat that el Jefe be the referee. I thought that would be fair because we're probably both pretty close in Eddie's level of affection for us. Helen politely declined as her co-worker walked away cringing at the mental image he was having.

An event that promises to be almost as interesting, is tonight's taping of WFSB's "FACE THE STATE", scheduled to air on Sunday. Although Dennis House is out on "maternity" leave after the birth this week of his and Kara's new son (Congratulations to the House's), Susan Raff will be refereeing this weeks smack-down grudge match. One segment tonight will consist of Council President Calixto Torres and Council Majority Leader Rosezina "rJo" Winch joined by Hartford's latest version of the Lone Ranger, Bruce Rubenstein. Although it is only about a 10 minute segment, it promises to be a very lively one. From sources at Channel 3, apparently last minute renovations were required to the anchor desk to be able to accommodate Eddie Perez fitting underneath to control his two puppets without being seen. The second segment will have WFSB reporter Len Besthoff talking about the corruption investigation and his continuing coverage. Besthoff was one of the first to break the story Monday of Perez's pending arrest, resulting in a hastily called press conference where Perez proudly announced his impending Wednesday morning arrest and afternoon campaign rally in the Function Room of City Hall.

"FACE THE STATE" airs Sunday mornings at 11:00am on Channel 3,(not in high def though, that's Channel 30)

J.STAN McCAULEY CALLS FOR PEREZ RESIGNATION

In a press release issued earlier today, former Republican, now Democrat ,J. Stan McCauley (and Republican Mayoral candidate in 2007), called for the resignation of twice arrested (so far) Eddie A. Perez. The press release is below. In an interview today on WDRC radio with Dan Lovallo, McCauley repeated that he is publicly calling for Perez's resignation. McCauley is holding a family day rally next Saturday at the San Juan Center on Main Street from 1pm until 4pm. McCauley stated that he will have an inportant announcement to make that day regarding the future of Hartford. I can only guess what that might be.

McCAULEY PRESS RELEASE:

COO and Founder of The Access TV
Organization, Inc.

In a statement released today J. Stan McCauley stated "The City of Hartford is in a grave state of emergency and confusion. The latest developments regarding the Mayor's alleged improprieties which have resulted in multiple criminal indictments has wounded this city and its people. The people of the City of Hartford are without elected and trusted leadership from the very office that is responsible of these grave discrepancies and alleged illegal activities. Hartford deserves better at a time when great restraint and political maturity should be exacted by the Office of the Mayor."

This statement is not meant to infer anything as to the guilt or innocence of the presently sitting Mayor but it is made to bring responsible and immediate remedy to an atmosphere of confusion and distrust as to how the people and the affairs of this city are being administered by its highest elected official.

It is neither my desire nor that of those that care about this community, that the people in this confused and administratively impaired community start to vote with their feet by leaving. And for these reasons and the resulting damage, Mayor Eddie Perez needs to step down. The Mayor is not a King, he was elected by the people to do a job. He is subject to the same standards of public responsibility and scrutiny that any of our public servants, be they police, fire or otherwise are governed by. If any one of these trusted employees of this city were charged, indicted, arrested and or were facing trial, they most certainly would be placed on administrative leave or at worst, fired. The Mayor should be held to a higher standard because of his position and therefore he needs to, for the good of the city, step down immediately.

The Mayor himself has said that hundreds of people have been affected by these developments surrounding his arrest and the charges stemming there from. So step down Mr. Mayor. You are not a King. You are a servant. Do what a true public servant would do step down at this time and demonstrate how true service is exacted by a true servant. Public service is a job that needs to be carried out without the weight of criminal prosecution concerning allegations of impropriety in carrying out the functions for which he, the Mayor was elected to do.

My calling for the Mayor to step down has nothing to do with guilt or innocence, that is a concern for the trier of fact, whether judge or jury. Allegations have been made, a grand jury has investigated and an arrest warrant has been signed by a sitting judge. By its very legal nature, the warrant had to contain enough probable cause for a judge to have signed and issued it. The Mayor needs to step down, not only because there are many critical issues facing the people of Hartford but also because Hartford needs to become the great city it can be.

I invite the community to join me on September 12, 2009 between the hours of 1pm and 4pm at the Family First Cookout and Rally at the San Juan Center Sports Arena Parking Lot, rain or shine at the corner of Main and Pleasant Streets in Downtown Hartford. It is there among the people Hartford that I will make a public statement about what needs to happen for our city. Family day is the day where we can begin anew for the good of the city and more importantly for the children of the City which is the future of our Hartford.

THE HARTFORD COURANT GETS SLAPPED

Before I begin this post, let me just preface this by saying that I have the utmost respect for the two people that I know personally at the Hartford Courant, Jeff Cohen and Helen Ubinas. If anyone needs to be reminded, it was Jeff Cohen that originally broke the story regarding corruption in the Perez Administration. Cohen's story resulted in the States Attorney's Office beginning a full scale investigation that has resulted in the arrest of Perez and others. Helen Ubinas through her columns continues to identify all that is good with Hartford as well as the things that are wrong with Hartford (even though she threatened to punch me in the head Wednesday and then twittered how good it felt, it was a joke for those who have called wondering why she would do that). OK, so on with the story.

Recently, accusations of plagiarism have been made against the Hartford Courant. Apparently the Journal Inquirer of Manchester has been the most vocal in their criticism of the Courant. The claims seem to be that the Courant has been "ripping" stories from other media outlets and then publishing them in the Courant without crediting the original authors. In a strong release issued yesterday, the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) stated that the Courant's actions violated fundamental standards and amounted to "theft". The release from SPJ is below, the Journal Inquirer's story on the issue can be found at www.journalinquirer.com


*****UPDATE- at 5:31 PM today the Courant's Publisher posted an apology on their website, it can be viewed at this address- http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/hc-courant-apology-plagiarism-090309,0,1524843.story

SPJ Ethics Committee: Hartford Courant Violated Ethical Standards


9/2/2009

For immediate release:
9/2/2009

Contacts:
Kevin Z. Smith, SPJ President, (304) 367-4864, spjpresident@yahoo.com
Andy Schotz, Ethics Committee Chairman, lawngyland@aol.com



SPJ ETHICS COMMITTEE: HARTFORD COURANT
VIOLATED ETHICAL STANDARDS


INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists’ Ethics Committee released the following statement regarding the Hartford Courant’s recent admission of and apology for using other newspapers' stories without duly attributing credit. The statement issued by the committee is as follows:

The Hartford Courant has acknowledged using stories from other Connecticut newspapers recently without giving them credit. The director of content has apologized and vowed the mistake won't be repeated.

The Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists plainly exhorts newspapers and journalists, "Never plagiarize." When a newspaper invests reporting and editing time to produce a story, that story should not be used by another outlet without permission and without informing readers who actually did the work.

Many media outlets aggregate information online, summarizing a story and then linking to the original. The Courant failed to carry the credit from its online version to its print version.

"However it happened, the Courant violated fundamental standards," said Andy Schotz, the chairman of SPJ's Ethics Committee. "This was theft."

Integrity and credibility, two of the most important values in journalism, demand that all media outlets be clear about the source of stories they did not produce. Failure to follow that guideline results in plagiarism, taking credit for someone else’s work, as it did in this case.

SPJ admonishes all media outlets to take special care so that proper attribution is given at all times – especially when working with multiple news delivery platforms. For help in making strong ethical decisions, please consult the Society’s Code of Ethics (www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp) or call SPJ’s Ethics Hotline at (317) 927-8000, ext. 208.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well- informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.


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ESI BONUS RECIPIENTS AND OTHER CITY BENIFICIARIES TURN OUT TO SUPPORT PEREZ AFTER LATEST ARREST

For those of you who are wondering who the people chanting "Eddie,Eddie" while standing on the chairs in the function room were today, the attached raw video below should answer a lot of questions. I would challenge anyone that takes the time to watch the video to try to identify 10 people out of the group that aren't either City employees, employees of non-profits or agencies that are funded by the City, political hacks loyal to Perez or poverty pimps. (sorry for that last term, but those of you who are,you know what I mean). The first question I have is whether this is an appropriate use of a City building to applaud elected officials for alleged criminal acts. Second question is whether we really need the size of city staff we have if we can afford this many employees chanting in the middle of the business day. Acting Chief of Staff Susan McMullen must have known that I would pose the question. As if it was a scene out of the movie "Rainman", (picture Dustin Hoffman shuffling around saying "10 minutes to Wapner, 10 minutes to Wapner") Mc Mullen passed me several times saying "lunchbreaks almost over, lunchbreaks almost over". The cast of characters chanting included Kelvin Roldan, Susan McMullen, Dave Medina, Cornell Lewis, Lew Brown, Luis Caban, Naomi McCoy, Carrie Saxon-Perry, Rosezina (rjo) Winch, Evelyn Mantilla, Sarah Barr, Noel McGregor, Sean Arena, Ted Carroll, Yasha Escalera, Anna Natal, Hernan LaFontaine (who has his own special segment below) and the list goes on, just watch the video below.

Don't forget my challenge, actually identify ten people in the video not beholding to the Mayor. Maybe we should organize our own rally supporting honest government outside the Courthouse at their arraignments on Tuesday. Anyone want to help organize it?

VIDEO CLIP PART 1




VIDEO CLIP PART 2

HARTFORD RECORDS LATEST HOMICIDE- #25 ?

Hartford's latest homicide victim was declared dead at 10:36Pm after being shot in the chest on Edgewood Street. I hate to say I've lost count, but I believe this victim is number 25 for the year.

SUPREME COURT GRAND JURY RULING RELEASED

The Connecticut Supreme Court today released its ruling regarding the sealing of the Perez Grand Jury report. In short, the Supreme Court concluded that the Grand Juror "improperly ordered that the interim report be sealed". Although the section of the final report referred to as part III, "the states motion to seal part III is affirmed". Could "part III" cover the next round of arrests? Is this where the "damning" information referred to by Judge Eveleigh, the Grand Juror, is contained?

Supreme Court Grand Jury Decision