Apparently Hartford doesn't have a lock on alleged criminal activity by Government officials.
According to police sources, Department of Public Utility Control Commissioner Amalia Bzdyra was arrested yesterday for shoplifting clothing and jewelry at Lord and Taylor at Westfarms Mall. The arrest was confirmed through arrest logs provided by the Farmington Police Department.
Commissioner Bzdyra was appointed to the DPUC by Governor Rell on December 16, 2008. Prior to that appointment Bzdyra had served as a Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Social Services.
Here is Commissioner Bzdyra's Bio from the DPUC website:
Amalia Vazquez Bzdyra was appointed Commissioner of the Connecticut Public Utility Control Authority by Governor Rell on December 16, 2008 and confirmed by both houses of the General Assembly in February 2009. As commissioner, she will focus on natural gas and electric issues, taking the lead on natural gas issues for the Department. Commissioner Bzdyra will serve on the National Association Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Committees on Gas. Commissioner Bzdyra is also the Co-Chair of Connecticut’s Low-Income Advisory Board (LIEAB) and a member of Connecticut’s Criminal Justice Policy Advisory Commission.
Commissioner Bzdyra has extensive public and private sector experience and has served in all three branches of Connecticut government. From February of 2007 to January 2009, she served as Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Social Services. In 2005, Bzdyra, an attorney with over 20 years of experience, was appointed by Governor Rell as Chairperson of the new Contracting Standards Board. The Board was created by Executive Order to craft standards for awarding state contracts and removing political connections and considerations from the process. In 2004, she was appointed by Governor Rell to the Governor’s Task Force on Contracting Reform, which was charged with reviewing and recommending improvements in the procedures used by the state of Connecticut to purchase goods and services.
From 1998 to 2004, Bzdyra served as Chairperson of the state’s Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO). From 2000 to 2004, she was Vice President of Government Relations for the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA). As Vice President at CHA, she developed health care policy initiatives to improve Connecticut’s system of health care and collaborated with state agencies to develop and implement legislative and executive branch policies, procedures and legislative enactments affecting all 31 hospitals statewide.
From 1993 to 2000, Bzdyra was Director of Legal, Legislative and Policy Affairs for the state’s Office of Policy and Management (OPM) from 1993 to 2000. In that post, she advised the Secretary of OPM and the Office of the Governor on state policy, legal and budgetary matters. Commissioner Bzdyra also served as Chief Legal Counsel to the state agency and supervised OPM’s legal staff. She was also Legislative Counsel to the Chief Court Administrator from 1990 to 1993.
Commissioner Bzdyra was born in Havana, Cuba and possesses native fluency in Spanish. She received a Juris Doctor degree from Western New England College School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Southern Connecticut State University.
15 comments:
Governor Rell or the DPUC Commission itself should suspend her now,without pay preferably, and demand her resignation upon a conviction or a plea.If she refuses to resign then Rell should either fire her,if she has the authority to fire someone who is a DPUC Commissioner or the DPUC itself should fire her.
You know why she can't afford to buy instead of shoplift? Her utility bills are too high... LMAO. Have you noticed how every year, gas, electric, telephone & cable go up, but not necessarily our paychecks?
If you have a concern about your high energy costs I might suggest you contact Hartford's own Senator John Fonfara, chairperson of the legislatures Energy Committee.
On second thought, talk to the wall you are sitting next to, you will get the same result
I don't know, but only half joking when I say that at least this Bzdyra's dirty business is not work-related. Like cops losing tempers with ex-wives' invited guests, some commisioner/lawyer types relieve stress by pinching jewelry.
But, Kevin, you are certainly right in asserting that Hartford is not alone in having a less than squeaky clean ethical tradition. Check out this from D.C.
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Below is the full transcript of the call:
This is, uh, Eleanor Norton, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. Uh, I noticed that you have given to uh, other colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I am a, um, Senior Member, a twenty year veteran and am Chair of the Sub-committee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. I’m handling the largest economic development project in the United States now, the Homeland Security Compound of three buildings being built on the uh, old St. Elizabeth’s hospital site in the District of Columbia along with uh, fifteen other, uh, sites here for, that are part of the stimulus .
I was, frankly, uh, uh, surprised to see that we don’t have a record, so far as I can tell, of your having given to me despite my uh, long and deep uh, work. In fact, it’s been my major work, uh, on the committee and sub-committee it’s been essentially in your sector.
I am, I’m simply candidly calling to ask for a contribution. As the senior member of the um, committee and a sub-committee chair, we have (chuckles) obligations to raise, uh funds. And, I think it must have been me who hasn’t, frankly, uh, done my homework to ask for a contribution earlier. So I’m trying to make up for it by asking for one now, when we particularly, uh, need, uh contributions, particularly those of us who have the seniority and chairmanships and are in a position to raise the funds.
I’m asking you to give to Citizens for Eleanor Holmes Norton, PO Box 70626, DC, 20024. I’ll send you a follow-up note with appreciation for having heard me out. Thanks again.
http://biggovernment.com/capitolconfidential/2010/09/15/shock-audio-facing-obligations-from-leadership-democrat-house-member-puts-the-squeeze-on-lobbyist/
I wonder how much she makes? They should just fire her. As far as Fonfara goes he is a complete waste of time.
From what I have been told, her salary is $131,000 per year
$131,000 per year
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A bargain. Let's get two.
$131,000? Maybe she can't pay her electric bill on that salary.
Yo People,
la Hembra es Cubana - Be Concern, Be Aware, esto no es facil.
STSC
What,
No Tony Montana jokes?
Que Pasa?,
U be all scare to talk about the Cubanos ? - K-Pasa Man ?
Atty. B. Rubenstein, Scott, Kevin Brookman, Pedrito Brush, Biscochito(Buscuit),Esquila.
Sres -
What's up, Kevin Brookman,
you out the Cuban commissioner, you minimizer her , you dog her , you judge her and you also Fx her future.
Justice
Mr/Ms Anonymous of 12:35 AM
I wasn't aware that the State had Cuban Commissioners as oppossed to just Commissioners.Nevertheless the criminal law should have no racial or ethnic exceptions regarding the crime of larceny.The Judicial system should take care of her if she is guilty regardless of race,ethnicity or class.
It's not only Hartford...
Memphis, Tn: As for political corruption, reportedly nearly one public official per month over the last decade has been charged with public corruption. Recently, a former city administrator used a city account that was supposed to be for auto parts to buy big screen televisions.
See full article from WalletPop: http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/08/05/10-worst-places-to-live/?icid=sphere_copyright
Kevin:
It is true that it is not only Hartford. Is this consolation for the fact that your "hit list" is all but forgotten?
Just kidding...well sort of.
Not only Hartford, and, in fact in a few places it's even worse.
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At least eight city of Bell officials were arrested Tuesday morning, a source said, as L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley prepared to announce criminal charges in the municipal salary scandal.
[Updated at 10 a.m.: Former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo, whose high salary sparked the outrage that led to the investigations of the city, was among those arrested in the sweep.
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