IN SOME CIRCLES THIS MIGHT BE CALLED "PATRONIZING A PROSTITUTE"

A couple weeks ago we found out that Former Hartford Mayor, and now convicted felon,Eddie A. Perez had landed a job at the Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition (CARC). During Perez's tenure as Mayor CARC has received millions of dollars in City funding. Last year alone the City provided funding to CARC of over half a million dollars.




This week, WNPR's Jeff Cohen reported that Perez's former Chief of Staff Matthew Hennessy has just received a $58,000 lobbying contract as a result of an agreement with the Hartford Public Schools and Connecticut Public Broadcasting to find federal funding for the Hartford Journalism and Media Academy.

I thought the icing on the cake would be Perez's former Corporation Counsel John Rose landing a job with the Crumbie Law Group. Rose had used the Crumbie Law Group as "outside counsel" while he was in office. WNPR's Jeff Cohen got the actual numbers, and today reported on Crumbie's billing to the taxpayers of Hartford.



In Fiscal year 2009, Crumbie’s firm made $155,599.44; in FY 2010, the firm made $252,580.24; and so far in 2011, the firm has made $22,564.80, according to Cohen.

In Cohen's report he quotes a statement from the Crumbie Law Group touting Rose's expertise. Too bad he didn't have that same expertise before he hired the Crumbie Law Group as outside counsel, he could have saved the taxpayers of Hartford almost a half a million dollars. I guess that is what they call job security on Rose's part though.

Like I said, I thought that would be the icing on the cake. Nope, not in Hartford.

I received several calls today regarding last nights Hartford 2000 meeting. For those not aware, Hartford 2000 is the parent organization that oversees Hartford's neighborhood groups, or "NRZ's". Apparently, the position of Executive Director is open. The position had tentatively been filled by a person from West Hartford. That's a discussion for another day as to why a Hartford resident couldn't be found, but I digress.

The callers were upset that the City of Hartford's COO David Panagore was in attendance at the meeting and was advocating for a potential new Executive Director. Low and behold, "drumroll please", ta daaaaa, Panagore's choice for Executive Director is no other than former Perez Chief of Staff Susan McMullen.



Ok, hopefully by now you have picked yourself up off the floor and are coming out of that fit of laughter or fit of anger. Both of those would be appropriate reactions depending on how much you know about Susan McMullen.

If you aren't familiar with some of McMullen's better efforts on the part of the people of Hartford, one of her best that comes to mind was Eddie Perez's "dyslexia defense". McMullen might have been one of the number one reasons for the conviction of Perez as a crook and a fraud when she tried to convince the jury that Perez suffered from being unable to read properly and that is why committed illegal acts.

I think that helped the jury see him and his staff for what they actually were (and by the actions detailed above, what they still are), a group of ethically and morally challenged people.

Requests for comment from Panagore have not been returned.

I have received numerous calls from people asking "Where is the Mayor on these things?" and "Why aren't we hearing anything from the Council on this?". The simple answer is, quite frankly, that I can't figure it out. The underlying acceptance of corruption in Hartford City government has to change. With our so called "leaders" turning a blind eye to these activities it sends a message that business as usual, business as conducted during the Perez years, is OK.

I am sure that is not the message Mayor Segarra wants to send. He has done too many positive things since taking office to be tainted by the stench of these actions. But by remaining silent, he is condoning these actions. A strong statement needs to be made that these fine examples of more cronyism are not acceptable to the Mayor or the people of Hartford.

Do we really think that we need Hennessy to lobby Washington politicians for money? We have the number three or four Congressman in the country representing Hartford. I would hope that a phone call from Congressman Larson would do more than any $58,000 contract given to Hennessy. Not to mention the question, what honest self respecting politician would go anywhere near a "lobbyist" that just came from a stint in what is most likely the most corrupt administration that the City of Hartford has ever seen?

And an open message to Mayor Segarra and even Council President Winch: you have an opportunity to show us and everyone else that Hartford does have a conscience and we are getting back on track. End this nonsense now with prompt and decisive actions. The people of Hartford I'm sure will thank you for cracking down on the political prostitutes leeching off our city.