THE PEREZ "LEGACY OF INCOMPETENCE" CONTINUES

above,Eddie Perez leaving court



above, A portion of the collapsed facade of Perez's "new" Public Safety Complex

It has been a bad week for Mayor Eddie Perez. His defense motions in Superior Court collapsed around him as they were denied, the Town Committee vote for Perez's handpicked chairperson collapsed as Sean Arena was defeated, and now Perez's Public Safety Complex is literally collapsing. Not a good week at Camp Perez.

Many people may have forgotten about the debacle Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez created when he attempted to build a school at the corner of Farmington and Broad Streets. In defiance of "advice" from the State of Connecticut, Perez began construction on the property after he was told that it was an improper use of the lot.

Perez moved forward and I guess decided to show Governor Rell who is in charge of Hartford's destiny. (how's that working for you Eddie?). In the end, an estimated $4 million dollars was squandered by Perez for a school that never happened.

In the meantime, another construction project began a few blocks north of the Farmington Avenue sight on High Street. After another three or four staged media events by Perez disguised as "groundbreakings", work began on the Hartford Public Safety Complex. The existing structure of the old Hartford Board of Education building was going to be "saved" and used as the facade of the Complex.

Preservation of Hartford's history and architecture is important as we continue to knock down so much of what has made Hartford a beautiful and interesting city. Many of our buildings have been allowed to slide into a state of disrepair, even the Board of Ed building. And many of these buildings are actually owned by the City of Hartford and eventually end up being torn down, such as the Lyric Theatre on Park Street.

Now it seems that the Hartford Board of Ed/"new' Public Safety Complex will suffer the same fate.

With the amount of highly paid construction "experts" in the Mayor's Office, one would think that they would be able to get a project done correctly. Maybe too much time is being spent in their luxury SUV's rather than actually reviewing construction projects.

Perez proved his construction incompetence almost immediately after becoming Mayor when the cost overruns, construction delays, labor problems and shoddy workmanship delayed Hartford Public High School by years and ran millions of dollars over projected costs. And as recently as to the present day as Capitol Prep School's opening has been delayed for over a year by construction issues (picture below).




Last fall I posted that large portions the the facade being saved for the "new" Public Saftey Complex had collapsed. Eventually WFSB also did a story on it, and as I recall, they reported that the Mayor and his staff had reassured Channel 3 that everything was fine and structurally sound. At a cost of roughly $2 million dollars the remaining walls had been shored up with large steel beams. Here is the original post from November 14, 2009
Although no real progress is visible on the sight except for a few pieces of construction equipment that never seem to move, we were assured that construction was moving forward.

About a week and a half ago I stopped at the sight and saw the entire front entryway which made up a large portion of the front facade has now also collapsed. Calls for comment regarding the future of the structure to the Mayor's mouthpiece, I mean Director of Communications Sarah Barr, were unanswered.




Apparently now though, Steve Goode of the Hartford Courant and cityline@courant.com has been told by city officials that the entire structure is unsound and will be torn down. To read Steve's posting, click here to go to cityline

I'm not a construction engineer, but it seemed pretty obvious from the start that it didn't make sense to handle a 120 year old structure this way and expect it to remain standing. All of the interior walls and support for the structure were gutted and removed initially. After that was done all of the roof and all of the roof trusses and beams were removed, leaving the century old walls to stand on their own.

I guess that plan didn't work too well. It makes you wonder if the plan was ever supposed to work from the start or is it another corrupt scheme hatched in the Mayor's Office as posters here have hinted.

The other major question is how this project was ever going to be completed. At the time that "construction" (or destruction, depending on your level of confidence with Eddie Perez) began, it was stated that $28 million in funding was in place for the projected $88 million price tag for the project. Where was the other $60 million to complete the project coming from?

I for one can't wait for a change in administration that can actually get in and audit every penny spent by Perez's corrupt administration (oh yeah, allegedly). In the meantime I'm pretty confident the shredders are running overtime.

COUNCIL PRESIDENT SEGARRA ON FACE THE STATE SUNDAY

Council President Pedro Segarra will appear on WFSB's "Face the State" program this Sunday morning at 11:00AM. Guest reporter, and newly appointed Hartford Bureau Chief Len Besthoff joins Dennis House for an interview of the potential "Mayor-to-be" Pedro Segarra.

From what I understand it was a good interview as Segarra answers questions related to Hartford. High on the list was the question everyone is asking, can Eddie Perez function as Mayor while he faces a trial and potentially a prison sentence.

Segarra also goes on the record and puts Hartford's current budget "gap" at $28 million. Although that number may sound bad, according to some City Hall insiders it may be double that number.

Another segment on the program is an interview with Howard Baldwin. Baldwin was the force behind the Hartford Whaler's and is working to bring a NHL team back to Hartford. As a side note, I'm being told that Whaler's apparel is still one of the top purchased NHL items, I'm hearing #7 in the country but I'm still trying to confirm that.

Sunday Morning, 11:00 am on WFSB, Channel 3.

Oh, and it looks like the "WFSB Hartford Bureau" will be up and running this coming Tuesday. Timing is everything, it could be a busy week in the Hartford Bureau as jury selection for Perez begins Monday at 10:00am.

IT IS GETTING HOTTER... COURANT CALLS FOR PEREZ TO "STEP ASIDE" ...AGAIN

In what may become an all too familiar image of Mayor Perez,sitting in a courtroom fighting for his freedom, the Courant ran the above photo today along with an editorial calling for Perez to "step aside".

To read the entire editorial, click here

Today's editorial was a far cry from their editorial endorsement for Perez's re-election in 2007. The big question is what has changed between now and then. Other than the arrests actually taking place, most of the accusations and information was pretty much known in 2007.

Apparently the editors at the Courant have seen the light. In describing Perez today, they claim he suffers from a "Superman complex" and is a Mayor who "doesn't delegate well". No breaking new there. The only difference is that in the past he suffered from a "Napoleon complex" , now he has risen to the level of the Man of Steel and is suffering from a "Superman complex".

Better late than never I guess.

A BIG U.P.S. OOPS !

A Hartford family received an unexpected package delivery from UPS today.

The family and the address shall remain nameless for the time being.

Apparently after opening the package they discovered roughly 10 pounds of marijuana, from what police sources are telling me. Police sources do not believe the family opening the package was the intended recipient and they are investigating.

What can "Brown" do for you? I guess the possibilities are endless.

More details when I can provide them.

COUNTDOWN TO THE END, HELPFUL TIPS FOR LOYAL MEMBERS OF THE PEREZ ADMINISTRATION

As these helpful tips come to mind or as people point them out to me, I'll try to post them here.

DAILY TIPS FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 7, 2010

1. To all members of the Perez Management team, as you are aware, we are most likely facing a $60 million dollar plus "budget gap" for this year. Please don't order any business cards or stationary, they will not be of any use after July 1, 2010 or thereabouts when Mayor Segarra begins cleaning house.

2. If you are an overpaid member of the "Perez Leadership Team" who has been given the unconditional use of a luxury SUV, now is the time to begin car shopping. The gravy train is about to jump the tracks.

3. Don't make any travel plans at the City's expense after July 1, 2010. Those lovely trips to Orlando should be cancelled.

4. Attend a resume writing workshop to update that resume. It is a tough job market out there for "former" political cronies and you'll need all the help you can muster to land a job that pays anywhere close to what you've been getting on the taxpayers backs.

5. To former "media" people who had jumped on the Perez bandwagon, I think your credibility has been shot. You might want to look into Public Access, there may be an opening there before long.

These are a start for today, more helpful hints to follow.

ANOTHER ROSIE APPEAL IN THE MAKING

As you may recall, on February, 23, 2010 the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission proposed a final decision against the City of Hartford and Corporation Counsel John Rose for FOI Act violations. Read the February entry and read the decision here

As Rosie seems to never accept outside decisions, he has submitted a brief to the FOI Commission telling them why they are wrong. The full FOI Commission is scheduled to hear and vote on the decision next Wednesday , April 14, 2010 at 2:00PM.

Rosie's "Memorandum of Law" is attached below, but it sounds like more grasping at straws to me. I'm sure, if nothing else it is laying the basis for an appeal to Superior Court by Rose at the taxpayers expense.

The first argument is that Rose is claiming that I made my complaint against him as Corporation Counsel and the decision was against him as the Corporation Counsel. Now if you can follow this reasoning, Rose seems to be making the claim that the complaint and the decision should have been against the "Office of the Corporation Counsel" and not the Corporation Counsel. I know, it sounds desperate, but that is Rosie. File paperwork after paperwork, and appeal after appeal, its not his money.

If you are still following any of this nonsense, in page 2 Rosie claims that there were never any complaint of wrongdoing by "the Office of the Corporation Counsel" but rather against him as "Corporation Counsel".

I won't go through this entire waste of paper and time, you can read it for yourself.

But after you read it, ask yourself, with a legal "mind" like this, is it any wonder Hartford can't win a case in court?


Rose FOI Brief 4-5-10

ISN'T IT TIME FOR EDDIE PEREZ TO RESIGN?

Now that the beginning of the Perez corruption trial is imminent, can he really function as Mayor?

According to the Hartford Courant:

Perez has maintained that he can participate fully in his defense and also govern effectively, and repeated that belief in a brief interview last week. He said that no mayor runs a city alone and that he'll count on staff and the city council to do their jobs and help him do his.

"I'm very confident everyone is on point and I'm going to continue to do the job to the best of my ability," he said. "There's a great team here and the team gets the work done."

I am quite frankly tired of hearing about the "Perez Management Team". Most of this "management team" wouldn't be qualified to run a McDonald's restaurant if they were judged by their performance at City Hall. Most people in the private sector would be terminated immediately if they ran up a $60 million "budget gap" or overestimated their revenues as the Perez "management team" has for this fiscal year.

Most "management teams" in the private sector would be shown the door if they "forbid" a member of the Board of Directors from speaking with a Department head as Susan McMullen just did to Dr. Deutsch.

But putting all that aside, we as voters in Hartford elected a Mayor. We did not elect a "management team". We deserve, and we should demand, a Mayor that can focus on the business of Hartford. Hartford is headed into most likely the toughest budget period it has ever seen.

Hartford can not afford being led by an absent Mayor because he is in residence in a criminal courtroom. I have felt from day one of the Perez arrests that he should have resigned. Eddie Perez is a dark cloud over the City of Hartford and continues to bring embarrassment, shame and skepticism over Hartford's future every day he remains in office.

Is Eddie just prolonging the inevitable for his own personal gain or does he really care about the City? Many feel that Perez's exit from City Hall is only weeks away, being brought on by a conviction as a result of his criminal trial. That is several weeks that could be used by "Mayor" Segarra for righting the sinking ship that Perez has captained like Captain Queeg for the last nine years.

ARENA LOSES !!!!!! HARTFORD...I MEAN HOLLOWAY WINS

Well, after the court battles, State Central interventions and the recounts, the only thing missing in Hartford's Democratic Town Committee Chairpersons race was an exorcist.

The recount ordered by Democratic State Central was held tonight and by one vote, Jean Holloway won the seat. A couple of people that supported Arena the first time around switched over to Holloway and vice versa. Most observers agree that the deciding "vote" was actually no vote at all. Hector Robles, the 6th District State Representative and town committee member actually abstained when the vote was called.

His vote, if cast for Arena, would have tied the vote, essentially leaving the race where it was when Ramon Arroyo cast his second vote, resulting in the ordered re-vote.

Now it is time to see what Jean is able to do with the position. She has been rather silent since the night of the first election. I tend to say what is on my mind, and Jean knows that and she also reads the blog regularly.

The nonsense that has nearly driven Hartford over the edge into political irrelevance needs to stop. People wheeling and dealing for what is best for them rather than what is best for Hartford needs to come to a stop immediately. Holloway needs to set a tone and set it fast.

The days of cronyism and nepotism need to end. The days of people thinking they deserve a nomination strictly because of who they are or who they know needs to end. Rather, political office holders need to be asked " what have you done to make Hartford a better place ?"

Jean, as Town Chair, will have a tough call to make in the next year as the nominations for Mayor start coming in. Since her boss on the Council is expected to run, who will she support?

Today was definitely a bad day for the Perez regime as he lost in court before Judge Dewey in the morning and he was essentially neutered politically in the evening. Can the end for politics as usual in Hartford be far off?

It all depends on Jean's leadership from this point on for the next two years. She hasn't received the best advice in her short and shaky start as Town Chair. Hopefully from this point on, she will feel more confident now that her position is official.

Will Hartford's destiny continue in the direction it is, and has been, going for the last 9 years, or will a new breed of leaders have the fortitude to step up and do what is right for the people of Hartford rather than what is right for themselves?

ON A TIGHT LEASH AT CITY HALL

So much for that openness and transparency we keep hearing so much about in the Perez Administration.Apparently Perez's Chief of Staff Susan McMullen prefers to micromanage all details right down to conversations between acting Department heads and Council people.

From the attached e-mail between McMullen and Councilperson Deutsch, Dr .Deutsch was requesting a conversation between himself and Kevin Burnham, the acting Director of Public Works.

Dr. Deutsch had scheduled an appointment with Burnham until McMullen intervened and apparently cancelled the meeting.

In the e-mail Deutsch asked "are you forbidding him from attending this meeting?", McMullen replied that it was "important that I be present at the meeting". I guess that is the only way of ensuring that the Council is kept in the dark and doesn't come away from the conversation with any more of the truth than Perez wants them to get.

Maybe it is time to start the pool to bet on when this regime is shown the door out of City Hall. I say 10-12 weeks.

Mcmullen Deutsch E-mail

DENIED, DENIED, DENIED AND DENIED

All of the motions submitted by the defense team for our allegedly corrupt Mayor Eddie A. Perez were denied this morning.

Perez was ordered by Judge Dewey to report for jury selection Monday morning and was told not to make any plans other than attending court until at least July.

The week is young though, plenty of time for more frivolous motions before court proceedings actually begin Monday