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Tuesday, April 20, 2010

IT SHOULD BE AN INTERESTING NIGHT FOR "1 HARTFORD"


We usually record the "1HARTFORD" program on Thursday mornings.
This week though we will be recording tonight. Our guest this week is Dan Malloy, former Stamford Mayor and candidate for Governor. In order to accommodate his schedule we are doing the program tonight.

It should be an interesting program. I have to say, not knowing much about Malloy before I started doing my research on him, I'm impressed.

One of 8 children who was at one point referred to as "retarded" due to learning disabilities, and rose above his disabilities to become an attorney. He eventually became the Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York with an impressive record. He returned to Stamford, his hometown, in 1995 and was elected Mayor by a landslide.

At that time, Stamford was very close to what Hartford is today, less the corruption.
Out of control crime, businesses and resident's fleeing, a depressed city sliding backwards. Malloy and his team were able to reduce crime by 64% and eventually was rated one of the 10 safest cities in America.

As impressed as I am, it's not a propaganda program for him. We will be asking some tough questions about why he should be our next Governor.

Be sure to watch the program here when it is uploaded.

IS THE IMPLOSION IMMINENT?

I usually have enough to keep me occupied focusing on Hartford issues, but for some reason I love the Courant's Bob Englehart's common sense interpretation of issues and this drawing caught my attention.

It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

TIME FOR A "WE THE PEOPLE" CALL TO ACTION


ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!

In a city that has been run for almost ten years through corruption and incompetence, it now seems that we are rising to a new height. In a city as financially depressed as Hartford, Mayor Perez is once again proposing a tax increase, an increase in spending, and no mention of controlling or reducing spending.

Yesterday when I posted the proposed budget, the response from blog readers was almost immediate. It is time to be heard and make a change.

I couldn't agree more and a few of you have stepped up to offer to help begin organizing demonstrations at budget hearing and Council meetings.

The time is now to start taking back our city and our local government.

The name of this blog was never more fitting than now.

Let's start by making our voices heard at next Tuesday's Budget comment session at Bulkeley High School. The hearing will be held at Bulkeley High at 300 Wethersfield Avenue, beginning at 6:00PM.

I'll post more on this in the next couple days, but from the couple people that have stepped up to help, we want to be there and be heard. Signs, banners, chanting, loud voices, bring it all as we send a clear message to the Mayor and Council that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Instead of residents and businesses talking about packing and leaving, maybe it is time to send the politicians who refuse to listen packing instead.

NO MORE TAX INCREASES!!! Instead let's send the message to politicians that it is time to end the frivolous travel. It is time to end "drivers" and other frills for the Mayor. No more "training sessions" at the Orlando Palms for a dozen people at the City's expense. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

If you are part of a group that can turn people out, or even if you just want to bring a few of your neighbors, the time is now. Taxpayers in Hartford can't take anymore of this insane spending.

Feel free to call me or e-mail if you can help organize this demonstration and as always, feel free to post your comments here.

It is time to end the talking and begin the action.

DOES ANYONE ELSE FIND THIS OFFENSIVE?



From the start of Eddie Perez's journey down the path to potential prison time, it seems that it is all about Eddie being a victim of racism.

From the day of his first arrest Eddie was singled out because of his race. From the mouth of his taxpayer funded attorney it was pure and simple racism. The Office of the State's Attorney was trying to take down a strong Hispanic Mayor. Not because he was corrupt and committing criminal activities, but because he was a strong Hispanic.

All throughout the journey it has been based on race.

Throughout history ethnic groups have supported "their own". Irish-Catholics have always supported Irish Catholic politicians, hence the Kennedy dynasty so this is nothing new. Hispanic voters at one time took pride in seeing the first Hispanic Mayor elected in Hartford almost 10 years ago. Due largely to the Hispanic vote Perez was re-elected to a third term as Mayor even when it was known that the dark cloud of corruption was looming over his head.

But where do we draw the line. I find it offensive that the racism, or reverse racism, continues right into the courtroom. Would it be tolerated if a defense attorney stated that his white client needed a "white jury" or his black client needed a "black jury". And do white jurors have a different view of what's acceptable in society. Do black juries turn a blind eye to crime? I seriously doubt it, and this is more of the "divide and conquer" mentality that continues to split our society along racial lines.

I seriously wonder if Hispanics, in particular Puerto Ricans, take offense with the way this jury selection is being handled. We keep hearing that Perez can only get a fair trial if the jury were to be stacked with minorities. As a "non-Hispanic" watching this posturing by Perez's defense, it seems that the message appears pretty clear. Do "hispanic" jurors look at corruption and crime differently than the rest of us?

I seriously don't think so and it would seem that potentially it could be the total opposite. I would think that Hispanics, in particular Puerto Ricans, would want to send a clear message of strong punishment to Perez if convicted.

Eddie entered his first term as someone that his community could be proud of. A Puerto Rican former gang member who had seemed to have left his life of crime and changed his life. The "Professor" (his gang street name) could now be a role-model for his community and show that anything was possible for inner-city youth.

If anything, Eddie Perez has been a huge let down to that same community, as well as all of us, that saw him as potential role-model for their youth. Eddie Perez is potentially sending the message to Hartford's youth that jail is inevitable. If Perez as Mayor couldn't avoid crime and jail time, how is a kid growing up in Hartford's neighborhoods supposed to avoid it.

Eddie had so much potential and has apparently chosen to squander it all for counter tops and a steam shower.

It's sad, but to continue the process cloaked in racism is even worse.

Shouldn't the uproar over the "Cuban" juror be directed at the juror who potentially lied, without it being about her ethnicity?

Sunday, April 18, 2010

A SUGGESTION FOR MAYOR-TO-BE SEGARRA


Hopefully in the next couple of months the process of turning Hartford around will begin under a new Administration led by Pedro Segarra.

One of my "faithful" regular readers sent me a great e-mail today with a suggestion that would probably scare the hell out of the Perez Administration as well as all of the non-profits beholding to Eddie Perez for their operations.

Quite simply, the reader directed me to the City of New London's municipal website. There, New London posts their check registers by month showing each and every check issued by the City for each and every department. Imagine what we might find if Hartford was so open and transparent.

They even go so far as requesting that every non-profit receiving funds from the City of New London do the same thing. According to their website ""The City of New London encourages other organizations that receive public funds to join us, in making financial data more accessible to the public."

All I can say is...."Wow". This must be how an administration not overrun with corruption operates.

I would imagine that City Treasurer Kathleen Palm-Devine would find this kind of openness refreshing also. It might answer a lot of questions about where our money is going.

To check out how an honest government operates, click the links below.

And the best part, Mayor-to-be Segarra, this suggestion didn't cost the city anything for a consultant. There are plenty of good people more than willing to see Hartford turn around and return to the direction it was going "pre-Perez".

Click here to view New London's "homepage" which actually provides factual information, not propaganda pictures of their mayor

Click here to view New London's actual check registers, available on their website, no FOI battles required

And thanks again to my "faithful" readers. Keep the suggestions coming, this is definitely a good start that would begin restoring confidence in Hartford's ability to do the right thing once Eddie is gone