YOU MIGHT BE ASKING WHY EDDIE A. PEREZ IS GONE....FROM THE BLOG

To my regular readers, you are well aware that when this blog started it was to focus on the actions of Eddie Perez and his corrupt organization at Hartford City Hall.

Whether it was alleged criminal activity, attempts at covering up his actions through refusing FOI requests or just improper conduct, much of it was first reported here. I am proud of the accomplishments that "We the People" has attained and the people who have stood along side me to take our City back.

The work is far from done as we dig out of the mess that our former Mayor,and now convicted felon, Eddie A. Perez has put us in. But I have decided, at least for me, that the Perez era of corruption as it relates to Perez as an individual is done.

We do have another elected official, Republican Council Person Veronica Airey-Wilson headed to trial on felony charges and I will focus on her trail also.In the over all scheme of Hartford's resurrection though, her performance is insignificant, as has been most of her tenure on the Council.

But in getting back to Perez, I have decided to remove the reminders of his arrest, trial and conviction. The revolving cube with his first mugshot, the TIME magazine "mug shot's of the year" picture and his second mugshot.

The reason, for me, is simple. Job number one is done, Perez is gone and most likely headed to prison. It's time to focus on the more important job now. That is the job of rallying behind our Mayor, Pedro E. Segarra. In order to regain our position as the once proud and prosperous Capital city of our great state, we all need to pull together.

That can take many different aspects for most people. Number one is being involved in our government and not letting another "Perez Era" happen again...ever. First and foremost get out and vote and encourage everyone you come in contact with to vote. It is time for us to begin placing the best possible candidates in elected positions. Not the best politically connected people, but the best qualified people who love our city and are willing to unselfishly put their hearts and souls into true public service.

Not everyone has the same strengths, but we all have something to offer. Not everyone can get up at Council meetings and speak their minds, but you may be able to take a neighborhood child under your wing and mentor them as Mayor Segarra urged our new police officers at Friday's graduation. Not everyone has the time to be involved in a public office or to volunteer to be on a Board or Commission, but if you do, I would urge you to contact the Mayor's Office and put your strengths to work for bringing our City back.

Even something that seems minor, like sweeping in front of your home or business and picking up litter makes a difference. And you might even start a trend in your neighborhood.

If your streets aren't being swept because people ignore the "No parking on trash day" signs, organize your neighbors as a group of residents recently did in the Congress Street/Morris Street area. After they held a neighborhood meeting with police supervisors and their Community Service Officer a simple solution was arrived at. Residents would let their neighbors know what was coming, tagging and towing of improperly parked vehicles. Flyer's were put out and the following week the Police department and Public Works worked as a team and the illegally parked cars were towed and the streets were swept for the first time in a long time.

A simple solution when we all work together.

Even something as simple as taking the time to pick up the phone and call the Police when you see something unusual in your neighborhood can make a big difference. Many burglary sprees or pattern crimes are ended by just one phone call.

The days of the "Divide and conquer" style of the Perez Administration have been brought to an end. There is great promise and hope that a new day is dawning in Hartford. Only time will tell, but I have confidence in the leadership style of Mayor Segarra ,even though we are only one week and a day into his administration.

Great cities aren't made by one individual, they are built by a diverse group of people all bringing their strengths to the table and working together. We have that potential, now let's get it done.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

Last year I attended the graduation of a recruit class from the Hartford Police Academy that was held in the auditorium of the Aetna on Farmington Avenue. At last years graduation the keynote speaker was Hartford's Mayor Eddie A. Perez. I had a hard time not getting up and walking out listening to Perez as he spoke to Hartford's newest police officers about honesty, integrity and them being held to a higher standard. And yes, it was the same Eddie Perez that was under arrest on corruption and extortion allegations at the time and now has the label of convicted felon.

Yesterday I entered that same auditorium for the graduation ceremony of the latest officers to gain the title of "Hartford's finest". I have to keep reminding myself that I am biased against Perez, but an air of hope and promise seemed to permeate the room. The Perez cloud had been lifted and the Segarra sunshine was filling the room.

The usual speeches took place, the prayers were said and then Mayor Segarra took the podium for his address. Mayor Segarra has a distinct advantage over Perez when it comes to public speaking. For one thing, Segarra, as an attorney, knows how to speak without notes and seem believable. Perez never seemed comfortable and was obviously always reading from a prepared script.

With that being said, Mayor Segarra gave a great speech and I have to admit I got "goosebumps" at a couple times during his remarks. It was hard to listen to Perez a year earlier talk about Police Officer's being held to a higher standard when he clearly felt that the higher standard didn't apply to him.

Mayor Segarra spoke about his life experience of his own father being shot and killed by senseless violence. It was tough not to draw the comparison of our former Mayor whose claim to fame was his gang membership and our current Mayor who fled from his home in Brooklyn, New York at the age of 15 and came to Hartford to avoid being drawn into the gang life. A Mayor that even under those circumstances and being on his own at 15 was able to rise above the gangs and eventually get his law degree and go on to serve the City of Hartford as Mayor.

Which Mayor do you think is the better role model for youth and even for our newest Police Officer's?

Back to the speech. Mayor Segarra spoke about his earliest interaction with a police officer in Brooklyn and how he and his buddies were enthralled with the firearm holstered on the officer's hip. He related how the officer spoke to him and his friends and game them their first lesson in what guns are for, and in what they weren't for.

He urged the new officers to take a Hartford boy or girl and mentor them and begin moving Hartford's young people in the right direction, the same way the Brooklyn officer did to him. He also urged the officers to take an interest in Hartford and develop the love for our city that so many of us have.

He encouraged the officers to discover the beauty of Hartford and its gems like our golf courses and Elizabeth Park. He told them when they might be feeling stressed after their shift, take a walk and unwind in Elizabeth Park. Bring their families and children to discover one of Hartford's museums. Take the time to come back into Hartford and eat at one of our many restaurants.

It was a speech that focused on the key to Hartford's immediate future, restoring trust and confidence in the public and that Hartford is going to move in the right direction, despite the Perez years.

If the comments I overheard in the room afterwards were any indication, Mayor Segarra hit a grand slam home run with his comments. I think there were a few hundred more believers in Hartford's hope after the speech than there were initially entering the room.

McGARRY BREAKS HIS SILENCE.....FINALLY......WELL, KIND OF

According to the Hartford Courant this morning, Hartford's Republican Town Chairperson Micheal T. McGarry has finally decided to weigh in on the Perez scandal. Not surprisingly though, he doesn't mention a word about scandal, corruption or even the fact that his only Republican on the City Council is also about to head to trial.Although in fairness to McGarry, the Democrats also seem to have political laryngitis when it comes to speaking out against corruption.

No, instead McGarry is calling for a special election to replace the spot opened by convicted felon Eddie Perez's resignation. This seems rather odd for someone that can't get candidates elected to be calling for a special election. According to the Courant, McGarry was unavailable for comment so we have no way of knowing what is running through that mind of his.

It is odd though that McGarry,and apparently the Republican Town Committee , have decided now to say anything. Throughout the entire investigation, including search warrants, a Grand Jury and even several arrests, not a word has been uttered by McGarry or the rest of his Jurassic Park followers. Although McGarry has made it a point to provide cover for Veronica Airey-Wilson, the Republican Council person arrested along side Perez, he has reamined silent throughout the entire ordeal.

Maybe McGarry feels a share of the blame for allowing his party to be driven into oblivion and irrelevance, empowering Perez to conduct his corrupt activities. Or maybe there were business decisions involved. We know how Perez would retaliate against those that spoke out and advertising revenues could be cut off.

But I would love to hear McGarry's rationale for a special election. A special election that does not appear to be allowed by City Charter. Any other year it might have a chance, the Charter states that a special election for replacement of the Mayor could be called in a year with a "regularly scheduled municipal election". This is the one year in the four year election cycle with no municipal officers up for election. No Board of Education, no Council, no Constables, no Registrars of Voters, not one municipal official.

But even further is the question why? Is he afraid that Pedro Segarra won't play his game? Maybe that Mayor Segarra seems to be a no nonsense leader? Maybe that Mayor Segarra will actually get something done and move Hartford in a new direction without any Republican help?

I might suggest that Mr. McGarry schedule an immediate meeting with Mayor Segarra and get on board with his plans for change. Rather than run to the City Clerks office with useless paperwork, do something productive for Hartford. Provide Mayor Segarra with a list of names of people that can actually make a change in Hartford by being useful assets on Boards and Commissions. Many of these positions have been vacant for years.

Mr. McGarry, agree to work with Mayor Segarra for the good of Hartford and its residents. Use the voice of the Republican party to keep Hartford on a steady and even course, something that hasn't been done for several years and allowed City Hall to veer off course and into potential prison sentences.

Mayor Segarra shows promise of being a solid force for change and stability in our City and the 17 months he will serve for the remainder of his term will be a daily challenge for him. Upending that by calling for a special election and changing leaders once again is lunacy.

And it's not like any Republican even has a chance of winning. What is the real reason for the petition?

HOW DO THEY HAVE THE NERVE TO EVEN TRY?

And now another one from the "only in Hartford" file.

Susan McMullen, Chief of Staff to former Mayor and convicted felon Eddie A. Perez today resigned her position. Most considered her exit from City Hall as inevitable. But before her exit, according to a City Hall source, she has written to the City Pension administrators requesting to boost her pension.

McMullen is somehow asking that her time of service as an employee of the City of New Britain be allowed to calculate her pension. I for one might be convinced to support such a move. We as residents of Hartford do owe her a debt of gratitude. Before you fall out of your chair , consider the facts.

If McMullen hadn't dreamed up the "Dyslexia Defense" for Perez, he might still be a free man today without any felony convictions hanging over him. Susan McMullen and her testimony almost certainly ensured a conviction for Eddie in conjunction with the testimony of Matthew Hennessy. The jurors must have realized the Perez Administration was a fraud after they spent almost a month watching Perez read e-mails on his Blackberry to then be told he was Dyslexic.

Good job Susan, in the end we both were working for the same goal I guess.

McMullen also now seems to hold the record for being terminated as a Mayoral Chief of Staff from the most municipalities in the state. Prior to coming to Hartford she was also terminated from New Britain. Might I suggest Waterbury next?

NO COUNCIL PRESIDENT YET......BUT AT LEAST WE CAN SKATEBOARD

The lunacy continues.

There is still no Council President as the body as a whole can't come to a common decision. For anyone following the debate, it clearly shows, once again, what a dysfunctional body the Hartford Court of Common Council is.

In what should be the most pressing issue before the Council, no resolution to the matter was obtained at Monday's Council meeting. The Council was able to come together to resolve the second most pressing issue in Hartford though. Skateboarders nationwide can now come to Hartford and skate without fear of jail time.

I'm not sure when the last arrest was made for illegal skateboarding, but it is a huge relief to me to know that I can now skateboard without ending up in prison along side our former Mayor and newly convicted felon Eddie A. Perez.

Now for the serious side, you really can't make this stuff up. Forget the leadership of the City, no rush to fill the Council President's position, just continue on like a ship without a rudder.

First off, do the Council members understand the succession outlined in the City Charter? If there is not an actual "Council President" the Council majority leader is technically the "acting Council President". If Mayor Segarra were to become incapacitated, the current Majority Leader would become Mayor.

I have to say that scares the heck out of me. Mayor Winch? I urge everyone, whether you are religious or not, go to your nearest church and light a candle and say a prayer that Mayor Segarra be watched over and kept safe and in good health. And in all honesty, it is not just "Mayor Winch" that scares me but also "Mayor Boucher", "Mayor Torres", insert the name of any Council member and you can see what we are up against.

In the meantime, I think most actions conducted by this Council will be irrelevant. The direction of the City for the next 17 months will clearly be set by Mayor Segarra as he does the heavy lifting while the Council continues to bicker in their sandbox like children.

But at least on the bright side, we can all forget the problems of Hartford as we go out and legally skateboard around the City.

ANOTHER MILESTONE

An observant follower pointed out to me this afternoon that the blog "hit counter" today hit 100,000.

Thanks for your continued support.

LIKE RATS LEAVING A SINKING SHIP

It looks like Hartford's "Queen of Mean" may be calling it quits or at least is very perceptive and can read the writing on the wall. Perez Chief of Staff Susan McMullen must realize her days at City Hall are coming to a quick end.Apparently McMullen has put her house on the market about a week after the guilty verdict for her former boss was rendered, and two days after Perez resigned.



McMullen was instrumental in the states prosecution and eventual guilty verdict after she concocted the "Dyslexia Defense" which seemed to seal Perez's fate as a convicted felon.

Thanks Susan, it couldn't have been done without you.

Just a word of advice to any prospective buyers, make sure any renovations had building permits issued and that the contractors have been paid. Beware of any granite counter tops.

According to the City of Hartford Assessor's website, McMullen purchased the property in 2004 for $170,000 and the property is assessed at $46,460.

THE PEREZ INVESTIGATION, HOW IT BEGAN FOR ME

It has been a long path from my initial feelings that "something" was wrong in the Perez Administration to the final guilty verdict last week.

I guess my original suspicions were raised after I began receiving threats made directly to me or directed at me by Perez staffers. The first was from the Mayor's Chief of Staff, Matthew Hennessy, and was apparently made to Marilyn Rossetti,the Executive Director of HART (Hartford Areas Rally Together)according to what Rossetti had relayed to me.

At the time, I had made a decision to stay in Hartford and become vocal about issues I saw facing the City. To do that I had decided to become involved with HART, who at the time I felt was a strong grassroots neighborhood organization advocating for Hartford's residents. After getting involved with HART I quickly found that wasn't the case, but that's a story for another day.

At the time I became involved with HART, Eddie Perez was being tested by a severe crime problem and he was preparing to make what many thought would be his first major challenge as strong Mayor. The selection of a new Police Chief was in the works and I began to advocate for Assistant Police Chief Mark Pawlina. Myself and others saw Pawlina as the perfect fit due to his reputation in the community and his years of service to the Hartford Police Department and the people of Hartford.

Mark Pawlina was always accessible and was comfortable in every neighborhood across the city. Mark was "colorblind" when it came to serving the people of Hartford and every person and every neighborhood received Pawlina's full attention.

Unfortunately my efforts were not appreciated by those in the Mayor's Office as a selection for Chief had apparently already been made and did not include Mark Pawlina. An outsider had been selected apparently due to his ties with the Hennessey family and Matt Hennessey's father. Patrick Harnett was brought in from outside as Perez's choice for Police Chief.

During all of this, I received a call one day from Marilyn Rossetti and she asked me to stop by her office at HART to meet with her and John Kennelley who at the time was HART's attorney. I agreed and met with them and Rossetti informed me that I would have to stop speaking out and making my comments to the media.

Rossetti stated that she had received a call from the Mayor's Chief of Staff Matt Hennessey who advised her that if I kept speaking out against Perez that HART's funding from the City would be cut. As I said before, I wasn't impressed with HART's "scripted" operations, so rather than become silent as Rossetti requested, I stepped away from HART.

It bothered me that City Hall could wield funding as a weapon to silence residents, but we now know that is how the Perez criminal operation succeeded. It also bothered me that Rossetti and HART would succumb to such threats, but I guess to some a paycheck is a paycheck.

The next threat came directly to me from Perez sycophant Lew Brown. I had been asked to attend a press conference that the African American Alliance was holding on the steps of Hartford City Hall. I had never really met Lew Brown, but I knew who he was from his days as a Television reporter.

I had parked at the curb directly in front of City Hall and was leaning against my truck waiting for the event to begin. As I was standing there, Lew Brown came out of the front entrance of City Hall and made a path directly for me. He stood directly in front of me and began poking me in the chest saying "I know who you are". I was a little taken aback my his demeanor and actions, but he continued poking me saying that I needed to stop "making the Mayor look bad" by saying what I was saying.

As if the poking in the chest was obnoxious enough, he then went on to state that he knew I had "a close friend on the Police Department" who was in line for a promotion to Captain and if I didn't stop saying what I was saying "my Friend" would never get the promotion.

What were they hiding that they were so concerned about one person raising issues? I was concerned about the threats and as to how this administration seemed to stop at nothing to conceal their activities.

For some reason, at about the same time, people began passing information on to me about questionable activities relating to City Hall and specifically Mayor Perez.
Some of the information made sense and could be easily verified, other information took work to dig out and I quickly realized that something was wrong and the Perez Administration was in a bunker mentality.

Although a lot of allegations were being made, the name Carlos Costa soon became a repeating theme. Costa's name originally began surfacing after he was given a "no-bid" emergency contract for the Church Street parking garage. Although that bid appeared to be a legitimate "emergency" contract, most of Costa's bids for the Parking Authority suddenly became emergency work. The source that provided that information to me was concerned that Costa was receiving special treatment to avoid any competitive bidding process.

At the trial of Perez there was a quick reference to work on the Mayor's home being "charged out" to the Church Street Garage during Costa's testimony. That testimony was never followed up as to whether the Parking Authority actually was billed and paid for work on Perez's home or whether it was just an accounting procedure by Costa.

TO BE CONTINUED......................

HERNAN WON'T LIKE THIS

Hernan LaFontaine wasn't happy with Eddie Perez's guilty verdict, as he stated in his op-ed piece in Sundays Courant. He must not be happy with Attorney General Richard Blumenthal right about now either.

Earlier today Blumenthal apparently sent a letter to States Attorney Kevin Kane. In that letter he outlined his plans to move forward to revoke the pension of former Hartford Mayor and now convicted felon Eddie A. Perez. Blumenthal's actions are allowed under an anti-corruption statute passed in 2008 after John Rowland's arrest.

Blumenthal stated that he will be working in conjunction with Kane's office to revoke Perez's pension. The pension would be approximately $25,000 annually for Perez if he began collecting at age 55 and would be roughly $31,000 if he began collecting at age 60.

Sorry Hernan, I guess crime may not pay afterall.

HERNAN: PLEASE SEEK HELP IMMEDIATELY

My phone began ringing early Sunday morning with several callers asking if I had read Hernan LaFontaine's op-ed piece in Sunday's Courant. I hadn't by that point, but I got up and got online at courant.com to read it.

After reading the defense of Perez written by LaFontaine, it should be quite clear to just about everyone why City Hall is the ethical and criminal cesspool that it is. I'm sure that LaFontaine's assessment of the jury verdict is based on his blind allegiance to the puppet master Eddie A. Perez, rather than any common sense reasoning.

LaFontaine claims in his blind review that the state failed to prove their case and that he sat in the courtroom for "weeks" listening to testimony. I saw him there on a few occasions, certainly not weeks, but he apparently missed a few key witnesses.

In claiming that the State never proved any criminal intent, I would ask him to recall a couple of witnesses testimony. Carlos Costa's testimony was damaging, and apparently credible in the eyes of the jury. His testimony pointed out one fact, that when Perez realized that people "on the streets" were talking about the dirty deals at the Mayor's residence, Perez instructed Costa to make up a bill. Hernan, that is what is known as "criminal intent".

Then I guess he missed the testimony of Inspector Michael Sullivan. Sullivan testified that Perez lied to him when he stated that he had paid the bill to Costa. Then less than an hour after Sullivan left City Hall, Perez was at the Hartford Federal Credit Union applying for a loan to pay the bill to Costa that he had just told Inspector Sullivan he had paid much earlier. Once again Hernan, that is known as criminal intent.

Then the extortion charges related to the butt ugly building. Joseph Citino testified to the e-mails and the $100,000 payoff to "take care of Abe". According to testimony, Perez stated that if Citino didn't take care of the payoff to Giles there would be no "next step" and the deal would be dead.Seems pretty clear from that testimony that extortion was in the air at City Hall.

And if that wasn't enough to prove the State's case in the eyes of the Jury, throw in the Mayor's Chief of Staff and his former Chief of Staff's testimony. The "dyslexia defense", I think, sealed the Mayor's reputation as a fraud and a liar. If one ounce of truth was in that testimony, a diagnosis of dyslexia by a doctor would heave been entered into evidence and most likely an expert witness on dyslexia would have been put on the stand.

That testimony went directly to the Mayor's character and the Jury saw right through it.

To say that State Prosecutor's didn't prove their case is the furthest thing from the truth. The State did an exceptional job proving their case, the Defense team for Perez are the one's that did a terrible job. But then again, they had nothing to work with from the start.

And if your buddy, Eddie A. Perez, wasn't so afraid of questioning from Prosecutors, he would have taken the stand to defend himself. What was he hiding that he was so afraid to be questioned about the Extortion charges?

And your allegations that the jury verdict was because of a "population that cannot adjust to a shifting cultural paradigm" seems to infer that the verdict was based on race and Caucasians that are afraid of Hispanics in positions of power. That comment proves your ignorance of the matter. The jury was made up of people that Perez and his attorney's chose.

To blame the verdict on race is more of the ignorant narrow minded thinking that continues to drag Hartford down. The verdict shows that people have no tolerance for criminal behavior, and not because they want to remove Hispanics from office. That is most likely why we have been hearing Eddie Perez being described as a convicted felon since the verdict, not as "the Hispanic Mayor".

And as far as people celebrating or gloating over the verdict, I haven't seen anyone taking great pride in our former Mayor being a convicted felon now. I do see many people ready to pitch in and work with Mayor Segarra in building Hartford's reputation once again to the proud City we once were before your leadership, and I use the word loosely, and Eddie Perez began Hartford's downward corrupt spiral.

Maybe it is time for you to come clean about your support of Perez and why you owe your loyalty to the puppet master.

To read LaFontaine's nonsense, click here