The Hartford City Council once again showed their true colors tonight and for anyone that thinks that Eddie Perez is not still running Hartford City Hall, think again.
In a move void of any public comment or any transparency, two loyal Perez allies were slammed down the throats of Hartford's residents tonight.
Robert Painter a former Republican Councilman was re-appointed to the Council tonight, now as a Democrat. Painter, by his own admission to me a few months ago, had blindly offered his allegiance to Perez ignoring all the signs of corruption that were apparent to others. Painter had apologized to me for not listening to what I repeatedly said to the Council about the corruption and criminality of Perez.
Painter had stated to me that I obviously had some "outstanding" sources and he now realized that I knew what I was talking about when it came to allegations against the now convicted felon Perez. Is that the type of judgment we should look forward to leading our city?
Then we have the Republican replacement Corey Brinson. Brinson has blindly supported his corrupt aunt, former Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson, who was also arrested along with Perez.
I guess the question is to what degree are we looking for change? If we are willing to appoint individuals to the Council who clearly lack any integrity or judgment when it comes to calling out corrupt officials, are we really going to change anything?
This entire Council needs to be replaced in November by individuals willing to step up and do the right thing without playing the political gamesmanship.This includes Dr. Deutsch who was a willing pawn in tonight's escapade and eventually voted in favor of the actions even though he put on a good show of appearing disgusted.
-
26 comments:
"This entire Council needs to be replaced in November by individuals willing to step up and do the right thing without playing the political gamesmanship."
********************************
Wake up and smell the coffee. Unless a serious primary battle is put forth. The endorsed Democrats will get almost 2k more then whatever minority candidates are present. Those endorsed Dems will be people selected by the same 2/2/2 pay your dues method as always. So, automatically you will have 6 people who participate in the political gamesmanship.
If Cory receives the same support from the West Indian community as his aunt, he will be a hard incumbent to beat. As will Deutsch & Cotto if they choose to run again. Rumor has it that Cotto will not run again.
Kevin, stop wasting your time talking about who to vote out. There is no such thing as voting anyone out. You should focus on voting people IN.
Who are the up and coming people that you want to see in the race? That's really what people care about.
I couldn't agree more Kevin. Eddie spent a decade filling that city with his cronies and since it's so hard to figure out who is who the safe bet for the tax payer is to get as many fresh faces in as many seats as possible throughout all of the city.
While Eddie still has his hooks in the city through his friends, his power has been reduced drastically and will be even more so when he's calling his friends once a week from the state pen.
Larry Deutsch was the orignator of voting in Bob Painter.Deutsch was warned about Painter being a complete toady of Eddie Perez all the time that Painter was on the council,but went ahead with putting in a Council resolution anyway.Deutsch who heretofore was scrupolous about not rewarding any of Perez's toadys appears to at last have fallen in with the Perez regime for the usual 20 pieces of silver.
Hartford, CT USA
Seems like some jerkwater third world country.
The politics are the same. The corrupt in power stay to put their friends and fellow cronies in.
Folks, this council doesn't give a damn about you.
Send a strong message in November, change the players.
Is the 'appointment' of these men to Council based on the "Strong Mayor" form of government so foolishly voted in by misinformed, intellectually challenged voters who ended up with a criminal mayor because there were no checks and balances or would we have the same scenario if Hartford voters had chosen wisely and not voted against the former Council/Manager form of government? Who makes these decisions anyway? Do we even need to have elections in this city?
You attack Corey because his aunt broke the law and because he wasn't calling for her head on a plate. Why not judge him on his actions as a councilman? Even you had to post some positive things about Marc DiBella after he took on Abe Giles despite the fact that Bill DiBella is one of your favorite guys to bash. It is wrong to judge people by what their relatives do. Let's see what Corey does before you tar him with the same brush as you used on Eddie. As for not attacking his aunt, do you really expect people to toss their family under the bus, even when they might desreve it? Also, where was this "blind support" you talk about?
You attack Larry Duetsch for supporting Bob Painter. If Duetsch had not done that, either they wouldn't have filled either vaccancy last night and you'd be complaining about that, or Sean Arena would be a councilman and you'd be off the charts in outrage. I am not a Painter fan for all the reasons to say and more but would you rather have Councilman Sean Arena? Would you rather we embarass ourselves even more by not having a full council and no prospect of resolving the problem?
We are in a bad situation and there were no good answers given who is holding office. Were you really surpised at the outcome?
Stop embarassing yourself with childish and shrill posts and do what you do really well which is investigative reporting.
What's so fascinating is the focus on who won. What's not even mentioned are the potentials who were overlooked to place these two in office. There were actually some pretty amazing and highly qualified people who stepped forward to serve who were not even acknowledged by the council in favor of choices based purely on politics.
The fact is that Corey is an untried individual with no practical experience and a dodgy history of his own. If you saw the four Repubbulican candidates put forward as alternatives you would be scratching your head right now and asking yourself "What the heck?"
Anonymous 11:20am:
The Council was forwarded three names by the Republicans. Cory Brinson, John O'Connell who basically said he didn't want it and that Bonafante guy who didn't show up to the nomination meeting and who didn't make one call to any council people.
Who are these other options you're talking about?
If Duetsch had not done that, either they wouldn't have filled either vaccancy last night and you'd be complaining about that, or Sean Arena would be a councilman and you'd be off the charts in outrage. I am not a Painter fan for all the reasons to say and more but would you rather have Councilman Sean Arena?
---------------------------------
May be damning with faint praise, but in my mind Painter is about as good as we can expect from the Dimocrats. I agree, he was wrong to support Perez going into the last election, but I'd be very surprised if there is any ick in his actions as Councilman. Whether this or that guy the optimum pol not relevant; question is what policies we want from the Council. For my money what we need is someone with adult proclivities to get control of the budget. Again, without knowing, my sense is that on that issue we could do a lot worse than a non-Painter Dim.
Brinson said nothing in his presentation at the Republican Town Committee meeting. Who knows what he's about; dollars to doughnuts, he's a RINO. We could probably do better, but can we have expected the Dims on Council to do better?
Mr Brush...No, Painter isnt "the best we could get" under the circumstances....In his 6 years on the Council NEVER ONCE did he take a public position opposite Perez....he appears to be a very nice man..but a kiss a** to power who hasnt shown any backbone in the past.
Deutsch is a real disappointment....he knew before he submitted his Council resolution that Painter was in Eddie's "pocket" for the 6 years on the Council, yet took the lead in supporting him anyway.Deutsch made targeting Eddie and his cronies a priority for his 3 year on Council...and now stands as one of them or a dupe.
"Deutsch is a real disappointment" Get off your highhorse. The man does everything you people want when it comes to blindingly accusing everyone of anything and calling for anyone who has has anything to do with Perez to resign. It's almost as if he was created in the brookman laboratory itself. Yet, you all are so ready to throw him under the bus because he chooses to back Painter. Wow...with allies such as these, who needs enemies.
Anonymous at 3:24pm:
Dr. Deutsch has been probably the only one on the Council who has strived for transparency in the Council's actions. Lately though, there seems to have been a change in his thinking.
When Alyssa Peterson stood at the Council meeting at the beginning of January and supported Sean Arena's appointment to the Council, Deutsch apparently questioned her later how she could publicly support someone who had been so supportive of Perez and his corruption.
I think it is only fair now that the same question be turned on Deutsch and ask how he could support someone who was so open of his support of a criminal Mayor. Painter never questioned Perez and was one of those on the Council who pledged blind allegiance to Perez for several years and only admitted his mistake to me after Perez was convicted and sentenced.
It's easy to change your tune at that point, the measure of your integrity is to step forward and stand for something when it isn't popular. Painter never did that and should we expect that all of a sudden he is for change and we can trust that he will do what is right for the people of Hartford. I doubt it, unless it is popular and easy to do. Painter has already shown us that he will not step up when the tough calls need to be made.
Dr. Deutsch is being judged for his actions, nothing more, nothing less. And to the people who have stood by and supported Larry, myself included, we feel betrayed by this decision.
Kevin....you are right. Many of us would maintain that being a kiss a** for Perez on the Council for 6 years was far more important to Perez then the 2 years that Sean Arena was the Chair of the Party.Larry Deutsch knew this,understood it and yet went ahead in some sneaky way to effectuate another Perez crony to sit on the Council.
Painter has already shown us that he will not step up when the tough calls need to be made.
-----------------------------------
Kevin:
Was there anyone out there calling for Perez to get out? Nobody on Council. Nobody at the Dem Town Comm. Nobody at the Courant. What do we do now. If you're suggesting that Bob Painter is less than honorable, I'd appreciate some evidence.
Peter,
it is less than honorable when given the responsibility to protect the public trust and then shirk that responsibility by doing nothing when information is developed of potential corrupt and criminal activity. Painter chose to ignore information that myself, and I'm sure others, were providing to him of Perez's (and Airey-Wilson's) criminal activity.
If your neighbor was running a meth lab out of their home, would you choose to ignore it until the police raided the place or would you start doing something about it once you realized something was wrong ?
Painter made a choice to ignore the obvious and shirked his responsibility, not to mention that as one of your fellow Republicans, he helped create the financial disaster that we now find ourselves in.
I realize Painter is a neighbor of yours and your support is admirable, but ask him the question...what did he know? when did he know it? and what did he do about it?. If he gives you an honest answer, I think you will share my disappointment with his response
and Peter,
one further comment on your thoughts. There were people out there calling for Perez and Airey-Wilson to resign very early on as the facts became evident. Myself, John O'Connell and a handful of others stepped up. Unfortunately the "politicos" in Hartford who benefit from the corruption chose to remain silent. People like both the Republican and Democratic Town Committees and the RTC Chairman Michael McGarry and both Republican Councilpeople at the time Painter and Airey-Wilson condoned and supported Perez's behavior. Airey-Wilson's support was a given since she was also a co-conspirator.
Her nephew should be proud that he is able to sit in her seat which she vacated in shame.
Additions by a City Council member. These comments were originally sent elsewhere, with wider import, but some writing here are off base as they blog, complain from the sidelines, and fail to come forward and run themselves, or suggest others who should and can get onto Council - especially noting comments of Brutus, Clitering, and Brookman who are good at blogging but where are their actual moves to change things THROUGH or AROUND Council?? Your armchairs and computer screens and occasional verbal complaints are comfortable, aren't they? Following are some facts:
In selecting Council replacements, Working Families Party saw the "Democratic" caucus stalemate and held out for principled, issue-based selection of a new people. But finally the majority settled 5 votes - secretive till the end, ignoring consultation or “bipartisanship.” Tactics eliminated discussion despite WFP protest. Inclusion was gone through "business as usual". The squabbling would be comedy if not so sad for the city’s working or unemployed families.
What did these tactics show? 1. outmoded insistence on category replacement (white, Caribbean) rather than intelligence and character; 2. ignoring that women are 50% of the City, not the 11% now on Council; 3. some bloggers and critics accuse collaboration but forget weeks of inviting additional candidates, floating names, including some of those now complaining, but getting insufficient pressure and support. [It's public information: putting in Bob Painter's name followed searching, almost begging, for additional suggestions, and putting in two which were rapidly nixed by "Democrats"; where were some complainers when that took place and direct calls to them was possible?]
Some wait for next election to scrutinize the whole Council, and throw out many. Fine with me. Do we need more "tweedle dum and tweedle dee" from the same old two parties and sideline complainers, or a third party like Working Families which wins some votes, loses many, but insistently raises real issues facing people in Hartford?
Larry Deutsch, Hartford City Council, Working Families Party
it is less than honorable when given the responsibility to protect the public trust and then shirk that responsibility by doing nothing when information is developed
---------------------------------
Mistake in judgment at worst. Nothing to distinguish Painter from any elected officials (except,Deutsch?). I can think of no two people who have greater commitment to Hartford, have worked harder for its improvement than Painter and his wife Nancy Macy. And, for what? The big bucks? The new kitchen counter?
And, don't insult him by calling him a Republican; he was obviously the quintessential RINO.
Dr. Deutsch,
your comments are offensive and entirely off base , and you know it. I have never sat in my armchair or operated from behind the comfort of a computer screen. You know all too well that I was vigilant of my pursuit of exposing corruption at City Hall and put my neck on the line in doing that for several years while your handpicked Council replacement sat with his blinders on and allowed Perez and Airey-wilson to conduct their criminal enterprise right in front of him. The only person who probably can take more responsibility in rooting out the Perez corruption than myself would be Jeff Cohen and Inspector Mike Sullivan. And to claim that the Working Families are somehow the moral compass for Hartford politics is ludicrous and you know exactly what I am talking about. I will give you credit for being open, but don't try to sell me on the WFP who is playing the political game very well and profiting very well also on their gamesmanship.
And in case you don't recall our conversations and my comments during public comment sessions before the Council, I have brought forth numerous names, but my suggestions aren't willing to play the corrupt games the council plays so they are immediately excluded. As a refresher, do you remember the names of Kevin Carroll, Mike Lupo, Nyesha McCauley, Rudy Daniels, Michelle Brown, Julio Concepcion, AJ Sierra, these are all names that would run circles around your choice, and I think you know it.
It will be interesting to see what the deal was for Painter's approval...maybe an MDC appointment?
If nothing else, you can claim that you recycle.
I believe that Bob Painter is a nice person and like others before, I warned him about Mayor Perez and implored him to take action,but my request fell on deaf ears.
Whether he is on Council or not doesn't matter much.
The next Mayor and Council will be those offering a totally different approach then how city hall is run now.The next Mayor will be someone who is unlike Perez and has no tie to Perez,corruption or any enablers from the Perez years.The Council folks will be fresh and eager faces not tied to the incompetance and corruption of the past.There will be a sweeping away of the Perez folks and their enablers via the citizenry thru the ballot box this coming November.
As always, Kevin "putting his neck on the line" by insinuating that Deutsch participated in some sort of deal for Painter. If Kevin were half as intelligent as he let on, he would see that the DEMs had 5 votes for Painter by Monday evening. The DEMS tried to add two new items to the agenda for the mere petty reason of not using Deutch's resolution with Painters name on it. When that did not work due to Deutsch and Cotto blocking the procedural attempt, they simply amended Deutsch's resolution to clarify Painter and add Brinson.
As usual, Kevin takes the 50% of fact that he kinda understands and creates the most ludicrous assertions this side of osicaq.
And Bruce, why don't you go try to post negative stuff about people under your CtLeo85@aol.com nomenclature? Everyone knows you've jumped in with Wooden and your old Saxon Perry cohorts. Wooden is a smart young man, he needs to kick your poisonous self to the curb quicker then your ill fated DTC chair campaign.
To Peter Brush and Kevin:
Your brush (no pun intended) is a tad too broad claiming nobody on the Democratic Town Committee opposed Eddie Perez. Hark back, for example, to the March, 2003 Town Committee elections when Eddie orchestrated the first challenge against a sitting 1st District Town Committee in over 24 years, for no reason other than a mere desire to silence those who might question his administration. He consistently ran unwarranted challenges against the 3rd District Town Committee as well. Both committees beat his attempts and turned back every challenge he contemplated thereafter.
If anyone realized and acted upon, to the extent they could, his disfunctional, mean-spirited and ruthless leadership style and the failures at managing the city this created, it was certainly the 1st and 3rd district town committee members. Mr. McGregor and Mr. Arena, in carrying Eddie’s water, always received a block of votes opposing the exclusionary, exploitative and undemocratic maneuvers those two advanced on his behalf.
Credit to Bruce, Dave, Anonymous notes above. As for Kevin – like some weathermen, “50% chance of snow ..” very nice, hard to be wrong. Valuable past and continuing anti-corruption statements along with Cohen, Sullivan, but let’s not get carried away with self-praise.
Recall, refreshers, handpicking, betrayal, truth about seeking and bringing forth alternative names for Council?? Do a little more homework; re-read my comments; you have phone numbers for those on your list; why not just call them?
A blog debate like this can become excessive, and I’ll beg off it now because there are other things to correct and get done.
...and can't resist one other little correction, re-reading Peter Brush's 6:39pm comment above: "Was there anyone out there calling for Perez to get out? Nobody on Council..." You'll be happy, Peter: one did indeed, way back, along with Hennessy, Barr and Rose. Only partial success so far, right?
The next Mayor and Council will be those offering a totally different approach then how city hall is run now.
-----------------------------------
Very doubtful. But, if it were to be true, what particularly, substantively would you do differently? Aside from his management style and his small time corruption, what about Eddie's policies did/do you disagree with. All this chatter about the personalities at DTC or on Council is fun, but not productive.
Hartford needs a Bloomberg -- someone with their own money, who isn't dependent on the party machine to get elected and doesn't owe allegiance to the poverty pimps who run this city. Hell, one smart entrpreneur could buy up half the city, gentrify it, and then sit back and watch the money roll in.
Post a Comment