The story that I never really thought was going to be a story has really become a story, and it just won't go away. This Sunday at 11:00am I will be on WFSB's "Face the State" with Dennis House.
Here is what Dennis posted on his blog "We are joined this Sunday by Channel 3′s Len Besthoff, our chief reporter on the Nappier case; Kevin Brookman, the city blogger who first broke the story, and Kevin Rennie, the Hartford Courant columnist, and former state senator, who provides a political perspective to the story."
And if you don't get your fill there, I will be a guest on WNPR radio with Colin McEnroe Monday at 1:00PM.
Imagine what will happen when I break a real story.
It seems like the Hartford Courant is looking to your blog for its news scoops. Everything you write about is a story. Some stories may get more comments than others. A lot of people are also reading and not posting. You seem to have something for everyone.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I appreciate the comments. But the reality is that the Courant or TV media reach a lot more people than I do (although some days lately I wonder). The whole point is to get the information out and this blog is doing that, and hopefully making some change and if other media outlets follwing the blog and using the stories here, that only helps. And just as a sidenote, Jon Lender at the Courant and others, including Dennis House have been clear in stating where the story came from and giving credit, that doesn't always happen
ReplyDeleteI'm just wondering what took so long for The Courant and other media to start picking up AND give recognition for what Kevin has been digitally screaming for some time.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, fantastic news Kevin! Give 'em hell. I'm sure it will go very well.
Have you considered being a guest or calling into Jim Vicevich's show Sound Off Connecticut on AM 1080?
It's interesting that Face the State will show case 4 white men to discuss the Nappier car incident. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone what your issue or Kevin’s issue is with Ms. Nappier since you both have stated so in your blogs. In addition, you represent the same political views.
ReplyDeleteThe incident has become more about race, personal use of the state car, 2 plates, Ms. Nappier’s friend, her visit to a poor neighborhood and her decision to walk home. Those are peripheral issues (some of which are no one’s business) and to a certain extent a form of subtle racism. Moreover, they don’t begin to address the motivation and or real reason why Ms. Nappier was stopped, unless you admit that there is profiling (criminal or otherwise) in poor Black neighborhoods.
A more diverse cast of people representing racial, gender, political and social economic status (a resident of Barbour street maybe) may have provided a more balanced perspective.
How the hell do you profile a black person based on race in an area that almost everyone is black? Seriously, anyone making this a race issue needs to take a hard look at their own beliefs and stop using race as a crutch in their lives. Starting with Nappier.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone is interested in hearing from anyone who is going to bring race to the table, such as a Barbour St. resident. Its cut and dry. this is not a racial matter. Why does racism or even race for that matter always seem to come up when someone like Nappier is involved in something sketchy or gets in trouble?
ReplyDeleteThe Hartford Courant's reporting on Hartford is useless. Reporter Jenna Carlessa writes articles bereft of the facts,and doesnt do any true research or investigative reporting. She appears in the tank for Pedro and his toadies and had little political coverage of the recent primary.No wonder Kevin has filled the gap here.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 4:14am:
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right, why didn't we notice that sooner. Everyone knows that four white guys can't possibly talk about anything just based on the facts, it clearly has to be all about race so that you can further your agenda. Why should we even discuss the facts when we can throw the race card in and divert attention away from the real problems and try to correct anything or even identify the real problem.
Of course it has to be all about race because that is the way it needs to be if we are going to stay divided along racial lines.
Thank God it wasn't a black police officer stopping Nappier and running here plate, and although I don't know it for a fact, I'm sure it was a white or Hispanic employee at DMV who must have known that was Nappier's plate and that's why they omitted entering in in the statewide computer in the first place, knowing that a white cop would pull over the Black Treasurer, no valid information would come back on the car and a racial discrimination issue could be then created where one never existed.
Get that chip off your shoulder and lets look at the facts and make the determination based on the facts for a change. There are many good people in Hartford of all races and ethnicity who are able to co-exist everyday without you inflaming race into everything. Most of them are adults who take responsibility for their actions without using race as an excuse.
Try it and you might find that no "race" is perfect or above personal responsibility based on the color of their skin.
And watch the program before you start making accusations, you might be surprised by the conversation.
Kevin, You clean up nice..
ReplyDeletegggggiiiiizzzziiieeee,
ReplyDeletewhy thank you :) I guess it is true though that the camera adds 50 pounds
Anon 4:14
ReplyDeleteAlright here we go, first pull your head out of your ass and know the facts before you start supporting an individual who tried to use race to get a police officer from doing her job. If you have read any of the articles and the police dept. Investigative report Madame Treasurer backed off of her ,foot in mouth statement, of race being an issue. To keep it alive is an individual attempt to just enflame the community and regress any progress that has been made over the
years through community policing.To ignore the facts and believe in fiction is wrong. No one said the stop was improper, it was legally just. The DMV and DAS are the ones that should be blamed for the core issue of the case,by not having the vehicle in the system or the paperwork in the vehicle.
You fail to realize that the Treasurer has a lot more unanswered questions about the night in question. She
is a public official, and just because of her race and the area she was in does not exclude her from public scrutiny. I firmly believe that if she was so concerned about the comments on the Hartford Courant blogs she would of produced evidence to legitimize her being in that area. Where this phantom friend, and the fish restaurant at Capen and Garden St. Doesn't have any seating. Why
didn't she go back to her "friends" place and phone someone or call someone from her state cell phone to pick her up, is it because she doesn't want anyone to know where she was and start asking more questions about her
sobriety. If she was proud of her city and the individuals who reside their, why not display your #4 plate, why the
generic plate? If it was for security reasons then why did she walk home 3 miles in high heels, there must of been some blisters by the end of that walk.
I am sure she wants this incident to go away and be put in the past but the only way to do this for her to come clean as a Public official and answer the unanswered questions honestly, people would have a lot more respect for her if she did. She started by not saying race was an issue to the investigator form the police dept. But thats just the beginning there is a long way to go and a lot of unanswered questions still. Don't be like Weinier from NY, ruining your political career by getting caught in lies that you can't defend, as they say the truth will set you free.
Ken Kennedy shame on you for your asinine statement to
the officer who stopped you for disobeying a traffic law. If you knew the facts of the Nappier case you wouldn't of made that comment. I am pretty sure you lost any respect from those officers by making such an ignorant comment, for an educated man and a council member I would of expected more of you. Ignorance and crying wolf is no
excuse.
Hey kevin the camera only adds 10 lbs the rest is you. LOL keep up the good work. Hold them accountable.
ReplyDeleteok, that explains a little bit, I was wondering why Len Besthoff still looked thin, are you sure it is only 10?
ReplyDeleteI just set my tivo for u kevin. Good luck. Good to bed early. Lite breakfast. I want u on ur a game. Not incoherent ramblings like some city dept heads ...
ReplyDeleteDear Anon 3:18 PM,
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to dignify your first sentence by getting into the garbage with you. It was unnecessary and crude. Suffice to say you are entitle to your opinion and so I am. Your ranting about everything from the friend to the fish makes my point. You need to relax and find a good movie. While your at it pop some popcorn and eat a hot dog.
3:18 pm
ReplyDeleteNappier did not have on heals.
Anonymous 9:48
ReplyDeleteName me one Hartford politician that doesn't wear heels.
Kev, I just watched Face the State. A great job by everyone, I hope to see you on TV more.
ReplyDeleteThe program on WNPR today went really well I thought. You're really getting your voice out there now! Congrats on a great job.
ReplyDelete