In accordance with Hartford's Charter, Hartford's City Treasurer has appointed his Deputy Treasurer.
Clouds pick is raising some eyebrows in political circles. His choice is Carmen Sirerra who was terminated from her job in the Office of the State Comptroller after she accused former Comptroller, now Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman of "making Puerto Rican jokes" according to media reports from 1999.
This brush up occurred after Sierra was not endorsed in her run for City Treasurer at the time, the office was eventually won by Kathleen Palm who served as Hartford's Treasurer until her retirement last year. At the time media accounts reported that "Wyman may be separating herself from someone she considers disloyal"
At least one politico was not happy with that decision at the time, current endorsed Democratic Registrar of Voters candidate Ramon Arroyo had promised Wyman that he would "remember the issue when she came up for re-election. A promise that apparently never came true since Wyman was successfully re-elected and went on to run as Lieutenant Governor with Connecticut's current Governor Dannel Malloy.
Arroyo's own candidacy for Registrar of Voters is not without controversy as he continues to refuse to answer questions posed from residents about his 1991 arrest for soliciting a prostitute.
Sierra's comments about Wyman were made during her appearance on a local public access program when a caller to the show made an anti-Semitic remark and referred to "blood sucking Jew's". Sierra apparently did not challenge the remark, but she was challenged by the late John O'Connell when he called in and questioned her lack of a response to the anti-Semitic remarks, Candidate Sierra did not address the issue but instead of denouncing the slur, Sierra described it as a ``joke'' and added that Wyman, who is Jewish, makes Puerto Rican jokes..
Cloud himself , during an interview for his endorsement for Treasurer had been asked by a 6th District Democratic Town Committee member Alex Rodriguez if he (Cloud)had any plans of naming Sierra as his Deputy and Cloud apparently answered "Absolutely not". When I spoke to Treasurer Cloud this morning, he contends that Sierra was the most qualified candidate he had available.
Carmwn Sierra couldn't even get her teaching certification because she failed the test the maximum number of times and she is being entrusted with a half a billion dollar budget as well as a billion dollar pension fund?
ReplyDeleteNow there is the real joke.
Cloud will never be State Treasurer now. Wyman,Ojakian and Malloy will use the phones against him should he try...he is all done, stick a fork in him.
ReplyDeleteCould someone please ask Ramon Arroyo why Mayor John DeStefano is having a fundraiser for him? One wonders what was promised the Mayor for this travesty.
ReplyDelete