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Friday, August 3, 2012

TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND COUNT TO 10

This is a posting I had wanted to write a couple days ago, but I thought it would be best to  calm down before I started writing. Our City is being run by some of te most incompetent people that have ever entered the public arena. It is like watching re-runs of a 3 stooge's episode, but the 3 Stooges never ran a City into the ground. Every day it becomes more obvious that the Mayor and his staff are total amateurs and incapable of getting the City's business done.

The examples arise daily, the HPD Cre3dit Union mess, the Police Chief search, the LSNI implosion ripe with apparent fraud and now the Rovella appointment seems to be hanging by a thread.

The common thread amongst all of these messes has to be the question who is advising Mayor Segarra, and why are we paying these people six figure salaries to create these disasters. We could probably get some elementary school kids to do a better job for free.

The Rovella hearing was the final straw for me. How do you have people questioning Rovella about his integrity and ethics when they themselves would probably have to look up the definition in the dictionary. How do you have a Councilperson questioning Rovella when the Councilperson himself was fired from the Hartford Police Department. I find that to be a huge conflict.

And who orchestrated the process for Segarra. Would anyone move into a house before the deal is done and you have the actual closing. The smart answer would be no, so why would the Mayor drag Rovella before the Council before the contract was signed?  I would imagine that if the Governor's Chief of Staff created such a mess with a potential  Department head, he would be looking for a job the next day. That's is how leaders work, they hold people accountable.

I have been fielding phone calls for the last three days from people asking me how I can support Rovella when he is holding the City hostage for free health care. This is where accurate information might be helpful, but this all should have been worked out before it was aired in the public. I don't need to speak for Rovella, but I know he is not necessarily looking for free health care. He is more than willing to pay his fair share, what he is looking for is the promise that if he doesn't make 5 years as Chief, it is Hartford you know and anything can happen, that he has a promise that he can purchase insurance from the City's carrier at the going rate retirees pay.

Rovella will be leaving a State job that allows him to purchase insurance from the State's plan, but only in July of each year during their open enrollment. The confusion I think came with the reference to the City's "EMBERS" plan which is given to all Department heads as well as Council people after 5 years of service to the City. Rovella was looking for the promise of a 5 year term as Chief, something that is not possible under the City Charter. the Police Chief and all Department heads are appointed by the Mayor and since the term of Mayor is 4 years and no one is assured re-election, any contract term over 4 years is not possible.

Although the whole process was bizarre, this is even more confusing as to how Segarra has handled Rovella's appointment. Segarra served as Council President in the final months of felon Eddie Perez's pre-conviction term.Segarra knew all too well what it was like to be disrespected by the Mayor and now he is treating this Council the same way.  There were no pre appointment meetings or consultation with the Council asking " here is what I am going to do, what do you think?"

Especially if you knew you were headed down a bumpy road, wouldn't you treat the Council as management partners knowing they could make or break your decision. Why would you not tell your Corporation Counsel to "get the deal done, no ,matter what" before the hearing? That is what leaders do, they express their vision and then make sure it happens. Not Segarra though, and not his staff.

And heading to Miami on vacation without the deal being done is reckless.

The Hartford Police Credit Union building purchase is another issue. How do you let your staff essentially kill a deal in the final hour for a building that will be renovated and returned to the Grand List to produce taxes for a cash strapped City. Is this the way we handle economic development deals in Hartford? And that "Federal Money" that was supposed to be available to move the building, apparently isn't "Federal Money "at all and the Credit Union was told it would be "City Money" to move the building. Don't we have better things to spend City money on?

And the articles in the Courant about the Mayor's "LSNI" program should send the Council over the edge on the Segarra Administration mismanagement. The latest article refers to fraud and paperwork submitted for work that was never done. Immediate hearings should be held, and referrals made to the State's Attorney for prosecution if any fraud is uncovered.

We deserve so much better than what we are getting from this Mayor and his incompetent band of fools surrounding him. I hate to say this, but at least Eddie Perez knew how to get business done. The Rovella mess would have never happened under Eddie Perez. The Council needs t step up now and send a message and turn this sinking ship around

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

While the mayor and his partner sip pina coladas on Miami Beach, the city of Hartford will sink further into the hole......At least its a pay check......

City Hall Employee said...

The states attorney needs to look into some fishy contracts and other items in the mayor's office. These backdoor deals and secret permits are just the beginning....The mayor should lock all those open file cabinets......

The Big Shrimp said...

I smell another corruption scandal..........

I-91 traffic cam said...

Hey Kevin,
I agree, at least Eddie Perez could make a decision, and run the city. Mayor Mike would turn over if he saw what is going on around lately...
Hey Mayor, take Panagore to Miami and drop him off in the animal shelter.......

Anonymous said...

NOW ARE YOU ALL GLAD THAT YOU VOTED FOR PEDRO?

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Kevin that the Mayor and his close advisers have been a terrible job since the Inaugeration.There is a lack of co-ordination from City Hall to other area's within and without that is appalling.The misfires and incompetance is all over City Hall like a cancer,and it is spreading.No one knows how to do their job in a competant,professional manner.

The mess essentialy started with Pedro's campagn staff of criminals,felons,an alleged pedophile or two and a few drunks and some corrupt political advisors.Some of the above found their way into a job at City Hall and joined the remnents of Corrupt Eddie's cronies that still remain in City Hall.Lastly,Pedro hasnt a clue about working together,even though he was a victim on the Council.Pedro has not and most likely will not attempt to have a collegial relationship with the Council majority.Pedro's "view" of Council,according to his closest advisors is that the Council is full of lightweights from the President of the Council ( Wooden) on down and imbiciles( DeJesus and MacDonald) who dam well better rubber stamp the Mayor's wishes or they will pay.Pedro only has a semblance of a relationship with Kennedy and Aponte and he does not interact with the WFP Council folks.


While Eddie Perez is a crook and Pedro isnt,Eddie at least was reasonably competant,while Pedro is not.

Panagore,Kupiac,Borges and the aforesaid criminals,felons and corrupt folks now operating in City Hall from the campaign, run wild without any guidance or interference from Pedro.There is no meaningful leadership from Mayor Segarra and it now shows to everyone in the state.

Pedro has shown himself to be so incompetant as a leader that Malloy would be hardpressed to appoint him to a judgeship or as part of the Malloy Administration.

Anonymous said...

Corn Flakes,

Brookman,

dig deeper, especially the disbursements from "Grant Management" an entity totally controlled by Panagore with out Segarra's knowledge.

FOI the invoices submitted by those who receive our tax dollars and the services provided for our nickles.

COO Panagore, has approved strange things on the tax payer dime while Pedro is vacationing.