I had requested City Credit card reports through a Freedom of Information request to Chief Operating Officer Saundra Kee-Borges. That report has not been provided by the City, but today I received some of the information through "alternative means". After reviewing the reports below, I can see now why the City did not want me to see them. So much for that transparency they keep talking about.
Take a few minutes to look at how your tax dollars are being spent anyd you might be a little upset that a City on the brink of financial disaster can still spend huge amounts of money on the credit card, much of it for food and alcohol. Fortunately for Hartford, the City Council is finally stepping up and doing what should have been done years. They need to get out the scissors and cut these cards in half. That is what many Hartford residents have been forced to do as the economy has soured, but not City Hall.
One of the highest paid City employees, Jose Colon Rivas seems to enjoy the finer things in life, running up a hotel Bill at a luxury hotel in California. Over $7400 in the course of 6 days at the Hotel Palomar in West wood LA. He must not have liked the thread count on the sheets at the Holiday Inn Express. Relax, you have a City credit card, money is no object when you have a $100,000 credit limit on the taxpayers card.
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And as many people in Hartford are wondering where their next meal is coming from or worrying how to feed their families, those with a City credit card have no such difficulties. After a source had called me shortly after New Years and said they saw Mayor Segarra, his Chief of Staff, the Mayor's partner, Charlie Ortiz, an unidentified female and two Hartford police Officers, members of the Mayor's Security detail, dining at Max Downtown on New Years Eve..
The source believed that the entire dinner, a rather large amount, was paid for on a City Cre4it Card.Sure enough, the source was right. Segarra's Chief of Staff , Jared Kupiec apparently paid for the dinner, totalling $707.21 on his city credit card.
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How can Segarra look city resident's in the face and account for this reckless behavior, especially when he knows that Hartford is headed for a potential $70 million dollar deficit next year. And how can we cry poverty to the state and ask for help when they see this going on. Are the taxpayers really responsible for feeding the Mayor and buying his wine for his meal as well as for his partner. Do they not make enough to pay for their own entertainment.
I hope the Council really digs into this and demands answers. Look at the printouts below and i am pretty sure you can identify other reckless spending, feel free to comment here or e-mail me info if you are aware of other instances of bleeding the taxpayers of Hartford.
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There is an audit of the cards coming and this expense involving the Mayor that you highlighted appears not to be city hall releated and they should reimburse the city,but dont count on Mayor Segarra,Charlie or Jared for a refund, they enjoy all the perks and privileges that they can get.They are no different then the crooks that Eddie had around him. The unidentified female BTW was Jared's "flame" Ms Mesimuchi on the 1st district town committee.
ReplyDeleteI've worked for the City for almost 30 years, my salary was 1/3 or less of what these people make. I think it's sick that these people who work for the City spent the tax money of the people of Hartford like this, if I remember correctly the so called credit cards had to be approved before using, unless things have changed, maybe this should be posted in the Hartford Courant and let the residents of Hartford see where there monies are going too !
ReplyDeletewow, wtf!!!!! I hope the courant , and every news media outlet has this nonsense. no excuse, fire all of them . what is the process for public impeachment. I can understand pedro using a credit car, but all the others having 100k spending limits???????????Hey kevin, send a copy to governor malloy at the capitol. tom.
ReplyDeleteI thoughts klin was bad for fixin pjs jobs, but this makes supercuts look like santa claus handing out ot holiday cl and p jobs to anyone and actually going by the supervisor list orderly and using fair and impartial mannerisms.
ReplyDeleteHey Brookman,
ReplyDeletedont you love how nothing will be done about this? how much more dirty little secrets come out, and yet its gone like a fart in the wind. pedro will skate free, cause he is mayor. the other misfit toys will all eat as much candy like panagore did and leave to another cushy 100k + pension.
I wanna know what kubiak spent 3,00 dollars on at a bakery??????what about 1,300 on apple iphone store????????this is corruption!! im not paying a dime into this city anymore. call the feds!
ReplyDeleteKevin, please give this to every business owner in htfd.
wh o kepps geting a room every night at the htfd super 8 motel. to tired to drive home in your take home car with free gas. I stopped reading becasue im geting angrier and pissed off. and they wanna cut 100 cops, and take away overtime.....
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the credit card reports speak for themselves. I am tired Mr. Brookman. Why cant the council over ride any of this spending, or make them pay back the lunches and slumber parties at the hilton. Also i find it extremely disterbing that cops were taking part in this. That spell, wanna be secret service butler for the mayor. But its ok, because i came on the job too to steal from the tax payers and buddy up with public officials so incidents likw breaking a guys jaw downtown can be covered up. I understand that you need those coneections to keep your plate clean. but technology might get the best of you one day..........I also blame doc for doing a crap job with the 24.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 9:45pm,
ReplyDeletea lot of these expenditures are very questionable, but the Super 8 charges can probably be legit. In the event of a fire or someone displaced from their home, the City puts them up temporarily at places like super 8, not to say that someone might rent a room for reasons other than that, with the system in place being so loose, who knows
Hey Rock at 9:28
ReplyDeletestop tying to imitate the Great one you jabroni, do it again and I 'll lay the smack down on your candy ass. Take your punk ass back to know your role blvd. and jabroni drive where you belong, if you smellllll what the "real Rock" is cookin.
Oh boy, the real rock is back, this should be good
ReplyDeletethe expenses must be backed up with receipts. every item will be checked and any without a receipt to prove the legitimacy of the expense,the person will be told to make restitution or face arrest....all in due time....
ReplyDeleteKevin,
ReplyDeletewhy do they continue to mess with you? haven't they figured out yet that there isn't much you can' t obtain through your "alternative means". Why even waste the time with FOI requests with this band of thieves, just go right to the alternative means, anything they provide to you is most likely been scrubbed already to remove the things they don't want you to see
I think it is time for another Grand Jury
Grim Reaper,
ReplyDeletethat will only happen if someone with some guts steps up and forces that to happen.Luckily the City treasurer realized the importance of having someone like that on the audit commission. The one body, besides the Council, who should have been asking the tough questions is the Internal Audit Commission and they have been both deaf and mute as to what is going on in the City. I think those days are done though with Adam's pit bull on the Commission, long overdue. A few arrests would not be a bad thing to set the tone at City Hall.
Mirar; it sounds like there is a patrol sergeant out there jealous of Spell… Let me guess, Spell makes more money then you and you are mad? You got nada on Spell- that’s because there is nada. If you did have something, you would do something. But you got nuthin. comprendo? As far as being a cop goes, Spell is more valuable, relevant and necessary than your road jobbin’ ass will ever be. Please go back to hiding under your rock, adios muchachos!
ReplyDeleteMirar; it sounds like there is a patrol sergeant out there jealous of Spell… Let me guess, Spell makes more money then you and you are mad? You got nada on Spell- that’s because there is nada. If you did have something, you would do something. But you got nuthin. comprendo? As far as being a cop goes, Spell is more valuable, relevant and necessary than your road jobbin’ ass will ever be. Please go back to hiding under your rock, adios muchachos!
ReplyDeleteShame shame shame, letting these idiots get away with this crap. If you really want to know if the Super 8 hotels were used for a fire, for placement, all you have to do is get a copy of the fire log for those dates and see if they match up with the dates on the credit cards, it's public information, all you have to do is call the F.M. Office.
ReplyDeleteThe Courant scoops Kevin's stories again...
ReplyDeletehttp://courantblogs.com/cityline/kennedy-plans-to-introduce-proposal-eliminating-p-card-usage/
anonymous, 3;54
ReplyDeleteyou either don't know how to use a calendar or don't understand the meaning of the word scooped. My posting and my story was yesterday. Kennedy's statement in response to the p-card-issue was today. Also, thank you for the credit Jenna
Let's have a Pedrito vote of confidence this coming Monday at the CC meeting.
ReplyDeleteHow bout one of the employees spending thousands on lands end. Or all the charges at The Hartford Club. W Hotels, Westins Ritz Carltons. Fancy I bet you if it were their money they wouldn't stay at these posh hotels or eat at these upscale restaurants SHAME ON THEM!!!!
ReplyDeleteNothing will happen or addressed. Good that this got brought to light but another issue will over shadow this and it will be forgotten,like any other issue.
ReplyDeleteLimit their cards to ONLY TEN ROUNDS!!! Oh sorry they only pass laws for OTHER people...
ReplyDeleteAnd Hartford wants more state aid from the rest of us: FORGET IT! No more money for Hartford.
ReplyDeleteOmg, look at all the Dunkin Donuts charges and sushi and limo's and dinner at Dish ect, ect . yada yada, HOLY CRAP. Who is monitoring this stuff??!! Just seeing this now....
ReplyDeleteThey just didn't have dinner just for themselves, they paid dinner for everyone else. They didn't Fly alone either, they also flew their husbands, wife's and mistresses, children and probably their pets too.
ReplyDeleteWhat bothers me the most is the kind of money they spent on Dinners, when they are so many people who are walking around starving and are eating at the soup kitchen, while these high paying employees are wasting the taxpayers money so freely. They are sleeping in these expensive Hotels, while there are many homeless individuals who are on the streets all day, freezing their behinds, before they can return back to the shelters. They should have them trade places for one day, so that they can see what poverty feels like. I am sorry, but the Mayor needs to get his priorities straight. What a disgrace and a embarrassment for Hartford. No matter how you put it, they are white collar crooks, they steal right in front of you and get away with it. Then he has the nerves to go all around town, smiling, photographing with everyone, like there's nothing wrong. Shame on you Pedro, I think it would have been better if you would have pass out a fifty dollar credit card to everyone staying at the shelters, they would have had better use, then your colleagues.