Thursday, April 4, 2013
MAYOR SEGARRA, GET OUT THE SCISSORS
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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Wednesday, April 3, 2013
WHAT ABOUT HARTFORD?
Below is the link for the gun control bill being debated by the legislature. Post a comment if you think that there is anything in this bill that will curb violence in our urban areas. When was the last time anyone can recall a homicide being committed in Hartford by a " long gun"? How many of the shooters on Hartford's streets do you think actually go through the process of obtaining a pistol permit so that they can carry their guns to their crime scenes legally?http://www.cga.ct.gov/2013/TOB/S/2013SB-01160-R00-SB.htm
Is the pain any less for Hartford families that suffer a loss at the hands of a gunman that they don't deserve legislative protection's ?
Is the pain any less for Hartford families that suffer a loss at the hands of a gunman that they don't deserve legislative protection's ?
WHAT DOES HE DO AND WHY DO WE PAY HIM?
Last week when I posted about computers being removed from the Board of Education Offices, a report I still stand by, I attempted to contact the Media spokesperson for the Hartford Schools David Medina. Despite calls to Medina's Office, his cell phone and text messages, he has not had the courtesy of returning any of my attempts to contact him.
Isn't that what he is paid over a hundred thousand dollars a year for, to answer inquiries.
This is clearly another wasted position funded by the taxpayers of Hartford that should be cut if he isn't able or capable of returning calls.
As far as the original report, other individuals have confirmed that computers were removed from the 8th floor offices of the Hartford School's Finance office.. It may have actually been State Inspector's and that may reveal itself soon, since the return of any search warrant has to be filed with the Superior Court within 14 days after it was granted.
There were a lot of doubters several years ago when I began telling people about the existence of a Grand Jury and the investigation into our now convicted former Mayor, Eddie A. Perez.. We all know how that turned out, so stay tuned, the truth will eventually come out, whether David Medina chooses to answer his phone or not.
In the meantime, here is a letter I received detailing some of what Investigators may be looking at. The writer said that he had already submitted the letter below to Councilman Deutsch and the Board of Education publicly so his name has not been redacted.
It is unclear whether Deutsch or the Board ever took any action of their own.
WHO IS HARTFORD'S REAL MAYOR?
With that being said, what Hartford needs right now is not a "good guy", we need a leader. Someone that is actually capable of leading, not someone that strives for every photo op cutting a ribbon or handing out hot chocolate at a skating rink.
By most accounts, Segarra has abdicated his authority to his Chief of Staff, who is far from being the "capable leader" we need . Over the next few weeks, I am pretty confident that Jared Kupiec will prove to be a source of embarrassment for Segarra as numerous things in and around City hall begin to unravel. From questionable motor vehicle accidents and how they were handled to large amounts of unsubstantiated spending in question on his City credit card.
The credit card issues for all users are the focus of an investigation being conducted at the Council's request at this time.
Feel free to comment as to what this picture has to do with this posting
It has been irritating for me to see our Mayor focus on Newtown, while the violent crime and homicides in our City aren't even worthy of his attendance at a vigil. Last Monday, after a double homicide on Clark Street, Rev. Henry Brown told me that Mayor segarra had assured him that he would attend the vigil for Kelly Cooper and Kwante Feliciano. Segarra was a no show.
The vigil was probably one of the larger attended vigils I have attended. I was struck by the number of young people in attendance. If even one person in the crowd had heard words from a leader that made a difference , it would be worthwhile. But what is the message sent when the Mayor of the Capitol city can drive an hour to Newtown to lay down a bouquet of flowers but he can't drive 5 minutes north on Main Street to show respect for one of his residents gunned down in a driveway.
Kelly Cooper was apparently an innocent victim in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cooper was leaning into a car in the driveway of 138 Clark Street, talking to the occupants in the car. From what I have been told, when the gunfire started he stood up, only to have his skull shattered by a gunman's bullet.
The nonsense that goes on in this City that prevents leadership is disgusting. In the recent veto of the resolution restricting overtime, Segarra, or more accurately the author of the Veto memo, said to be Kupiec, the memo cites the constitution and the City Charter.and states that the separation of powers is critical. That is true providing that both sides are doing their part to balance the scale of power.
In Hartford's case when the Office of the Mayore either refuses or is incapable of exercising its leadership role, it is incumbent upon the Council to step up and swing the scale back to protect the taxpayers of Hartford. I don't believe that the Council should micromanage but in the absence of management from the Mayor and the Chief Operating Officer, someone has to do it.
Pedro Segarra is a a good guy, having known him for several years now, I think that is a fair assessment. The problem being is that he missed the number one lesson in management school. You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with and Segarra has surrounded himself with some real duds.
Segarra's "Cabinet "couldn't even run a McDonald's Restaurant. His Chief of Staff can't even submit receipts to apparently justify over $17,000 in City Credit Card purchases since November. The City has yet to comply with an FOI request for Kupiec's credit card records, even though they are readily available.
His other trusted Cabinet member Jose Colon Rivas apparently has no problem lying to Segarra and the people of Hartford as to where he actually lives. If they really are as close as people tell me I would think that the Mayor would be upset that Colon -Rivas can lie about his address, knowing that it will eventually be a source of public embarrassment to Segarra.
People you trust don't put you in a position like that. His Chief Operating Officer has been recycled once again and seems to be using the City of Hartford as her personal employment agency for friends and relatives. And Segarra's Emergency Service Communications Director still apparently enjoys his daily commutes from Suffield. A leader would say enough is enough, not Segarra though.
Segarra also mentions in his veto the "Office of the Mayor" and the respect bestowed on it by the Charter.. No Mayor, you earn respect by being a leader and doing what is right ,no document can do that for you. Only you through your actions can make that happen.
In case you don't realize it, get out in the streets and listen. You are losing more and more respect every day that you are surrounded by your friends from Clown School.
Do the right thing, we need a leader, not a politician.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
SEGARRA VETOES OVERTIME RESOLUTION
Mayor Segarra has just released his veto resolution , striking down the Council's resolution restricting all overtime without Council Approval. the memo is below. It is unclear if the Council has the votes at this time to override the veto.
MAYOR
SEGARRA STATEMENT ON VETO OF
OVERTIME
AND HIRING FREEZES
--- NEWS AND
COMMUNITY STATEMENT---
(April 2, 2013) – Mayor Pedro E. Segarra released the
following statement regarding his veto of the Court of Common Council’s
resolution to impose overtime and hiring freezes:
“I was elected to this office with a clear public mandate; to
make the City of Hartford safer and improve the overall quality of life.
Council’s actions make it impossible for the Departments of Public Works (DPW),
Police and Fire to keep people safe, respond to emergencies and keep streets
clean.
“It’s absurd to suggest that either a Chief or a Department Head
needs to call a Council member to get approval before responding to an
emergency. We’ve had three homicides recently. We need more police officers not
less. The more officers we have, the safer our streets and the less overtime
that's necessary.
“Council receives financial reports every month and sees the
same numbers I do; we’ve spent 60% of our adopted budget, which is exactly where
we should be with 5 months left before the close of the fiscal
year.
“Over the past 10 years, before becoming Mayor, DPW lost more
than 100 employees. Since 2010 we’ve added approximately 35 back — the majority
Hartford residents — and we need to do more to continue improving the delivery
of basic and essential city services: clean parks, installation of speed tables
in advance of warm weather and pothole filling. It is one thing to do more with
less, but quite another to actually do less because we've foolishly tied one
hand behind our backs. What Council has proposed is impractical and inconsistent
with our charge as leaders.
“Although they, just like me, will need to answer to residents
as to why our City has regressed if these freezes are imposed; I have no
intention of risking the safety of our City and the progress we’ve made. Our
residents, businesses and children deserve better. “
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