FROM HPD

 I Know this is short notice for a meeting at 5:30PM today but the e-mail just went out at 11:30am, but if you know a young Hartford author, try to attend for more info.

The Hartford Guardians Promote Non-Violence in Partnership with Project Longevity and Step Up, Step Out; End the Culture of Violence (SUSO)

Hartford, CT---In support of our collective mission to work with the community to eliminate violence, we have partnered to promote a youth essay writing contest. The contest asks:

“How I can eliminate violence in my community?”

All Hartford student’s grades 4-12 are eligible to participate.

Please join us on Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 4:30 pm at the Hartford Public Library Downtown to help spread the word about the contest and to pick up an application form.

We hope to see you there!

Who: The Hartford Guardians, Project Longevity, and SUSO

What: Youth Anti-Violence Essay Contest

When: Wednesday April 30, 2014 at 4:30 pm.

Where: Hartford Public Library Downtown in the Atrium

Why: To promote public safety, community partnership, and support our youth

For more information please contact: Tiana Victoria Hercules, Esq. at 860 760 7952

MY BLOG LIST

Blogs come and go, people change jobs, writers lose interest, for a multitude of reasons the list changes regularly. I have updated my blog list in the right hand column. I have added Zach Jankowski's blog from the Yankee institute called "Raising Hale".

 His first posting highlighted is about someone that has been covered on this blog before, click on Raising Hale to read an interesting story about Hartford Politico and Segarra confidant Angel Morales. More should be coming out soon about  allegations lodged against Morales and what happened to those allegations and why.

Some of you may recognize Morales from his "model searches" at the Hartford Public Library.

 For more about Morales, click on a previous posting here or here .


Also WFSB's Dennis House has changed the location of his blog "the Hartfordite" and you can check that out by clicking the link.

If you are aware of a blog you think may be a good fit to be listed here, e-mail me the details

WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?

On January 22, 2014 I wrote about a Fire Lieutenant from the Hartford Fire Department assigned to Engine 14 on Blue Hills Avenue. The allegations regarded the on duty behavior of the Fire Lieutenant who was assigned to Engine 14 on Blue Hills Avenue. Allegations of drug use and alcohol use , on duty, to the point the lieutenant was impaired came from several sources. You can read that posting here.

Rather than deal with the issue, Hartford Fire Administration merely moved  the Lieutenant to Engine Company 2 on Main Street.

Now according to sources, the Lieutenant went into a local bodega this week, in uniform insisting that the bodega owner give him beer since he apparently had no money on him. When the bodega owner refused, the LT. took the beer and exited from the store, essentially stealing the beer. It was all caught on video.

Now, according to sources, the Hartford Fire Department has again been forced to deal with the issue. This time, rather than a transfer, he was put on vacation. This guy clearly has a problem and is a danger to the men and women of the Hartford Fire Department as well as the residents of Hartford. If he is impaired at work he is most likely also driving home at the end of his shift intoxicated.

When will someone step up and do what needs to be done. Either have him get help or terminate him before someone is seriously injured or dies as a result.

More to come on this

UPDATE 4/24/14 7:00pm- Apparently Caldwell was an "Acting" Lieutenant  at the time of the alleged drunken incidents at Engine 14. I am told he longer has the title of Acting LT. He never obtained his rank officially, similar to the boyfriend , fiancee , significant other who has been very successful moving up through the ranks without  obtaining his positions officially through testing and legitimate processes. 

Also , the incident took place on March 31, 2014. No police action has been taken as of this time , I have asked for an explanation as to why.

JUST FOR A COMPARISON

Here are the mill rates for the entire State of Connecticut and all local tax districts.

These rates are for the tax year ending 2012 as listed on CT.gov

Hartford is open for business and we welcome homeownership with open arms.

Hartford is the highest

Mill Rates 2012 Gl Fy 2014 Mill Rates for Web

I AGREE WITH MAYOR SEGARRA

Segarra: ‘For All Those Watching, They Know Who The Real Fool Is’

For one of the very few times, I have to admit I agrre with Mayor Segarra. The headline above was from a Hartford Courant story today. You can read that story here.

Mayor, most people are beginning to agree the fool is YOU. You are not a man of your word, you can not be trusted and as more layers of the Segarra onion are peeled back, you will be exposed for what you are.

It all started when you succeeded Mayor Perez. A move that many people had hoped would be the new start for Hartford. You are a huge disappointment. We also believed you when you said you were only a caretaker and would not run for a full term. Hopefully, and most likely, your first full term is going to be your last.

We also believed you at your recent State of the City Address when, to loud applause you said "I WILL NOT COMPROMISE PUBLIC SAFETY" Was that speech written before or after you made the decision to eliminate the  HPD Police recruit class that had originally been scheduled to begin in March and now has been pushed off to  July of 2015. Do you even know what the attrition rate at HPD looks like?

Maybe you can explain to the residents of the City why over 400 Police applications are sitting at City Hall untouched? And I am told that over 14% of those applications are from Hartford residents. So much for making HPD look more like the neighborhoods it serves. If you wait long enough, most of the good candidates will be hired first by other towns.

What happened to the Federal "COPS" Grants that you touted in recent press releases to hire officers. Did that money go into your caviar fund?

"I WILL NOT COMPROMISE PUBLIC SAFETY". Yeah right.

And why stop at  a two or three mill increase. Why not get it over with and go to 90 mills total. that will solve your revenue problem and give you far more abandoned properties that you can sell the tax liens on than you could ever hope  for with a mere 2.5 mills. That will put you on the map , and  will really show people who the fool is.

And that "shared sacrifice" thing you keep talking about? As long as you continue to have a "scheduler" following you everywhere at a salary of $60,00.00 holding his I-pad, I fail to see how you are sharing anything other than your delusions of grandeur.

And I hope the residents hold you accountable for the loss of their community policing programs  as part of that "shared sacrifice" . Does the "shared sacrifice" mean that you will be giving up your "Secret Service " style protection detail. I think you believe you are far more important than you are.  The Governor only went through the Saint Patrick's day parade once, you had to circle through twice with your motorcade.  Yes we know who the real fool is Mayor.

And just so you get my point Mayor, the fool is not Councilman Deutsch. Call him whatever you want but it is refreshing to see a Hartford Councilman that is actually concerned about the effects your reckless actions on his constituents. I hope 8 others fall in line behind him and show the same leadership. More people need to begin questioning every action you take and stop the incompetence. The real fools, beside the obvious choices sitting in and around the Mayor's Office, are those who say nothing and accept your reckless behavior without question.

When I have a chance I will go through the rest of your State of the City Address and see who the fool is. You for expecting us to believe your nonsense or Hartford residents who still think you are a nice guy. That will all be peeled away real soon as the onion is exposed for what it is.

And Councilman Deutsch, keep the pressure on , name calling is for cowards. Real leaders do what they know is right regardless of the shots thrown at them. Who do you think looks more like the professional now? You or the name calling Mayor?

Below are some of the e-mails

Deutsch e Mail0001

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: AUDIT COMMISSION REVIEWS ALLEGED MAYORAL MISUSE OF CREDIT CARD

 The Audit Reports are sometimes confusing to some readers, but here is the video of the recent Audit Commission meeting where they discuss the investigation of the Segarra Administrations efforts to allegedly mislead or obstruct their investigation.

MORE MAYORAL P-CARD MISUSE

Mayor Segarra just doesn't get it. The City Purchasing Card, (p-card) is not his own personal Visa Card. The Hartford Internal Audit Commission has finished their report on another abuse by Segarra at the expense of Hartford's taxpayers.

Unlike the Caviar and New Years Eve soiree of a couple years ago, this one might make sense to a few more Hartford residents, but in the end , it is still wrong.

According to the report and other sources, Segarra  allowed a $3000.00 charge for funeral expenses to be billed to a City workers Credit Card. The charge resulted after the daughter of a City employee was the victim of a tragic triple homicide.

The Mayor was apparently instrumental in moving the payment through and reimbursing the Carmon Funeral Home of Windsor  for at least $3,000.00 at the City's expense.

However well intentioned, it was still an inappropriate use of City funds , and the method in which the purchase was made is very questionable as to the Mayor's intent.

The report below and the following video , where the matter was explained at the April Audit Commission meeting, lay out more of the "behind the scenes" activity by Segarra.

ReportCityP-CardAudit_1415

THE CONCESSIONS THAT WERE NEVER CONCEDED

It  seems that it should be criminal to submit a municipal budget based on phony numbers, but apparently Mayor Pedro  Segarra has no problem doing that. Last year Segarra's budget included $3 million dollars in revenue apparently obtained from concessions from Hartford's Municipal  employee Unions.


The fact of the matter is that  at the time that the numbers were built into Hartford's budget, not one penny was given back by any of the Union's to achieve the cost savings. The Segarra Administration didn't even seriously talk to the Unions until late last fall to even discuss concessions.


The result was pretty much predictable. A solid "NO" from the Union's. I can't say I blame them. For years, the reckless spending that goes on at Hartford City Hall has been initiated by Segarra and his predecessors and allowed by the Hartford City Council.


Going back to the Union's every year at budget time to balance the budget on the backs of City employees is wrong. It is especially a tough sell asking some of Hartford's lowest paid employees to give back when the reckless spending by Segarra is so publicly obvious. You knew it would never fly after the caviar incident and then the abuses of credit cards and City vehicles. This administration is just bleeding tax payers dollars without any regard to where those dollars come from.


If the Union's did give back the $3 million dollars, our reckless Mayor would just find a way to spend it all.


Employees in City Hall witness the reckless spending everyday. I still get phone calls about the few hundred thousand spent to move the Office of the Corporation Counsel from the third floor to the second floor. For what? So Pedro could be closer to Sandy to be able to get her excellent advice quicker?


And don't forget the Mayor's "scheduler". Almost $60,00.00 a year to follow Segarra around tracking his e-mails and appointments. If only the Unions had given back the Scheduler could get a larger I-pad and maybe a nice City car also.


Reckless, reckless, reckless, there is no other way to describe Segarra's spending. Any Union President that would take any request for concessions back to their membership ought to be impeached immediately.


I was amazed yesterday when I read in the Hartford Courant that the Mayor has decided to give $1 million dollars to the Bushnell Park Carousel. Here is Steve Goode's story from the Courant.


Now I do believe in the things that draw excitement to Hartford, but I also believe in taking care of first things first. And the first responsibility of the government of the City of Hartford is to provide the basic Municipal services required to run the City.


The article starts off by stating that the Carousel is getting a $1 million dollar gift. Too bad the Union's didn't give back, we could have at least given some of Hartford's hard working Municipal employees credit for the  million dollar gift.


Why not call on the Bushnell Park Foundation to kick in to sponsor the Carousel (they might already, but then again isn't that why the foundation is there?). Why not start the Bushnell Park Carousel Restoration fund and get others to kick in. If the year round opening and restoration of the Carousel is going to generate that much business, it shouldn't be a tough sell to get the City businesses that will benefit, to help out.


What about using the park and getting the Public  to help raise the funds? We have a beautiful bandshell that could be used for a series of Concerts for the Carousel to raise funds. And I tend to think that riders from the suburbs probably spend a lot more time on the gilded horses than Hartford children do, yet we are expected to foot the full bill?


 A quote in the article highlights one of the benefits of the restoration says that it will "enable students to learn about its ( the Carousel's) rich history" how about taking the students another block up the Hill to the Capitol and let them start learning about the rich history of our state and what Civic involvement means.


And the fact that the money comes from the Capital Improvement Budget should not put any one's mind at ease. That is money we will pay the interest on for the next 20 years. And take a look at Hartford's streets. I think that $1 million dollars could be used to repair our City's infrastructure. What good is a renovated Carousel if you ruin your car hitting potholes to get to it.


And I know budget time is coming so if Segarra is in the "gift giving" mood, maybe rather than giving a $1 million gift to the Carousel, he could show some leadership and start a fund raising effort for the Carousel. I think the people of Hartford might also appreciate a "gift" . My suggestion would be a class of police officers to give us a gift we could really use, safer streets and neighborhoods. That might actually draw more people downtown. Probably more than freshly painted horses bouncing in a circle