Wednesday, April 23, 2014

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

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

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


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.

Monday, April 21, 2014

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.