THE TIME HAS COME

Have you ever wondered why the nonsense that Hartford is known for doesn't occur in other towns? Do you wonder why budgets, property acquisitions and projects that effect taxpayers  in suburban towns are properly vetted by their taxpayers?

The answer is  somewhat simple.

Most suburban towns with responsible management are held accountable by the  voice  and accountability brought about by organized tax payer groups. Hartford has no citywide Taxpayers organization that is willing to fight for Hartford residents and raise the important issues.

That is about to change.

Several people I know and respect have stepped forward and we have started to meet to put an organization together. Like I said, these are people I respect, not political prostitutes, we already have enough of that. These are people that truly love Hartford and aren't stepping forward to get the latest contract or see the taxpayers as people feeding them at the trough of City Hall. They don't have their hands out, we just want to be the great City we know it can be with proper leadership being held accountable to the people that put them there, us... the voters

The NRZ's are too connected to City Hall through funding and staffing , and standing up for taxpayers and keeping City Hall accountable was never their mission. The political monopoly of Democrats in Hartford doesn't contribute positively to the situation either. Something needs to change.

If you read this and are interesting in getting involved as we build this from the ground up, please let me know by e-mail or phone. Our initial discussions are leaning toward dividing into three Districts;North, South and Central to keep the areas organized and manageable. we are looking for both residents and business owners, especially small business owners, to become involved

There is much work to be done to bring accountability and sensible government back to Hartford. If you have the time or the desire, or hopefully both, let me know to be included in the planning meetings.

Thanks

MORE ON A JOB WELL DONE BY HPD

At least two individuals should have found a better use for their time Sunday afternoon.

From HPD:

On the listed date and time Patrol Units were dispatched to the New View Chinese Restaurant for an armed
robbery of the business. STF Units responded with Patrol Units. Dispatch gave a description of two
suspects and advised the victim / complainant followed suspects east on New Britain Avenue to White
Street. STF Units observed two suspects matching the description walking on Kelsey Street. As Officers
exited their unmarked vehicles, the two suspects immediately fled through rear yards. As suspect #1 scaled
a fence, the listed firearm fell out of his waistband. Suspect #1 scaled several more fences as he ran through
yards and circled back towards Kelsey Street and was eventually apprehended by Sgt. Mooney and
Detectives Blumes and Rostkowski.

What the robbers didn't consider was the heavy Police presence assigned to the City, Particularly the Park Street and Frog Hollow area. Once the report of the armed robbery came in, the area was swarmed by Patrol Officers, Condition Units, CSO;'s and Shooting Task Force Officers. Not good odds for an easy escape after  committing an armed robbery.

Both suspects were promptly tracked down and apprehended.

More from HPD:

Suspect #2 circled a house on Kelsey Street and was apprehended in the driveway of 11 Kelsey Street by
Detective Corvino and Captain Alderucci (DOC).
Recovered was $211.00 in U.S. currency and an iphone 5 taken during the robbery. Also recovered was
clothing, gloves and a mask used during the robbery.
The victim positively identified both suspects as the persons who committed the robbery. The victim stated
suspect #1 pressed the firearm against his head during the robbery. Video surveillance did capture the
robbery.
Both suspects were transported to MCD for de-brief. One suspect did confess to the robbery.
Suspect / Arrest #1: Jorge Guzman, M/H/32 (02/04/1982), of 78 Abbotsford Avenue, West Hartford, CT.
Charges: Robbery 1st Degree, Conspiracy to Commit Robbery 1st Degree, Larceny 2nd Degree, Carrying a
Pistol w/o a Permit, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Theft of Firearm, Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree and
Interfering w/ Police.
Suspect / Arrest #2: Emmanuel Velez, M/H/19 (02/21/1995), of 17 Buckingham Street, Newington, CT.
Charges: Robbery 1st Degree, Conspiracy to Commit Robbery 1st Degree, Larceny 2nd Degree and
Interfering w/ Police.
Firearm Seized: Smith & Wesson .380 Caliber Handgun, color black, s/n RAE2296 w/ magazine containing
(4) .380 caliber rounds of ammunition with (1) chambered round.
The firearm was listed in NCIC as stolen out of West Springfield, Massachusetts.

These type of incidents happen almost everyday in the City, yet our City Council doesn't seem to realize the need for police presence on our streets and in our neighborhoods. Maybe they might want to ask the shop owner who had the gun barrel to his head for a campaign donation next election and see what the response is

But keep the faith, a police Academy Class is being mentioned for January of 2015, although we heard the same thing for January, March, June and July of this year, and still no class. But fortunately , if it does happen in January, in two years we will finally have some new recruits on the streets of Hartford.

A LITTLE TRANSLATION:

If you are new to reading these reports,

MCD= Major Crimes Division
M/H = Male Hispanic
STF= Shooting Task Force
NCIC-National Crime Information Center, a nationwide database for Law Enforcement Information
CSO- Community Service Officer
CITY COUNCIL- A group of elected officials who are oblivious to what goes on in the streets of Hartford

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

I have had a hectic week so I haven't put out my thoughts yet on the poaching, I mean acquisition, of the New Britain Rockcats by the Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight ( The Segarra Administration). I will take some time over the weekend to put my thoughts out, for whatever they are worth, but here is a start.

Here is a link to Colin McEnroe's column in today's Courant which raises some great points about credibility and the way this has been handled or more accurately mishandled.

Economists, environmentalists criticize Hartford stadium plan

Posted: Sunday, December 13, 1998

The Associated Press.

An article from 1988 below:

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Government predictions that a stadium for the New England Patriots would be an economic boon to Connecticut are drawing fire from some economists.

In a study for the governor's office, KPMG Peat Marwick estimated a stadium would create some 2,700 jobs in and around Hartford.

But more than a dozen economists interviewed by The Hartford Courant said those assumptions are flawed and have created too rosy, best-case scenario.

The projection was based on assumptions that the stadium would fuel $107 million in direct spending when it opens in 2001 for everything from parking, to tickets, to meals and hotel rooms.

Ninety percent of that spending would not happen in Connecticut without the stadium, the study said, and it would lead to an added $74 million in "indirect" spending and the need for more jobs.

"This resembles more of a wish list than it does a statement of precise impact," Robert Baade, a sports economist at Lake Forest College in Illinois, said of the KPMG study. "I've looked at every single city that had any kind of change in its professional sports industry between 1958 and 1992 ... and we just don't see any kind of impact at all."

The stadium plan also is drawing criticism from environmentalists.

The proposed bill, to be voted on by lawmakers Tuesday, states that environmental and other permits will be granted automatically if applications are not reviewed within 10 business days. And those reviews would be done and decided on by the commissioner of the state agency looking at the applications. State agency commissioners are appointees of the governor.

"It would be impossible to conduct an adequate environmental review of a project of this magnitude within 10 days. The idea to me is ludicrous," said Donald S. Strait, executive director of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. "You can't look at a project like this and make the correct determination in a two-week period."

The fast-track permitting process was defended by a key legislator who is still undecided on the stadium proposal.

House Majority Leader Moira K. Lyons, D-Stamford, said she believes the DEP and other state agencies should be able to meet the 10-day deadline for reviewing applications without taking shortcuts.

A report released by the Phoenix Home Life Mutual Insurance Co. this week estimated the cost of an environmental cleanup on the site at $20 million.

A JOB WELL DONE

This past weekend had the potential to be a very trying one for Public Safety in Hartford.

Luckily, due to the efforts and planning of Chief Rovella and his men and women of the Hartford Police Department, both the Rascal Flatts Concert and the Puerto Rican Day Parade went off with out any major problems. There were some traffic issues in Frog Hollow, but overall the drinking and tailgating was address early on and the word got out that HPD was taking it seriously this summer and the large crowds downtown for the parade were orderly.

Once again, a job well done

TIMES CHANGE, PEOPLE CHANGE

It seems like a few short months ago Mayor Pedro Segarra was opposed to the UConn location downtown .Actually it was.  If I recall correctly so was Council Presidents Shawn Wooden.

I was not surprised though today when I received the press release that tomorrow Segarra will be hosting the ceremony finalizing the development deal for UConn Downtown.

I guess when no one is listening to your opposition you realize you need to cave in and settle.

(June 2, 2014) On Tuesday, Mayor Pedro E. Segarra will host a ceremony on the Alfred E. Burr Memorial Mall, formalizing the creation of UConn’s new Downtown Hartford campus. At the event, state officials including Governor Dannel Malloy, Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman, UConn Board of Trustees Chairman Larry McHugh and UConn President Susan Herbst will sign documents officially formalizing the new campus, which will be housed across Prospect Street from the Burr Mall, in the historic Hartford Times building. The event will immediately follow a Board of Trustees meeting at City Hall in Room 100. The meeting is open to the public.

ANOTHER CITY HALL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

Sources have confirmed that an employee at Hartford City Hall is the subject of a criminal investigation being conducted by HPD. Charles Dean, the City Hall Mail room employee, is currently on Administrative leave while the investigation continues.

The charges allegedly involve Dean stealing items of financial value out of the mail received at City Hall. The items were apparently meant as donations intended for fire victims , donated by a local business. Dean is apparently accused of intercepting the items and then being caught converting them for their cash value at the establishment that donated the items. I know it sounds cryptic, but I don't want to jeopardize any criminal investigation by putting all the details out  until the criminal aspect is complete. According to another source familiar with the situation, this may not be an isolated incident.

It s unclear at this point if federal authorities will get involved in the investigation for the theft from the City hall mail room of mail delivered by the US Postal Service.