I ADMIT, I AM BAFFLED

I guess I can't get over my state of confusion.

I was in Glastonbury Center this morning and saw a community that is growing and bustling.

The new Five Guys Restaurant was packed. As I drove further South I noticed a lot of new Construction ( usually a good sign of Economic Development). Just about every store and restaurant was busy. Even the Hardware store looked busy. I didn't see any big signs announcing "Store for Rent" like I do on Pratt Street or Park Street , Albany Avenue or throughout Downtown Hartford.

But as I hard as I looked , I couldn't find a baseball stadium. I tried and tried, but no stadium. I had to keep asking myself how Glastonbury can do it without a baseball stadium. I kept having to ask myself what was Glastonbury's "spark"

After all , we are being told by Segarra and his Economic Guru Deller that the baseball stadium is going to be the "spark" that sets us free from the burdens of poverty, crime and poor planning and poor government. Just believe in them and their plan.

I really wanted to stop and tell some of these business owners in Glastonbury they were crazy investing because all of their efforts would be futile. They have no baseball stadium. They have no "spark"

Maybe they might have some common sense leadership and people that understand that good government and common sense "spark " development, not baseball stadiums.

CAN PEDRO DO ANYTHING RIGHT? ANOTHER BAD AUDIT

I guess some people just aren't cut out to manage anything. It becomes clearer everyday that Pedro Segarra is one of them.

The Hallmark of Segarra's administration has been his high turnover and lack of stability in the leadership of his Department Heads. Police, Fire, DPW MHIS have all seen the revolving door of "Acting Department Heads" and the list goes on.

Who in their right mind would move into the City to become a Department Head under Segarra and inherit the messes both he and SKB have created?

This has resulted in no tone being set for the Administration and resulted in the City being a free for all. There has been very little discipline resulting from many serious chronic problems including drug and alcohol use by employees, serious policy violations and abuses, including credit card misuse.

And now another bad audit of DPW operations. Including questions about thousands of gallons of gasoline unaccounted for and the lack of electronic security safeguards over the system.
 
I guess nothing will change until some real leadership arrives at City Hall, or until Segarra and his flunkies resign.

THE DPW AUDIT

Works Equipment Services Division Accounts and Operations Audit

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

I love using this picture, it is about as phony as the leadership of this City

 

 

It might be interesting to ask how Mayor Segarra and his staff think they can manage a baseball operation when nothing else seems to function properly. The report below is just one more example of a City spiraling out of control with no management or leadership.

 

Wouldn't it make more sense using City funds to shore up City Departments that are falling apart due to a lack of funding before throwing money at a baseball stadium?

 

Read the report below, it pretty much speaks for itself. After reading it, ask yourself "is it any wonder we can't attract reasonable economic development with this kind of "leadership"?

Dpw Report0001

HPD DEPUTY CHIEF SUSPENDED OVER RACIST AND SEXUAL COMMENTS

The Internal Affairs Investigation is complete and now comes the discipline. The investigation ordered by Hartford Police Chief James Rovella. It began after complaints by HPD officers related to complaints against Deputy Chief Robert Ford that the officers felt were racist in origin. The investigation also developed information related to sexually inflammatory  comments that Ford admitted to making.

Once the investigation was completed, it confirmed the behavior that the officers alleged. The entire report can be read below. The report upheld that Fords behavior was a violation of the Departments Code of Conduct. Under the code, the punishment could be nothing , up to a maximum five day suspension. Apparently due to the severity of the actions, Ford was given the maximum punishment of a five day suspension.

It is somewhat uncommon for a member of the command staff to receive a suspension . Ford's disciplinary paperwork and his admission to the behavior are below.

These documents were obtained pursuant to an FOI request made to HPD

UPDATE:  Chief Rovella's Letter of Discipline was left out of the original scan, here it is below

Chief's Letter0001

THE FORD INTERNAL AFFAIRS REPORT

FORD IAD by kevinhfd

DEPUTY CHIEF FORD DISCIPLINE REPORTS

Ford Discipline0001

PLEASE....OUT OF RESPECT

Normally I encourage your comments and in most cases welcome them.

Out of respect for the tragic death of Firefighter Kevin Bell and his family as well as the other firefighters injured last night, I would ask that you refrain from comments regarding HFD or  its "leaders".

If you sent a comment this morning and are wondering why they aren't being posted, I am holding them back. Let's get through the grieving process and show our respect for our first responders. Including our firefighters , police officers and EMT's who worked so valiantly as a team yesterday to save a life. To the EMT's who worked over an hour and a half trying to revive Firefighter Bell, to HPD who blocked intersections along the ambulance route to Saint Francis to facilitate a quick response to the trauma center and foremost to Firefighters who were in a building that most of us would have run from.

Yes, there are problems  but now is not the time to focus on them. Let the investigation proceed and see what the results are. If changes need to be made , so be it, but in the meantime , respect the brave first responders that our on our streets for us day in and day out.

I will save any information I receive and post it at the appropriate time in the future.