AN OPEN MESSAGE TO MAYOR SEGARRA

I know for a fact Pedro Segarra and his staff are regular readers of this blog. So let me give this a shot.

Pedro, you as well as most. know very well I am not a fan of yours. I have told you from the very start I have been disappointed with you . So many people , including myself, were praying or the conviction  of your predecessor, just to usher in a new era of change. Well, as the old saying goes, you don't always get what  you wish for.. We gave you a few years to try, Admittedly under very trying circumstances to you, but that is what leadership is about, rising to the challenge when needed.

Hopefully you are sitting down right now, but I want to thank you for your efforts. On behalf of myself an many others in Hartford, thank you for stepping in under difficult circumstances when the City of Hartford needed someone different to serve.

As I said to you the day you and I met in your office, along with Dave Panagore, right after you took office, one of the basic rules of management is that as a leader , you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. Pedro if you are being honest, you would have to admit you made some terrible choices in that respect.

I won't rehash everything, but many of your pitfalls were pointed out here on this very blog and I would have gladly worked with you on many of these issues to avoid the embarrassment and damage to our City. No one person can claim exclusive love for this city and its people and I would have been more than willing to work with you to move this City forward, but you made the choice not to. Again, as they say hindsight is 20/20 vision. Maybe knowing what we know today, things might have been different.

Let me get to my point. You had your shot at leadership and you fell short. This is not just my opinion, but an opinion shared by more than 55% of Hartford's voters. Now is not the time to draw this out. I understand you have been through a difficult contest, I also understand you need time to regroup and consider your future.

When considering your future, please also consider the future of the City and the people you say you love. Remember the city you claim gave you your future 41 years ago. Now please don't hold that same City back. This is not about your ego or your political future. Make your decision for the right reasons. Allow Hartford to move forward or the right reasons. Allow the voices of Hartford's voters to be heard. Allow the choice of the people, Luke Bronin an his Council slate, to take the reins of leadership and mold the future of Hartford.

Not to be blunt, but you had five years to prove yourself and you fell short . Now give Bronin his shot and see what he can accomplish. I will give you my promise here, Pedro. If he doesn't do it, I will be very vocal about it. I held you accountable and I will do the same thing to a Bronin Administration if they fall short. I will also make the same offer to Luke Bronin that I made to you, I am willing to give my heart and soul to see this City succeed and see my neighbors and friends here thrive .

Take your needed rest and please decide to end the divisiveness now. Unify behind the people's choice to lead the City, and lets get started now to  move the City that all three of us, you, Luke and myself , along with thousands of others love and car about.

Please rise to the occasion and show us the real Pedro Segarra. Make the right decision and please step aside  with grace and dignity.

Thank you again for your service to our City and thank you to Charlie  for his support of your service.