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Wednesday, March 16, 2016

HOW DID WE GET INTO THIS MESS?

 
Photo from the Courant
 
 
Here is just one more example  of why Hartford is in the financial mess it is today. This is unsustainable and makes me wonder how many other  Huertas-esque  type payouts there are on the payroll books?

Check out this story from Jenna Carlesso at the Courant http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-hartford-carlos-huertas-payout-0317-20160316-story.html

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Huertas is finally gone, but he must be forced to testify about the Terry Wallergate affair.

Anonymous said...

What no one mentions is the fact that you have to go to work for the majority of your career to leave with a large accrued time payout. Those that don't you already paid theirs in your budget also in the way of overtime. How do you think the people that the mayor would prefer to leave without any accrued time end up that way. Instead of worrying about people that go to work why doesn't wonder boy worry about the people that you pay twice in this situation. I'm talking about the people that spend most of their careers injured collecting tax free compensation while the department pays overtime to fill their spot and then still pays them large amounts of accrued time at the end because they were never at work enough to use nay time. Maybe they should think about paying the time out of the pension fund instead of the operating budget. Or letting it count for service time and letting people retire immediately with the amount the time would take them to. If you say you won't pay it people who normally go to work will just use it all and you will still pay it in the end. Chief Huertas accumulated that time over 35 yrs., why doesn't Bronin say anything about all of the council members who have collected full pensions and benefits for part time work.off the backs of all of the full time city employees. The same goes on at the state level but you here no talk of taking away their benefits, just the full time workers who actually contribute with whole careers and contributions. The same old bull!@#$. Never a problem paying the undeserving. If Bronin was so righteous he would have asked daddy Malloy to get rid of Cloud when he tried to sneak himself a raise.

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with 9:27, an investigation must take place. Maybe a grand jury will find Huertas, Waller, Kee-Borges and Pedrito as the most honest people on the planet.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

9:38am

I will take the odds heavily against anyone finding that to be true. Maybe more like "most likely to engage in corrupt criminal activity to benefit themselves"

Anonymous said...

One of the misconceptions in this article and voiced by Mayor Bronin is that Chief Huertas benefits were a result of his union contract. Huertas left the union at the rank of Deputy Chief. He was eligible to retire with sick benefits accrued and paid out at the Deputy Chief rate of pay. The mayor at the time decided he wanted a Hispanic fire chief. He could have hired an Hispanic chief from outside the department. He could have had Huertas retire at the benefit rate of a Deputy Chief and then rehired him. Under the charter the mayor can appoint anyone he wants to this position. What actually happened was the mayor and huertas negotiated a benefit package outside of the union contract. The mayor was responsible for this contract which allowed Chief Huertas to receive a sick leave payout paid at the significantly higher rate of Fire Chief vs Deputy Fire Chief.

Anonymous said...

1:47pm
"The mayor at the time decided he wanted Hispanic fire chief."
Not only he (corrupt Pedro) wanted Hispanic chief, he wanted a weak chief, one who would be told by Pedro and Sandy (K-B) who his Ass. Chief would be (Terry Waller, of course).
Huertas confirmed the latest to me himself.

Anonymous said...

Agree with 9:46 pm.

Before any benefits are taken away from the Union workers whom all have to put in full careers to receive compensation , there should be none for part time employees on the municipal and state levels. How much money would the state and city budgets save if they took away the pensions and benefits of every person that didn't serve at least 20yrs. This is only an attempt to break the unions so that the people that do the least can collect more for themselves just like in the private sector. Bronin doesn't actually due what he says he believes in. Any lawyer not named Bronin would argue that his idea of a system is fixed and only fair to one party. Also the man who thinks that all of the union members are overcompensated gave a man (Deller) who resigned almost twice as much money per year in compensation than Huertas got. And this wasn't a contract, it was under his authority. Why would you give someone that much money that you supposedly made resign because of corruption in the Dillon stadium deal. Maybe that would be to cover for none other than Adam Clouds level of guilt in the deal.

Anonymous said...

The whole plan was to eventually make Waller Chief of the Department. That is why they left Huertas alone on an island his whole time. They thought that Charlie would quit so that they could slide Terry in as Act. Chief and then later give him the real job.

Anonymous said...

he deserves everything he gets paid his dues and gave his life for the city how many of you can say that.

Anonymous said...

1:47 is correct, and how many police chiefs and Superintendent of schools have rotated through here for 3-4 years and blew town with big cash? leave people alone who have worked for their pensions.

Anonymous said...

The ex chief and the negotiated plan is just one shining example of how generous benefits are offered that are unaffordable. To the comment that the chief put his life on the line and deserves whatever he gets, I would like to get a close up of the chief's hands to see if there are any burn marks on them. Oh really, no? No fooling. Seems as if he hasn't put his life on the line.

Anonymous said...

Huertas could have served his entire career wearing a suit and tie and he would come out clean. Nobody would have noticed.
More than $180,000 for unused sick days and vacation days is outrageous and sickening.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe anyone who has been on this job has not questioned Heurtas's payout. First Heurtas himself used to joke that he had the worst sick record on the job, that is he used plenty of sick time in his day. Also if you go buy union rules which apparently he retired under??? you can only use 24 vacation days at payout, now maybe a special deal was arrived at as he "retired" rather abruptly if you will. But how about his sick time, as a member of the"Support division" your sick time by contract is to be cut in half. Did Huertas get his full sick bank? This was never enforced but in the last few years it was brought to light and enforced when a Chief of Training and a Cpt. of Management Services retired their sick banks were chopped in half at payout. How does Huertas possible jet with 182K. Doesn't seem to add up and if the city is indeed strapped maybe they should of enforced the policy for the king, it's definitely enforced for the peasants. Now keep in mind that FF that have over a threshold of vacation time loose it and can only cash in 24 days at retirement.
rough Guestimate and I could be way off but even at top pay
Chief salary 150 K a year 2884 a week or 72 an hour
max of 15 sick days a year if he had half 35x 7.5 days a year 263 days paid at 6 hrs per day 1578 hrs x $72hr $113,616 now if cut in half at retirement $56,808
vacation 24 days at 12 hrs a day 288 hrs at $72 hr $20,736
FF gets 12 paid holiday support does not but for argument sake
12 holiday 12 hrs a day 144 hrs x $72 hr $10,368

For this scenario and just a hypothetical scenario at full sick pay 144,720
cut that sick leave in half and $87,912
without paid holidays 77,544
hypothetical numbers and do not know actual deal that was in place but hourly wage applied by 760 rules far cry from 182K.
again I don't know the Chiefs actual contract and could be way off on this so take it for what it is worth for entertainment.

Anonymous said...

His retirement "package" MUST be verified. MUST!

Anonymous said...

and it will be and should be