The Presidential campaign was capped by only one debate between the two candidates. Many polls showed a dead heat between the two Presidential candidates. During that debate, Republican Ronald Reagan sealed the fate of that election and the future of Jimmy Carter with one simple question to voters.
Reagan asked "are you better off than you were four years ago?" That was all it took.
Hopefully this Tuesday as Registered voters in Hartford prepare to vote, they can ask themselves the same question.
Are our streets any better than four years ago as Luke Bronin promised they would be? Definitely not. Hartford repair garages and body shops are still reaping the benefits of our streets every
time they re-align another front end victimized by our canyon sized potholes.
Resurfacing City streets this summer was almost nonexistent with the exceptions of a handful of streets, far short of the milling and paving we usually see every summer-
Is trash on our streets and bulky waste piled at the curbs any better, as Candidate Bronin had promised in 2015? Nope. The rats love the furniture and mattresses thrown at the curbs, they make for some great rat harborages. The overflowing dumpsters that are never inspected or cited at many apartment complexes and businesses are loved by the rats also, it grows their families big and strong.
And I think the rat inspectors and additional housing inspectors we keep hearing are coming must have gotten lost or are broken down after hitting a pothole.
Do you feel safer in your neighborhoods than you were four years ago when Pedro Segarra was leaving Office and as Candidate Bronin promised? The reality is you are not any safer. As of today, Hartford's homicide rate is 67% ahead of 2017, and the year still has a ways to go, so we can add more. Shootings are almost an every day occurrence. Shots fired from illegal gun activity are almost an hourly occurrence and two more people were shot on the streets of Hartford last night.
Our schools are still a mess, even though the Mayor appoints the Majority of the Board of Education , He often ducks the issue of failing schools by saying he has no control over the BOE. Isn't that convenient.
Hartford's finances are still a mess despite the State of Connecticut bailout. Actually, Bronin tries to make it sound like he did a great job of arm twisting at the Capitol to get the bailout. What he should be calling it is the first installment on the past due bill the State owes us for underpaid P.I.L.O.T. funds. But chances are good we will be revisiting this issue in a couple years, probably before the term of the next Mayor ends.
And that basaball stadium deal? Yes, it opened but it is still a drain of $5 to 6 Million dollars a year on the City budget for debt service payments.
Is the toxic environment of City employment gotten any better in the last four years? Definitely not. Instances of attempted suicides, actual suicides , numerous CHRO complaints filed against the Police Department and other City Departments are keeping some politically connected law firms profitable at the taxpayers expense. All due to mismanagement and lack of leadership or accountability by Bronin Department heads.. So no, that is no better than it was four years ago.
Those are probably enough examples to get you to honestly answer President Reagan's question as it pertains to Hartford.
But as you prepare to fill in that little bubble on your ballot, also keep in mind the general version of "insanity". Insanity is doing the same old thing and expecting a different result. I know Tuesday I am unwilling to settle for insanity, if we are honest with ourselves and really do care about the City many of us claim to love.
37 comments:
Kevin,
A different mayor is not necessarily better. Of the choices in this election, which do you think will be better?
And some of this just comes off as ranting. Debt service on the (surprisingly successful) stadium was locked in before Bronin took office. But it could have been a lot worse if Bronin hadn't successfully fired the mismanaging developer, got the stadium done, and prevailed when the developer sued. No chance Perez would have done that. It also seems a more than a little whiny to complain about PILOT when the state shouldered half a billion dollars of Hartford debt. Perhaps Bronin's a realist who understands that there's only so much Hartford can bleed the suburbs. And that's the key: realism. None of Hartford's issues are easy, and quality of life issues are annoying. But there's no way for Hartford to get better until its structural deficits are under control. That's not going to be easy, and it's not a job for amateurs.
I think Lucas should take the mantra of Ann Ucello’s playbook; “Courage to do what must be done.”
He won’t though. He can’t listen the words of a strong female Republican.
She served two terms as Hartford’s mayor and would have again but the grand old seat of Washington DC recruited her. Something I doubt will happen with Lucas since he hasn't been doing it .
Mismanagement starts at the top and trickles all the way to the bottom. Case in point HPD and the purchase of new vehicles for command staff while patrol, on a daily basis, dont have enough cars to patrol the city properly at the bare minimum requirements. When is this mismanagement going to stop? Why do patrolman have to drive 9 year old crown vics that arnt up to POST standards? When am I getting my new Tahoe? I also want to chauffeur my family around the city on the city dime.
Under Jason Thody and his command staff, the Hartford Police Department certainly is NOT better off than we were four years ago!
It’s actually at an all time historic low.
Hey vinni,
My ip address is www. Nypd 47 arrest going public soon...
Cup after cup ......
This mismanagement will stop when Thody is shown the door. According to Pinocchio, I mean ��Jason��Thody��, we cant drive Ford Interceptor Explorers like every other PD, because he can’t “train” us all. Even though there is no such mandated training. Thody has always been only concerned about himself and now the inner circle. Thody could care less about patrol, as long as his inner circle and command staff have brand new shiny gas guzzling full size Tahoe’s for off duty family use, he could care less.
So how did the department let 150 of our medical certifications lapse?
The academy falls under dustin rendock. Fact
Over half of the officers have had their medical certification lapse because of
Lack of oversight or basic management 101 by dustin rendock.
Keep up the great work dustin. You make hpd great !
Vinnie retired from NYPD as a decorated Detective. Then applied to HPD and made LT under ten years that says alot about the man. Yall are clearly haters and it shows.
Basic street maintenance and repair, something that would be necessary in city government. Sigourney Street near Aetba/CVS entrance is been in disrepair for years. Juxtaposing against the fine maintained grounds of the company tells all that Hartford city government does not care about its businesses, its workers or its residents. When Aetna/CVS is sold and / or relocated elsewhere (and it will happen), the city certainly won’t address it for the residents. Basic competence.....
11:44 AM,,, Dunkin Donut Park and The Yardgoats are averaging a $3 MILLION LOSS each year since year one ,,so can you PLEASE breakdown the interpretation of your statement above that the stadium is (SUPRISINGLY SUCCESSFUL)......I hope you didn’t mean in the attendance category,,,, imagine bragging that you sold every hot dog from your cart everyday only to come home to your wife with less money than you left the house with,,,,11:44 AM are you gonna tell her what a success you are?
Whole lot of crybabies in Hartford who like to complain without providing any alternative solutions. Bronin is doing a good job considering the mess that he inherited. Hartford isnt going to be a short term project, it's going to take many years for the City to rebound in any type of tangible way. Even then it will never be on the same level as NY or Boston, nor will it be the Hartford of old. Instead of vying to go back to the "way things used to be" the focus should be on the future and working to ensure that Hartford has a path towards relevance in the future.
More tall tales from NYPD know what's not a tall tale the threat you made against Kevin
......cup after cup after cup
10:37 AM , YOU MUST BE RELATED TO 11:44 AM !!! ,,,, Here’s a fact that I will repeat until the bullshit artist known as Luke Bronin goes back to the Gold Coast hole he climbed out of !!! 11:44 AM PAY ATTENTION TO THIS !!! A few months after Luke Bronin was appointed mayor,,, LUKE along with the heads of Hartford Education sent 33 teachers and administrators to Florida to accept a excellence in education award !!!!! 10:37 AM YOU KNOW WHO PAID FOR THIS??? WE TAXPAYERS!!!! So 10:37 AM PLEASE explain how Bronin is any different than , as you put it , “ THE WAY THINGS USED TO BE” 10:37 AM YOU MUST BE ONE OF THOSE PREACHERS OR “ COMMUNITY LEADERS” THAT RECEIVED A ENVELOPE OF CASH TO GET “ YOUR PEOPLE” TO SUPPORT LUKE BRONIN!!!! Who’s up next for a excellence award? City Council ?? Hartford is the laughing stock of CT ,,,, Imagine Mark Twain or any other great formor resident ,famous or not ,picking Hartford as their home.
Hartford voted & Luke is staying. So instead of bashing what you non voters don’t like about him and his staff get yourself registered to vote and vote him out next time around. Until then start going to meetings and speaking up. Can’t make the meetings send emails make phone calls - let your voice be heard. For those of you non Htfd residents complaining cause you have to work under his leadership feel free to find work in your own town and give up your cushy paycheck.
You know what else you can do if you can’t vote in Htfd but work in Htfd under his leadership and want change - take the time to support the other candidates & help them rise up - volunteer on a committee.
Please stop complaining and doing nothing
Damn HPD is off the chain. I didn’t realize this blog was for sharing secrets and calling out everyone.
I know it’s been said many times now but shake it up already and get these fools moved.
I see it when an officer gets moved from patrol to a special unit what a change it makes to the “team”. Imagine if HPD really moved folks around what change in the dynamics. All the sudden special friends are moved and everyone is on even ground. No more whispering, no more secret texts, no more special favors between Sgts & Officers.
I would love to be a fly on a wall when these Sgts/lts go home to their families and listen to them to weasel their way out why they are so attached to their special officers. Its just work
What’s the divorce rate here at HPD? What’s the hook up rate?
Need a special training day on ethics & morals
I wonder if Chief Scott will keep the thodster around for AC ......
Been saying that for years. Nobody will ever do anything. Everybody owes someone a favor. They're all essentially in bed together. Federal audit i say.
3:59 PM ,,, I guess I’ll have to be the one to inform you,,,,,WE “NON HTFD RESIDENTS” UNDERWRITE HALF OF YOUR OPERATING COST !!!! WE “NON HTFD RESIDENTS” ARE ALSO PAYING FOR YOUR $500 MILLION DOLLARS FOR “ DEBT ASSISTANCE”!!!! 3:59 PM , You need to replace the word “NON” with “FORMER” ..... WE complainers were natives of Hartford and thrived there until outsiders came in and took a large turd over the entire city. Not only did we leave you people with a viable infrastructure NOW WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT TO BE MISMANAGED!!!! How’s this 3:59 PM ,,,THIS “ FORMER HTFD RESIDENT” WILL STOP COMPLAINING IF YOU AND YOUR FELLOW RESIDENTS STOP FREELOADING OFF US “OUTSIDERS” ,, DEAL??????
Well Damn - looks like someone is in trouble at HPD & at home... inquiring minds want to know...
DAMN tell us more about this telenovela we need details.
I can probably figure it on my own with all the whispering behind everyone’s back
I seen a female moved months ago and still trying to get back in. Sure she’ll be putting in another complaint if she can’t back to her Sgt with this new bid. It’s sad to see her following behind him at headquarters and always making sure to be around him.
HPD stop trying to mingle at work and do your job. No relationship within will work and it’s not worth the cost.
Hey 8:59
1- I’m a former Htfd resident as well so I can’t vote in Htfd but I do volunteer my time to the community & politics since the majority of the residents don’t seem to care.
2 I don’t complain I just do
3 you feeling guilty for taking from Htfd and not giving back?
4 move back to Htfd and take control if you’re so inclined to make a difference
5 just shut it cause you ain’t going back
Happy veterans day to all
Can we have a poll about which town Luke is living ?
Hey Willie
Did you see the election night photo of Sara gazing at Luke with kids standing around them? PD sees what it wants to see while watching the Nightmare on Elm Street from C-4 cams. What are the facts
11:12 AM CONGRADULATIONS!!!! You can count to 5!! Unfortunately it appears your Hartford education didn’t do much else for you beyond basic math by your very less than lucid responses. For instance #3 What PART of my comment that CT taxpayers underwrite half of Hartford’s debt EVERY YEAR TO THE TUNE OF $270 MILLION DOLLARS???? OR the PART where I stated WE “ NON HTFD RESIDENTS” now have to “GIVE” $500 MILLION MORE over the next 20 years for “ DEBT ASSISTANCE” . 11:12 AM ,,,SHOULD I REALLY FEEL “GUILTY” for “TAKING” from HTFD and “NOT GIVING BACK “ ????? THE SIMPLE MATH YOU RETAINED DOESNT ADD UP !!!!! And thank you 11:12 AM for the much needed laugh with response #4 ,,”Move back” ? Take control”? REALLY???? It’s IMPOSSIBLE to control RABID FREELOADERS WHO ARE MOSTLY UNCIVILIZED !!! The only number relevant in this back and forth is the number 2 ,,,NO NOT FROM YOUR STATEMENT ,,BUT MINE FROM ABOVE WHERE I POINT OUT THE LARGE TURD TAKEN ON TOP OF A ONCE VIABLE AND CIVILIZED CAPITAL CITY!!!
CSP Ralphie "green latern" Medina throwing his weight around again at patrol. Gotta love the newest, nonsensical directive where patrolman have to ask supervisors for permission to go to headquarters. Can the command staff come up with some more ridiculous memos to keep the grunts entertained?
How about creating solutions to patrol's problems rather than threatening to discipline patrolmen who don't have access to a office or substation? This place is getting more and more embarrassing each and everyday. Keep it up brass. How are the new crispy cars by the way?
211 is further for many north cars. Why have a nice report writing room when we can't use it? Stupid knee jerk policy without understanding how patrol works. Even patrol Sgt are saying it's a huge time waste.
It was a pretty dumb email by Medina. They are tracking where all the patrol cars are when a major incident happens. In an indirect way they are blaming us patrol officers for not preventing an incident because we are at 10-2 typing up reports, doing our job. SMH
Brass rhymes with ass.
And the definition fits.
Plus an outside law enforcement professional never fits in with officers who have worked in the department for years.
Chief Harnett tried to make HPD NYPD. Didn't work. Gee whats the color of the day?
Chief McCoy loved rules except for himself. There was that thing about forgetting to stop at tolls.
Chief Vega loved too many things
Chief Marquis was a nice guy but got wrecked by local politicians and could not believe the volume of calls for a smaller city.
Chief Rosado's coffee is still warm.
Keep the next Chief an inside or retired member. And not the current example who has as much street experience as anyone in the academy.
The latest comments have nothing to do with the topic, but I just want to weigh in with my thoughts.
I haven't seen Chief Medina's memo, but it sounds like basic management to me. Chief Medina was brought in by Chief Rosado after Medina retired from CSP. I think he was brought in by Rosado to apply some basic management structure to an organization that is lacking in basic management to produce the best results possible and improve productivity for the residents and taxpayers of Hartford through HPD.
Change doesn't come easy, but HPD has been allowed to go off the rails lately and we can see the results on our streets. Many officers have called me about the "dead wood" in HPD and both officer's and Supervisors not carrying their weight, whether that means not taking calls in their districts, hanging out in substations or Supervisors hiding away in the Crime Analysis Office sleeping.
Medina's memo is long overdue. The term "area integrity" has disappeared from HPD. No officer should be out of their area without a supervisor knowing where they are headed and for what reason. This should be a basic function of both Street Supervisors and Dispatchers to know where their resources are and what is available at all times.
For years, many units never signed on the line for their shifts, and still don't. Wheteher an officer on a PJ or a CSO, area LT or a Major Crimes Detective, they should all be signed on when they are on duty and for no other reason than basic officer safety, Dispatch should be well aware of who is on duty and making sure they leave safely at the end of their assigned shift. How is anyone paid, or are they just trusted to make up their own payroll, that has happened in the past and led to terminations and arrests of Officer's
I am sure no one likes being watched or held accountable, but it is a basic necessity to make sure everyone is kept safe. Whether leaving your area to go to 253 for whatever reason or heading out if your area for a meal break (if you can find the time to take a break) your immediate supervisor and dispatcher should be aware.
That is basic management, sorely missing and hopefully being brought back by Chief Medina
What you just posted makes zero sense. It has nothing to due with not being able to use 10-2 to write a report. You may want to read the memo and apply some common sense before defending your buddy. His memo says officer's need to use substations to write reports. That's it. How does anything you said even apply? While those might be issues his memo doesn't fix a single one. Now when a critical incident happens officer's writing their reports will be at 211 instead of HQ. Wow that changes a lot. 211 has limited computers and no heat, where 10-2 has an actual report writting room full of computers, close to dispatch and close to Sgt for 10-9s. How is pushing everyone to 211 and NBA creating management efficiency? Maybe keeping south units at NBA, closer to their area, makes sense but that's not what he's doing.
Isn't there a Deputy Chief in charge of facilities and related issues such as heat and computers in the substations? If the substations are not functional, then we should stop paying for them and shut them down. And aren't the MDT's capable of being used to type reports out in the field?
MDTs are a help but not the solution. They often crash and very few of the spare cars have them. The report room at 10-2 is designed for report writing. It's actually one of the few nice things patrol has. Besides bosses stealing all the good chairs, it's set up well. We just got a new printer/copier, old chairs are slowly being replaced with nice new chairs (lets see how long before those get stolen). One of the few good things patrol has is now under restricted use. And command staff wonders why moral is low???
They dont wonder why morale is low..... they also dont care
Lantern and his shoot from the hip memo has sucked out what little morale was left in patrol. The union let us know now our jacket order is held up now. Great. Good thing you gave the brand new PPOs traffic jackets first. Good for morale. Time to start listening to those that actually have some patrol experience and understand what we do everyday. Morale department wide has never been worse then it's current state. Us officers feel we keep getting blamed for everything we cannot do it all
Why do you sound surprised??? Same circus, different clowns.
The topic of area integrity is the job of the street supervisor and a lot of roll call instruction from the Command Staff at each one.
Back in the Stone Age (80's) area integrity was a weekly topic of roll call instruction.
It would go something like this:
Lt. Charles Natitus--"Stay in your areas in patrol except to back up other officers or when dispatched. After that get back to your area. Your area is your responsibility.
"And if you don't understand that then listen to this. Stay in your fucking area. Roll call over."
Once roll call was over your area sergeant your impress upon the importance of that topic in other language easily understood.
We got the message because it was the right one and no one got upset. It was daily business.
Not something that an AC or DC should have to address. Keep it in Patrol.
Happy Thanksgiving and stay safe.
Lyons , personally I believe your comments get lost or watered down with your aggressive disdain for anonymous contributors on this blog . No bullshit ,,,your last comment above was the first one for me that I actually paid more attention to than all your previous ones . As an anonymous contributor I found myself dismissing everything you stated with your Groundhog Day rants.I hope this is your new approach . I’m certain you’ll still have detractors but this is a more effective approach .
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