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Monday, March 9, 2009

ALL ABOARD THE RIDE TO FANTASYLAND, EDDIE PEREZ'S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS



In these tough times, all of us can use a little comedy in our lives. The State of the City address given today by the Dishonorable Mayor Eddie Perez would have been laughable if it were not for the damage Perez and his actions have caused to the city that many of us still love and call home. A very few "non-reserved" seats were available to members of the public, after the reserved signs were taped to almost every seat in the Council Chambers (pic above). Once the members of the Carpenter's Union arrived, the room was standing room only. Several members of the Carpenter's Union I spoke with told me they had never been inside City Hall, never met Eddie Perez but were told to be there to show their support for Perez if they wanted to keep their jobs and keep working. Not a hard call to make in these economic times. I wondered how many of them were actually Hartford residents and could relate to what people in Hartford are going through. If only they knew how much money was being made through the back room deals, at their expense. If you looked in the far corner of the room, in the very back, you would have seen Police Chief Darryl Roberts and his command staff. Normally he would have been front and center, stars gleaming, flanked by his command staff. That was of course last year, before the Chief's comments about Hartford having lost its moral compass. I guess the Mayor and his staff didn't appreciate the Chief's honesty as much as the rest of us did. Plus, when the Mayor, at re-election time, promised us big numbers of Police Officer's he was going to hire, I can see why he wasn't big on having the Chief up front. It might remind us that this was just another empty promise by Perez to get re-elected, and the cops aren't coming as promised. Chief Teale from the Fire Department was also banished to the back of the room, no reserved seating for him either. I would have thought he would have been up front. He did just do the Mayor's dirty work and fire Chief Dan Nolan as Perez ordered. The rest of the reserved seating were a lot of the usual cast of characters, people beholding to Perez for the support of their non profits, their jobs and more than willing to applaud Perez on cue.

One of the most surprising attendees though was Jeanette Peters, widow of Mayor Mike. There is a lot I can say about the slimy actions of Eddie using the memories of Mayor Mike after his death to apparently boost his own image, but that's Eddie, no shame. Perez, or more likely his Director of Miscommunications Sarah Barr, quoted Abraham Lincoln in the speech. The quote in and of itself was quite prophetic since according to the Mayor's timeline, Lincioln would have been about three weeks old when he said it ( I know, details, details) The quote they used was "I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him". I'm not sure why Perez threw that in, probably thinking that people might be proud of him, highly doubful after his track record. But I think that was a quote that exemplifies Mayor Mike. He was always proud of his home city, never left for greener pastures, and his pride was infectious. Pride that extended outside of the City boundaries, and no one that ever heard him speak of Hartford could help but feel that pride themselves. And Mayor Mike, I know this must be tough for you to watch what is being done to your City,our city, but that pride you felt for Hartford, many of us now feel that same pride in you, we will always be proud of your efforts on our behalf. You knew more about being a leader, even without the benefit of being called a "strong Mayor".

Naming a Fire House in honor of Mayor Mike may be an appropiate start in the tributes, but let's think big, like Mayor Mike always seemed to do. First thing tomorrow I urge every one to pull together and lets begin an effort to name the Connecticut Convention Center in honor of Mayor Mike. Let's rally as a city to get it done, "Go Hartford" go Mayor Mike.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

WOULD A "MAN OF FAITH" ACT THIS WAY ?

Over the last couple years I have spoke with many people across the city, and many ask me what is Eddie Perez thinking. Since the Mayor and I are no longer friends, I just have to answer that I am as dismayed as they are. Many of these people, most like myself who were at one time supportive of Perez, wonder if he is actually trying to kill the City of Hartford as we knew it pre-Perez.

I have taken a role, as well as others have, of doing everything I can to expose this administration for its incompetence, mismanagement and outright corrupt activities. Almost daily I receive phone calls with information regarding activities at City Hall and in the Mayor's office. Some you take seriously and are able to validate, and others you can see that they may have a hidden agenda behind them and disprove them.

These phone calls usually tend to invigorate me when I can substantiate them, especially when I can move information forward that the source is unable to for fear of retaliation or reprisal from a corrupt administration. It has not been an easy task, but more and more lately I have been receiving the phone calls, e-mails and even personal acknowledgements from people thanking me for getting information out.

I am not writing this to give myself a pat on the back, others have been right beside me in exposing Perez and his administration for his corruption. Some of us have lost jobs, homes, city contracts and I for one had several sleepless nights after I began receiving death threats that I was told by law enforcement to take seriously.

I've had many people relay their stories of things Perez has done to them, some of them in tears explaining the vindictiveness of the Mayor's actions. I spoke with Hyacinth Yennie one night last summer when she called me complaining that her requests to Perez for a ribbon cutting for the completed Maple Avenue Streetscape project were going unanswered. Hyacinth confronted Susan McMullen, Perez's Director of Gospel Services, and asked her what the deal was. McMullen responded "you didn't support the Mayor during the election and he's not supporting you now". I told Hyacinth we would organize our own ribbon cutting, which we did, and it was well attended. It was an election year, do you really think John Fonfara and Hector Robles would say no to one of the most organized and effective NRZ's in the City? And Hyacinth was the driving force behind the successful completion of the project, on a timely basis, on schedule with quality workmanship. Far different than the Park Street project which has been ripe with corruption, cronyism, shoddy work and still is tied up in litigation and not completed.

With that being said, none of these phone calls, information and documentation of Perez's corrupt activities and dirty deeds has affected me like the one I received on Friday. You kind of have to keep the mindset that this is all part of a larger game and approach it as such, if not I think it could very easily take a toll on your sanity. Eventually we will hopefully see the good people of Hartford win and Eddie Perez lose. From the previous post, you can see that I received information regarding Perez once again building his staff, even though there is supposedly a hiring freeze,with spending of almost $400,000 for only three staff positions. The source who gave me the information suggested I track down a laid off city employee, Jose Silva, and speak with him. On Sunday I met with Mr. Silva and his family and afterwards left their home dumbfounded as to how a person like Eddie Perez could claim at a prayer vigil earlier in the week that he was "a man of faith". I leave the judgement calls to the guy upstairs on that one, but tell me if you think a "man of faith" could look another human being in the eyes after you read this story.

Jose Silva, a hearing impaired father of four, had been employed by the City of Hartford for 14 years as a laborer in the Parks Department assigned to Elizabeth Park as a groundskeeper. Silva, from what sources in the Public Works Department tell me, was a stellar employee. No workers compensation claims, no abuse of sick time, always at work as scheduled, and just an all around good employee. Silva, with no disciplinary problems must have thought he was pretty secure in his job. Silva and his family even went so far as to purchase a home in a neighborhood in Frog Hollow, on Ward Street. A neighborhood, like many in Hartford that is on the brink of going one way or another, stability or decay, depending on the inhabitants and care the neighbors show. Silva had heard the Mayor talk about home ownership and figured the time was right to plant his roots in his first home of his own. After all, he was a long time City of Hartford employee, why not buy in Hartford. He chose to buck the trend of many fleeing from the city. Even though his back yard abuts some of the most crime ridden streets of Hartford,York Street, Zion Street, Park Street, you wouldn't know it by looking at Silva's home. For Silva, the American dream was coming true, his mortgage was approved, he had a stable job to qualify for the mortgage, and the home purchase moved forward. In February, Silva closed on the purchase of his home at 220 Ward Street in Hartford. He remembers quite vividly that day the joy he felt in becoming a homeowner, and proudly beginning the move into his family's new home. Later in the day he was surprised by a visit from his supervisor from DPW, but thought it was a nice gesture to stop at his new home. His dream of home ownership rapidly became a nightmare when the supervisor explained that he was there to tell Silva that he no longer had a job. Silva had become the latest victim of corruption and incompetence that we have come to know as the Perez Administration.Silva was laid off at the same time Perez was hiring his new "Energy Czar" at $105,000, roughly 3 times Silva's annual salary, and Charlie Crocini punching the Mayor's timclock for his part-time $85.00 an hour job. (Silva and 4 or 5of his laid off co-workers could still be employed if these two positions, filled by non-Hartford residents were cut)

When I spoke with Silva and his wife and son on Sunday, I was surprised at Silva's upbeat spirit and his constant smile. Silva and his wife are both hearing impaired and their son acted as our interpreter when needed, but essentially said he loved his job and wishes he could go back to work tomorrow. He has been searching for a job, but his hearing impairment limits the scope of the search, and the economic situation isn't helping either. In the mean time, Silva says they are without health insurance for him and his family, but for the time being they are getting by hoping that dream of home ownership continues to be a reality.

Maybe the next prayer vigil organized should be for people like Jose Silva and families like his across the city that they can keep their homes, not to keep a Mayor out of prison.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

AND REMEMBER, BE KIND TO YOUR MAYOR,HAVE YOUR COUNCILPERSON SPAYED OR NEUTERED

It seems as though ever since Hartford switched to the "Strong Tyrant" I mean "Strong Mayor" form of government, much criticism has been heaped upon the Hartford City Council for not exercising its powers given to them as a body under the new charter. This has been very evident, especially at budget time. The Council has appeared to choose a lapdog mentality when approving spending rather than using the pitbull powers they were handed under the Charter.

This became very obvious this week when it came to light that despite layoffs of City employees, some not far from the poverty level, Mayor Perez continues to build the Sovereign Nation of Perez, also known as the Mayor's Office. Even the titles are striking fear in the peasants as they were introduced to the Mayor's new "ENERGY CZAR" this past week. Don Blakelock has been making the rounds this past week and being introduced to City staffers as the latest Knight in King Eddie's roundtable. His official title is Energy Manager, with a salary anywhere from $90,000 to $105,000, depending upon which version you listen to. Ironically, some of these introductions to Blakelock were made to City employee union representatives as they were leaving meetings requesting givebacks from City Employee's to help curtail the budget deficit. I wonder how those talks are going now? Czar Blakelock's annual salary would save more than 3 Public Works laborer positions.

In addition, we were told last summer that Charles Crocini was leaving the Mayor's Office and his replacement, James Keaney had been hired direct from Digg's Construction (yes, that Diggs Construction). It was interesting that at the time of Keaney's hiring, according to the Mayor's Director of Misinformation Sarah Barr, that Keaney had negotiated into his city contract the purchase of a luxury SUV by the City for his use, heated leather seats, roof rack and all. On Friday I received documentation from Santiago Malave, the City's Director of Human Resources, that Keaney's annual salary is $150,000, more than that of Mayor Perez (or at least what he claims on the books, less countertops, jacuzzi's, steam showers, Ireland plane tickets, etc). Mr Keaney's luxury SUV (so much for King Eddie's promise of becoming a green city) purchased by the city could in itself have saved one laborer at Public Works or maybe even a teaching position.

Oh, and Charlie Crocini who was mentioned above as leaving city service to make room for Jim Keaney, don't feel bad for him as a retiree struggling to make ends meet in this economy. Mr. Crocini has been hired back as a "Special Assistant to Mayor Perez", only on a part-time basis though. He's "only" being paid $85.00 and hour for his services as "Special Assistant to the King" (I think they call them Knights). At $85.00 an hour,(yes, not a typo, $85.00 an hour) if he works 15-20 hours a week at the end of the year that could land him close to $80,000 a year. Not bad for a part time job, sure beats those unfortunate retiree's that have to work at Wal-mart.

And finally, on the City vehicle front, Clarence Corbin apparently is not one to be outdone. Last summer I raised the issue of city vehicle use and found that Corbin had two city vehicles he claimed for his personal use. A Buick and a new Ford Escape SUV.(I guess you can do that when you are the one running the fleet of vehicles).This at a time when the Hartford Police Deaprtment was assigning 2 and 3 officers to Patrol Vehicles because they were short of cars. Well, anyway, Corbin gave up the Buick and kept the SUV Ford Escape. Apparently as winter and the cold weather set in though, Clarence must have become envious of Jim Keaney and his luxury SUV with the heated leather seats, because Corbin ordered one for himself. It apparently arrived in the last couple weeks, a lovely shade of green just in time for St. Patrick's Day, and Clarence Corbin can now arrive at work every morning with the same rosy cheeks Jim Keaney has from his heated leather seats. (oops, wrong cheeks)

The Hartford City Council has the power to end all of this insanity. The only problem is, once you are neutered, I don't think it is reversible. We'll see.

THE 'CREDENTIALED" MEDIA



For those that haven't seen the Courant's latest addition to Courant.com,"Cityline", check out courant.com/cityline. As the Courant seems to continue downsizing its daily editions, Cityline allows Courant reporters to post articles and information that might not make it into the print edition.

Saturday's Cityline posted a story about Sarah Barr, Mayor Eddie Perez's Director of Misinformation or more aptly a disciple of the "Gospel of Perez".

For some reason, Sarah Barr has a problem with me. I can't figure out what this could be, especially since Sarah has at one time or another considered herself a journalist. Sarah consistently claims that the Perez Administration continues to be the most transparent administration in recent history at Hartford City Hall. Although, I guess transparency can only go so far when job one is to make sure only the good news gets out. When information is put in the public domain that goes against the Gospel of Perez, I can understand that Sarah might feel responsible for not protecting her boss, and at this point in her career another job loss might be hard to take. I can imagine that the Channel 3 termination was tough enough, never mind getting dumped by a Mayor facing prison. How bad can it possibly get ?

When I started my public access program called "We the People", I also began this blog to continue to get information out to the general public. Both public access programming and "bloggers" are considered,for all intents and purposes, media outlets. This has been determined by court decisions, and in many states now, bloggers are covered by media shield laws.In addition, I have also worked for at least three area television stations as a freelance videographer providing video of crime scenes, fires, accidents and the like. In fact, I had been nominated for an Emmy award for video that I had shot for Channel 3, WFSB. I am also a member of "IRE". the association of Investigative Reporters and Editors. (IRE is a great resource and their monthly newletters really give you great ideas on how to uncover corruption and obtain documents)Note to Sarah: the dues aren't bad and it might help to dust-off those job skills, their mentoring program is great and they can pair you with an actual media professional.

In June of 2008, I had requested to be added to Sarah Barr's media notification list. I figured that for someone that claimed to strive for transparency, this was no problem and she would enter me into her database. WRONG !!!!!

The first e-mail request I sent was answered with the reply "and what media outlet do you represent?". I replied that I had the public access program "We the People" which I was sure she was aware of, because I had been told it was an occasional topic of discussion in the Mayor's Office. None the less, I figured she might not venture out of the bunker at 550 Main Street often, what with having to explain search warrants served on the Mayor's Home, a Grand Jury investigation, failing schools, a budget deficit that today approaches or exceeds $36 million dollars, sky rocketing gun violence etc, etc, etc. I offered to provide her with a DVD of the program for her viewing pleasure, but I never heard back. Since I can't force her to place me on the media list, I did the next best thing. I requested her media list through an FOI request, and since the list is public information , she is obligated to provide it. Again no response, and the FOI complaint was filed with the State of Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission.In September the case was docketed and Disciple Barr was sent her notice that a complaint had been filed. Not surprisingly. that same day, the former Channel 3 employee (until her termination) sent me a list of names via e-mail, some of them I recognized as media people. I guess she thought that would make the complaint go away. Once again Sarah, wrong. The hearing will be held later this month and I look forward to hearing Sarah explain her position, under oath. Apparently a City Hall employee overheard a conversation between Barr and another employee that same day, and when Barr was asked why she just didn't provide the list in the first place, she replied "I just don't like him". The walls have ears in the Mayor's Office, and from what I understand the flower pots and lamps may also, with Federal Agents at the other end.

So anyway, it came as no surprise when Jeff Cohen from the Courant asked me yesterday what I thought of Sarah's press release about Monday's State of the City speech being released to only "credentialed media". I wasn't surprised and actually find it comical. Even though I'm not a "paid" journalist, I try to stick to the facts. As you can see from my postings, I have documents, e-mails and whatever I can find when I address an issue and try to present facts in a responsible manner. And since Monday's speech from Eddie to his Kingdom will most likely border on a fantasy tale, I really don't need an advance copy. The other problem with Sarah's press releases is that my inbox usually gets jammed with people forwarding them to me after she sends them out. It usually is ten or fifteen minutes after she sends them, so I am getting them delayed.I didn't go to school in Hartford, so I'm a fast reader, and they are typically pretty light on the content side, so I can live with that.

Again, check out http://courant.com/cityline when you have a chance, we are trying to make Jeff Cohen a legitimate blogger

Thursday, February 19, 2009

DAN NOLAN FIRED, BUT EDDIE PEREZ KEEPS HIS JOB

This was originally posted in July , 2008. The Courant is reporting that Deputy Chief Dan Nolan was terminated from the Hartford Fire Department on Wednesday.


Deputy Chief Dan Nolan, seated, center


"More than two months after Hartford Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Nolan was placed on paid administrative leave amid accusations that he offered leniency to Hartford Fire Department recruits in exchange for charitable contributions, his status remains in limbo." Hartford Courant Article, 7/2/08 http://www.courant.com/community/news/hfd/hc-hfdfire0702.artjul02,0,4971831.story


This is the height of hypocrisy, the City suspends an employee for trying to teach future city employees a sense of community by getting them involved in charitable events and public service. No accusations of Nolan benefiting from the actions, no accusations of pay-offs, just maybe using a tactic that others didn't approve of.
Yet we have a Mayor under Grand Jury investigation, accusations of dirty deals to line the Mayor's, certain Council Members and other city Hall employees pockets, dirty deals for crooked politicians and payoffs for parking lots, dumpster deals and alleged contract steering on school building projects.

Where is the same standard being applied? Shouldn't we also be calling for Perez to be placed on suspension until his investigation is conducted.If the facts are truly as they are laid out here, Dan Nolan should be commended for his actions. In a society where it is all about "me first" Nolan's actions should be encouraged to teach young persons what leadership is about and a sense of community pride.
It will be very interesting when the real cause for this action eventually comes out. Most likely someone politically connected whose toes Nolan stepped on.

HARTFORD SCHOOLS BUDGET CUTS

More on this as I have time to put my thoughts together, but after reading and hearing about budget cuts and layoffs at the Hartford schools, it makes me wonder what the primary function of the Hartford school system is.

I may be over simplifying this, but I feel that job number one of any school system is educating its students. To that end, I also feel that the most important tool to achieving that is qualified teachers. Yet, here in Hartford we are laying teachers off while at the same time we are keeping the media people employed.If the numbers presented in Helen Ubinas' blog are accurate, which I believe they are, $219,000 is spent for two positions in the "Communications Department" for Nancy Benben and David Medina, both former Hartford Courant employees. In addition, Kelvin Roldan, a former Perez staffer and State Representative, was recently handed a $99,000 a year position with the school system, for what is any ones guess. There are many more positions that should be looked at before one teacher, guidance counselor or teacher's aid is laid off.

The business of the Hartford Schools should be educating students, not rewarding people beholding to Mayor Perez.