Thursday, May 20, 2010
MORE "BAD DICK" QUOTES, BLUMENTHAL "MISSPOKE" AGAIN
I'm too tired to go into all the fine details right now, but a couple of the most prominent events were involving the candidates for US Senate. The first was the loud applause upon the entrance of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal as he entered the function room to address the DTC members present. The warm welcome and applause reminded me of the reception for a war hero returning home from Vietnam or Iraq. Oh, wait, I misspoke, I meant a war hero that served during the Vietnam war.
Blumenthal was allowed special consideration since he was unable to attend the previous candidates forum when it was scheduled. Another Senate candidate, Merrick Alpert was also in attendance and requested to address the meeting, but he wasn't allowed the opportunity to speak. And then a change of plans, yes he can speak. Oh wait, maybe we misspoke, you cant speak, you had your turn last week. Ok, sorry, we misspoke again, you can speak, but it will be at the end of the meeting, just hang around.
Oh, sorry again, another mistake, we misspoke. We are adjourning and as you know we misspoke so you can't speak.
And then, like a scene from "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", Merrick Alpert parts the crowd, goes to the center of the room and suddenly over a loud and obnoxious crowd, you hear a clear and concise announcement. "MY NAME IS MERRICK ALPERT AND I'M RUNNING FOR US SENATE". The room suddenly became quiet, and Merrick Alpert began a speech outlining why he was running, introduced his wife and then detailed a factual military career.
Alpert explained his military service and described how he actually served on a peace keeping force in Bosnia. Not that he was in the Guard during operations in Bosnia, he was actually there on the ground, bombs, bullets and all the rest.
I have never heard Alpert speak before, but I have to say, I was impressed. He made the perfect example of why we need new blood in the political process, rather than the recycling bin of career politicians the system has become.
And for those that believe that Blumenthal's tale of "returning from Vietnam" was a one time mistake when he "misspoke", check out Kevin Rennie's blog "Daily Ructions" where he reports on an article in the Stamford Advocate where another instance of Blumenthal "misspeaking" is detailed. According to Rennie "The Advocate reported Wednesday that on November 2, 2008, Blumenthal declared at the Stamford Veterans Day parade, “I wore the uniform in Vietnam and many came back to all kinds of disrespect. Whatever we think of war, we owe the men and women of the armed forces our unconditional support.”
To view the full blog entry, click here
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
ANOTHER PEREZ UPDATE: NO MISTRIAL, BUT HUBIE MUST KNOW IT IS NOT GOING WELL

I made sure I was in the courtroom early today because I didn't want to miss a word of the arguments by Perez attorney Hubie Santos for a mistrial. If Tuesday's arguments before the daily recess were any indication, Wednesday morning promised to be great.
As it turns out, I could have slept late on a rainy morning. Before the first witness was called, only a quick statement was uttered by Santos..."we worked it out". Apparently this was a reference to his blustering from the previous day threatening to withdraw as Perez's attorney, potentially forcing a mistrial. This was due to what Santos called a "secret recording"by State's Attorney Inspector Micheal Sullivan.
Now that that was out of the way, bring on the first in the parade of witnesses for the day. The stone dealer, the cabinetmaker, the Home Depot Asset protection person, the City Treasurer and the Mayor's personal secretary.
The stone dealer was nothing earth shattering, precise and to the point. He sold Carlos Costa the "Dark Emperor" granite, it was delivered and paid for. Then the cabinetmaker ( still waiting for the butcher, baker and candlestickmaker, maybe tomorrow) not real damaging, but not real good for Eddie either.
He testified that he, and his company( which has since gone out of business) built the custom vanity for the permit-less bathroom. He detailed the materials and the cost involved which should have been somewhere around $1300.00. He never billed Costa for the vanity because they "bartered" or traded services back and forth. But then about two years after the vanity was installed, Costa called him and said he needed an invoice for $350.oo to show for the vanity. This is about the time Inspector Sullivan began nosing around and Costa needed to fabricate an invoice for Perez.
Could that maybe account for the "fabricating" evidence charge? I guess a jury will have to decide.
And that jury took a noticeable change this afternoon also. One of the jurors had a tendency to "drop" her head down and I had noticed what looked like "cat-naps" on several occasions. Apparently she realized it also, and today sent a note to Judge Dewey that she was having trouble staying awake. She's not the only one though, occasional snoring can be heard from the gallery in the courtroom, but I guess she is one of the people in there that needs to remain awake. She was excused as a juror and a new juror was sworn in.
Also during the afternoons testimony was City Treasurer Kathleen Palm-Devine and Perez's personal secretary Barbara Crockett. Nothing earth shattering here either. Palm-Devine testified that she expedited payments for Costa at the Mayor's request, and that this was not the standard practice. (Maybe if Costa did more renovations he could have gotten Eddie to slip him cash).
Barbara Crockett testified about Costa's access to the Mayor, nothing much there other than he did have access.
Tomorrow is another day, Inspector Sullivan bright and early. I doubt any jurors will be napping once he starts laying it all out.
OK rJo, YOU AREN'T AS BAD AS I THOUGHT, OR AT LEAST NOT UNIQUE
The title of this post are words I never thought I would say, but fair is fair.
After last weeks "spelling bee" for the word r-e-p-r-e-s-e-n-t-a-t-i-v-e, it seems as though the Democrats don't have a lock on poor spelling. After reading the unique spelling used by the "Winch for Reprasentative" campaign, it seems like Hartford Republican's have devised another new spelling of their own, along with many others by the looks of the Hartford RTC website.
And unfortunately, as if we had to give politicians statewide any more reasons to mock Hartford, the RTC website bills itself as "the official website for the 2010 Republican State Convention". The mis-spelling for Republican Town Chairperson Michael McGarry in the listing for State Central "Represenatives" is only the beginning. The information below is "cut and pasted" direct from their website.
Hopefully now that it has been pointed out the website will be corrected before the weekend to avoid further embarrassment as the "official website".
1ST SEN DISTRICT
Michael T. McGarry

Maybe if we knew what was in the cup it might explain some of the spelling.
And then another listing in the "know how to spell your elected office" column, is the incorrect spelling for "C-o-u-n-c-i-l" person Veronica Airey-Wilson, but at least "representative" was spelled correctly. Again the text below was "cut and pasted" from their website.
Court of Common Councel Republican Representative
Veronica Airey-Wilson
860-757-9575

Welcome the City of Hartford Republican Party. This site is going to give you all the information that you will need to be able to make an educated vote when you elect Republican officials running for office's in the City of Hartford and across the State of Connecticut. Also this site will tell you about your current Republican officials working in the City of Hartford and Republican Town Committee members and how to reach out to them if you have a concern in the city. THIS IS ALSO THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR THE 2010 REPUBLICAN CONVENTION AND SOURCE FOR THE 2010 STATE ELECTIONS INCLUDING THE HOTLY CONTESTED SENATE RACE AND THE GOVERNOR'S RACE. MORE INFORMATION ON THE SENATE RACE ON CURRENT CANDIDATES.
Regular Delegates- Hartford City Counsel woman Veronica Airey-Wilson, HRTC Treasurer Walter Butler, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent a Car Rental Sales Agent and HRTC Head of Tech and Media Antonio Reyes, Jr., Travelers employee and HRTC Secretary Anna Bramante, Former Board of Education Candidate and HRTC member Michael Fryar, and HRTC Member Dan Lilly. The 2010 State of Connecticut Republican Convention will be held on May 21-22, 2010 at the Hartford Convention Center. More infomation will be found on the Events page on this website.
Need a Car to the Conventions?
Attention all Candidates, Cadidate staff, Delegates, and CT official for both the Connecticut Republican and Democratic Conventions. The is a special going on right now if you need Rental Cars for the Convention and beyond. Please call National Car Rental, Alamo Rent a Car, or Enterprise Rent a Car for the special rates that are available for renting a car for the Conventions. Why drive your own vehicle and waist miles on your personal car.
Rent a car for the conventions today.
National Car Rental and Alamo Rent a Car- 860-627-3470
Enterprise Rent a Car BDL- 860-292-7061 x 5
or call your local Enterprise in your area of the state for reservations.
The above information was all from the RTC website. The listing of the delegates is copied as is and nothing was added for "comedy" reasons. Yes, it does actually list the delegate and his rental car employer and then goes on to urge you to rent a car from him. Someone could probably make a small fortune if they opened some type of "boot-camp" training on ethics and conflicts of interest for Hartford's aspiring "politicians".
But then again, leadership starts at the top and it's understandable by the example set by their "Court of Common Councel Republican Representative". I chose to leave the picture of her from the RTC website rather than insert her mugshot from her felony arrest as part of the Perez corruption investigation.
And one final observation from the page listing the candidates links to their web pages and bios, the correct use of the word would be "their" as in the possessive for them. "There" as used in the RTC website indicates a location, as in over "there". And the correct spelling is "political".
Below this will be there polictical ads or video
The above text was copied from the RTC website. Just a suggestion to the RTC, maybe you can find someone that works for a newspaper that can help you edit and correct the spelling. If not, give me a call, as with rJo, my observations know no party lines.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
OH NO, THIS MAKES rJo'S SPELLING SEEM INSIGNIFICANT NOW
I usually don't venture outside of Hartford's issues, but this one bothers me. I had a conversation with a Hartford political leader last week as we discussed what makes politicians "tick". He suggested that politicians that get into trouble should be forced to get a "cat scan" to see what part of their brain is glowing red to try to determine a pattern for deception.
I'm starting to think that might not be a bad idea. If these allegations are true, what would drive one of this generations most popular statewide "politicians" to stretch the truth to the extreme. This isn't 1950 when digging for information was nearly impossible. This is the age of the internet when nothing "disappears" even cheap, poorly shot video claiming service in Vietnam.
To read the New York Times story, click here. The WWE doesn't look so bad after all, at least we knew all along that was a sham.
And now I'm done for the night, Court starts at 9:30am tomorrow.
Monday, May 17, 2010
THE "ANONYMOUS" DEBATE CONTINUES, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
At the start of this Blog, I made the decision to allow anonymous comments. In the beginning comments were very rare, and for the most part pretty civil. In all the time and at over 80,000 hits, I have deleted only one posting. That was deleted because I had a concern for someone mentioned in the comment and their safety since it listed the persons address.
Since then, I've never felt the need to delete another comment. None have been that severe that I felt they needed to be removed. Some are spineless , yes. Some are understandably "anonymous" because even though they are factual, the writer could have problems putting their name to it, especially those that refer to City Hall or the Administration.
Then tonight I received the attached e-mail that got me thinking again. Is it time to start moderating comments? Read the e-mail and let me know what you think, and hopefully not anonymously, but I'll understand if it is "anonymous".The other issue with moderating comments is the timeliness. Comments won't appear or be posted until I'm near a computer to approve them. The other point to consider is that even if I moderate, with gmail, and other services like that, it is a matter of seconds to make up a phony name. I could be e-mailing as Eddie Perez or Willie Nunes in a matter of minutes.
A couple of names have been "*******" out in the e-mail, just because I don't think it served any purpose leaving them in.
The e-mail read as follows:
Kevin: The first two postings on the “More trouble for Olga” post are merely more examples of baseless character assassination via anonymous posters.
Our society long ago determined that anyone convicted of a crime who satisfies the sentence imposed on him/her has paid their debt to society. Whatever happened to the principle of giving people a second chance? What is the intent of the reference to ********** conviction other than to slam him, and in the process also Jean, the Dem Town Committee, etc.? Hasn’t ********* beat this like a dead horse already? How does your blog benefit by allowing this to continue?
And how useful/truthful can unsubstantiated claims be, when put forth by people unwilling to take responsibility for them? (where is the substantiation that Lou Watkins is truly being investigated?) This debases the journalistic integrity of your product.
You have done plenty of fine reporting and garnered a superb following. Despite the justifications you previously made to me, you no longer need the flexibility of allowing anonymous posting so that your blog draws readership and followers. People read you every day because of what YOU are producing, not because of the titillating value of a bunch of mean spirited anonymous posts. Another way of saying this, is that there are a lot more readers than anonymous bloggers going to your site.
Don't sell yourself short any longer, raise it to the next level and go play with the literary big boys, where putting your money where your mouth is separates the men from the boys. You will still get plenty of posters I am sure, and the quality of your product will rise substantially. You are doing a great job, and really have the ability to create an even more respected journalistic vehicle, but I think it would stand out so much more as such if it was not populated with petty and not-so-hidden agendas by mystery writers hiding behind cheap anonymity.
If you tried the other avenue of requiring and confirming a writer’s true identity, your blog would instantly stand out from the rest of the blogosphere, which is filled with blowhards getting their kicks by anonymously backstabbing anyone and anything they can think of. Where does that get us? Is that really fulfilling the goals you set out when you started this blog? I think not.
If someone truly needs to remain anonymous, have them email you and you can then confirm the facts, etc. just like you do before you put something out there under your own name. This is what mainstream media journalists do every day, and so can you. Also, by doing so, you get the credit (and should) for the stories you develop. You are, in effect, giving away the credit when anonymous bloggers actually say things on your blog that are newsworthy (and if it’s not newsworthy what’s it doing there?). Put the info into your own writings just like other respected journalists do, and you will be on your way to having Colin, Helen, Kevin Rennie, Jon Lender and the rest of the Capitol City turning to you about Hartford.
I am deeply grateful for your efforts at trying to get this city back on track.
THE PEREZ TRIAL REVIEW: ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER BAD DAY FOR EDDIE

I got to court late today, I really do have to work a real job occasionally. This blog is interesting, but it doesn't pay the bills.
So last week I had posted how frustrating it was to watch Hubie Santos, Perez's lawyer, manipulate the system with sleazy tactics. Well, today the playing field was leveled, I think, with one well placed smack to the defense by Judge Dewey.
On Friday during cross examination of a key witness, Carlos Costa, Santos asked him a question, and I'm paraphrasing here, but essentially "have you ever bribed a politician or government official to get a contract or to benefit yourself". After one of Costa's prolonged contemplation sessions, he answered in his "Brandoesque" voice....."no". Uh-oh, could be a problem.
Now I'm not an attorney, so I'm sure the term is wrong, but after Santos finished his cross examination Prosecutor Michael Gailor began his "cross-cross-examination". Rethinking this now on "Law and Order" I think they call it re-direct. I wish I could insert the "dumm-dumm" sound effect here.
So anyway, as soon as Gailor began his whatever you want to call it, he asked about Costa's claim that he never bribed any official or paid anyone for special consideration. When Costa once again answered no, Gailor asked if he recognized the name "Veronica Airey-Wilson". Now keep in mind, that since the start of the trial, Attorney Santos has shuffled from the defense table to the witness stand and back in a manner that reminds me of an elderly man shuffling down the hall of a nursing home.
After watching Santos and the way he operates, I'm more convinced that it might be theatrics more than an actual malady. I'm kind of convinced of the theatrics part after watching Santos shoot out of his chair and to his feet before Gailor could finish the name Airey-Wilson to shout out the word "OBJECTION".
In that old phrase I used last week, "what goes around, comes around" it was coming around quick to bite Hubie in the a........ . Once again I digress.
It seems that prior to the start of the trial, both the State and Santos had an agreement that Perez's "alleged" co-conspirators would not be mentioned. Veronica Airey-Wilson and Edward Lazu were off limits during the Perez trial.
But here is where Hubie's "slickness" came back to bite him. Apparently by Hubie asking Costa if he had ever bribed anyone before and Costa answering no, Hubie did something we see TV lawyers get chastised for all the time. According to Judge Dewey "Mr. Santos, you opened the door". slap, slap, slap, and finally one more slap for good measure.
Judge Dewey admonished Santos that even though a deal had been reached prior to the start of the trial for not mentioning Airey-Wilson and Lazu or their cases, the deal worked both ways. Santos couldn't expect the benefit of the deal while tying the states hands with the same deal. When he opened the door in questioning Costa, the State could now walk through that door also.
And walk they did. The jurors seemed to really perk up and pay attention and the note books were all open and perched on the jurors laps as they scribbled notes, even the Bondsman was scribbling quickly.
They really seemed to start when Gailor asked Costa what the name Veronica Airey-Wilson meant to him and Costa responded "she's a Hartford City Councilwoman". How do you know her? "I did work in her house, I put granite counter tops in her "butler" pantry". Did she pay you? "no, I didn't expect to get paid". Here we go, more of the quid pro quo, Costa expected her to help him out when he had problems, oh yeah, allegedly.And then Gailor asked Costa, how about the name Ed Lazu? Costa:" I put in sidewalks and a driveway for him at his house". Gailor: did you expect to get paid? Costa: "No, I expected him to help me out if I had problems with the Human Relations Department". Gailor: "Did you have problems with Human Relations?" Costa: "yes, I was behind on my MBE and DBE filings and someone in the HR department was starting to come down hard on me".
I think you get the point, and at that late in the day when most people would be ready for a nap, the jury seemed wide awake and scribbling notes fast and furious.
Eddie on the other hand was spinning the Brazilian prayer bracelet he's wearing now frantically around his wrist.
Tomorrow is another day Eddie, but it seems like each day keeps getting worse. I can't wait to hear from the State Inspectors.