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Friday, September 26, 2014

HARTFORD POLICE TASER REVIEW COMPLETE

It seems that there was a quick rush to judgment after a Hartford Police Officer tasered a young black man after the suspect was involved in a melee in front of a Hartford police Officer. It seems that many, including Governor Malloy, formed immediate opinions after a 10 second video clip surfaced depicting the incident. Malloy stated publicly that he was "sickened" after viewing the clip.

The video gave all of us the opportunity to sit back and be the Monday morning quarterbacks able to hit play and rewind to our hearts content until we formed an opinion of the incident. Easy for us, but unfortunately police officers don't have the same luxury to wait and form those same opinions. They are required to make split second decisions, hopefully they make the right decision, but they are human and it doesn't always work out that way.

In the taser incident, in which details seem to be laid out more clearly in the IAD report, there is a lot more going on than a single video clip may portray.

One of the most important being the details as to what precipitated the apparent need for Detective Ware to actually take out his taser and prepare himself to use it. It wasn't a young man conducting himself in an orderly manner on a City street.

It is also interesting to note that "somehow" the entire incident had been erased from the DVR hardrive before police had a chance to review the entire video to see all of the details of the incident and not just the 10 seconds that made it to the news.

It was a young man instead, depicted by St Francis Medical Center Staff in the IAD report as being high on PCP. So high that he actually had to be sedated to keep him from injuring medical staff after his arrival at the hospital. (detailed on page 9)

The IAD report provides some very interesting details and can be read below.

The IAD report was obtained pursuant to an FOI request to HPD

Friday, September 19, 2014

IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER

Mayor Pedro Segarra slipped out of the Public Hearing on the Rock Cats Wednesday night before the public began expressing their concerns over the deal and the impact on finances for Hartford residents and business owners. Most were concerned about the impact on the tax rate as many struggle to keep up with their taxes and other financial obligations that make it more and more difficult for many homeowners and businesses to remain in Hartford.

Now word has come out, courtesy of Zach Jankowski at the Yankee Institute that Segarra and his partner, Charlie Ortiz may actually be facing those same burdens in paying their bills

You can read the entire story here

THE FRAUD CONTINUES

I have always been suspect of the validity of Mayor Pedro Segarra's "storytelling" abilities. Much of them would be much more believable if only he would stick to the truth, or at least acknowledge when he isn't

At Wednesday nights public hearing on the Rock Cats deal, Segarra once again found it necessary to embellish the truth during his comments . He was telling the story about how he is constantly hearing from Hartford residents about what a great job he is doing and how they all welcome the Rock Cats deal.

I immediately knew that couldn't be  true because the sentiment in the community seems to be more opposed than favorable to the deal. I do know that Segarra has a tendency to only hear what he wants to hear, and probably is tuning out the negative comments. It is all about the ego and convincing himself what a terrific job he is doing. That is what has gotten him into trouble repeatedly.

But then as he continued his remarks, he stated that a resident came up to him and said "If not us, who? If not now, when?". This just sounded too lucid for a Segarra comment .So  I had to make my first stop Google to see if we might have a little plagiarism going on here.

Sure enough we do, the fraud continues.Michigan Governor George Romney appears to have been the first modern person to popularize the saying (September 1963). Romney was pushing for “tax reform” — a 2% Michigan state personal income tax. (Michigan now has this tax and it’s over 4%.) In a speech to the Michigan legislature , Romney asked "If not us , who?. If not now , when?"

In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan used the saying to talk about federal budget cuts–the opposite of Romney’s philosophy. From the 1981 Reagan speech:
All of us came here because we knew the country couldn’t go on the way it was going. So it falls to all of us to take action. We have to ask ourselves if we do nothing, where does all of this end. Can anyone here say that if we can’t do it, someone down the road can do it, and if no one does it, what happens to the country? All of us know the economy would face an eventual collapse. I know it’s a hell of a challenge, but ask yourselves if not us, who, if not now, when?

Pedro, please try dealing with the truth, it will make life a lot easier

Monday, September 8, 2014

R=E=S=P=E=C=T

 
I am not even sure what I can say about this picture. What can I say about the level of respect displayed by dancing on the roof off a police car? And yes, the car was damaged when the roof and hood were dented.

If you recognize the individuals in the picture you can pass that on to HPD at 860-757-4000

UPDATE- 9:30PM-According to HPD sources, all 3 cruiser dancers have been apprehended as the result of some great citizen involvement

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

Apparently HPD has been receiving complaints from residents and politicians regarding speeding in the area of Asylum and Woodside Circle in the West end.

As the result of their increased enforcement one of the first ticketed for speeding was none other than Hartford's own Councilman Ken Kennedy, reportedly 46 in a 30 MPH zone. No details yet on just how that conversation went. Maybe Kennedy has one of those corvette engines he feared were going to go in HPD cruisers.

Friday, August 22, 2014

THE MEANING OF INSANITY -SEGARRA STYLE

The Rock Cats Crew
 
I am paraphrasing here, but I think many have said the definition of insanity is repeatedly doing the same thing while expecting a different result.

Maybe there might just be a touch of insanity in the Segarra Administration.

After being widely criticized for 18 months of secret negotiations to lure the Rock Cat's away from New Britain. apparently the secrecy continues. Yesterday a "secret group" met out of the public eye to look at the proposals submitted for the develo0pment. According to the Hartford Courant, the public was not permitted to sit in on the meeting Thursday.

I have to ask why?  If you as Mayor were widely criticized for the secrecy that was a major part of sinking the deal in the first place, wouldn't you want to go in a different direction if you wanted the public acceptance. The deadline for submissions has already passed, so nothing can change now. Reviewing the proposals in a public discussion will not cause any issues as far as confidentiality . The public does not need to speak or even be heard, but they do have the right to know that everything is being done aboveboard and be given the option to observe the process.

When it comes to trust in Segarra and his administration, that seems to be eroding every day. A little common sense might start turning that around and he needs to throw the windows open to every aspect of business at Hartford City Hall. The good , the bad and the ugly.

This is the public business and tax money and they have every right to know what's going on before it is too late. A group of bureaucrats making decisions behind closed doors will not move this project forward one inch and will not win any support from residents. And yes, with the exception of one business person on the panel, they are all bureaucrats .

The secret meetings may also be a violation of the FOI Laws as they apply to Executive Session or "meetings from which the public is not permitted"