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Friday, March 31, 2017

HARTFORD FIRE OFFICER RECOGNIZED WITH PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIAL

March 31, 2017 – The 2017 Excellence Conference was hosted by the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. (CPSE) in Orange County, CA from March 20, 2017 through March 24, 2017. The CPSE is the fire service industry standard for individual credentialing and fire department accreditations, respectively. The Commission on Professional Credentialing (CPC) developed these designations using a model that looks at the "whole" officer. Achieving the designation requires a strong educational background, diverse participation in emergency services at the local, state, and national level; and demonstrated involvement in the broader community, all validated by emergency services peers. On March 21, 2017, the CPC met and voted unanimously to award Captain Raul Ortiz his “Fire Officer” designation. Captain Ortiz becomes the fifth credentialed officer in the State of Connecticut and the first of Hispanic descent. The CPSE offers professional credentials for Fire Officer (FO), Fire Marshal (FM), Chief Emergency Medical Services Officer (CEMSO), Chief Training Officer (CTO), and Chief Fire Officer (CFO). This internationally accepted model recognizes professional accomplishments and competence in fire and emergency services and offers fire and emergency service personnel career guidance and planning. “Captain Ortiz is a consummate professional who is dedicated to the department and the city. His contributions are invaluable”, said Reginald D. Freeman, Chief of Department. Chief Freeman was appointed to the Commission in 2010 and currently serves as the Chairman of the Commission on Professional Credentialing.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

YOU ASKED FOR THEM, HERE ARE THE JILL CUTLER HODGMAN DOCUMENTS

I have requested the documents from the Hartford Board of Education related to the resignation of Jill Cutler Hodgman. The Board hasn't provided them yet , but luckily I was able to obtain them through "alternative means" and they are disgusting. (The documents, not the alternative means)

In a system that is claiming a deficit and threatening to lay off teachers and para-professionals, it just seems absurd when  you see some of these salaries and related benefits. A $2700.00  car allowance for Cutler Hodgman? Are you serious? Is this a system for educating children or is it more about lining the pockets of adults?

I guess the $183,846 per year salary just wasn't enough so I guess I sold just be sympathetic and hope she cold survive and cover her vehicle expenses with the additional car allowance of $2700.00. Some people have it tough.

From the documents:  "Effective July 1,2013,the annual salary shall be$165,025. Effective July 1,2014, the annual salary shall be $171,626. Effective July 1,2015,the annual salary shall be$178,491. Effective July 1,2016, the annual salary shall be$183,846. Any adjustments in salary made during the life of this contract shall be in the form of an amendment and shall becomepartofthis contract.

An Automobile Allowance at the annual rate of $2,700 pro-rated and paid on a monthly basis. The amount shall be in lieu of all other reimbursement to Cutler Hodgman for use of personal vehicle."





And whoever on the Board that allowed this nonsense should be shown the door. And as a note, the documents are all stamped in large letters "CONFIDENTIAL". I would understand why they wouldn't want any of us in the general public to be able to read about their extravagances, but I would hope that Cutler Hodgman in her role as "Chief Labor and Legal Officer" would hopefully have a better understanding of the term "public documents" and the public's right to know and that nothing in government is "Confidential". Maybe that is where her problem started

And if Jill Cutler Hodgman was actually being paid $183,846 a year as the " Chief Labor and Legal Officer" ,why did we the have to provide a hack lawyer from the Corporation Counsel's Office to advise her? Should we be asking for a refund?

Sunday, March 26, 2017

TIME FOR A LITTLE LEVITY

At a time when it seems like half of our Country has lost their minds over the election of a President and the other half is borderline over the loss of a candidate, when Senator Murphy is writing op-ed pieces apparently predicting  a war in Syria and our Mayor is about to borrow $20 million dollars to get us out of debt on the hopes that we will get additional money from the State of Connecticut, which is probably just about as close to bankruptcy as the City of Hartford.And oh yeah the Affordable Care Act is who knows what for the future.

So I just thought it was time to lighten the mood for a few minutes and give you a chuckle. The video below is an act from America's Got Talent. I am not sure if it is the same guy, but I think I saw this act once during halftime at a Uconn Women's basketball game.

Enjoy, and laugh a little. Lighten up, it's good for your health. The second youtube video below is one I found after the original posting and it is the one I mentioned from a Uconn game as you can see from the Huskies logo on the Xl Center basketball court.

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Saturday, March 25, 2017

HEALTH CARE SHOULD NOT BE A PARTISAN ISSUE

If anyone is still confused  as to why Donald Trump is our President, open your eyes and pay attention. People are fed up with politics and Donald Trump was the beneficiary of that backlash. Anyone involved in politics that doesn't heed that warning, will most likely also feel the political blowback. It just so happens that Republicans received the benefit this go round.  Democrats and Republicans need to take advantage of  the opportunity to start listening to the American people and start benefiting the American people, not their own agendas.

This week in Washington was another perfect example that they are not listening . Politicians can have all the Town Hall meetings they want, but what we really need now are some politicians that can put aside their politics and begin to actually show some leadership.

Healthcare is not a "Republican" or "Democrat" issue. It is a basic human rights issue and we need to realize that. The Affordable Care  Act is not a perfect solution, but it was a start.  As a small business owner I used to provide healthcare for myself and my employees. One day out of the blue, we received a letter from the Healthcare provider telling us that in a short time they would no longer be writing health insurance in Connecticut. We shopped around, but as a small business, the prices were astronomical and prohibitive.

I had no health insurance at that point and I was, from what I thought at the time, relatively healthy. I would pay for any medical costs out of pocket and at that time it was a relatively small annual cost for me.

Fast forward several years and like I said, I figured I was relatively healthy so insurance was not a major concern. Eventually my health and genetics began catching up with me. I was diagnosed as a type 2 Diabetic, but between generic prescription meds and diet, I was able to keep it under control, or so I thought. Because I wasn't properly managing my healthcare, it caught up with  me.

I was still uninsured when I eventually had my first stroke. Most likely caused between my high risk factors of my diabetes and my blood pressure, which I didn't even know was a problem for me until I had the first stroke. If I had healthcare insurance, I probably would have acted a lot differently and managed my health differently and more aggressively and eliminated many of my problems before they actually became problems.

I had a great Primary care physician at the time, and he worked with me as much as he could, even providing me with medication samples monthly. But there was still follow up things like regular blood work and tests that I had to pay for out of pocket, so I would let those slip until they were absolutely necessary.

I was thrilled when the Affordable Care Act  became reality, and I could finally get affordable health insurance without the rejection letters for pre-existing conditions. The first year I didn't really shop, I just jumped at the first plan I saw and knew I could afford. Even with its roughly $6,000.00 annual deductible, it was still extremely reassuring knowing it was there if I needed it.

I won't go into all of the medical issues, more strokes, a heart attack, internal bleeding. but I am convinced if healthcare was easily obtainable, myself and probably many others would have managed their healthcare much differently. I know I am paying the price now.

It seems popular to parade people in front of the media to state that without the Affordable Care Act they wouldn't be alive today. I don't know if I can say I would be dead by now, but I think I can say with confidence I wouldn't have my eyesight today and probably wouldn't be able to walk without my stints in rehab at Mt. Sinai after my 3rd stroke and being taught how to function again. The vision, laser surgery and treatments and the rehab were only treated because I had health insurance in place.

I am getting off track here, but this past week in Washington was a disgusting display of politics at its worst , by both Democrats and Republicans. I don't think either party can claim the moral highground on this one. The venom and the sniping is what the people have made clear that they are tired of , and if politicians don't see Donald Trumps Presidency as a warning of how fed up we are, get ready for more of a bumpy ride next election.

I think confidence will be restored by which ever party can really roll up their sleeves and put the rhetoric aside and make a difference for the people they represent. Right now Congress has the Rolls Royce of healthcare plans along with the clinic they have right in the Capitol for their health needs.

 I wish there was a way to tell every member of Congress that their medical insurance was being cancelled and they were on their own to find their coverage. I bet the health insurance problem would be cured in a matter of weeks, not years if Congress people were harmed the same way millions of Americans will be harmed if their insurance is taken away. Someone needs to get the policy makers in a room and say"we aren't leaving until this is fixed". Take the parts that work and replace the parts that don't. I think they call that consensus building, maybe we should try it.

The Affordable Care Act is not perfect, but it was a start. I think what we need are some of our so called "leaders" to begin to lead. We need the Nancy Pelosi's, the Paul Ryans, the Chuck Schumers and the Chris Murphys in Washington to put the political egos aside. If they all put as much effort into fixing the problem as they do into hunting out the TV cameras for their sound bites to attack each side, this problem would be fixed quickly.

I have  plenty of good things to say about the Affordable Care  Act, as well as some horror stories also. I think if calmer heads prevail and really make an honest effort, a solution is within reach

When do you think Donald Trump or Barack Obama worried about how they would pay for a procedure or if they can cover the cost of their medications this month? Many people I am sure are stressing right now over what Congress will do, but it should be the other way around. Congress should be stressing over what the people are going to do if they don't begin governing and doing the jobs we elected them to do.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

WHERE IS THE DEPUTY?

You would think that in a cash strapped City like Hartford, which is teetering on the brink of Bankruptcy, every salary dollar would be evaluated to make sure we are getting our money's worth.

I have to ask then, why do we have a Deputy Director of Public Works who apparently can't be called upon to fill the top position of Director when it became vacant?

Instead we take our Fire Chief to fill in as Interim Acting Director ?

Now let me make this clear right from the start. Hartford's Fire Chief has worked wonders in his short one year tenure. He is more than capable, an excellent manager, an inspirational leader, simply a man of vision who knows how to work with people.

Chief Freeman has turned the Hartford Fire Department around from an organization that was becoming a laughing stock due to numerous arrests, gun fights, drug dealing and essentially just bad behavior to an organization with pride and rising morale.

Would I like to see that same trend continue at DPW, quite honestly yes. But not at the detriment of diluting the leadership at HFD.  I have no doubt Chief Freeman earns every penny of his salary as Fire Chief and I think he could probably be called upon  to run most City Departments and do it very well (Well, maybe with the exception of Corporation Counsel, that would take a law degree. But I have every confidence Chief Freeman could even do that by surrounding himself with the right people)

If the Deputy Director of Public Works David Tanner is not capable, or unwilling, to step into the top leadership role at DPW, that is a six figure salary we as a nearly broke City can not afford.

I would hope that the Assistant Chief's in the Fire Department and the Deputy Chief's in the Police Department would be able to assume the lead role when called upon and the Deputy at DPW should be competent enough to fill in temporarily when needed as well. If Mayor Bronin does not have the confidence that Deputy Director Tanner  can do that, then we should stop wasting the salary for a figurehead and find someone who can .Stop gambling with the leadership of HFD, especially since HFD seems to be running smoothly now, for the first time in many years.

ANOTHER OBSTRUCTIONIST GONE FROM HARTFORD SCHOOLS





When I first heard that Jill Cutler-Hodgman was leaving the Hartford Schools, a song immediately came to my mind along with the images above "Ding-dong the Wicked Witch..." I'll save you the rest of the song , but you get my point

Jill Cutler- Hodgman is an obstructionist performing her dirty deeds in the Office of Hartford's Superintendent of Schools. You would think that being in the Superintendent's Office, Cutler -Hodgman would have been an advocate for the children, but my experiences with her were the total opposite.

Cutler- Hodgman, along with her former henchman, Melinda Kaufmann from the Corporation Counsel's Office, were the Chief document shredders(since they are both attorney's let me insert the obligatory "allegedly" here for legal reasons)  at 960 Main Street, responsible for running the cover-ups to withhold documents from the public for anything that would prove an embarrassment to the Hartford School system.

Their latest attempt, at least that we know of, was the coverup for a School predator , Eduardo Genao. When I became aware of the Genao incident, I immediately made a written request under Connecticut's Freedom of Information Act for documents and investigations related to Genao's employment.

Not surprisingly, I was told that no documents pertinent to my request existed.  Other sources in the Superintendent's office told me that documents existed and Jill Cutler -Hodgman allegedly had gathered all of Genao's files and they were in her office. The source also claimed that allegedly Cutler Hodgman and her staff had shredded documents that would implicate the Superintendent's Office in covering up Genao's activity.

I filed a complaint with the FOI commission and amazingly a large amount of documents, including several that I obtained on my own from various sources, painted a clear picture of a coverup of activities by Genao dating back almost a decade and which the Hartford School ignored his behavior.

 That was an interesting moment at the FOI hearing when I produced documents they claimed didn't exist and they had to back pedal quickly to cover their lies.

Below is just an example of over 80 pages that Jill Cutler- Hodgman claimed never existed, and there are more that they have not released yet, in violation of the FOI Commission order.

Jill Cutler- Hodgman was paid over $180,000 per year in salary, apparently  to support the education of children. Far from it. If Cutler -Hodgman was evaluated by her dirty deeds and the damage she did by supporting predatory behavior and cover-ups , she clearly earned very penny of her salary.

Hopefully there will be a thorough house cleaning by the next incoming Superintendent. There goes that song in my head again "Ding- dong the wicked witch". Good riddance Jill, hopefully your next job will not involve caring for the safety and welfare of children.


Docket_FIC2016-0382; Kevin Brookman v. Superintendant of Schools on Scribd