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Monday, April 12, 2010

HAS EDDIE HIRED AN IMAGE CONSULTANT?


Just a thought, but after watching Eddie Perez in court today I kept thinking something was different.

He looked tired, but then again who wouldn't. I'm sure he's having many sleepless nights trying to figure out what he is going to do. Many nights wondering how it will all turn out. Many nights wondering should he roll the dice and go to trial and continue to play the race card and hope for the best or should he cut the deal with the State.

Probably many thoughts about how close his "close" friends really are. How much pressure would it take for a "close" friend to cut a deal and actually co-operate with the State's Attorney. A lot of questions were asked of potential jurors today about a "co-operating witness" and how jurors would weigh their testimony.

No names were mentioned, but it seems pretty clear that someone has rolled and is now a co-operating witness for the State.

But back to Eddie. After looking at a few news stories and "googleing" Perez stories, it was no longer a "gray" area, it became clear to me. Eddie Perez is dyeing his hair. No more gray hair like the picture below taken April 6th, but today Eddie is once again jet black.




Not really sure, but I would think a jury would trust gray haired Eddie more than jet-black Eddie. I guess that is why Hubie Santos gets the big bucks though.

What's next, the mustache again?

IT JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE FOR EDDIE PEREZ...AND HARTFORD




Hartford's Mayor Eddie A. Perez entered court today for the start of the jury selection phase of his trial facing 5 counts related to corruption. He left court today facing additional charges adding up to 8 counts related to corruption, including larceny, extortion , bribery and now coercion. The "Substitute Information" documents submitted by the State's Attorney's office are below.

Perez Substitute Information 4-12-10

I'll post more tonight after the council meeting

Saturday, April 10, 2010

THE PEREZ "LEGACY OF INCOMPETENCE" CONTINUES


above,Eddie Perez leaving court



above, A portion of the collapsed facade of Perez's "new" Public Safety Complex

It has been a bad week for Mayor Eddie Perez. His defense motions in Superior Court collapsed around him as they were denied, the Town Committee vote for Perez's handpicked chairperson collapsed as Sean Arena was defeated, and now Perez's Public Safety Complex is literally collapsing. Not a good week at Camp Perez.

Many people may have forgotten about the debacle Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez created when he attempted to build a school at the corner of Farmington and Broad Streets. In defiance of "advice" from the State of Connecticut, Perez began construction on the property after he was told that it was an improper use of the lot.

Perez moved forward and I guess decided to show Governor Rell who is in charge of Hartford's destiny. (how's that working for you Eddie?). In the end, an estimated $4 million dollars was squandered by Perez for a school that never happened.

In the meantime, another construction project began a few blocks north of the Farmington Avenue sight on High Street. After another three or four staged media events by Perez disguised as "groundbreakings", work began on the Hartford Public Safety Complex. The existing structure of the old Hartford Board of Education building was going to be "saved" and used as the facade of the Complex.

Preservation of Hartford's history and architecture is important as we continue to knock down so much of what has made Hartford a beautiful and interesting city. Many of our buildings have been allowed to slide into a state of disrepair, even the Board of Ed building. And many of these buildings are actually owned by the City of Hartford and eventually end up being torn down, such as the Lyric Theatre on Park Street.

Now it seems that the Hartford Board of Ed/"new' Public Safety Complex will suffer the same fate.

With the amount of highly paid construction "experts" in the Mayor's Office, one would think that they would be able to get a project done correctly. Maybe too much time is being spent in their luxury SUV's rather than actually reviewing construction projects.

Perez proved his construction incompetence almost immediately after becoming Mayor when the cost overruns, construction delays, labor problems and shoddy workmanship delayed Hartford Public High School by years and ran millions of dollars over projected costs. And as recently as to the present day as Capitol Prep School's opening has been delayed for over a year by construction issues (picture below).




Last fall I posted that large portions the the facade being saved for the "new" Public Saftey Complex had collapsed. Eventually WFSB also did a story on it, and as I recall, they reported that the Mayor and his staff had reassured Channel 3 that everything was fine and structurally sound. At a cost of roughly $2 million dollars the remaining walls had been shored up with large steel beams. Here is the original post from November 14, 2009
Although no real progress is visible on the sight except for a few pieces of construction equipment that never seem to move, we were assured that construction was moving forward.

About a week and a half ago I stopped at the sight and saw the entire front entryway which made up a large portion of the front facade has now also collapsed. Calls for comment regarding the future of the structure to the Mayor's mouthpiece, I mean Director of Communications Sarah Barr, were unanswered.




Apparently now though, Steve Goode of the Hartford Courant and cityline@courant.com has been told by city officials that the entire structure is unsound and will be torn down. To read Steve's posting, click here to go to cityline

I'm not a construction engineer, but it seemed pretty obvious from the start that it didn't make sense to handle a 120 year old structure this way and expect it to remain standing. All of the interior walls and support for the structure were gutted and removed initially. After that was done all of the roof and all of the roof trusses and beams were removed, leaving the century old walls to stand on their own.

I guess that plan didn't work too well. It makes you wonder if the plan was ever supposed to work from the start or is it another corrupt scheme hatched in the Mayor's Office as posters here have hinted.

The other major question is how this project was ever going to be completed. At the time that "construction" (or destruction, depending on your level of confidence with Eddie Perez) began, it was stated that $28 million in funding was in place for the projected $88 million price tag for the project. Where was the other $60 million to complete the project coming from?

I for one can't wait for a change in administration that can actually get in and audit every penny spent by Perez's corrupt administration (oh yeah, allegedly). In the meantime I'm pretty confident the shredders are running overtime.

Friday, April 9, 2010

COUNCIL PRESIDENT SEGARRA ON FACE THE STATE SUNDAY




Council President Pedro Segarra will appear on WFSB's "Face the State" program this Sunday morning at 11:00AM. Guest reporter, and newly appointed Hartford Bureau Chief Len Besthoff joins Dennis House for an interview of the potential "Mayor-to-be" Pedro Segarra.

From what I understand it was a good interview as Segarra answers questions related to Hartford. High on the list was the question everyone is asking, can Eddie Perez function as Mayor while he faces a trial and potentially a prison sentence.

Segarra also goes on the record and puts Hartford's current budget "gap" at $28 million. Although that number may sound bad, according to some City Hall insiders it may be double that number.

Another segment on the program is an interview with Howard Baldwin. Baldwin was the force behind the Hartford Whaler's and is working to bring a NHL team back to Hartford. As a side note, I'm being told that Whaler's apparel is still one of the top purchased NHL items, I'm hearing #7 in the country but I'm still trying to confirm that.

Sunday Morning, 11:00 am on WFSB, Channel 3.

Oh, and it looks like the "WFSB Hartford Bureau" will be up and running this coming Tuesday. Timing is everything, it could be a busy week in the Hartford Bureau as jury selection for Perez begins Monday at 10:00am.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

IT IS GETTING HOTTER... COURANT CALLS FOR PEREZ TO "STEP ASIDE" ...AGAIN




In what may become an all too familiar image of Mayor Perez,sitting in a courtroom fighting for his freedom, the Courant ran the above photo today along with an editorial calling for Perez to "step aside".

To read the entire editorial, click here

Today's editorial was a far cry from their editorial endorsement for Perez's re-election in 2007. The big question is what has changed between now and then. Other than the arrests actually taking place, most of the accusations and information was pretty much known in 2007.

Apparently the editors at the Courant have seen the light. In describing Perez today, they claim he suffers from a "Superman complex" and is a Mayor who "doesn't delegate well". No breaking new there. The only difference is that in the past he suffered from a "Napoleon complex" , now he has risen to the level of the Man of Steel and is suffering from a "Superman complex".

Better late than never I guess.

A BIG U.P.S. OOPS !




A Hartford family received an unexpected package delivery from UPS today.

The family and the address shall remain nameless for the time being.

Apparently after opening the package they discovered roughly 10 pounds of marijuana, from what police sources are telling me. Police sources do not believe the family opening the package was the intended recipient and they are investigating.

What can "Brown" do for you? I guess the possibilities are endless.

More details when I can provide them.