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Saturday, October 30, 2010

DEMOCRACY ...REPUBLICAN STYLE IN HARTFORD


The age old question "if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise ?" took on a different version at Wednesday's Republican Town Committee meeting in Hartford.

If a Republican Councilperson is corrupt but the Republican Town Committee won't discuss it, does that mean she's not corrupt?

The video below shows what happened when Republican Town Committee member John O'Connell and RTC Vice Chair Elyssa Fuchs tried to open a discussion. O'Connell wanted to address the Hartford Courant's editorial calling for Republican Veronica Airey-Wilson's resignation after she was placed on probation for her role in the Perez corruption scandal.That wasn't about to happen under the control of RTC chair Michael McGarry.

McGarry, who is now telling anyone willing to listen that he was the first to call for former Mayor Perez's resignation, refuses to discuss the role of Hartford's highest ranking elected Republican, Veronica Airey-Wilson, in the scandal. The claim that he was the first to call for Perez's resignation is also totally untrue. Only after Perez was arrested, convicted and sentenced to three years in prison did McGarry speak out publicly.

McGarry has consistently refused to address Airey-Wilson's role and apparent violation of the public's trust as an elected official. Airey-Wilson was accused of taking counterops for her home from Carlos Costa and not paying for them. Only after the state began investigating, according to arrest records, did she fabricate a check showing that she thought she had paid a couple hundred dollars for thousands of dollars worth of granite countertop work.

For the Republican party in Hartford, which most agree is all but dead, this would seem like an opportunity for McGarry and the Town Committee to make a strong statement to regain the public's trust. Instead O'Connell and others were refused the opportunity to even discuss the matter publicly.

The video was shot with my i-pod after the argument erupted so the quality isn't great, but you'll get the point how the Republican Town Committee in Hartford handles honest debate regarding important issues.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

I STAND BY WHAT I SAID, 311 IS STILL A WASTE



An "Anonymous" poster made the following comment this afternoon on the blog:

People dont seem to understand, once residents call 311, they refer complaint over to appropriate department. It is not the 311 representative that goes out to take care of the issue. It really upsets me that because the departments are not doing their job the 311 call center is being blamed. Definatley get your facts straight before you start pointing fingers!!!!

I think the poster needs to take a step back and get their facts straight, I'm pretty comfortable with mine.

Last week I called 311 and was on hold for 9 minutes and 32 seconds before before a live person answered and handled the call. The commenter seems to want to place the "blame" on the individual departments rather than the 311 program. If I recall correctly, when 311 was originally shoved down our throats we were told that 311 would force efficiency on Hartford's operations because calls would be tracked and followed up on.

I don't really care about the "blame game", but 311 isn't working. This link will take you to an interactive map that tells the whole story about 311, click to go to hartford.gov's 311 tracking map. I recommend you check out the map quickly though , the link will probably be disabled soon.The map on hartford.gov is a "push pin" type map that has color coded dots indicating 311 complaints or "cases". The green dots are "closed" cases, the orange dots are "open" or unresolved cases. It is hard to see the green dots since they are almost obliterated by the orange dots. The telling part though is that if you click on an orange dot, it shows you the date the complaint was recieved. Many of the cases aren't recent, some date back almost a year, if not more.

A residents issue being unresolved for a year doesn't sound like the height of efficiency to me. Anyone willing to take the time and effort to report a problem deserves that the issue be dealt with in a timely manner. Removing graffiti reported January 12, 2010 does not seem very responsive.

So, to the "Anonymous" poster, "right back at ya". Get your facts straight before you try to justify your 311 job.

OK, I HAVE TO SAY THIS AND GET IT OVER WITH

I have been accused of being over protective of Mayor Pedro Segarra. Some have even accused me of being a "mouthpiece" for the Mayor.

With that being said, I have to say to Mayor Segarra...WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU THINKING?

Steve Goode at the Hartford Courant and "Cityline" just posted a column regarding "Disgraced former Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez". You can read Steve's column by clicking here

Apparently Mayor Segarra was in attendance at the "State of the Schools" address this morning at SAND School. "Disgraced former Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez" was also in attendance. According to Goode's article, Mayor Segarra's comments included remarks about "Perez, who served for a time as chair of the board of education, for his dedication early reform efforts, including his effort to bring Adamwoski on board and his choice of fellow board members to support Adamowski's vision."

Mayor Segarra, no one can deny that Perez did positive things while in office. No one can deny that he has done some terrible things that have done huge damage to our City and its reputation also.

That Board of Education that you mention is also the same Board of Education that recently approved a lobbying contract for Matt Hennessey for $58,000. I have not heard any comments about that, yet praise is heaped on a Board and a Superintendent that continue to support individuals who played a key role in the corruption scandal.

To have a convicted felon parading around an elementary school and then being praised as some sort of hero is wrong. It sends a terrible message to the very students we are trying to set on the right path in life. Is doing wrong and being sentenced to prison a Hartford value? To a student viewing this fiasco it might seem that way.

This administration has made some large strides in attempting to make people feel good about our City in a short couple of months. I fully anticipate seeing a news story soon showing Mayor Segarra on a ladder rescuing a kitten from a tree. He has that personality that people want to trust and support.

On the other hand though, from the phone calls I get, people also want to hear him setting the tone that business as usual in Hartford will not be tolerated. Sending mixed messages does nothing but confuse people as to what is acceptable. I had a long conversation with Mayor Segarra about this last Saturday.

Mayor Segarra is by no means naive. He knows that City Hall is still full of Perez supporters who would like nothing more than to see him fail. Some of them are quite clearly undermining him every chance they get, and I think the Mayor knows that. The question is then, why are they still there. I fully get the concept that we can't terminate everyone, but we can't sit back and wait for those same people to finally plunge the proverbial knife with the fatal blow as they stab Mayor Segarra in the back.

I'm not going to get into specific names here because I think Mayor Segarra is fully aware of who needs to go.

Sending these mixed messages though is confusing, and in some cases the silence is also confusing. Eddie Perez is hired by a non-profit receiving major funding from the City of Hartford.....silence....nothing said. No comment from the Mayor, no comment from the Council. Former Corporation Counsel John Rose gets a job with a law firm he paid almost a half million dollars to in the last couple years.....silence....nothing said.No comment from the Mayor, no comment from the Council.

Former Chief of Staff to former Mayor Perez gets a $58,000 lobbying contract as part of a deal with the Hartford Public Schools.....silence....nothing said. No comment from the Mayor, no comment from the Council.

In my conversation Saturday with Mayor Segarra, he said that the money had already been approved for the Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition and there was nothing they could do. I strongly disagree. A clear, unambiguous statement from the Mayor needs to set the tone. I would even be happy to allow the Mayor to "cut and paste" this into a press release, not that anyone pays any attention to press releases coming out of the Mayor's Office due to obvious reasons(speaking of backstabbing and undermining by Perez loyalists).

"The funds were already appropriated to the Connecticut AIDS Resource Coalition for this year, but as Mayor of Hartford I have to say I am extremely disappointed in the decision to hire someone who left Hartford City Hall in disgrace after his conviction on felony charges resulting from a corruption investigation. The people of Hartford deserve to know that their tax dollars are being spent responsibly by any organization receiving those funds. Although our hands are tied to do anything now, rest assured that future funding requests from any organization will be scrutinized to make sure they are being used properly and in a means beyond reproach"

That seems pretty simple, doesn't it? The tone is set, the message is clear and the residents of Hartford are getting what they expect from our Mayor.

To praise a convicted felon is wrong and sets back any progress being made. Please , lets move on and start setting a clear tone that all of the good deeds someone may have done do not erase the corruption and damage brought to the people of Hartford.

Feel free to copy this and send it to all of the Council members, they have voices also that they need to start using.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

MORE PATRONAGE FOR THE POLITICAL PROSTITUTES



Now that the Perez Gravy train has totally gone off the tracks, those with hopes of a lifelong career as political prostitutes and poverty pimps are showing their true colors.

It was all the angry white guys that dethroned Hartford's High Priest of Corruption, Eddie A. Perez. The conspiracy continued when a jury of his peers found him guilty on 5 felony charges after a trial. The white Judge played along with the setup to tear down the Hispanic Savior of the City and ultimately sentenced the High Priest to 3 years in prison.

At least that is the accurate version if you believe the rantings, I mean writings, of Hartford's favorite yellow jacketed crusader, Cornell Lewis. Lewis, who long ago abandoned the residents of Hartford when he chose to move to the suburbs, still seems to think he has some right to instruct us on how our lives should be lived. His support of former Mayor Eddie A. Perez is admirable considering the investment Perez made in Lewis and his band of "Merry Men". At last count, and this figure is almost a year old, Lewis and his fellow operatives were paid over $2.3 million in taxpayers funds during the course of the "Savior's" administration.

A commenter on the blog pointed out Lewis's latest diatribe as copied below, you can read it for yourself by clicking here:

He Was Our Priest From The Beginning

I was in court the day former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez received a 3- year prison term for conviction on various charges. Inside the courtroom a funeral like atmosphere complete with crying, wailing, and head-shaking took place. I looked at Perez and wondered why it is seen as necessary to incarcerate a man dedicated to serving his community for over 30 years.

The answer can be found in a religious concept of the priest.

He [Eddie] was our priest from the beginning. In Hartford 30 years ago a divine Caucasian power structure sat enthroned in a fortress City Hall. From stories told to me, it seemed impossible for people of color to access any favor or benefit
from the divine white gods in City Hall: a priest was needed for intercession, coming to present hopes of a people at this white altar. Perez came forth - a skinny youth - with hubris enough to ask for an audience before whites in power. Eddie organized the masses, spoke at rallies, begged and threatened in order to coax largesse from a white cornucopia.

The people adored Eddie but whites watched him like they did Jesus: “the rulers wanted to strike Jesus, but they were afraid because all the people were with him. They waited for a more opportune time.” We fast-forward 30 years and Perez is now in THE seat of power and still working without ceasing for people of color.

After being in power for 10 years the old white gods were invoked by angry worshippers to rise from musty vaults of hatred, prejudice and discrimination. Their goal seemed clear-topple Perez and insert a person more palatable to white thinking. Perez had to leave office; an example had to be made, and fear inserted into hearts of the masses.

Like a bad Stephen King movie the priest [Perez] came tumbling down with help from angry whites, sold-out black and Puerto Rican leaders, and a community unable to see clearly a threat to the priest. As radio commentator Steve Harvey would say, “and now you know the rest of the story.”

“Yet when we achieved and the new world dawned, the old men came out again and took our victory, to remake in the likeness of the former world they knew.”--- T.E. Lawrence.



The prayer vigils orchestrated by Lewis didn't seem too productive in keeping a corrupt Mayor out of a courtroom and most likely prison eventually. I might suggest that you click your heels together and keep repeating "I believe in Eddie, I believe in Eddie, I believe in Eddie".

And Cornell, Hartford is about a lot more than one person. There are plenty of unsung "Savior's" out there day in and day out trying to make this City a better place. They are actually doing things to unify the community and its neighborhoods. The days of your "divide and conquer" politics need to end.

This is not about race. No one set Eddie Perez up for a fall, not whites, not blacks and not Hispanics. Eddie Perez needs to quit playing the victim of racism and instead accept responsibility for what he has put this city through, take the punishment and move on.

You might have a positive purpose in this city if you tried to unify people of all races and nationalities and end your politics of racial hate.

THE FUTURE OF MEDIA?

They didn't include bloggers in this you tube parody, but you have to wonder some days if this is where television media is headed.

THE HARTFORD COURANT WEIGHS IN ON CORRUPTION, ROBLES AND AIREY -WILSON

Today's Hartford Courant had an editorial about "What's Wrong With Hartford". For those that didn't see the editorial or don't read the Courant, here it is in its entirety:

What's Wrong With Hartford
Two Examples Public officials take advantage of their positions

Just because former Mayor Eddie Perez has been convicted on felony corruption charges and sentenced to three years in prison doesn't mean city government in Hartford has been completely disinfected.

An internal police investigation found in August that Officer Hector Robles knowingly falsified time cards and bilked the department out of more than $9,000 in overtime. A disciplinary hearing concluded last week, but Police Chief Daryl K. Roberts has yet to decide on a punishment.

Termination has been recommended. That's what he should get, since Mr. Robles has neither the pride nor conscience, apparently, to resign either as a police officer or from his other job of public trust, state representative from the 6th District.

Mr. Robles raises the "everybody does it" defense, claiming that 11 other officers are falsifying their overtime records too. Has he told the chief who they are?

This case should be referred to the state's attorney.

Also last week, city councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson was granted accelerated rehabilitation, a special form of probation that will allow her record to be expunged if successfully completed. She had a city contractor — the same one involved in the Perez corruption case — install a granite countertop in her home. She was accused of tampering with evidence to show that she had paid for the installation even though the contractor, Carlos Costa, testified that he did the work for free.

"My biggest regret is that I guess I'm so open and trusting of everyone and in my choice of selecting someone to do the work in my home. I didn't recognize the flaws," she told Judge Julia D. Dewey Thursday. She's got to be kidding. Didn't "recognize the flaws"?

Mr. Costa certainly recognized the flaws of mixing personal and city business. The contractor, whose $5.3 million contract with the city was plagued by delays and shoddy construction, testified that he installed her countertops for free, at her request, because "she was a councilwoman and she was in a position to help me."

Ms. Airey-Wilson's attorney said his client will continue to serve on the city council during her probationary period. She should resign to spare Hartford another embarrassment.

What are Hartford's children to think when a police officer and a council member — let alone a mayor — use their public positions to profit and then won't take ownership of what they did?

end of Courant editorial

If you would like to make your thoughts known on the Robles matter, Chief Roberts office can be reached at 860-757-4010. If you would like to make your feelings known on whether Veronica Airey-Wilson should resign from the Council, the Hartford Republican Town Committee meets tonight at City Hall or call Airey-Wilson's office at City Hall at 860-757-9575. As always, feel free to leave your thoughts and comments here.