-
Saturday, January 29, 2011
ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE FUNDRAISER TOMORROW
On Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m, a fundraiser to benefit the 40th Annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade will be held at Damon's Tavern at 310 Prospect Ave., Hartford. Matt Fleury of the Connecticut Science Center will be honored as Hartford's Parade Marshal, and Catherine Blinder as Hartford's person of the year.
The parade is set for Saturday,March 12, 2011 an is sponsored by the Central Connecticut Celtic Cultural Committee.
ROBLES ENDORSEMENT FIGURES PROMINENTLY IN HPD UNION ELECTION
Many Hartford voters and residents as well as many Hartford Police officers were surprised, and in most cases upset, when they saw a campaign flyer claiming that the Hartford Police Union "endorses Hector Robles". The mailer was sent out by the Robles campaign for the August Democratic primary. The headline proclaimed Robles's "honesty, integrity and making our neighborhoods safe".
Most were upset that these claims were being made at the same time that Robles was the subject of an Internal Investigation into claims of larceny and fraud against him for his scheme to double bill the City for hours worked.
One resident who was also challenging Robles for his legislative seat, Alyssa Peterson, questioned the Unions decision and whether it was proper. Many HPD union members also questioned the action and felt embarrassed by the timing of the endorsement as the allegations against Robles were becoming public.
Peterson explained that she questioned HPD Union President Richard Rodriguez and union Vice President Richard Holton. According to Peterson, during a meeting they claimed that it was a decision of the Union's four member executive committee. Subsequent to that meeting, at least one member of the executive committee claimed there was never a discussion or meeting regarding the endorsement and it was something the union president did on his own.
That decision proved to be a major issue in the recent HPD Union election held last week. Both Holton and Rodriguez exchanged barbs back and forth regarding the Robles endorsement. Several police officers that I spoke with claimed that normally the endorsement wouldn't have been an issue, but that the timing was very poor. They felt that endorsing Robles while he was under potential criminal investigation reflected poorly on the rank and file members of the Union and put them all under a cloud of suspicion for approving of Robles's potential illegal behavior.
In the end, Rodriguez was voted out and Holton prevailed by close to 3 to 1 vote margin. Unofficially, sources have told me the vote was approximately 300 votes for Holton to Rodriguez's 80 votes.
MAYOR SEGARRA, HOW IS THAT ENERGY "CZAR" WORKING OUT?
During the Perez Administration, and during a hiring freeze none the less, many of us were surprised to hear that former Mayor Perez had hired an "Energy Czar" to cut energy costs and usage by the City. The "Czar" was hired at a salary of close to $100,000 annually.
At the time many of the Council members seemed surprised by the hiring while other employees were being laid off. One of the members of the Council at the time who seemed helpless to prevent Perez's hiring of the "Czar" is actually now the Mayor himself. Yet, the "Czar" still remains. The only thing that remains is that his office has been moved out of the Mayor's Office.
Hopefully that move was done so that Mayor Segarra doesn't have to be reminded daily of the wasteful position of the "Energy Czar".
At the time of the original hiring, I had suggested that it might make more sense to hold a contest for all City employees and offer rewards to them for identifying waste in their Departments and buildings. A $50.00 gift card to a Hartford Restaurant or something along those lines would encourage their involvement.
The other side of the coin is who knows their buildings better than the people working in them everyday. They definitely know how to cut back better than someone in the Mayor's Office sitting looking at printouts and utility bills and waiting for the direct deposit of his paycheck.
This past week someone from the Department of Public Works called me and expressed their frustration that no one listens to their suggestions.Initially I wasn't sure where the call was going but I listened anyway since that is how this blog exists, by the info I receive from people on the inside of the system.
Once they started to explain their point, I was about ready to run out and get them a gift card for dinner at the Chowder Pot because it made so much sense.
This seems to be a no brainer, but when I explained it to someone at City Hall yesterday they once again accused me of applying logic to the situation, and that is apparently not the Hartford way.
Ok, here goes, let me know what you think. Apparently the City of Hartford has numerous buildings that are heated year round, even though no one uses them all winter. One example is the buildings above. The concession stand and the field house and locker rooms at Dillon Stadium are used Thankgiving Day for a high-school football game. The buildings are then closed up and not used again until April.
The buildings are heated the entire time. There are garages in Northwood/ Soldiers Field Cemetery, the North Main Street Cemetery and a DPW storage garage as well as several others that are heated year round, even though a couple of DPW employees have told me there is no need for it.
Probably one of the biggest energy wastes though is the heating process for the North End Senior Center. The Center is heated by the boiler from the old Burgdorf Health Center. Rather than install a separate heating system for the Senior's, the empty Health Center is kept heated to be able to heat the Senior Center. I know that reasoning is hard to follow, but it doesn't make any sense to me either.
With the cost of energy escalating, the DPW employee suggested it would make a lot more sense to "winterize" the buildings, the same as thousands of people with summer homes in Connesticut do.
I know, applying logic to City operations, but I think they still deserve the gift card for a common sense suggestion.
WOULD THIS HAPPEN IN WEST HARTFORD ?
The picture above is the Bank of America branch at Main and Kensington Streets in Hartford, across from the Rajun Cajun. The lower left hand corner of the picture is where the shoveled sidewalk is supposed to be. This morning I spoke with a few area residents who were complaining that the sidewalk has not been shoveled after the recent storms.
And not just the latest storm either. All winter long the Bank of America sidewalk has apparently been an issue according to former Councilman Steve Harris. Harris has actually called the Hartford Police to complain about the issue. The Hartford Police confirm that they have attermpted to address the issue and the branch manager has been warned that she could be subject to a fine and a summons to Community Court for violating the City ordinance that requires snow be shoveled from the walks 3 hours after the storm ends.
While I was there to take the picture, I saw several people having to walk into busy North Main Street to get by the bank property. One woman pushing a stroller had to navigate through the slush and traffic because of the Bank of America's disregard for the public and Hartford's ordinance.
I would hope that the Hartford Police Department and the area Community Service officer will forget the warnings and make it a point to hand deliver a summons for an appearance in Community Court to the Bank of America branch manager first thing Monday morning.
I doubt very much that the Bank of America branch in West Hartford Center leaves their sidewalks unshoveled and they shouldn't think it is acceptable to do it in Hartford.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
SICK LEAVE IS OVER , ERIC JACKSON RESIGNS
Mayor Pedro Segarra issued the following statement tonight:
HARTFORD CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER RESIGNS
---NEWS AND COMMUNITY STATEMENT---
(January 27, 2011) --- Mayor Pedro E. Segarra has issued the following statement:
Eric Jackson has tendered--- and I have accepted--- his resignation, which is effective immediately. With his resignation no further action can be taken; the internal investigation is now closed.
My administration and I have a zero tolerance policy regarding any claims of sexual harassment and we will investigate any and all claims with the seriousness and import that they deserve.”
Thank you Mr. Mayor, you can disregard those messages you never returned.
HARTFORD CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER RESIGNS
---NEWS AND COMMUNITY STATEMENT---
(January 27, 2011) --- Mayor Pedro E. Segarra has issued the following statement:
Eric Jackson has tendered--- and I have accepted--- his resignation, which is effective immediately. With his resignation no further action can be taken; the internal investigation is now closed.
My administration and I have a zero tolerance policy regarding any claims of sexual harassment and we will investigate any and all claims with the seriousness and import that they deserve.”
Thank you Mr. Mayor, you can disregard those messages you never returned.
ERIC JACKSON UPDATE: ANOTHER ONE FOR THE "ONLY IN HARTFORD" FILE
Well, it seems like many of the comments and phone calls on the previous Eric Jackson post had hoped that Mayor Segarra would take the high road and do what had to be done to protect City of Hartford employees during the sexual harrassment investigation.
Sorry to dash your hopes, but apparently the answer is no.
City Hall sources are confirming for me that Eric Jackson is on "extended" sick leave as of the time of this writing. Another travesty and a fraud being imposed on the people of Hartford, all at our expense.
There is no word yet as to whether Chief Roberts and the Hartford Police Department will step up and accept their responsibility to investigate alleged criminal behavior by Jackson.
Extended sick leave might actually be appropriate, his alleged victims might agree that he is ill.
Councilman Painter and Councilman Brinson, now's your opportunity to show us what you are made of. I don't think many of us have confidence in the existing Council to take action, or even speak out. Let's see if you two have anything to say when Hartford employees are allegedly victimized, or is it more business as usual.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)


