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Thursday, May 12, 2016

"NAME THAT EVENT"


I received this picture yesterday  that apparently is a group of Hartford School's employee's in Miami,Florida to accept a magnet school award.  Hasn't anyone at the Board ever heard of Fed Ex? Or heard that there is a budget deficit and upwards of 250 jobs may be cut to close that gap?We could have had the award shipped here for under $20,.00 instead of sending 20 employees to Miami and paying for airfare and hotels. How many teaching positions could have been saved from elimination?

I have requested the information on the trip through an FOI request, but I am not holding my breath for Jill Cutler Hodgman to spin the combination on her BOE secrecy vault, if the records don't find their way into the shredder to be buried with the Genao documents first.

If you recognize anyone in the picture or wish to provide additional details, pease feel free to become part of my "alternative means" network and e-mail me in confidence or post anonymously here

OH RjO, WHY? WHY? WHY?


"A rare sighting.an officer who helps" those were the words posted by Hartford City Councilperson rJo Winch on her Facebook page this week.

What are you thinking?Leadership and use of social media by a so called "leader requires some discretion . And it also requires some level of factuality and honesty also. Can the Councilwoman really say she is unaware of good deeds being done every day by Hartford Police Officers.

At the very least Winch should be able to praise the efforts of Hartford detectives and officers who brought the homicide of her nephew recently to a prompt closure with an arrest. Not to mention all of the other officers she apparently  doesn't see , or doesn't want to see, in our neighborhoods every day.

Leadership also requires building bridges by our elected officials, not tearing them down with sarcastic comments on social media.  In this day and age of "open season" on our Police Officer's  the Councilwoman should be working to build better relationships rather than throwing fuel on a fire, and a fire that doesn't exist yet in our community. And one we definitely don't need.

Here are a few links below to possibly refresh the good Councilwoman's memory


THE HARTFORD BOARD OF EDUCATION, WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?

For a group that is supposedly made up of educators, you would think they would understand the meaning of the word "transparency".

But they don't.

The Hartford School System  apparently think they operate in a bubble., being able to hide behind Federal laws designed to protect student information. They are hiding behind those same laws to protect a predator that was hiding in their midst, possibly for many years and being allowed to hide away by the Administration, being allowed to prey on his victims, unchecked.

The e-mail below is one example of their stonewall tactics when they don't want information to get out. On May 6, 2016 I requested a list of all BOE employees making over $100,000 a year. Anyone that knows public policy and understands public information should know that is information the public has every right to know.

As of this date, a week later, I still have note received the information through the proper channels at the Board of  Education. Luckily , I do have some good sources and when I used my "alternative means", the report was ready for me within 30 minutes.

Now Explain to me why their highly paid spokesperson Pedro Zayas and a highly paid Labor relations/Information Specialist Suhail Aponte couldn't produce the same report I received in less than the half hour it took for me to get it.

What are they hiding? And what else is buried away with their dirty dark little secrets at the BOE.

 From another source , I guess I was the topic of a conversation yesterday in the Superintendent's Office between Jill Cutler Hodgman and Pedro Zayas and they apparently were joking that they didn't have to give me anything and I would eventually go away. I guess we will see about that.

HARTFORD, A "FREE FOR ALL" OR FREE FOR SOME

Actually maybe the title should be "Free for some".

And before you start calling me a racist or whatever you want for drawing  attention to common sense, save the time to type your comments because this has nothing to do with race.

Hartford and its residents have a long tradition of playing host to a multitude of special events held in the City every year. Jazz events in Bushnell Park, Winterfest, the Saint Patrick's Day Parade, the 3 Kings day events on Park Street, Riverfest, First Night and on and on and on.

But this year needs to be different. In the words of our own Mayor, Hartford is in a "dire" financial situation. We as a City have already laid off long time employees, and most likely more are coming.

If the situation is so dire, how can the City now allow special events that most likely in just two parades will cost the City upwards of $200,000 . If the track record for these two parades run true to history, none if any at all reimbursement will be paid back to the City budget for that money spent

This is unconscionable.  How can any City official that is part of the decision making process even potentially face one of the employees who lost their jobs, in the grocery store or elsewhere and not be ashamed if this money is allowed to be spent?

This is a time when we need to take politics out of the decision and do what we all know is morally right and responsible for the City's survival, as well as the work force that have committed their adult lives and careers to Hartford.

I am not against a special event every day of the week if we could. I am more than willing to put up with the traffic inconvenience, detours, street closures and whatever else goes along with it, but they have to be self sustaining. I sometimes get buried with the numerous fundraising requests for the Saint Patrick's Day Parade. But the bottom line is that numerous organizations  are constantly running fundraisers to foot the bill and to make sure the check is sent to the City to cover their event as soon as the invoice is received.( as do may other groups that hold events)

And in full disclosure, I am part of the group for the Hartford . St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee and we run our fair share of fundraisers. As much as I hate hitting people up to buy tickets and attend events, I also feel pretty good knowing that no city employee is going to lose their job because a special event I am involved with is a burden on the taxpayers of Hartford.

If you can't afford it, you can't have it, at least not in Hartford. Maybe a City that is not in "dire" financial straits will welcome you and cover your bills, but those days need to be done in Hartford.

How many Animal Control Officers or laid off City Hall or DPW employees could get their jobs back with $200,000.

In closing, let me say I love a parade, just like most people, but I love seeing people living and surviving more and the City functioning more. In the words of Nancy Reagan, "just say no". It may cost you votes but it may also help to save the City of Hartford. That is called leadership.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

DUI CHECKPOINT THURSDAY


A CLARIFICATION for HFD PENSIONS

I don't think the pension figures were related to me correctly for yesterday's post about the pending retirements . In order to clarify that, I have obtained the Hartford Fire Union Contract. The pension calculations are complicated by the number of years of service , buy backs, etc,etc. So here is the contract and you can try to make sense of it by reading it for yourselves. (appendix E on page 62)