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Wednesday, June 7, 2017

A DOSE OF REALITY ***WARNING - VERY EXPLICIT LANGUAGE AND CONTENT

I remember years ago there was a bumper sticker "WHO NEEDS POLICE?...EVERYONE"

I don't think  that could ever be truer than it is today, but we seem to be losing sight of that.

Yesterday, Connecticut's House of Representatives debated a bill aimed at Police Brutality.

 Abusive officers can not be tolerated,and theHartford Police has done a pretty good job of dealing with the issue  but Representative Gonzalez of Hartford seemed to paint Law Enforcement Officers with a pretty wide brush yesterday. Gonzalez also seemed to not have a problem with incorrect information during her rant. Despite her comments, Hartford Police Officers do not get free meals or get their meals paid for as part of their lucrative benefits. And they don't carry "bats".

The Connecticut State Police do get a meal allowance, but that is as a result of a Collective Bargaining agreement approved by the same Legislative body that Representative Gonzalez is a member of.

 Although Gonzalez portrays the men and women of Law Enforcement as "Cowboys" with "Bats and Guns".  ( I think she probably meant badges and guns, but I'm sure for her performance, cops with bats probably fit her image better)

The other three videos below are just an example of what Police Officers in Hartford and across our Country face every day as they work to protect us.

The officers in these videos exhibit great restraint and professionalism as they deal with unruly parties. Listen to the anguish in the officers voice as he tries to talk a gunman down before he had to shoot him to protect his and others lives. Watch the Philadelphia Officer as he puts up with the rant and behavior of a drunk or impaired TV reporter. I doubt many of us mere mortals could show the restraint  this officer did. At the very least she should have received a face full of pepper spray or a Taser dart .

The last video has some pretty poor police tactics as a suspect pulls a gun from his waistband and opens fire on the officers , as they talked to him the entire time before the shooting and treated him with respect. I think it shows the human side and how bad things can go bad with our officers. There clearly is only instinct and survival mode as these incidents unwrap very quickly.

And yes, they are still humans doing a tough job.

This type of behavior is more the rule than the exception.

 Representative Gonzalez and her fellow critics need to get out of the confines of their Sanctuary at the Capitol and get in touch with what goes on on our streets.





Friday, June 2, 2017

SUPPORT THE PARIS ACCORD BY BURNING MORE ENERGY, MAKES SENSE TO ME

Maybe we should think about replacing dead trees on City property to show we support green energy and a cleaner environment. But no, instead we are going to burn electricity all night to bathe City Hall in a sea of green protest. (or support as Mayor Bronin calls it)

I wonder if anyone ever considered  bathing City Hall in pink out of respect for the Komen Race for the Cure to support the efforts to raise funds to combat breast cancer and support research being held in Hartford this weekend.

That probably isn't enough of a political statement for the administration ''

Bronin Press Release:

HARTFORD CITY HALL TO BE LIT GREEN IN SUPPORT OF PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT

HARTFORD, CONN (June 2, 2017) –   At the direction of Mayor Luke Bronin, Hartford City Hall will be lit green tonight to signal Connecticut’s opposition to the federal government’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, and to underline Hartford’s significant efforts to conserve energy, increase the number of green jobs, and support the quality of neighborhood life for residents.  Earlier today, Governor Malloy added Connecticut to a coalition of states committed to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement.

“The decision to abandon the Paris Climate Agreement is an unforgivable surrender of American leadership on one of the most important issues of our time,” said Mayor Bronin.  “In virtually every other country in the world, the debate is about how to confront climate change responsibly – not the absurd idea that it’s a ‘hoax’ created by China.  Not only do we have a moral responsibility to reduce carbon emissions, we should also be seizing the opportunity to build a robust green jobs economy by investing clean energy.”

The Mayor continued, saying, “I’m proud to join with cities and states around the country to commit to filling the void on environmental responsibility that this decision leaves.  In Hartford, we are on the path to reduce our energy consumption by 20% by 2018 with the dedicated work of City employees and leadership of our Climate Stewardship Council.”   

As a signatory of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, Hartford has committed to both reducing overall energy consumption by 20% and increasing renewable energy use by 20% across its City operations by next year.  Significant progress has been made towards that goal through building energy retrofits, the recent launch of a cutting-edge fuel cell microgrid in the Parkville neighborhood that will reduce carbon emissions by 40% in connected buildings, the solar array at the landfill in North Meadows, the streetlight overhaul across the City, and a number of other smaller renewable energy projects.

To achieve the 20% reduction goal, the 30-member Climate Stewardship Council, which includes stakeholders from a cross-section of nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies, will finalize the community’s Climate Action Plan and chart the path towards further emissions reductions.  The City recently hired a 100% grant-funded Sustainability Coordinator to assist in those efforts.

TIME TO ASK FOR OUR MONEY BACK

The front desk at HPD , known as Teleserve, is supposed to be a secure area surrounded by bullet proof ballistic glass.

That bullet proof ballistic glass was put to the test on May 27,2017 by a 40 year old female who  attacked the window with a "rusted bike pedal" shattering the $2300.00  glass.

Hopefully the glass will prove more durable if it is ever challenged by an actual bullet instead of the rusty bike pedal. Maybe the next Legislative session can ban the possession of rusty bike pedals without a permit, opening another revenue stream for our cash  strapped State.





WILL CONNECTICUT'S COMPTROLLER STEP UP?

The State of Connecticut is at a budget stalemate, unable to pass a State budget before their adjournment next week. That stalemate will most likely require additional money for a special Legislative session(s), adding to the State's deficit.

The State of California had a similar dilemma a few years ago. The California Comptroller came up with a simple solution. No California Legislator would receive a paycheck until a budget  was in place.

California's budget crisis was quickly solved and a budget was passed promptly,

 Maybe Connecticut should try that.

Here is an example of why our government budgets are a mess.
http://www.yankeeinstitute.org/2017/06/state-representative-from-near-bankrupt-hartford-draws-teachers-salary-while-working-full-time-for-union/

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

I NEED SOME INSPIRATION

I am disgusted. Quite frankly I am sick of what our City has become. It hasn't just happened under our current Mayor. The incompetence and poor leadership has gone on for some time now, and we just sit back and take it.

I have spent most of my adult life as a resident of the City of Hartford. I have become used to the all too often question of "Why the hell do you stay there?". I have been a victim of crime, I have witnessed more crime as a Hartford resident than most people see in a lifetime. But yet I choose to call Hartford my home. A city that I have embraced with open arms and fought hard to see change.

Hartford is my home .It is sickening to see my next door neighbor contemplating a move out of the City that I love and deliver a devastating blow to my hometown. It is even more devastating that the so called leaders of our City and State could be so ignorant of their surroundings to be caught off guard of the move. I warned the Mayor and his Chief of Staff over a year ago when a source at Aetna told me that a move was imminent.

I was aggravated last fall when a high ranking official at Aetna told me personally that their communications with the Mayor were "virtually nonexistent". Not a good way to treat anyone. especially a large corporate neighbor like Aetna.

Although Hartford has its warts and failings , it is still my home. I am extremely fortunate to have met so many people that I probably would have never met if I chose to settle elsewhere. My good friends, like Hyacinth Yennie who has been there to prop me up for years, even during her own trials and tribulations. If there was ever anyone to win the award for Hartford cheerleader, it is Hyacinth and her energy for the people of Hartford is incredible.

I would love to start naming everyone but I know I will miss many, But a few keep coming to mind.

Bob and Candy Killian I met relatively late in my Hartford residency. Judge Killian and his wife are two of the finest people I have ever met. Bob and Candy have both adopted me and have taken me under their wings.  Bob has taught me valuable lessons in a relatively short time about humility and thoughtful reasoning. Even occasionally having to put the brakes on me and saying "are you going to let me finish or do you want to talk?". I have not met anyone yet that knows more about Hartford and its history and is able to tell the story with anecdotes that only a lifetime involved in Hartford can provide.

Alyssa Peterson is someone else that has an extreme love for Hartford. Often misinterpreted due to her strong sense of right and wrong, often called a naysayer, but she serves a purpose in keeping Hartford from going off the rails regularly. Alyssa also has an uncanny knack or sixth sense of knowing when I land in the ER. She has a way of convincing hospital staff she is family to get her way beyond the locked hallways.

I have befriended my share of underdogs also, and they are far from anything close to an underdog to me, they are some of the most genuine decent people, if anyone took the time to appreciate them. Lt Rob Allan from HPD, Deputy Chief Dan Nolan from HFD, and quite a few others that are probably better unnamed because they still have time left to work at HFD and HPD. Sadly, Lt Allan announced today that he is calling it a career and moving on from HPD.

People like Shirley Surgeon, Angel Arce and Doug McCrory all have opened my eyes to life in Hartford and Hartford's odd way of politics and have helped me appreciate all that our City has to offer.

Chief Rovella is also someone that has taught me a lot about our City and both his and Chief Freeman's vision and planning to try to keep Hartford a great place have been underrated. One  major thing Chief Rovella has taught me is that when I am really pissed, stay away from the keyboard, take the time to breathe deeply before the venom starts flowing through my keyboard. That is why tonight's posting is not what many people expected when they called me today The upset and the venom can wait until tomorrow

And so finally, for anyone I didn't mention above, you already know if you mean something  special to me. And I wouldn't change my experiences  in Hartford for anything.

The video below is something I found on youtube tonight, and pretty much has nothing to do with the posting above, but I found it inspirational, enjoy,  and keep fighting for Hartford. If we keep trying, sooner or later we will get it right and elect some decent leaders for our City.


LEAVING THE SINKING SHIP

The exodus continues from the beleaguered Bronin Administration. The latest to jump ship is the Director of the Emergency Services Telecommunications Department, Clayton Northgraves. Northgraves has apparently informed Mayor Luke Bronin that he will be leaving.

Northgraves took over the troubled agency in November 2014 and restored management to a City Department  that was frequently criticized for its inefficiency under its previous Director, retired HPD Sergeant Andrew Jaffee.

Northgraves is only the latest in Hartford Department heads that have parted ways with the Bronin Administration in the 18 months the Mayor has been in office.

Northgraves was previously with the Town of Enfield and the City of New Have in 2014n before coming to Hartford.

In addition to Northgraves there have also been numerous departures from the Police and Fire Departments in the last several days adding to the leadership void in City Departments. Much of this is being caused by the indecisiveness of the Administration and the concern over the course of Hartford's future and the lack of any structural change to put Hartford back on a solid foundation.