Unintended Consequences (Part II)

Sometimes, ya just get a sense of deja vu from the antics in this town.

Expanding on yesterday's post, our Assessor is now going to go after City residents who register their vehicles out of state to avoid paying property taxes. Somehow, it just seemed that this song was played before....and then it became obvious.

In 2004, then Assessor Joan Robinson hired an outside firm, CT Tax Fraud Bureau, to do the same thing. In 2005, our "proven financial manager" cancelled the contract -- because it cost "thousands of dollars" -- and then fired Robinson (and her assistant) because they (rightly) believed the program brought to the City needed tax revenues in the long-term. Robinson (and her assistant) then sued for wrongful termination; the City settled for at least $70,000. (read about this soap opera here, here, and here.)

So let's see how this dance goes --

Step 1: Assessor goes after out-of-state cars;

Step 2: Picard fires Assessor & Assistant;

Step 3: Assessor & Assistant sue; then

Step 4: City settles for at least $70,000.

It doesn't look like our "proven financial manager" was really too concerned about those "thousands of dollars", does it? Were other political pressures brought to bear? Here in West Haven? Leapin' Lizards!

Is it possible that a certain prominent downtown merchant didn't want to obey this law? This bird has been skirting this law for years, yet is supposedly helping us control our finances as a City appointed commission member.

So here we are...at step 1 again. Ann Gradoia should be applauded for her efforts, but she should be forewarned: in West Haven, no honest deed goes unpunished. If she does her job honestly, she'll suffer the same fate as her predecessor. If she cheats by "missing" this prominent example of a scofflaw, she'll create for herself a whole new set of problems...

Will (not-yet Orphan) Ann get out of this fix? Stay tuned...this ain't over!