Happy New Year (2009 in Review)

These are just a few of my favorites from the past year....enjoy!

At least the Barn Door is Closed

Well...I guess the good news is that the $1.2 million bucks that got, er, uh, "borrowed" by the "Barron Boys" was put back yesterday, according to the New Haven Register. But the article still has some troubling info in it.

• Why is the council "asking" these two (Barron and Picard) to attend the January 6th meeting? It must be obvious by now that they do not want to answer any questions regarding the legality of the money grab, or for that matter, give us any answers to:

• Why was it necessary to take back the money to pay December bills? For 48 years, our City managed to pay its bill in December without needing to dip into someone else's pockets. What are the circumstances that made this year so different? Is there something wrong with our finances that you don't want the Council (and the taxpayers) to know?

It should be clear to anyone that this council cannot ask these two clowns to appear; it must demand their presence.

Hey Mark...How Does it Feel Now?

An Open Letter to Former BOE Chair Mark Palmieri:

Dear Mark:

You decided - on your own - to throw your lot in with the Picard followers. and to abandon those who got you elected in the first place. That's okay, I suppose...you gave your former friends enough warning.

BUT...things didn't happen the way your new friends thought they would, did they, Mark? Your new amigos lost almost everywhere in the September primary (remember that primary, Mark? It only cost us about $30,000.00 to send a message to your new friends!) And all the time, you worked as a good soldier: pushing through everything they wanted from the BOE.

And in the end...when you needed their support...they dumped you like last week's garbage. Not even one of your great friends came to your assistance.

How does it feel now?

Happy New Year!

West Haven Bob

The Song Remains The Same

As I predicted, the organizational meeting of the Board of Education went according to script...if you were reading the version written by the Mayor.

Howard Horvath is the new Chair...via a 4-4 tie with Dorinda Borer which was (surprise, surprise!) broken by the Mayor casting the tie-breaking vote.

Who do they think they're fooling with this charade? They'll say this is all for the best interests of our kids...but they're trying only to "kid" us. This is all about power politics. The great force behind the powers-that-be is sending a message to all that oppose him:

"Resistance is FUTILE!"

In other words, while he may have lost control of the City Council, he still holds sway on the Board of Education: HE will dole out the patronage jobs which consume so much of our tax dollars; HE will continue to shuttle around educators and administrators according to his pleasure (or displeasure); and anyone who tries to stand between Bob Barron and his little lapdog John Picard will be crushed like insects. Oh wait...maybe I have that backwards? Who knows?

More to the point, politics has triumphed over education. I can't say with any certainty that there could have been any other outcome: had Dorinda Borer won, it's possible the same games would go on, but with different names. But at least there would have been a CHANCE for a change.

Going forward, I predict there's gonna be some serious political blowback over this one...even for the Boss (and the Mayor, too!). And let's not forget Messrs. Horvath & Saley: these gentlemen might discover they'll need a new re-election padrone as a result of this little end run.

One thing is for certain: this just gives me more fodder to chew on. It's a-gonna get mighty interesting around these parts in the coming months!

Showdown!

What with all the folderal over the transfer from the Police Pension Plan, it would easy to forget that tonight is the long-awaited, often-postponed organizational meeting for the Board (Bored?) of Education...during which a new Chair will be chosen.

Which will it be: "the good", "the bad", or "the ugly"? (I'm not saying which candidate, in my humble opinion, plays the role of "ugly"...or of "good" or "bad", for that matter!)

I'll have commentary and info as soon as the meeting ends...stayed tuned!

Merry Christmas!

And more questions...

A continuation from "Answers...and more Questions"


(As soon as I can, I'll get the video from this meeting posted.)

Anyhow, continuing on...

Here are the many questions still left unanswered...plus those which arose from the information we got:

• WHAT is the financial state of the City? There seems to be, shall we say, a difference of opinion on the legality of this transfer, but we should really be looking at why it was necessary in the first place. Why, five months into the fiscal year, is the City in such an "unexpected" bind? Surely "paying bills" can't be the whole story: such expenditures can be predicted, and should have been included in the budget.

• Are we looking at YET ANOTHER tax increase? Seven months ago, as he was submitting this years' budget, Mayor Picard made the following statement:

"I want to say that the long-term finances of the City of West Haven are improving drastically..."

(you can see the entire video here.) Don't say I didn't predict this mess!

New questions include:

• Where are "the bodies buried", and whose bodies are they? In his comments last night, Tim Wrightington asserted that John Picard kept the Assistant Corporation Counsel on: because (to quote Tim) "Henry knows where the bodies are buried". Assuming John Picard wasn't concerned with protecting the legacy of his predecessor, it might be assumed that these skeletons belong to the Mayor. What is it, if anything, you don't want the Public to know?

• Who is watching out for the taxpayers? It seems Barron is doing things without any oversight: possibly with the Mayor's OK, but certainly without telling us the taxpayers what he's doing, or why. Even if I disagreed with what he's doing (and I usually do), I'd feel a lot more comfortable if I understood the why. Of course, I'd still make my snarky comments here...but the interests of the taxpayers must always take precedence over personal political interests.

• Where is the City Council? The legislative branch is supposed to be the people's watchdog against abuses from the executive...and the courts adjudicate (make a ruling) when these two can't agree on major issues. It is well-settled law that the legislative branch (the City Council) has subpoena power over members of the executive branch (for you legal wonks, read Sirica v Nixon...remember that little fiasco?) Unless the new council grows some cojones, it will end up as yet another lap-dog of the powers-that-be...and the last primary should give you an idea where the voters stand on that. Do your job...or we'll find someone else who will.
  

Until we the Public get straight-talk answers from our elected officials on these questions, we should assume we're being taken for a ride once again...and WE will have to pay the costs.

Answers...and more Questions

Last night's Council meeting on  the transferred $1.2 million from the Police Pension Fund provided some details as to how this happened, but it also left some major questions unanswered...and it gave rise to even more questions as well.

First of all, the meeting was crippled from the start, since the two major players, Mayor Picard and Finance Director Robert Barron, were both

(VERY RECENT Pictures)

To be fair, the Mayor at least had a good reason: he had a death in his wife's family.  But da Robba either blew the council off, or he was told not to appear.  My guess is that he was busy sewing his Santa suit:

At any rate, it seems that on December 11, Barron emailed Morgan Stanley and ordered the money transferred.  In this email, Barron identified himself as the Fund Manager (despite the fact that the Council designated Dave Moran of Morgan Stanley as the Manager).  Mr. Moran called Police Commissioner Grace Hendricks  (who has the power to authorize the transfer), and advised her that this was "probably" legal and thus she had to agree.

To be continued....click Here

The (MISSING) Word of the Day

Given all the hoopla surrounding the administration's low-key shifting of nearly 1.2 million from the Police Pension Fund (allegedly to pay bills), it's really curious that there's been a word strangely missing from all the conversations - and that word is:

Audit

Now, the state-mandated audit is due out shortly...but I probably wouldn't recommend it for bedtime reading.  If you can understand it, you might not be able to go to sleep.

Of course, our "Proven Financial Manager" hasn't managed to get one of his audits done on time - in fact, the state levied a fine on West Haven two years ago.  With all the interest suddenly popping up regarding the state of the City's finances, I wonder if this audit will be mysteriously delayed as well.

Buckle up...we're in for a bumpy ride!

An Involved Voter is Your WORST Nightmare!

First, the organizational meeting for the Board of Education was set for Monday, December 7th at 5:15 pm....

Then, just a few hours beforehand, the meeting was reset to Monday, December 21st at 7:00 pm (allegedly because of complaints regarding the early starting time)...

Then, the meeting was re-reset to Wednesday, December 28th at 5:15 pm (someone REALLY likes those 5:15's, doesn't he? Maybe, once the railroad station is built, we should all chip in to buy him a ticket on the 5:15 express out to Wallingford - where it's said a new house is nearing completion!)

You know, these maneuvers wouldn't bug me so much if only the Mayor just came out and stated the truth: he really can't stand the idea of Dorinda Borer becoming the chair of the BOE, and he doesn't trust Howie Horvath enough.

So, he fished around until he found a date that all the opposition couldn't make the meeting. Since Sean Maher can't come, that likely means there will be a 4-4 tie (with Mark Palmieri getting 4).

Guess who gets to break the tie........time's up.

I mean, this is West Haven, folks: birthplace of shady political games. If you're gonna pull these stunts, at least be open about it.

Keeping things "In the Family"

Ain't it a great and marvelous thing....

Here West Haven stands - nearly broke (so much so that our "Proven Financial Manager" had to raid - possibly illegally - the Police Pension Fund to the tune of 1.2 million dollars to pay the City's bills...and needs another 1.5 million bucko's to keep on paying its bills....

And yet...and YET...

John Picard sees no problem creating yet another job for a member of the extended Pascale/Evangeliste/Lorusso family.

This group (according my my rough calculations) pulls nearly one million dollars off the City...and out of the taxes we pay. West Haven Politics as usual: give your supporters the jobs they want....and to hell with the taxpayers. "Why should we care about them?", they say, "We're elected...and they can't get rid of us!" Right?

WRONG!

I am proposing a petition to put the question on the ballot:

"Shall the City Charter be amended as follows:

Article XVIII (Initiative, Referendum) shall be amended to include the following text to read :'Elected Officials covered by this Charter may by removed from office by RECALL REFERENDUM by the provisions contained herein for INITIATIVE, excepting: upon receipt of certified signatures of registered voters equal to or exceeding ten percent (10%) of the number of voters who voted in the last municipal election, a RECALL REFERENDUM shall be held within 60 days to determine if ALL the specified elected municipal official(s) named in said recall petition shall be removed from his or their elected office(s). The ballot in such a RECALL REFERENDUM shall read as follows: 'Shall All the the elected officials named below be removed from office?', followed by the name(s) of the elected officials and his or their respective elected office(s). Upon the result of sixty percent (60%) of those voting concurring with removal of ALL such elected officials, at such recall election, the individuals shall vacate the elected office(s) to which he or they were elected; and the provisions for replacement as determined by this Charter, or by applicable State law, shall determine the proper successor to the elected office(s) so affected. ?"

This Charter change would make recall difficult....but possible.

Anyone else with me on this?

A Glimpse of Things to Come (Or GO)?

Let's see now.....

The City Charter requires that all transfers greater than $1,500 be reviewed and approved by the City Council before the transfer may take place;

The amount transferred from the Police Pension was, shall we say, just a wee bit more than $1,500...and the Council is just now hearing about it;

This could get serious....

Old News, New Twists

The recent revelation that Our Fair City might not be able to make Decembers' payroll (as reported yesterday in the Register) should come as no surprise to readers of these scribblings - I brought these issues up as early as February and March.

When questioned about allegations that the City didn't pay its federal taxes, Finance Director Bob (da Robba) Barron did something unusual: he clammed up. (Of course, everyone knows what happens when we don't pay our taxes...better hope Fast Eddie Marcus and ATF don't have a contract with the feds!)

What will come as a bit of a shock (but, let's be honest, as no surprise) is the, um, "minor" mistake of $3,000,000.00 which apparently has been made by John ("I get sooo emotional!") Picard and his mini-me Bob Barron (shown below).
Word is that these millions came out of the police pension fund...and the poop's gonna fly hard and fast, if these allegations prove to be true.

Wonder how he'll spin this to be "all Rich Borer's fault"? Hmmm.

PS - I see I "made the big time" again...wonder if lil' Boy Blue forgot to take his meds?

UPDATE 2:38 pm, 12/17/2009 -- The Finance Committee of the City Council will be holding a special meeting on this matter. The meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 23rd at 6:00 pm. There will be a Public Forum at the start.

I strongly recommend we pack the joint...let's send a clear-cut message to the politico's!

News from the BOE Front

In an interesting turn of events, it appears we will have a new chair for the Board of Education come December 21. UPDATE: Continuing his policy of "hide-the-meeting", the Mayor has now RESCHEDULED the BOE Organizational meeting for December 28^th.

Those in the know believe that Howard Horvath - who announced his candidacy only a few days ago - has cut a deal with the Mayor's supporters on the Board.

This, oddly enough, seems to be a "win-win-win" for all involved: The Tearful Tiger can finally rest easy, knowing he's denied Dorinda Borer the position (and he's co-opted one of the "Better Futurer's" onto his side). Howie gets his chairmanship. As for Dorinda...well, let's just say she got the sweetest deal of all.

The educational system in West Haven is horribly broken...and some of the causes for the current state of affairs can't be addressed at the City level. The next BOE is going to have to make some hard (and unpopular) decisions regarding layoffs, school closings, etc...and the Chair is the biggest turkey in the gunsights.

Maybe this is really a "lose-lose-lose" bargain...with the taxpayers (and more importantly, our children) winding up to be the biggest losers.

If you need advice, Howie:

What you wish for beware of; get it you just might!

(Not a Recent Photo)

Extremism in the Defense of Liberty...

...may be no vice, sir - but it sure as HELL is an attack on it!

The Connecticut Post reported today about the three COWARDS (shown above) who crashed a menorah lighting ceremony on the Fairfield Green.

This is so wrong on so many levels...and should offend every American. And so, in this season of hope, I'd like to say to these "heroes of democracy":

First of all, if you feel so strongly about something...even if your opinion is unpopular...have the courage of your convictions: identify yourselves. (This also applies to those "heroes" who anonymously post malicious messages on the Register!)

Secondly, by using Nazi symbols to get your point across -- OK, I get it, you're really against Nazi tactics -- still you essentially spit on the graves of those who fought and died against those symbols. You cannot ever use evil in the expectation of obtaining good.

Finally, it is particularly repugnant to use these symbols (and shout obscenities) during a public ceremony to denote a Jewish holiday. Perhaps those who oppose you should dig up your grandmother's body and parade the corpse around your house to "celebrate" her death.

We have been blessed by the writers of our Constitution with several rights (or "freedoms"): all of which have sustained our Country through the years. But with each of these rights, we are also charged with a corresponding responsibility, to use and guard those rights carefully - so that we shall pass them on undamaged to our posterity. Otherwise, unlike the "greatest generation" you so callously mock, history shall denote us the "worst generation".

(P.S. H/T to Connecticut Bob - who is no relation - and who posted an excellent piece on this!)

Advice for AFD's Charter Commission:

The history of Charter creation (and for that matter, Charter reform) in West Haven is littered with the wrecks of rejects and disasters. I hope the Allingtown Fire Department's attempt to adopt a "Home Rule" charter doesn't meet a similar fate.

Many if not most of the past debacles were the direct result of Charter Commission members following the lead of political desires; the changes too often benefited the "powers-that-be" at the expense of the voters who must put final approval on the Commission's work. Or, the changes were seen by the voters in that way.

Here's some general suggestions and guidelines for the AFD Charter Commission:

• KEEP TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS! Make sure the voters are kept apprised of each and every step...hand out flyers if postage is an issue. If something is put in (or taken out), let the voters know...and explain the reasoning for the change.

• A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THE BUDGET PROCESS IS ESSENTIAL! The system currently used by all THREE(!) Fire Departments favor those who create a small clique of interested individuals (for example - and this isn't the only example - the Firefighters Union). It is a natural fact that each group will work for its own best interests; so by making the process as open and easy as possible, you'll get more interested persons...and the general interest will be better represented.

• INCREASE THE LEVEL OF VOTER PARTICIPATION IN THE RUNNING OF THE DEPARTMENT! While it's not practical to oversee all aspects of the day-to-day operations, a Civilian Oversight Board - having term limits - can better inform the public of how their tax dollars are being spent, and what condition their Budget is in.
  

I'll admit these are vague suggestions, coming from someone who isn't even served by this Fire Department. I'll even accept that some aren't workable in practice...and that these three by no means address all issues the Commission must face.

But - especially by keeping the Charter process open and transparent - there's a good chance this proposed Charter won't go down in flames...and the Commission members won't end up with:

Keeping our Butts Above the Water

You would think that - after several years of problems, financial crises, and budget rejections - the Allingtown Fire Department (the littlest of our three - THREE! step-children) would have long ago gotten the message that it needs serious reform...or simply to fade away.

Well, at least now they're trying reform. As the Register has reported, a meeting has been set up to discuss creating a "home-rule" charter.

Without such a charter, the Department is essentially required to go to the General Assembly for any major changes to its rules (the other two....TWO! Fire Departments did this decades ago.)

This doesn't really address the serious - some would say fatal - problems that the AFD faces. However, it is a long-overdue adaptation to the realities faced in the late 20th century. Pity it's being done in the early 21st century, but, hey - better late than never, right? Right?????

One thing that should be watched closely is the budget process...and how it might be changed. After the problems AFD has had getting its budgets passed in recent years past, I'd keep a very close eye on this one.

This isn't an issue of how much firefighters get paid, or their retirement packages. I, for one, couldn't do that job no matter how much you compensated me...and I suspect those who complain the most are in the same boat. This is an issue of allowing the AFD to streamline itself to change with the times...and possibly "grease the skids" for consolidation.

The meeting is going to be tomorrow (Thursday, December 10th) at 7:00 pm - what, the Mayor couldn't talk them into 5:15? - at the West River Hall on Orlando Street.

All Allingtown residents should pack this meeting...otherwise, they shouldn't carp about the crap that can be expected to occur.

UPDATE (12/9/09 8:10PM) - Something happened tonight that I wouldn't have thought possible: a clear statement by a Public Official! In the "Comments" of the Register article (click on the link above), Ron Walters presents a straightforward clearing of the normally irresponsible and juvenile snarks that have been posted. I submit a screen shot of his comments for your review:

I hope this is really from that Commissioner, and not a bully ploy by one of our "merry pranksters"...if so, then this guy sounds like a breath of fresh air for AFD. They should find more like him and toss out some of the rotten wood that's been taking up space on the Fire Commission for far too long.