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photo courtesy of Afonso Lima
Click here to read about how a student in Hartford opted out of the Connecticut Mastery Test.
The Connecticut State Department of Education website makes the No Child Left Behind threats both clear and obscure at the same time:
The phrase “academic performance” is Continue reading 'Back to School Guide: Reclaiming Your Child’s Education (2/2)'»
Because the Hartford Democratic Town Committee convention did not start on time, there was opportunity to check out the fashions. Continue reading 'Is this what Democracy Looks Like?'»
A large room crammed full of powerful people (and those aiming to be) dressed in red, white, and blue, with buttons and signs galore. The party casts its votes, maybe some numbers don’t match up and a recount is needed, but the endorsements get made and the evening moves on. Reporters pushing their way through to get to the newly endorsed or to those left behind. That’s the image that comes to mind, and to an extent, that is what happens. But for those who have never been to a convention and who are not politically connected, it might be eye-opening to learn that the behind the scenes “back room deals” are not so secretive after all.
The Hartford Democratic Town Committee’s convention was scheduled to begin at 5:30 on Thursday evening in Bulkeley High School’s air conditioned auditorium. We assumed that this was the fake time, which is told so that events kick off on time about thirty minutes later. Segarra’s supporters were gathered around the building’s entrance with signs and stickers at 4:30 pm. By all accounts, I thought I would be home by ten, latest.
Upon entering, we had our choice of seats. Nothing was roped off. Nobody was serving as an usher. I sat with Emily of Live in Hartford, and near reporters from The Hartford Guardian and The Hartford News, two small, local newspapers that work hard to get the story, like journalists from days of yore. We were in the second row, center, and nobody seemed to mind.
Waiting for the event to begin, we noted who was conversing with whom. Julio Concepcion, an HDTC member, stopped over and we chatted about the waves he made when he publicly questioned the 2-2-2 strategy days prior. In the audience was a young man, a teenager about to enter Hartford Public High School after attending Bellizzi. He began the evening as the embodiment of idealism. We never saw if he looked the same, or disenchanted, when he slipped out later.
At 6pm, we thought the event was going to begin when the committee announced that the little people had to move our seats:
The rationale made sense. Leave room so that HDTC members can easily access the microphone and be heard; one wonders why this was not announced earlier. One also wonders why this was even attempted, as the members were scattered throughout the auditorium, some griping that they could not hear, all the while not moving their seats, despite the vacant ones now reserved for them. Continue reading 'Behind the Scenes at the Hartford Democratic Town Committee Convention'»
A potential mayoral candidate — who has yet to say what he stands for — flings more mud at the current mayor. Without blinking an eye, all of the media outlets jump on it. Initially, this happens without an explanation for why the State Representative would care at all about this “issue.”
It’s simply not news. I had known that the Mayor’s husband owns investment properties and collected Section 8 from some of them well before Roldán dropped his press release, and I’m not someone who spends any time filing FOIA requests or getting information for gossiping city council aides who could spend their time better by actually working. The property assessment data for the City of Hartford is online. It’s searchable by address and by name. According to this data, Ortiz has purchased (investment) properties and an office between 2003-2007. I am not sure what need there is to “investigate” when this is spelled out clearly. There are no secrets in Hartford; at any point in the past five years Roldán could have formally expressed his concern about a possible conflict of interest, yet he waited until exploring a mayoral campaign.
In a city where approximately 30% of residents live in poverty and thousands are on the waiting list to receive Section 8 subsidized housing, it’s not all that shocking that someone who owns an investment property would be collecting federal subsidies. While there may be a conflict of interest in here somewhere, as a resident, I am much more concerned that Ortiz is behaving as a responsible landlord. There are so many absentee landlords who do not maintain their properties and who turn a blind eye to tenants who engage in routine criminal activities. Those landlords who permit the erosion of quality of life in Hartford concern me far more than those who collect Section 8 for two tenants and do so while being married to the Mayor.
This is not about muckraking, it’s about having an agenda. Continue reading 'Scandals That Aren’t'»
On Saturday, Hartford joined other cities across the nation as it hosted a Rally to Save the American Dream– a show of support for public employees in Wisconsin, 12,000 of whom are expected to receive layoffs as part of the Wisconsin governor’s plan to blackmail his state’s public workers into surrendering their bargaining rights. People gathered in major cities, including Juneau, Honolulu, Austin, Atlanta, Boise, Charleston, Chicago, Madison, Philadelphia, and New York. Organizers say that 30,000 people representing 66 cities, including every state capital, were planning to rally yesterday.
That smell? That’s the lingering aftermath of yesterday’s fecal explosion over who the next Top Model Superintendent will be. In recent weeks there have been rumors about who would be appointed to this position, but instead of being straight with the people, we have been teased with coy statements.
Jeff Cohen of WNPR has been tracking the complete breakdown in communication, which points at how instead of addressing each other directly, the school system and the Mayor are going at it via the media. Instead of just answering Segarra’s inquiries about school bonuses, for example, school spokesperson David Medina sent Adamowski’s response in the form of a press release. Continue reading 'Transparent Political Education'»
In the recent campaign for State Representative, word got out that Hector Robles — the current rep for the sixth district and an officer with the Hartford Police Department — was facing some serious accusations. It’s finally been revealed what he has been investigated for — double-billing and more.
A quick call to the Registrar of Voters yesterday confirmed that I belong to one of the two major political parties, which means little to me beyond my ability to vote in primary elections. It’s not a just system, blocking out those who choose not to affiliate for personal or religious reasons.
The photograph depicts the scene outside the Burns School around 7:30 this morning. There were about the same number of people inside as at the November election, though my polling place as changed, so this observation is neither here nor there.
The half dozen votermaniacs (pictured) were cheering even when no pedestrians or cars were in sight. Luckily, the building has a secondary entrance that sidesteps political cheering squads.
There was no drama to my knowledge (so far) down in Voting District 9, but elsewhere, a candidate’s mom allegedly got into it with her son’s challenger. Let’s hope this is an exaggeration and that people are behaving themselves. For a change, let all the ridiculousness happen elsewhere.
It’s a little nauseating how frequently people whine about how the City can not do X,Y, and Z because of budget constraints. Obviously, we do not have a limitless well to draw from, but it takes very little creativity to see where the city can trim fat in order to fund better projects and services.
Here’s a tip for all the politicians who might have just no idea of where to start cutting back:
Look for examples of clear waste. This photo was taken yesterday in Bushnell Park in the late afternoon. It was hours from sunset and not remotely overcast, yet the lights were on in the park. How much money is wasted just by leaving the lights on?
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