It is a few weeks short of a year since Tim O’Brien took over the reins as Mayor of New Britain. In that time the citizens of New Britain, especially the taxpayers have been given the equivalent of what in medical terms would be a report of multiple myeloma, a virulent, body-destroying cancer eating away at its very existence. Two Herald articles this week exemplify the problem: Monday, 10/22/12, “Life After School” and, Tuesday, 10/23/12, “City Downgraded.”
In this case, the culprit is not a true malignant cancer but a malignancy nonetheless, to wit, a hopelessly unqualified and inept City administration operating with majority support from an equally inept, rubber stamp Common Council.
O’Brien promised the citizens of New Britain a caring and totally transparent administration, free from any hint of graft and corruption. What did we get? We have a budget not supported by line item requests; we have a reorganization effort not supported by publicized plan nor a required public hearing; we had an announced employment hiring freeze but we have a plan to hire 30 (?) new police; we have an acting chief of every important department with concomitant raises to the point where nobody knows who reports to whom. We have a high salaried Chief of Staff who says nothing, we have a de facto Mayor who started off as a Director of Communications and is now a Deputy Chief of Staff and apparently, the determiner of what flows to the “press” and we have a Common Council that doesn’t even know what a Charter is or more important, what day it is.
And, as for our administration, they never run out of people to blame; the latest?, blame Nick Mercier, a non-elected individual who served as Finance Board Chair. Problem is that Mercier is probably ten times more informed and competent on budget matters than any member of O’Brien’s administration.
As for Phil Sherwood, New Britain is finding out why Hartford and a state Citizens’ group didn’t want him, Sherwood is a loose grenade with a missing pin; O’Brien himself ? It’s time for the Common Council to think about impeachment of O’Brien - and his immediate staff - for cause (s), i.e., malfeasance, misfeasance, nonfeasance or any other “feasance” available.
Lou Salvio
Lou,
ReplyDeleteI think the malignancy in city hall would appropriately be called "Sherwooditus"
You forgot to mention that his tax collector doesn't seem to do much of anything to collect millions in delinquent property taxes!
ReplyDeleteIn all fairness to the office of the tax collector, there is a policy in place that mandates they use a collection agency to go after delinquent taxes. I do agree it is a bad policy, but until it is changed that will be the case. And when a good majority of the Elected Dem's owe taxes do you really think it will be changed ?
ReplyDeleteRather than using a tax collection agency to collect delinquent taxes the tax collector should use the eight elected Constables who have the authority to serve warrants to make collections when the collection agency is not capable to do so and only mails a request for payment. That is why we have millions of dollars outstanding.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know how many millions are delinquent? Perhaps if O'Brien's limp lame administration collected even a fraction of the overdue taxes, there would be no need to demonize honest, hard working property owners.
ReplyDeleteBut so many of the elected officials are the tax delinquents, how can he collect from deadbeats without alienating his own slate?
ReplyDeleteGood letter! I'm concerned about impeaching Mayor O'Brien though. Would we then get Mayor Pro-Tempore Trueworthy as his replacement? We could be even worse off than we are now. Far better to use the next year to amass the votes to toss the Mayor and the majority leadership Council members out of office. Only then can the City begin to heal its financial and other wounds. I hope there will be several Democratic primary contests next year, as responsible residents come forward to serve their city. People in New Britain are just beginning to realize that municipal elections can affect their daily lives a lot more than Presidential or Congressional ones. November 2013 is just around the corner!
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