FRANKSMITHSAYSNB EDITORIAL:
A city contact has divulged that the mayor's office has hired a communications firm for $100,000 to fight what he insists are false claims regarding the 911 calls as they relate to his infamous hotspot ordinance where the landlord can get an enormous charge for what he determines are excessive calls to 911 from his tenants. The landlords object to this form of taxation disguised as a fee for calls generated by tenants who may hate the propagator of the building.
In another false claim to the public, the O'Brien Administration first started off by announcing a freeze on hiring, but turned around and hired a chief of Staff and an assistant chief of staff--Phil Sherwood.
Let us also not forget the hiring of Mrs. Brown with what was falsely claimed to be HUD funds that never existed. Many of the Aldermen were even misled to understand it was HUD funds paying for her salary of $47,000 annually when they were told about the position.
Now we supposedly need a consultant firm for an expenditure of $100,000 to correct the misinformation the administration accuses the landlords of spreading to their tenants to not make calls to 911. The ordinance is wrong in its conception since it tags the landlord for the call made by his tenants from his building however the landlords are merely asking their tenants to use the 826-3000 to make their calls to the city that are not emergency calls. Wouldn’t it be better for the city if the mayor would simply accept that his “hot spot” ordinance is just another in a long list of complete and total failures for his failed administration? Especially since repealing it would save the taxpayers the $100,000 they are now going to be forced to pay to a public relations firm in order to offer catchy slogans or jingles aimed at selling it to them.
In addition to the $100,000 being blown by this administration, I noted that Mr. Sherwood in today's New Britain Herald has a new title ---Chief of Staff:::: Does this mean yet another huge raise from the frozen funds of the new administration?
If the muzzling of city hall employees to not talk to certain members of the press, the misinformation of the Brown hiring, calling meetings without allowing the full public participation, and rewriting proposed apartment fees with agreement of only two landlords is not enough to make your blood boil, consider this: there is a rumor circulating that a possible reason for the hiring of this communications firm is that it allegedly somehow involves none other than Mr. Roy Occhiogrosso who will be the Governor's former aid one week from today.
Could this be the position Mr. Occhiogrosso was alluding to when he suggested to the press that although he was leaving, he would soon be back in an undisclosed capacity?
It is difficult to confirm how the public’s money is being spent when a mayor who promised open government operates his city hall in total secrecy while hiding behind a gag order on city employees. It is this “cloak and dagger” society operating out of the mayor’s office that creates an atmosphere for anyone in or around city hall to feel a need to anonymously release rumors in order to protect themselves from the perceived threat of retaliation by a person who is generally accepted to be the unelected mayor of this city.
For the record- Mr. Occhiogrosso is associated with Global Strategies Group, a political public relations and consulting firm. He also ran the Malloy's campaign for governor and has been a political organizer, consultant and key advisor to Democrats in state of Connecticut for more than two decades.
ReplyDeleteSo-New Britain Mayor O'Brien has thrown his re-election hat into the ring by hiring Global Strategies & Mr.Occhiogross for sum of $100,000 dollars. As New Britain Tax-payers have noticed, Mr. O'Brien will now be using our New Britain tax dollars to fund his 2013 re-election campaign.
He also hired an independent auditor. Lots of money being spent.
ReplyDeleteRoy Occhiogrosso's Overview
ReplyDeleteCurrent: Senior Advisor at Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy
Past: Partner at Global Strategy Group
Campaign Manager at Bill Curry for Governor
Policy and Communications Director at Connecticut State Senate Democrats
Global Strategy Group (GSG), a leading national public affairs and research firm, recently announced the appointment of partner Roy Occhiogrosso as Senior Advisor to longtime GSG client and incoming Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy during his first term.
ReplyDeleteGlobal Strategy Group is a public affairs and research firm in market research, politics, communications, new media and interactive services. GSG clients include political candidates, corporations and advocacy organizations worldwide. In the United States, the company works with Democratic Party candidates and office holders.
ReplyDeleteEXECUTIVES:
Roy Occhiogrosso, partner, has specialized for more than 14 years in strategic communications, media relations, public policy, and political strategy. For six years he was Policy and Communications Director for the state Senate Democrats in Connecticut, and he also has held various managerial positions in government and on political campaigns ranging from the local to the presidential. A New York City native, he received his B.A. and M.P.A. from the University of Connecticut, and is an adjunct professor of political science in the Public Policy Graduate School at Trinity College in Hartford
Hartford Courant: Roy Occhiogrosso, a partner with the consulting firm Global Strategy Group, served as Gov.-elect Malloy's chief campaign strategist. Prior to joining Global, Roy worked on numerous political races in Connecticut, and served for 6 years as the Policy and Communications Director for the state Senate Democrats.
ReplyDeleteHow is this possible when it was not included in the budget proposal or approved budget? Take a look at the proposed budgets of the Corporation Counsel, Democratic Register, Republican Registar, Civil Service, or Town Clerk. Nothing there for this type of Professional Service which is the only line item that includes enough funds. When did the Common Council approve this contract? It must be similar to to the Brown situation. I'd love to see the paperwork that approved her hiring and where that was included in the General Fund budget or propoased budget. Changes like this need to be approved by the Common Council. So much for transparency in this administration. Start using FOI to look at these.
ReplyDelete$100,000 is the kind of money you usually spend in City of Hartford or New Haven. Anybody who lives in New Britain can tell Mayor O'Brien what's wrong for free by asking. But nothing gets through if the Mayor is not listening! If the Mayor wants some good press, perhaps he should publish a list of 911 calls that don't warrant emergency status. We also think it's time for FOI to get involved on who or whom approved the $100,000 consultant fee contract with Global Strategy Group people.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter if the mayor is listening, because to anyone who is paying attention he is clearly not running the city or making any of the decisions.
ReplyDelete