Saturday, April 13, 2013

After 17 Months of the O’Brien Administration


After 17 months of the O’Brien administration, New Britain residents continue to suffer under

possibly the biggest tragedy in the history of New Britain politics. What is this tragedy? Not once in all these past 17 months has there been anything positive reported about this administration in any of the local news media. 

Since day one of O’Brien’s tenure New Britain residents have been subjected to: broken promises, prevarications, character assassination of the previous administration, firings of department heads/directors, senseless dismantling of departments, manipulation of taxpayer funds without Council approval for personal use. e.g., hiring of P.R. firm and payments to a consultant for NO WORK done, no search committee or job posting to hire a community organizer whose spouse is a Council member, and the list could go on.

In November of 2011 O’Brien institutes a hiring freeze then immediately hires Phil Sherwood to be his Communications Director; later Phil’s title is changed to its current iteration of Deputy Chief of Staff with multiple upward salary adjustments to its current number of ? dollars. 

Later, came the multiple claims of huge deficits - don’t know what has happened with those except, whatever was done resulted in a lowering of the City’s Bond Rating. Water Department Reserves are depleted (by at least $16 million) and those funds are mingled with General Fund monies. Revenue streams are predicted from which the city gets little or nothing. Promises made that taxes will not rise and the mill rate increases by over 8 mills. Yes, some residential property taxes will decrease but how about other taxes such as personal property. Real estate values are decreased but that is not a plus.

In my opinion the most flagrant abuse of New Britain taxpayers by O’Brien has come from his appropriation of Taxpayer funds for “personal use” to hire a P.R. Firm ($100 thousand) and a private consultant who was hired almost a year ago (Pudlin) and paid $30 thousand for producing no work. Both of these expenditures were the result of no bid contracts. Why were they needed?  I ask, why is this different from stealing, misuse of taxpayer funds, fraud, etc.? If any taxpayers don’t pay their taxes, they are assessed fines and are subject to having their properties liened.

Have you all read O’Brien’s budget? Look at the projected revenue streams and you will see very quickly that his budget is a work of fiction. Stay tuned, more to come.

 By:Lou Salvio

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will the republicans put up a candidate this year or will O'Lyin get a free pass?

We need to start talking about who we can run.

Who is out there?

Seriously, what are the names, and when can we get to work?

Anonymous said...

I think we need Tim Stewart back at the helm.

Anonymous said...

I think our chances would be better with a fresh face. We need O"brien retired and should avoid running another candidate with so much baggage.

Anonymous said...

Anybody could win against O'brien if they just enter....but will anyone come forward...who do you want to see run?

Anonymous said...

I worried about republicans thinking all they have to do is challenge O'Brien and they will win. It will be tough but a fight we need to have.

Our chances might be better if we work really hard and not just say all we have to do is put another name on the ballot and find another name that doesn't have baggage. Perhaps a business leader or perhaps a landlord who lives in the city?

Anonymous said...

Everyone has some kind of BAGGAGE. Usually it doesn't mean anything until somebody runs for office. Then ...

Anonymous said...

Everyone has some kind of BAGGAGE. Usually it doesn't mean anything until somebody runs for office. Then ...

Anonymous said...

The way O'Brien has been funneling taxpayer monies to his friends and cronies is stealing; and, Council Democrats support it every time. It can also be described as, INCESTUOUS!

Anonymous said...

I'm not on the NBRTC but as a republican I find it embarrassing we haven't found a candidate to run against O'Brien. It's already May and we really should get into gear to beat O'Lyin. I was at the landlord meeting and a PAC is great but let's stop talking and something already. The O'Brien communists already put a mail piece on my door this weekend.

Anonymous said...

Pudlin Strategic Communications, (PSC) LLC, a political consulting firm, was hired for consulting services in 2012 by the O'Brien administration and has been paid a total of $30,800.

The contract between Dvid Pudlin and the City of New Britain specifically stated that the contractor will assist in city budget affairs, city efficiency studies, and bring in jobs, but has done no such work, at least not according to what was released in the current FIO documents.

Anonymous said...

I live on Sexton and I got an O'Brien flyer too. What's going on?

Anonymous said...

My nomination, Henry Zembko. He is on CPOA has name recognition and is a landlord. He's a businessman too. Businessmen are better than communists. I think him or Mark Bernacki can beat The dictator. I would advise against Stewart although I respect him immensely.

Anonymous said...

Somebody better get their act together. Not even sure if anyone wants to run. We need a strong candidate and not just anybody. Please run Mark Bernacki!

Anonymous said...

Mark is a nice guy and probably would be a good mayor but we all know he can't win.

Look what happened last time even though O'lyin had been beat up in a primary.

Sherwood is running his campaign this year and we know he will do anything to keep communism in our city.

Anonymous said...

Our faithful party leaders won't work hard enough for Mark. Look at who the leaders are now? What did they do and how hard did they work to get Mark elected? Why would he sign up for that again?

Celest Roach has been talking with Jamie Giantonio about running for mayor. If we work for her and CCSU students get involved, we could get to see a Republican mayor again in New Britain!!!

Anonymous said...

Mr. Smith,

Please don't post this but I didn't know how else to contact you. Can you write an editorial post on your blog encouraging fellow republicans to step forward to run against O'Brien. We cannot, and this city cannot take 2 more years of his shannanigans and corruption; espeically with Sherwood at the helm.


It's almost May and it is critically important we have a candidate by the end of this month; I've already read on here and from relatives that the O'Brien campaign is already knocking doors and identifying voters.

Anonymous said...

So long as Democrats are enabled to forcibly take more than half of your income (assuming you are one of the few residents that actually works and pays taxes) and redistribute it to the majority of Democrats who never worked a day in their lives or paid a dime in taxes, you are never going to win an election so long as your money is being used to fund the free ride of freeloaders called Democrats. They must vote to keep that free money flowing from your pocket to theirs.

Anonymous said...

Willie Pabon is being recruited by Ms. Stewart so that she can run for Council in ward 1. Another example of the Stewarts putting their interest above the party's.

I would rather see Tim Stewart run or Paul Catenzaro. Conservatives New Britain can trust!

Anonymous said...

Everyone is so chicken to run....don't think anyone has the nerve....very sad.

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