Unraveling Hartford And Perez
Mayor will resign, but separating him from the city takes time
By Jeff Cohen - WNPR
Published: Jun 22, 2010
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Mayor Eddie Perez On Election Night 2007.
Photo:WNPR File Photo
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Unraveling Hartford And Perez
This was the kind of event made for a mayor.
There was a high school drill team. There were local businessmen, politicians, and the city’s biggest developer. There were city boosters. And there was a ribbon cutting – a new bank branch was opening at the XL Center in downtown Hartford.
The only thing missing – the mayor. He wasn’t even on the speaking program.
This was in April, and Eddie Perez’s trial had yet to begin. But the long, slow process of unraveling a mayor from a city was already underway.
“The mayor and the city of Hartford were so intertwined that it’s hard for me to think about the city without thinking about Eddie Perez, and vice versa. I think he’s been no question about it, the dominant political figure in the city of Hartford for at least a decade, probably longer.”
That’s John Motley, a former executive at Travelers who considers himself a friend of the mayor’s.
“And so when we’re looking at the reality that he is not going to be a part of that equation going forward then there’s going to be a lot of adjustments that will have to be made.”
Those adjustments include taking Eddie Perez out of Hartford, out of city hall, potentially even out of the board of education. It also includes taking him off the city's website.
By Monday morning, the front page slideshow of the city’s webpage had removed two pictures of Perez – one of him in his office, the other with his wife and with President Barack Obama. By the next afternoon, easily clicked front-page links to Perez were gone, and so was his biography. All that’s left of him on the front page are his statements since a jury found him guilty.
On the other hand, separating the man from the city is a process that’s already started. Again, John Motley.
“As people saw him possibly losing office, probably losing power, that process began at least two, two and a half years ago.”
Matt Hennessy, Perez’s chief of staff, left city government last year. Then, earlier this spring, Perez lost his grip on the makeup of the city’s Democratic party.
Motley also knows the struggle civic organizations have dealt with when it comes to Perez.
“Little things like whether or not an organization or non-profit is going to invite him to an event, whether or not he’s going to be an honorary chair, where he sits. Alll of these things were things that you wouldn’t have expected that people have had to really think about. But that has happened the past several years.”
And it happened to Motley. Days after Perez’s first arrest in 2009, Motley emceed an event at city hall with the mayor. The organization involved thought about whether or not it made sense to keep the mayor on the program. And it did.
Now, though, things are obviously different. Perez has said he will resign, and city council President Pedro Segarra will take his place.
At least in a figurative way, it’s something Segarra has already been doing – as far back as that bank opening in April. When Perez wasn't there.
“Before I introduce our next speaker, I just wanted to recognize someone who is in the audience today. Pedro Segarra who’s president of the Hartford city council – perhaps you could…I see a hand…Oh, there he is.”
It's a process that could take a while.
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The mayor and the city of Hartford were so intertwined that it’s hard for me to think about the city without thinking about Eddie Perez, and vice versa.
-John Motley
Comments
Did John Motley talk about what he got before Perez left?
John Motley was part of this "unraveling" process more than he revealed. John Motley got appointed the Chair of the School Building Committee when Perez stepped down. Why does this matter? Motley also happens to be on the Board of Directors for Achievement First-Hartford. Conflict of interest? No, not in Hartford.
As it turns out, Achievement First-Hartford got a sweet deal on the Fox Middle School Facility. They will be the first in the building once it gets renovated. All they had to was put up a small amount of private money to get their snouts into the public trough. How much did they put up? How much did the city put up?
That building is supposed to be shared by several schools. However, Achievement First is already under the impression that they "own" it. Don't believe me? Check out a quote from another member of the Board of Directors, Colleen Palmer:
Ms. Palmer asked for an update on the pending August 2010 move to Hartford’s former Fox Middle School and requested that the Board receive digital pictures of the facility, as well as organize a visit in late spring or early summer. Ms. Palmer also suggested planning a ceremony before the opening of the school as a symbolic gesture of ownership. Such a ceremony might include the signing of a wall or beam in the building by Achievement First Hartford Academy teachers, students, parents and supporters.
(Meeting Minutes January 28, 2010)
So Hartford pays to fix a public building that a private corporation feels they "own". Corporate welfare? Conflict of interest?
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