The Good, The Bad and The Wealthy Man In the City of Waterbury

If there was ever a tale that best told a story about the good, the bad and the wealthy in Waterbury, one only needs to read the Front Page story found in today's Waterbury Republican Newspaper. It seems that the Waterbury's now retired Water Superintendent struck a high stakes payout that if left unchallenged will allow him to begin collecting a monthly check that is nothing more than immorally legal thievery from the city. At issue is a sweetheart of a deal that allows Kenneth R. Skov more than double what the average city employee should get and to add insult to injury a green light that allows him to start confiscating taxpayers dollars a decade to early.

Any clear thinking person can rationalize the morally void specifics of this are just too stark to accept. The fact that Wealthy Man Jarjura believes Skov should begin to collect $67,000 a year as of Sept. 1 to fulfill the city obligations detailed in his lucrative employment contract that the Wealthy Man agreed to in 2002 tells me all I need to know about the status quo of Waterbury Politics at it's best.

Now the meat of the matter is this, according to published reports: "If his retirement plan is approved, former superintendent [of the Bureau of Water] Kenneth R. Skov will cost Waterbury residents at least $737,825 more over the coming 11 years than the city's Retirement Board is willing to give him. That contract, which Jarjura negotiated with him in 2002, agreed to credit Skov with two years of service for every year worked, thus giving him a big boost in his post-retirement city
earnings"

To hear Jarjura tell it, one would have to believe that Skov was another pillar that kept the sky from falling on this Great City as he was a key player in a lawsuit way back when. As a result he was given a sweetheart deal with his good friend Jarjura, or maybe not as Jarjura seems to, according to the newspapers quote " blames that on former Mayor Philip A. Giordano, who hired Skov." How convenient.

One wonders if that sweetheart pension of over $700k to the water and taxpayers bill was recouped in that high stakes lawsuit.

At this moment, I am certain we all should rest and look the other way because Jarjura, according to the paper " went on to say he could have tried to strip it from Skov's contract, but Skov would have quit if he had tried to get rid of that perk or the 2-for-1 clause. In the end, that is what prompted Skov to resign." So by Jarjura's logic the ends [a sweetheart deal] justified the means, [he quit in any event]. Now I understand completely!

Currently, the retirement Board weighed in on this and credited Skov with 13 years of city service, which is how long he actually worked for the city, instead of the 21 years credited by his employment contract, according to a pension worksheet. They also did not allow Skov to boost his pension by using unused sick time to pump up the base pay figure at the heart of most municipal pension calculations which calculates t an additional $46,036, to bolster the base pay figure used to calculate his pension.

Now if Wealthy Man has his way Skov gets to up his yearly base pay from $103,000 to $149,055 for the purpose of calculating his pension.

The paper went on to report that Skov was unreachable for comment, I for one disagree. It appears Skov said all we needed to hear from 2002 when the contract was signed up to his departure to take another job.

I for one am all for fair, and stupid is as stupid does, something Jarjura and company has proven for far too many years. To me fair is this: Allow Skov to collect his pension in 2022 at the rate of $29,653 yearly, which is what he is entitled to. The pension would be withdrawn directly from the pension fund.

If that does not work, I suggest this. Let's sue Mr. Skov for an unfair, deceptive and misleading contract and bring Mr. Jarjura in as a additional party defendant. His gross negligence and usurpation of due diligence certainly exposes him to some form of liability.

Either way, at the end of the day any clear thinking attorney is certain to convince a judge that these sweetheart deals were not only unfair and deceptive but equally appalling to those dedicated workers that put in their 30+ years and seek only what is fair and equitable, something the spirit of any law would not allow.

Although this recent outrage turns the stomach of all of us taxpayers, it speaks more of the reality of where we stand in the City of Waterbury today.

I for one believe that the corrupt and avoidance of common sense by Michael Jarujura has brought this once rising star back down again. When the head is sick, the body is far from an illness, ours being higher taxes, greater unemployment and a weaker business base. But then again, this is just another example of the Good, the Bad, and the Wealthy Man in The City of Waterbury.

READ THIS: A Con Artist by Any Other Name

It was no surprise that the bilking of $1.6 billion by the CEO's of 17 banks would go un-punished, unless of course one actually believed the tough talk of outrage that wasn't actually existed regarding the pay of these legalized robbers parading around as bankers. It seems that of which went beyond the normal limits of pay for these immorally bankrupt hoodlums will now be let go and swept under the rug by the Obama pay czar, grossly absent of a fight or even a word muttered.

Kenneth Feinberg, the gutless puppet of the current Resident of the White House, Barrack Hussein Obama, made widely known on Friday that he would not so much as even attempt to seek reimbursement of the $1.6 billion in compensation legally bestowed to top executives at the bailed-out banks. His reasoning; he thought shaming them was punishment enough. How noble.

The problem is however, his carefully orchestrated "decision" to allow such legalized thievery speaks bounds for the current state of affairs of the United States of America with one of the greatest of the seven sins of our Country being revealed: greed

I take exception to such ludicrous policy choices, not because I am envious of those that are excessively possessing material wealth, but rather because I challenge their ability to accomplish such feats at the expense of We the People and our children and their children and all future generations that have now become enslaved to the banking masters.

I like so many other of the working class American populace have fallen victim to the slavery of credit issued by the elite few. If it was not enough that they have orchestrated the great collapse our economy through greed an manipulation one only needs to look at the equitable conditions set forth within the failed leaders policies that allow continual consumption of debt slavery and court systems that allow such criminalities against the back bone of America to not only exist, but advance with ease.

In a Capitalistic society, one builds an economic system that is characterized by private and corporate ownership of capital goods and investments that are determined by private decisions, prices, production and the distribution of goods that are determined by competition in a free market. All this of course is subject to the adherence of moral and just decision making void of greed and manipulation, something the banking system somehow forgot.

According to Wikipeida online dictionary, a Ponzi scheme
"is a fraudulent investment that pays returns to separate investors from their own money or money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned." That pretty much seems to sum up the banking system to me.

If it were not bad enough that the Ponzi Scheme derived by the elite few which inflated home values, market conditions and whatever else these sickofints did legally and or otherwise gave great contribution to the sufferance of We the People, to allow such duplicity of thievery and banditry of any American by taxpayer monies is categorically wrong, illegal, unethical and immoral; period.

An AP article published today is quoted as saying "Among the companies Feinberg did not pursue were two whose bailouts are expected to cost taxpayers more than $38 billion: American International Group Inc. and CIT Group Inc. He also ignored excessive pay at Wall Street powerhouses such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., which reaped massive profits from government efforts to stabilize the financial system. They had no trouble repaying their bailouts. He said a fight with those banks could have exposed them to lawsuits from shareholders trying to recapture the executives' money, and he did not think that would be fair."

Apparently Mr. Feinberg believes it is more fair and equitable to advocate for the assailant as opposed to the victim, something that is ever so prevalent in American Government today.

My issue is this: the same people that had their little keesters saved by the taxpayers of this country responded with the confiscation of wealth by giving themselves huge bonuses all the while that many of our fellow Americans lost their jobs and their retirements due to Wall Street greed.

You can talk about cutting taxes and reducing spending all you want, unless and until moral and just Statesmen [and woman] resolve in their hearts to take leadership roles in this country, throw the greed stricken bums out and unite with morality and ethics in combating the cancerous cells of greed and wealth confiscation, the status quo which is not working shall remain.

A Con Artist by any other name is still a swindler who exploits the confidence of his victim, something in which the bakers have legally perfected.

A Clearly Elite and Arrogant Persona

Although it was not my intention, I could not help but once again strike pen to paper in response to the arrogance that of Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele and Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton were forced to participate in Monday, July 12, 2010.

On that fateful day, Republican endorsed front-runner Tom Foley went to Hartford Superior Court trying to limit the choice of the people by blocking the State Elections Enforcement Commission from awarding Fedele and Boughton $2.1 million in campaign funds.

At issue in Foley's lawsuit, which was filed against the State Elections Enforcement Commission the day after the panel awarded $2 million to finance the joint campaign of Fedele and Boughton, is whether the $250,000 needed to qualify for the public funding came to them legitimately. The Foley camp claims that when Fedele and Boughton decided to pool their funds after raising small contributions to qualify separately for public financing, they wound up receiving checks from the same people. Foley has taken exception with about $25,000 worth of the $250,000 needed to qualify for the public funding, claiming it came to them in this manner and is in violation of the $100 per donor limit.

Now here's the problem with Foleys argument: Fedele and Boughton only formed a joint committee on July 1, after each had raised their respective capital separately. At the time, they were clearly independent candidates for governor and there certainly was no intent to usurp the law. The elections commission approved their application for an election grant a week after their joint filing. The request for an injunction was filed the following morning, by the Foley campaign in an obvious challenge designed to cause the maximum damage to the Fedele-Boughton campaign. Of course this is an allegation that Foley's lawyers strongly dispute. I guess we are to somehow believe Mr. Foley has the good of the people in mind even though his campaign had not exhausted all administrative remedies before going to court, something logic questions.

To add insult to injury, the campaign of Oz Griebel, the third Republican candidate for governor, has now joined the Foley campaign in asking the Court to deny public financing to the Fedele-Boughton team, how noble.

There is a major unintended disclosure that any clear thinking voter can see when one properly analyzes the tag team effort of Foley and Griebel. You see without public financing, the ruling will effectively muzzle the Fedele-Boughton campaign for the rest of the primary election. The reason being is because they will not be able to match Foley's and Griebel's television and radio advertising and mass mailings, something Foley and Griebel are certainly counting on.

All of this begs the questions to be asked: Is Fedele that much of a threat to Foley and Griebel that he must be silenced? Or: Are they both [Foley and Griebel] clearly that weak that unless they silence Fidele they are unable to supersede his ability to win?

Either way, they are both tyrants in the making.

I author this Blog not so much as I support Fidele, as I do not know him, but rather as I do not support tyrant like behavior. Up until this time, I remained open minded about Griebel, that of course has now changed.

I had reasonable expectations that the likes of Foley and Griebel would have had some integrity. I guess at times I to should expect to be disappointed as well. In retrospect however their actions are nothing more than self incrimination of their clearly elite and arrogant persona, something the voters of Connecticut clearly do not need.

 

A House Divided

I myself have rather grown tired of the infectious, comatose and devoid lack of common sense that the majority of Americans have welcomed within their everyday lives. With such catastrophic events taking place within the border's of the world's only super power, desolation and destruction are seen to those with opened eyes not that far off in the distance. Logically speaking, the destructive trees of socialism are just before the forest of communism.

America, in far contradiction to the every so degrading opinion of elite few; is not a nation of cowards or self seeking "crackers", as some of the most logically depraved misfits have declared. I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore.

Clearly, the arrogance and disdain that our local and state governments, Congress, House of Representatives, and President have shown us with their total disregard for the Constitution has now mutated to such a level of catastrophic proportions, one of which this country has never seen nor clearly can support much longer.

The solemn duty of our government is to obey the Constitution, secure our borders, maintain a general level of stability and peace while limiting itself in size; something our failed leaders both democrat and republican alike are unable to do.

Unemployment is reported to be hovering around 9 ½%. I for one believe these numbers are rather conservative and expect a more realistic percentage of Americans out of work is around 35%, and the stark reality is that each and every household financial budget has been raped, pilfered and it's American dream usurped by a clearly ignorant and defiant group of elected officials.

It is not enough that our hard earned salaries have been confiscated to bail out corrupt industries, support criminals that reside in this country without permission while rewarding them with social security benefits and health care, but those same very jobs with which once served to finance such lunacy have now been sent over seas to make other countries grow more economically than ourselves.

All the while, main stream American media is more concerned about Mel Gibson, Lindsey Lohan and whatever other idiotic "feature of the day" would distract the clearly uninformed and unconcerned average American.

My dear brothers and sisters wake up and smell the coffee. Corruption, greed and depraved arrogance reek in the nostrils of liberty and we must do something about it. Starting today, everywhere in America there is an opportunity to be heard. These opportunities include but are not limited to Tea Party and Anti Tax Rallies, talk shows, legally sanctioned elections and open office seats up for election.

Let our traitorous elected officials know that we are Mad as Hell and We are not going to take it anymore. After all, a house divided will certainly fall.

 

 

 

A RINO in the Courtyard

As the August 10, 2010 Primaries heat up, Tom Foley, the endorsed Republican candidate for Connecticut governor, ran off to court on Friday on a quest to halt one of his potential equals who may very well challenge Foley's political aspirations, from receiving more than $2 million in public funding.

Foley's campaign asserts that Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele and his running mate, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, failed to meet their legal obligations necessary to receive the funds from the state's Citizens Election Program.

An Associated Press Article portraying the story quotes Justin Clark, Foley's campaign manager; as follows: "This is going to be indicative of what goes on in a Foley administration, no more game-playing. People need to play by the rules." Oh really? How noble Mr. Foley, and according to you the "rules" are to tie your opponent up in court by usurping his ability to move forward with campaign funds?

You see at issue in Foley's lawsuit, which was filed against the State Elections Enforcement Commission the day after the panel awarded $2 million to finance the joint campaign of Fedele and Boughton, is whether the $250,000 needed to qualify for the public funding came to them legitimately. The Foley camp claims that when Fedele and Boughton decided to pool their funds after raising small contributions to qualify separately for public financing, they wound up receiving checks from the same people. Foley has taken exception with about $25,000 worth of the $250,000 needed to qualify for the public funding, claiming it came to them in this manner and is in violation of the $100 per donor limit.

Now Foley, an outspoken critic of the public financing system, can well afford to finance himself and has nothing to lose and everything to gain by frustrating Fedele and Boughton if even for a few days. The primary is a little over four weeks away and every day is valuable for Fedele and Boughton to get their message out. Foley, no idiot knows this and clearly is utilizing a political ploy to achieve this.

 

Now I for one certainly have a hard time believing candidate Foley can relate to me and my economic hardships and for that reason alone had luke warm support for him at best. His rather aggressive and un-necessary attempt to disenfranchise the Republican voters, seeking to win by deceit as opposed to merit only serves to distance the divide between him and I even greater. I believe his actions are nothing more than that of a democrat in all aspects.

 

Clearly a Governor Foley will be nothing more than a RINO in the courtyard, something substantially less than the good people of Connecticut can afford to tolerate.

An Anniversary of Failure

 

As one of the greatest founding fathers John Adams once said: "The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If 'Thou shalt not covet' and 'Thou shalt not steal' were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free."

 

What a noble idea. Sadly however nobility is far lacking in today's elected society and this being the 5^th anniversary of failure, such ideas require my attention.

 

I must admit, since the inevitable error of the United States Supreme Court's Kelo vs. New London decision, wherein the Court sanctioned the taking of private property of one American to give to another, I have always had, since that time forward, a rather doubtful opinion of the ability of our highest court to protect the rights of our citizens.

 

Right on cue however is a breath of fresh air with Republican for Connecticut Attorney General Martha Dean. If it were not enough that Ms. Dean clearly intends to restore integrity and original intent into the office of Attorney General, something which most notably has been grossly lacking in the last twenty years, one only needs to examine Ms. Dean solely on her recent statements to get a look at exactly what type of Attorney General she will be.

 

A recent article quotes Ms. Dean as follows: "As Attorney General I will propose reforming Connecticut's eminent domain laws to ensure that the type of eminent domain abuse that was allowed to occur in New London cannot reoccur".

 

At issue with the Kelo vs. New London decision was the very questionable confiscation of private property in this rural New England Town. Martha Dean clearly points out that the original intent of eminent domain was traditionally limited to public projects that would actually be used by the public, such as town halls, school buildings, roads, libraries, and so forth. After a rather broad and significant interpretation of "public use" in the 1950's by the U.S. Supreme Court, the term "public use" included the condemnation of private property to correct blighted urban areas.

 
 

Although the reasons for eminent domain reform are clear, the unintended consequences serve as a reminder in the New London case wherein homeowners lost their homes and there is nothing to show for the loss that the government imposed.

 
 

Martha Dean recently made the following observations of fact that further support why change is needed: "The homes in New London's Fort Trumbull area that were taken by the government for development sit vacant with weeds growing where there were once lawns and gardens. The city development authority's plans for redevelopment were focused on Pfizer's long-term commitment to the area, yet Pfizer has moved away and taxpayers are being forced to pay $35 million to entice another company to move into Pfizer's now-abandoned offices. As Attorney General I will propose reforming Connecticut's eminent domain laws to ensure that the type of eminent domain abuse that was allowed to occur in New London cannot reoccur,"

 

For 20 years Connecticut had an Attorney General that had little time on his hands to represent the true interests of those that placed him into office, especially when their most prized and sacred possession; their home was being confiscated. While chasing Connecticut business out of State, running after cameras, mis-speaking about his veteran service in a foreign war, and what ever else Richard Blumenthal did top acquire his $65 million treasure chest he also somewhere lost touch with We the People. It is time that dereliction of duties changes so we are ensured the next Attorney General of Connecticut does not allow history to repeat itself.

 

It is no secret that the duties of the Attorney General are far reaching and include making legislative proposals, providing opinions on the constitutionality of proposed legislation and, at times, existing law, and otherwise protecting Connecticut citizens from an abuse of state authority. Something Martha Dean clearly understands.

 

If Connecticut is ever going to move forward and away from this prominent abyss of failure, it must first require an Attorney General that has moral, ethical, clear thinking and articulate counsel, all traits that adequately favor Ms. Dean and are painfully a challenge to her opponents. Without such, we will all too often experience an anniversary of failure once again.

 
 

Abrogated Intelligence

With slightly more than a month to the August 10, 2010 Primaries, wherein We the Clear Thinking People will undoubtedly attempt to instill our common sense into the rest of those who find it challenging to reach some form of general intelligence, I cannot help but Author an opinion on exactly what should be done and why.

Clearly, there are numerous primary challenges, many inspired by the sincere desire to be morally correct and resourceful, while other is; well shall I say more of the same ol' same ol'.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with my opinion one thing is abundantly clear and that is my sincere honesty. A clear thinking person should never have to guess my position as I certainly and without regard to party loyalty speak what I think and think what I speak.

Like many, I have grown tired of the status quo as it is ever so clearly not working. I recognize that things must change and they must change quickly as our inability to orchestrate a turn for the better becomes more difficult as the days go by.

Each day that passes, we face an economic failure which if continually left unchecked and unresolved will become far greater than the great depression of the 1930's. Record deficit spending, continually higher taxes and a morally devoid set of incompetent leaders all work together to formulate a catastrophic end to the greatest nation in the world, the United States of America.

If there is anything that is responsible for the
true economic failure of our nation, it is the Incumbent policies and Party Establishments that have served to make the American taxpayer insensitive to deficit spending, punish honest working people for their success by penalizing us of over half of our hard earned dollars, discourage half of the American population from exercising personal responsibility, and promoting government dependence.

In the name of being fair and equitable, expressing compassion and social justice, the incumbent Democrats and Republicans have so thoroughly undermined the Capitalistic system that America was built on that nearly ten percent of all those willing and desiring gainful employment are robbed of an opportunity to retreat from economic failure at the hand of these over bearing far reaching sickofints we call "elected leaders". The end result is a weakened country due to the greater economic decay which inevitably follows what I like to call inadequate intelligence.

As we grow ever closer to Primary Day, it is necessary that clear thinking voters realize that incumbents are not the solution to our problems but rather the cause. People have no alternative but to educate their friends and neighbors that it is essential that they realize these incumbents, ir-regardless of their party affiliation, current or prior office, whatever the case may be; have failed us. Simply put if they are affiliated with their Party Establishment, held a prior office in government, seek a higher office or are seeking another term; returning them for another term of failure is simply not an option.

Clearly, the lack of true and meaningful leadership has earned them the revocation of voter trust and accordingly they need to rejoin the real world.

To invoke anything less would be Abrogated Intelligence, period.