Real Hartford

Could I Have My Electoral Politics without Rumors, Please?

As an addition to my post about the lack of fair and balanced critiques of political candidates, I want to mention one more thing. If we want to have integrity, perhaps we should avoid jumping on every single rumor that is circulating about candidates. For instance, there is a rumor that Palin had a library ban books. This assertion has been made without any evidence. Now, Snopes has a page set up showing that while she may have thrown the idea out there, nothing shows she followed up on it. The lack of follow-through here is in line with her lack of follow-through around other controversial issues. Perhaps that is what people should be looking at. If you agree with her beliefs, then she is not a strong choice because she voices opinions without taking much action on most issues. If you disagree with her beliefs, then maybe she’s a good candidate because she does not act, for the most part.

Yes, I get very annoyed when things like “wanted to ban books” becomes “she had a list of books she wanted to ban” which becomes “she banned books.”

Rather than attack someone for what they might do, why not simply look at the record?

This quick-to-believe-anything, quick-to-judge trend makes it apparent why we have had a plethora of lousy leaders. We willfully allow ourselves to be distracted from meaningful issues, lose viable candidates during primary season if they don’t have star power (i.e. ability to reasonably entertain if caught by paparazzi or on late night tv), and drive many potential voters apathetic by the lunacy surrounding election season.

Coming in October…

CTTRANSIT TO HOST PUBLIC MEETING
Capitol Region Council of Governments, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Greater Hartford Transit
District and The Hartford Public Library Partner CTTRANSIT, in partnership with the Capitol Region Council of Governments, the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Greater Hartford Transit District and The Hartford Public Library will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, October 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Central Branch of the Hartford Public Library in downtown
Hartford. The address for the library is 500 Main Street.

The purpose of the public meeting is to give CTTRANSIT bus users an opportunity to make suggestions for changes
and share ideas for improvements.

Continue reading Coming in October……

but, like, then we would have to tell the truth, omg

Maybe I don’t see the need to throw so much venom at Sarah Palin because Hartford has our very own Sarah Barr, Mayor Perez’s spokesperson. Today’s Hartford Courant reports yet another ethics violation associated with Perez, this one regarding his lack of transparency. Barr, using tremendously flawed reasoning, writes:

If this novel concept was adopted by the FOI Commission, no Governor, Mayor, or any public official could convene a group of volunteer advisors to receive advice and counsel on important issues in a private setting

Duh! That’s the point!

What is the problem of “receiv[ing] advice and counsel on important issues in a private setting” in this case? Continue reading but, like, then we would have to tell the truth, omg…

The NACA Workshop

The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) is a program I’ve heard about for a few years, and I attended the homebuyer workshop yesterday. While the person leading the workshop had some interesting anecdotes, most of the workshop was an introduction to the NACA program, and not to homebuying. He even said this later in the day.

He addressed the reasons why the NACA process can be a slow one–few employees, a growing number of people seeking NACA assistance including those being referred because they have been victims of subprime/predatory lending situations, and people who do not complete all steps of the process. One of the stories he used to explain the last reason was of a woman who was living with her parents, rent-free, and had considerable savings but was not demonstrating the ability to save regularly. There was no record that she could make a mortgage payment on a monthly basis because her savings account was the result of several “one-time” deposits, like tax returns and a settlement. He said that she balked on putting something like $800 into her account every month, and this slowed down her ability to go forward. He also talked about people who were unwilling to explain where large sums of money were coming from or going. I found this interesting because I assumed that only my amount of savings, employment records, rental history, and credit would be checked out, not that my spending habits might be evaluated.
Continue reading The NACA Workshop…

NACA Workshop Update

Late last night I was notified that the workshop planned to happen today in the Hartford Public Library was moved to the Windsor Public Library because of a scheduling error. I’m wondering how many residents were not notified and how many won’t be able to attend now. I’m also wondering why another acceptable venue for this could not be found in Hartford itself. I know that tons of red tape would probably be involved, but there is that lovely facility in the old G.Fox building that contains many classrooms, only a few of which get used on Saturdays. My plan is to still attend, and give a report on it later this weekend.

City Council Agenda: 9/8/08

The City Council has their upcoming agenda posted. This ought to be an interesting meeting on September 8th, as it was just announced that there is a projected city deficit of$800 Trillion $8 Million dollars. Here’s what I think is relevant/intriguing to watch for:

2. MAYOR PEREZ, with accompanying resolution de Authorization to apply and receive

funds from the State for Local Prevention Council Program.

4. MAYOR PEREZ, with accompanying resolution de Authorization to enter into a

Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for the

Regional Emergency Operation Plan and Regional Emergency Preparedness Spending Plan.

7. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE de Discussion regarding impact of

community violence, health, safety and human services aspects, need for extension of

community activities (hours and variety of services) for youth, elderly and all other ages.

Continue reading City Council Agenda: 9/8/08…

One More “No Place to Shop” in Hartford

Sadhna’s, an “Indian fabrics” shop, will be having their Grand Opening on September 8th from 11-5 pm, during which time everything is 20% off. A flash of your Student ID will get you an additional 10% off. This store, located in 960 Main, will be selling a variety of goods from bedding to shoes to belly dancing outfits.

Sadhna’s is on the same floor as the Petrini Art Gallery, an antique shop, and a vendor market. They also share the building with Capital Community College, Ambassador of India, Mezzanine & Gershon Fox Room, and Room 960.

politics are dirty, but our river doesn’t have to be

On Saturday, October 4th, the Connecticut River Watershed Council will be coordinating the 12th annual Source to Sea Cleanup. That’s a month away, but they would like volunteer teams to register by September 15th, though late registrations are accepted. So far, there are cleanups planned in Wethersfield, Glastonbury, Higganum, Middletown, Cromwell, Deep River/Essex/Old Saybrook, Windsor, and in the Farmington Valley. If anyone would like to form a team for Hartford, they should look over the guidelines on the CT River Watershed Council website and contact the organization.

On Not Getting Caught Up in the Circus

I am increasingly frustrated with the intolerance and moral relativism being espoused by both Republicans and Democrats lately. There is no point in reading blogs about national politics, no point in reading the news concerning it either. Everyone seems interested in spreading rumors and passing judgment in the most hypocritical manner on issues of no importance.

While caught up in all this drama, there are issues needing to be dealt with here in Hartford, in other towns and cities in America, around the world. Instead, the political game is watched like a soap opera or the Olympics.

I like what Henry David Thoreau writes in Resistance to Civil Government:

All voting is a sort of gaming, like chequers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong, with moral questions; and betting naturally accompanies it. The character of the voters is not staked. I cast my vote, perchance, as I think right; but I am not vitally concerned that right should prevail. I am willing to leave it to the majority. Its obligation, therefore, never exceeds that of expediency. Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority. There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men.

Continue reading On Not Getting Caught Up in the Circus…

Azar Nafisi to Speak at U of Hartford

I have not actually read Reading Lolita in Tehran, but it’s on my shelf and I’ve heard raves about it. When she had to cancel last year, I know that some students were very disappointed. Azar Nafisi will be at the University of Hartford on Tuesday September 9th. The following is the press release from the UH website:

The University will present a talk by highly acclaimed author Azar Nafisi on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in Lincoln Theater.

Nafisi’s talk, which is part of the University’s Rogow Distinguished Visiting Lecturers Program, is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. To order tickets, call the University of Hartford box office at 860.768.4228 or 800.274.8587.

Nafisi’s talk was originally slated to take place last March, but was rescheduled due to illness. (Tickets for the March date will not be accepted.)

Nafisi is best known for her national bestseller Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, which presents an electrifying and often harrowing portrait of the Islamic revolution. Part memoir and part literary criticism, Reading Lolita in Tehran (Random House, 2003) is a poignant account of one Iranian professor’s efforts to introduce Western literature to her female students—a practice forbidden by religious fundamentalists in Iran.

Continue reading Azar Nafisi to Speak at U of Hartford…