IN PROGRESS: Perez on trial

[beerbeer]

Expected to be six weeks. Not expected to be pretty.

The first shot.

"Assistant Public Works Director John McGrane testified about major delays and problems with workmanship on Costa's $5.3 million restoration of Park Street in 2005.

McGrane desribed numerous meetings and letters in which Costa was told that radical improvements were needed in the pace and quality of the job, or he could face fines of $250 per day.

McGrane testified that the work didn't improve, yet Costa was never removed from the job."

[The Voice of Reason]

the trial will end up costing us 5.3 million in the end

[beerbeer]

What has Perez's mayorship cost us? If we get rid of Eddie it is worth $6 million.

[The Voice of Reason]

as much as I agree, I will miss Eddie.

I like a Mayor that "thinks Big"

I wish his big ideas came to fruition a little more, and I also wish he though bigger in some ways(by choosing national developers rather than cronies for certain projects)

but our next mayor might be closed minded, and might not have high goals for the city

[beerbeer]

An enraged Mayor Eddie A. Perez, according to testimony in his corruption trial Thursday, dropped an F-bomb on the public works director when he found out that officials were trying to oust contractor Carlos Costa from the troubled Park Street restoration project.

[MadVlad]

Once street thug, always a street thug...

[beerbeer]

"Did you ever prepare a price quote?" prosecutor Michael Gailor asked Costa.

"No," said Costa, a bull of a man with a shaved head and black-framed glasses, wearing a cream-colored suit.

"Why not?" asked Gailor.

"He was a friend. He was the mayor of the city of Hartford," said Costa.

"Did you expect to get paid?" asked Gailor.

"No."

"Why not?"

Costa, who speaks in measured tones, paused for 40 seconds. "I took it as the cost of doing business with the city," he said.

[The Voice of Reason]

wow!

droping Bombs in the first week!

with testimony like that it will be hard not to convict the guy.

the F Bomb thing does not bother me one bit. I am fond of that word myself.

but then again I am not the mayor, and never will be partly because i am fond of colorfull vernacular.

I know they will try and discredit this witness, but that kind of testimony is just killer!

[HartfordTycoon]

It's looking very bad for Eddie. I hope they wrap this thing up quickly so that the city can get a new mayor and move on. I really wish he had not been re-elected but the voters made their decision. I really can't believe how stupid he was to go down for essentially the same exact thing as John Rowland. Freaking Hot Tubs. These guys are amazing. Why run for public office if you can't play by the rules?

[drc72]

It's looking very bad for Eddie. I hope they wrap this thing up quickly so that the city can get a new mayor and move on. I really wish he had not been re-elected but the voters made their decision. I really can't believe how stupid he was to go down for essentially the same exact thing as John Rowland. Freaking Hot Tubs. These guys are amazing. Why run for public office if you can't play by the rules?

[MadVlad]

Three words: Ego, Power, Control.

[Luca Brasi]

I had a business conversation with Perez about 4 years ago. It was the first time I ever met him. Every other word out of his mouth was an F bomb and his grammar was horrible. I found it very unprofessional and very alarming that he was running a U.S. city.

[The Voice of Reason]

I had a business conversation with Perez about 4 years ago. It was the first time I ever met him. Every other word out of his mouth was an F bomb and his grammar was horrible. I found it very unprofessional and very alarming that he was running a U.S. city.

[HartfordTycoon]

This city needs a clean sweep. Everyone must go from the town committees up to the council and of course the mayor.

Hartford Courant

Citino said the mayor liked one of his conceptual plans.

"I asked him what the next step was, and he said, 'First we have to take care of Abe Giles, or there is no next step,' " Citino said

[beerbeer]

He's another bad moment for Eddie

The mayor would later deny that he knew anything about the Giles payoff, but prosecutor Michael Gailor produced an e-mail from Citino to Perez in March of 2007 in which Citino mentions the Giles payoff as one of the burdens threatening his project.

[MadVlad]

Email? You can trace that? Who knew?!?

[Luca Brasi]

Eddie Perez's personal driver was involved in a hit and run accident on Park St. today. He was arrested for driving under a license that was suspended in CT 8 years ago. His Puerto Rican license was invalid. And yes, he was driving a city vehicle. City Hall becomes more of a joke every day.

[MadVlad]

"I don't understand it, we did an extensive background check on him, he came clean..."

[beerbeer]

New Perez defense --- he can't read!!!!!!!!

HARTFORD — — The defense today offered a reason why Mayor Eddie A. Perez may not have seen a March 5, 2007, e-mail from a developer indicating North End politician Abraham Giles was, with the mayor's knowledge, demanding $100,000 to vacate a parking lot that the developer wanted to buy.

"The mayor's dyslexia creates a problem,'' Susan McMullen, the mayor's chief of staff, testified this morning at Perez's corruption trial. She said the city hall staff tries "to keep reading to a minimum."

[Luca Brasi]

We have a mayor who has to have everything read to him because he can't read? Does anyone honestly believe thjs? That this is the first time we have heard about this the whole time Perez has been in office?

This becomes more and more embarrassing every day.

[MadVlad]

I always wondered why all those old Savage Nomads tags were mispelled....