Connecticut Hospitals Must Do Better!

 

Bridgeport Hospital¹

I currently have a few family members and close friends who either have been hospitalized or visited the emergency departments (ED) of hospitals across the State of Connecticut due to suspected COVID-19 infections. The following are a few observations and opinions I'd like to share about these experiences:

I understand that Governor Lamont is not doing much of anything to help with the COVID-19 Omicron surge. However, the state of affairs at some of the hospitals in Connecticut is indefensible.

Keeping patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the ED waiting room because there isn't enough room in the ED, near other patients, is inexcusable. Not having basic medications in stock, such as to aid with breathing is impermissible. Sending patients home who are too weak to care for themselves must carry some sort of liability.

Arguing with patients over their preferred method of care is not supposed to happen. Telling family members that they will be called and then never calling them is unforgivable.

This isn't even an issue of insurance but of basic quality of care. And when you call to complain about it, the people who are supposed to be there to receive these calls are never there to answer the phones.

All of the above I would imagine goes against the Hippocratic Oath and combined could be construed as gross negligence. Hospitals cannot be allowed to get away with such a poor quality of care!

St. Francis Hospital, Hartford, CT¹

We deserve better care than this for ourselves and our loved ones! Such an inexcusably poor level of care cannot be blamed on a "surge" of infections during the pandemic. We've been dealing with the pandemic for over two years now. Hospitals, especially, and our government, should have had things under much better control than they currently are. My family members and friends do not deserve the treatment they have been given.

I can only imagine the poor level of care others are receiving who do not have such vocal advocates. To all of them, I send my deepest apologies that I cannot be there for you. This article will have to suffice.

¹ Image used with permission from Wikimedia Commons under a (CC BY-SA 4.0) license.

Personal Update: On turning 48

Today marks the completion of the 48th revolution of my corporeal existence on this ball of rock flooded with a substance we call water (chemical composition H2O) around a gaseous body whose core is a continuous fusion reaction primarily fueled by hydrogen and helium (i.e., our "sun," which we classify as a yellow star). In other words, it's my 48th birthday today.

And. I'm. Terrified. . . No. Make that petrified, immobilized by a foreboding sense of impending...change?

It's not that I haven't faced change before--I have, on numerous occasions and yet, I'm still here (despite more than a few attempts to the contrary but, I digress). NOTE: If you are having thoughts of not wanting to be here any longer, please--PLEASE--call someone and ask for help. Call your local mobile crisis hotline number, call 911, call your local Suicide Prevention Hotline.

Yet this time, something is different. I don't know if it's the times we're living in or the fact that I've completed four major zodiac laps around the sun. That is four groups of one full zodiac (take your pick, western or eastern zodiac, it's still four sets of 12).

I sense a great shift in the universe. And perhaps it's not so much that there's a change coming but rather that it's what's coming is going to be big. I mean really, really big. Ginorrrrrmous, even. 

Either that or I'm beginning to have one of those stereotypically male mid-life crises. Except, I don't have the means to change jobs and buy a fancy, new sports car or do any of the stereotypical things that go along with the stereotypically male mid-life crisis. I'm barely surviving here, y'know?

This brings me back to the deep, dark, foreboding, petrifying fear that something big is coming down the pipeline, and it scares the bejeezus out of me.

The past decade certainly hasn't been very kind to me. I've experienced traumatic losses. At the drop of a hat, I packed up and left everything behind in New York and moved to Connecticut. My mother's cancer returned for the fourth time so I moved in with her to take better care of her. A few years later that dastardly beast took her from me and I haven't even begun to process her loss a little over two years ago.

Since then, I've been homeless. And the homeless system is designed to keep people out of shelters and prevent individuals from utilizing what few resources there are. It's all designed to make it look like there isn't really a homelessness problem. Looks good on paper? Great! No problem here. Next! But I digress.

Perhaps it's not a mid-life crisis but rather the culmination of one? But that can't be, can it? Men well into their 50s have mid-life crises. So it must be something else.

Of course, men aren't the only ones who have mid-life crises. But I know very little of the mid-life crises that women have, other than "the change of life." And of course that it can, at times and in some instances, drive them completely doolally. 

It could just be my anxiety rearing its ugly head, the "not knowing what's coming down the road" bit. But I've been dealing with anxiety for nearly 30 years and I've done the breathing exercises. They're. Not. Working. In fact, if anything, they're making it worse.

I feel this shift in the Universe even stronger because I'm more in touch with the energies floating all around me. Oh sure, let's become mindful so we can get more in touch with how I"m connected to the Universe and the Big. Impending. Huge. Dramatic. Change. Like that's not dodgy at all! I'd best have Agathe Christie take a gander at it than try being any more mindful of meself. But once again, I digress.

It could be that since I've struggled so much with the past zodiac cycle, this next one is going to be glorious. But with my luck, I can't count on that. In fact, I've learned not to. But maybe that's the huge change that's coming, learning to think more positively? It couldn't be that simple though, could it? Expecting not to be disappointed? Not preparing for failure? 

That would be an extremely frightening new frontier. One I've yet to venture through. I'd have to learn how to navigate such waters from scratch. And charting the unknown can be truly treacherous times, indeed. No wonder the hairs on the back of my neck have been standing at attention.

I don't know if others who aren't in my age group are feeling this Universal shift. I haven't asked them--dare not lest they think I'm totally bonkers. And those who are in my age group? Well, I just assume, don't I? It comes with the territory, part of the aging process.

Speaking of aging, I need to speak with the person who sold me my aging kit. Mine's defective. I need a refund. Oh, the problems I've been having with mine lately, I could go on! I have more medical professionals in my life than friends these days!

So what's a poor gay boy to do (pa rum pa pum pum pum)? The only real choice I have is to wait, scared witless, for this Universal shift to take hold. Until then, I will continue to work on getting into my new home before the ticking clock runs out. And with your support, I just may make it in time.

(Please visit the GoFundMe Fundraiser I set up if you can help me get into my new home for the holidays. I need help coming up with the security deposit and the first month's rent. After that, the Section 8 housing choice voucher I received will help me pay the rent. Thanks so much!)

Personal Update: Summer Assistance Needed

Wow, so it's been a while since I've posted a personal update. Let me fill you in.

First of all, to all of you who have given to me in the past, a huge thank you and much gratitude for your generosity and assistance. I could not have gotten through these past few months without your support and kindness. 

I know that I've asked for assistance in the past. My GoFundMe page states I've raised some money but the vast majority of that money was from last year. As explained below, the shelter either "lost" or threw out my summer clothes (and denies all responsibility). As such, I have very little to wear for the coming months. Additionally, I have other needs as I lay out below.

Since the last time I've posted an update, I wound up back on the funny farm. That is, my depression sunk to a level that led me to "bad thoughts," i.e., I became despondent and suicidal.

Essentially, I went to City Hall in Hartford, CT seeking help with my housing situation (or lack thereof, as I've been homeless since my mother lost her fourth battle against breast cancer in September 2019). I also was feeling down due to having had my phone service suspended as I didn't have the money to keep paying the bill as I'd been thrown out of the homeless shelter I was staying in and essentially living on the streets, which meant having to go to restaurants to eat (living on the streets is pretty damned expensive, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!).

When I arrived at City Hall, there was no one there. And by no one, I mean literally no workers from the City except maintenance and security staff. I encountered other citizens from Hartford wandering about the hallowed halls of City Hall looking for assistance. Like myself, they were unable to find a single worker from the City of Hartford to assist them with their needs.

I finally came across a security guard who advised me to call 211 for assistance with housing issues. I told her that if I did that, all they would do is give me an appointment for 211 to ring me back, and I didn't have a telephone where they could reach me as my service had been temporarily disconnected due to late payment of my bill. The worker offered no other support or assistance, only repeating that I should ring 211 from the courtesy phone at the empty welcome desk. I walked all around City Hall, knocking on office doors and ringing bells in an attempt to find someone—anyone—who would be able to help me but to no avail. 

Mally Rosado, the Hartford City Council President, had stopped communicating with me, despite her promise to keep in touch. I was evicted from the homeless shelter I had been staying in for the past year after being thrown out on the streets and having all of my possessions—including the last of my dearly departed mother's mementos and keepsakes—purloined from me by a vile and vicious woman who also defrauded me out of most of my mother's insurance money by charging me rent for an apartment that didn't exist, and then tossing me out onto the street, keeping all of my possessions with her (the Hartford Police Department weren't interested in pursuing a case against her, one Rose Mary (aka Gypsy) Gordon formerly of 67 Sterling Street, Hartford, CT).

In any event, when I completed my tour of City Hall I realized that there was nobody who would be able to help me. I felt completely helpless and despondent and thought that perhaps if I killed myself at City Hall I might garner some attention there. I walked out of City Hall and down the street a few feet to a small park and sat on the wall to catch my breath, as both COVID-19 and pulmonary/cardiac issues are such that I can't walk more than a few hundred feet without getting completely winded. 

I sat down on the brick/concrete wall and realized that if I didn't dial 911 and ask to be taken to the Emergency Department to be admitted to hospital, that when I got up I would step in front of the next express bus that was speeding down the road. I began sobbing uncontrollably. I just felt so completely hopeless, that no one could help me with any of my problems, and that nobody cared about me. All I wanted to do was to step in front of the next speeding bus. Eventually, I managed to gather myself together enough to dial 911 through my sobs (obviously, as I'm sitting here writing this) and was admitted for a two-week inpatient stay at the Institute of Living, one of the nation's oldest mental health hospitals, where I received very rudimentary treatment for my suicidal thoughts and depression and was then discharged.

Since emerging from my last psychiatric hospitalization I have been hanging on by a thread. To get by I have been watching streaming content and playing games and using other apps on my smartphone to keep my mind distracted and away from "bad thoughts." Some of the apps I have been using cost money and require in-app purchases. Thus, I have been known to lose track of exactly how much money I've been spending with those in-app purchases. A $5, $8, or $10 purchase one day may not seem like much but when I forget that I've just made such a purchase the other day, it adds up fairly quickly and my bank account becomes overdrawn. Add to that the overdraft fees and one can begin to form a picture of how my finances can become a mess.

Currently, I receive around $1500 per month from my SSDI check. Out of that, I must pay about $200 for my prescription co-pays for the medication I need to survive. Another $225 goes to my Medicare insurance premiums, so about one-third of my income goes toward medical expenses every month. I'm now paying about $750 per month on bills, most of which are credit card payments. I'm only paying the minimum payment, which means I'm barely paying those bills down. I only have one credit card that's currently active--the rest have been closed by the banks. If I don't pay the other bills they immediately go into collections, which will further damage my already poor credit score, making it more difficult for me to eventually find housing.

That leaves me with around $300 per month for food and other expenses like travel to medical appointments. The good news is that I did manage to get approved for food stamps. The not-so-good news? I'm approved to receive a whopping $16 per month in SNAP benefits (fka food stamps), which is enough to purchase about one day's worth of food.

We're approaching the peak of summertime and I have a very difficult time breathing in the hot, humid air that we get here in Connecticut and the Northeast. I need an air conditioner to help me breathe (it's a need, not a luxury) but the cheapest models that will cool the room where I've been staying start at around $225 (that's for a 6,000 BTW unit). Plus, I'll have to give the friend I've been staying with some money (he said about $100 per month) to help with the increased electric bill.

If I purchase an A/C unit, I'm going to get a decent one, as I'd take it with me when I leave my friend's room where I've been staying ever since the shelter threw me out onto the streets (for being a few minutes late for their curfew, but we all know the real reason I was thrown out was that I began complaining about the living conditions there, e.g., 50 men sharing one toilet and one shower, etc.).

Speaking of that, before I went into the hospital, I was thrown out of the shelter and had been staying on the streets. When I came out of hospital, a good friend was kind enough to let me stay in a spare room that he has in his condo. I've been here ever since being thrown out of the shelter in November. It's about 1½ blocks from Hartford Hospital (and two blocks from the medical office building where some of my specialist doctors are located). So I can sometimes walk to a few of the specialist doctor's appointments that I'm now getting.

That's another thing, I'm beginning to take care of my physical health, as well. Those years of putting off taking care of myself to look after mum have taken a bit of a toll on me. I've developed some cardiac issues, and I also have been diagnosed with kidney disease. Contracting COVID-19 last year appears to have had some lasting effects on me as well, particularly with my respiratory and digestive functions. Plus there are the previous issues I've been dealing with for some time, morbid obesity, mental health (severe chronic depression & anxiety), respiratory, migraine, limited mobility, chronic pain, and a list of other issues as long as one's arm that I've been dealing with for nearly two decades since my automobile accident in 2002.

Add to my apparently declining physical health issues my housing issue that, as I'm not physically on the streets, I'm no longer considered homeless—can you imagine that? Even though I don't have a home of my own, I'm not homeless, simply because I'm not physically on the street. But like many homeless individuals who live in hotels, are couch surfing, or are staying with friends or relatives, I'm not considered homeless. Thus, I'm not eligible for any of the services that exist for homeless individuals or families.

Let me repeat. Because I'm not physically on the streets, even though I am homeless, I cannot get any sort of housing assistance for being homeless. The only way to get help for being homeless in Connecticut is to call 211 and go through their system. But when you call 211 and tell them that you're staying at a friend's, they don't consider you as being homeless. It's absolutely bonkers!

The worst part of this is that many agencies actually don't want this to change. They want things to remain the way they are because it would make things look bad. That's right. If we changed the definition of homelessness to reflect the actual reality, then it would make the government look bad. You know, sort of how the way the government deals with unemployment (the government doesn't count even remotely close to everyone unemployed in its statistics, to make it look like it's doing a much better job of—excuse the pun—managing the jobs in the nation than it actually is).

It's the same thing with homelessness. The government doesn't count anywhere close to the actual number of individuals, youth, and truly homeless families. If it did that, then some fear the actual number being reported might triple, according to homeless advocacy agency the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. And of course, this also means that the government doesn't have to actually help anyone, or admit to needing to help anyone, which is another thing entirely. Because heaven forbid that the government admits there are people out there who are in actual need of assistance. But I digress...

There is some good news. I managed to get on the waiting list for disabled housing in a major city in Connecticut. Of course, I'm #1418 out of 1500 on that waiting list. And I just received notification that I have been accepted onto the waiting list for a Section 8 program of another city in Connecticut but they haven't given me a position. That waiting list has 4,000 people on it and they've said that as they have no funding, the only way for anyone to advance in the list is for someone currently holding a Section 8 certificate in the city to either die or move out of the State. But at least I've managed to get onto two housing waiting lists, this year, which is more progress than I made last year, right?

I need some summer clothes, as the shelter somehow managed to "lose" the few summer clothes I had purchased last year during the few weeks they were storing my belongings after I'd been thrown out. I now have only a handful of clothes, as everything else I'd owned was stolen by that woman. I've gone from having a month's worth of clothes down to a few day's worths. Some may consider that to be sufficient but considering the difficulty I have getting to laundry facilities, it isn't nearly enough for me to get by.

I also need some personal and household items. I have a wishlist on Amazon.com if you'd like to purchase some of them for me directly (shipping information is already contained when you purchase from this list). I need about $3,000 to get my phone service restored (due to fees they've charged for contract cancellations, I've already managed to pay the past due amounts).

I could also do with stocking up on some basic food items in the pantry, as well as some cooking utilities and gadgets and what-not. I'm beginning to flex my cooking muscles again. It's fun, for the most part. The cleaning up, well, not so much. But such is life, right? 😝

At the moment, my bank account balance stands at $-300 (that's negative three hundred dollars). So I'll need to overcome that before I'm able to purchase anything. If just 100 of my friends each donated $20, that should be enough to get me through the summer. Of course, if 1,000 of you each donated $10, I'd be able to pay off a few bills and get through the summer. If 10,000 people could each donate $10, I might even be able to purchase a condo for myself!

If you can help out with my GoFundMe, I'd greatly appreciate it and be ever so grateful. Even a $5 contribution helps a great deal, especially if you share this with your friends. And if you can't contribute now but will share my story, that's a huge help as well.

Thanks for taking the time to read my update. For now, I'm still hanging on by a thread. I'll continue to keep my mind occupied and away from "bad thoughts" as best I can. Now that the COVID-19 restrictions are easing up, I hope to find some new, real friends who will take me out and explore my new home region. And hopefully, I'll be able to find ways to increase and supplement my income.

Please help me out and donate now.

Thank you so much!

Cheers,
-Peter

P.S. If you'd like to help out and don't wish to use GoFundMe, here are some other ways you can provide assistance:

• I could use gift cards, especially to Amazon, BJ's Wholesale Club, Starbucks, Lyft, and CVS Pharmacy (use my email address)
• Support me on Patreon to help me continue my journalistic work and personal writing experiences on my blog
• You can send money to me via Zelle (bank-to-bank transfer using my email address), CashApp ($petercfrank), Venmo, or BitCoin (ask me for my Bitcoin wallet address, use my email address, or sign up for a Coinbase wallet and receive $10 worth of Bitcoin for free!)
• I have an Amazon Wish List that you can order items I need and send directly to me but bear in mind that I currently stay in a shelter and have no space to keep or store items beyond bare essentials.
• I love receiving gifts (who doesn't?), especially handmade items and baked goods (what can I say, I have such a sweet tooth!). Did somebody say chocolate? Please contact me directly for a mailing address.
• More importantly, I love being able to give gifts. So even though I may not be able to do so now, please share your Amazon Wish Lists with me, or just leave a comment and let me know what sort of things make you happy and brighten your day!
• If you're in or passing through the greater Hartford, CT area, I'd love to meet up with you for a cuppa (especially a Chai latte at SBUX) or some other tea house. Perhaps a short stroll through Elizabeth Park or West Farm Mall. Something to just get out, stretch my legs, mind, and be with positive people. If you can provide transportation, I can provide some great company and conversation. Contact me to arrange an adult play date. It would mean the world to me (and yes, of course, I'll wear a mask!).

Hartford CT Introduces Third Plan to Redesign Its Highways But Still Lacks Foresight or Vision

Let's be clear--the nation's entire transportation system is deteriorating. While Hartford certainly could do with a restructuring of its disastrous and abysmal transportation options, one certainly could do a lot better than the currently proposed $15 billion plan set forth by the Bronins' cronies, as reported recently in the CT Mirror: There’s a new plan for realigning Hartford’s highways. Is the third time the charm?

If one is serious about fixing Hartford's convoluted, broken road system, then it should be replaced with a better system, not one that's equally broken, or worse, and one that also looks to the future, not just one that seeks to keep current problems at bay.

Such a road plan should consider using new materials such as compressed styrofoam, foam glass aggregates such as Glavel, or other new technologies and include the embedding of solar panels (like those employed by SolarRoadways). It should allow for pedestrian, bicycle, and other eco-friendly modes of transit, as well as provide wireless charging for electric vehicles and other such devices. 

Modular construction techniques like the European Union's new plastic road initiative should be considered and modular traffic control systems that can quickly alter traffic routes in the event of emergencies or accidents, autonomously, should be thought about. Of course, 3D printing of roads should also be considered--something that should cut construction costs considerably.

Our roads and highways should pave a path forward that brings Hartford into the 22nd century, not one that keeps us stuck where we are. Thought should be put into autonomously-driven vehicle-only lanes for all sorts of vehicles to utilize in a rapid transit system where AI systems would be able to safely navigate entry and exit.

Many of these features would be more cost-effective (especially over the long-term) than the nonsensical flapdoodle proposed by the current $15 billion plan. And nearly all of the technologies I've mentioned either are in use today or in the final stages of testing.

Apparently, nobody in planning has the wisdom or the foresight to think in such logical terms or with any sort of vision for the future; rather, their only flights of fancy and imagination come in the form of creating ingenious ways of how to further enrich their and/or their friends' coffers, offshore bank accounts, and other tax havens.

Don't think Mayor Bronin and his wife don't have their hands in the pot. We all know they're the white monied Democratic-powered machine that oils gentrified development in Hartford these days. With the Mayor's wife heading this Hartford 400 project's development plans, well, it's all but a shoo-in, isn't it, folks? 

Is your town or city planning to repair or upgrade its roadways? If so, what new and visionary means are they taking into account in the planning process? Let us know in the comments below. Let's begin sharing great ideas and moving our villages, towns, and cities forward!

Rally Against Homelessness 2pm November 7 2020 at 75 Main Street, Hartford, CT

MEDIA ALERT

ACTIVIST EVICTED FROM HOMELESS SHELTER WHILE UNDERGOING MEDICAL TESTS, CALLS FOR COMMUNITY TO RALLY AGAINST HOMELESSNESS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:   PETER C. FRANK
                        (914) 417-9579
                        PCFRANK73@GMAIL.COM

South Park Inn
75 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06106

HARTFORD, CT—Earlier today, I was evicted from South Park Inn (SPI), which is the homeless shelter I've been staying in, for doing nothing other than receiving healthcare that I was forced to postpone from last month due to not having the funds for medical transportation. I am now, literally, on the streets.

Specifically, during my annual wellness examination the day before my birthday last month, my doctor ordered a series of diagnostic tests to be performed. Among them was a sleep study, which takes 2-3 days to perform. Or more accurately stated, it takes 2-3 nights. My PCP (primary care physician) wished to have these tests performed as soon as possible but when I got to the checkout to schedule them, I embarrassedly had to inform my doctor's office that I could not afford to return to the office due to insufficient funds to transportation. I then scheduled all of the testings for the beginning of November 2020.

I even had to borrow money from a few different friends to pay for my Lyft (an Uber competitor) ride back to the shelter, that's how broke I was.

When I returned to the shelter I made a huge fuss about the entire situation and the fact that SPI was not providing medical transportation for me. The reason they've given is that I have a "significant income."

The only income I receive is Social Security Disability Income. I have extremely poor credit due to significant personal debts that I owe. In fact, my credit and debt are so bad that I was turned down on a housing application due to "significant personal debt." Yet somehow, SPI has this image of me that I earn thousands of dollars per month when nothing could be further from the truth.

Me, with the halter monitor that was
installed at today's appointment.
I have to wear it for the next 30 days.

To make matters worse, my case manager SPI claims that I never told them about my medical appointments, even though the scene I made upon my return was witnessed by many of the other residents at the shelter, and I continued to raise the issue with staff, in front of other residents, for the remainder of the week. This is the excuse they are using to kick me out of the shelter. They claim that I never told them about the appointments, which simply isn't true.

SPI further claims that I should have called to let them know that I would be staying out overnight. But why should I do that if I already told them about my appointments? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that a sleep study would be conducted at night (the sleep study was to determine whether or not I have sleep apnea).

I have attempted to reach my doctor to get a "doctor's sick note" but my doc is an extremely busy, and successful woman—the sort of doctor who has a nine-month waiting list for annual wellness examinations and a three-month waiting list for follow-up exams. I'm hoping that she'll return my phone call on Monday and will then be able to send such a letter to me but in the interim, I'm literally on the streets.

This isn't the first time I've had issues with SPI, though. I've been very vocal about the inhumane living conditions we've been forced to live under, and I feel that this action is retribution for me speaking up and advocating not only for myself but for all of the residents living at SPI. For example, the 50 some-odd med living at the shelter are forced to share one toilet and one shower. The women are roused from their beds before 7am and cannot return to them, at times, until 8pm--and many of the women have health conditions that make it extremely difficult for them to be on their feet for such an extended period of time.

There have been numerous other issues with SPI I have encountered in the eight or so months I've been staying with them, and that doesn't even get into the systemic issues of homelessness.

SPI touts itself as a caring, safe space organization. However, in my experience and the experience of many of my friends and fellow homeless here, it has been anything but that. I invite other members of the media to come and listen to our stories as human beings. We demand to be treated with respect and not mollycoddled or demeaned in other ways.

I am thus calling upon the entire homeless community in the Greater Hartford Regions to rally with me in front of SPI tomorrow, Saturday, November 7, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. to raise awareness about the issues we face as we struggle to find housing and survive from day to day in the homelessness system, which is controlled by corrupt individuals.

I have started a GoFundMe to help with all of my expenses, including paying down my significant personal debts. With all of the personal health issues I have, my bills only continue to grow and right now, I really need to get glasses. I'll need three pairs of glasses and with the examinations and testing, that will come to about $2,000 alone.

To contribute to my GoFundMe, visit https://gofundme.com/f/pcfstartlife20.

If you'd like to help out and don't wish to use GoFundMe, here are some other ways you can provide assistance:

• I could use gift cards, especially to Amazon, BJ's Wholesale Club, Starbucks, Lyft, and CVS Pharmacy (use my email address)
• Support me on Patreon to help me continue my journalistic work and personal writing experiences on my blog
• I need help getting to my medical appointments so if you can help provide transportation I would be very, very grateful for that.
• You can send money to me via Zelle (bank-to-bank transfer using my email address), CashApp ($petercfrank), Venmo, or PayPal, BitCoin (ask me for my Bitcoin wallet address or use my email address, which you can also use for PayPal)
• I have an Amazon Wish List that you can order items I need and send directly to me but bear in mind that I currently stay in a shelter and have no space to keep or store items beyond bare essentials.
• I love being able to give gifts. So even though I may not be able to do so now, please share your Amazon Wish Lists with me, or just leave a comment and let me know what sort of things make you happy and brighten your day!
• If you're in or passing through the greater Hartford, CT area, I'd love to meet up with you for a cuppa (especially a Chai latte at SBUX) or some other tea house. Perhaps a short stroll through Elizabeth Park or Westfarms Mall. Something to just get out, stretch my legs, mind, and be with positive people. If you can provide transportation, I can provide some great company and conversation. Contact me to arrange an adult play date. It would mean the world to me (and yes, of course, I'll wear a mask!).

Hartford Registrar of Voters Colluding to Suppress Republican Votes?

Voters going to the polls for tomorrow's elections should be aware of a story of great importance regarding potential corruption and unethical practices in the Registrar of Voters office that city officials such as Mayor Bronin and the council would rather be kept quiet.

Vanessa Garay-Jackson
(fmr) Deputy Republican Registrar of Voters
City of Hartford, CT

Early last month, the Deputy Republican Registrar of Voters, Vanessa Garay-Jackson, was terminated from her position by the Republican Registrar of Voters, Sheila N. Hall, for no discernable reason other than what appears to be retribution for Garay-Jackson's successful bid against Hall to become the Republican Registrar of Voters.

Upon reviewing documents I obtained regarding the termination, Garay-Jackson was initially dismissed from her position by Hall without notice on Friday, September 25, 2020 "effective the close of business today." No reason was provided in the termination notice, signed by Hall.

A subsequent letter was given to Garay-Jackson dated Friday, October 2 stating, "As we discussed, your service as Deputy Registrar of Voters for the City of Hartford is terminated, effected October 2, 2020." The letter further states that Garay-Jackson is not entitled to any sort of termination compensation other than accrued vacation time, and advises her to contact human resources regarding health insurance and other benefits.

When reached for comment Garay-Jackson expressed her shock at the termination and lack of notice, "I was taken completely aback, especially given that I was the one who did most of the grunt work in the office to prepare for the elections. Sheila [Hall] always saw herself as being above that sort of work and preferred to remain in her office rather than get her hands dirty. What she did in her office, I can't comment on. I was busy preparing for the elections and doing the actual work of the Registrar, which is one of the reasons why I ran in the first place."

Earlier this year, Garay-Jackson ran against Hall in the Republican primary election to become the Republican Registrar of Voters and handily defeated Hall in the primary election, which was held in September. "After the election, Sheila took a few weeks off. When she returned, I was fired," Garay-Jackson related.

"After I was given the initial notice on the 25th I met with Sheila and she told me the reason for my termination was lack of work. In other words, she's saying that there isn't any work in the office that can justify my position, which is ridiculous because I've always been the one to do pretty much everything. Seriously, what has she done, the budget? She always says she's working on the budget and paying the bills but how long can that take, a week, at most? What does she do with the rest of her time? She doesn't even show up to the office most days."

Indeed, other sources inside City Hall, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, confirmed that Hall does not usually appear in her office. This leaves open the question as to what, exactly, taxpayers in the City of Hartford have been shelling out over $60,000 per year for her to be doing. The exact amount of Hall's salary could not be confirmed, despite numerous requests to City Hall, including the offices of certain city council members. Garay-Jackson advised that she believed the current salary was $62,000.

To further complicate matters, however, Hall is running on a third party (that has herself as the sole member of this third party) to become a third party registrar of voters. According to the by-laws of Registrar of Voters by the Secretary of State's office, which governs all city and town registrar of voters offices, the City of Hartford could end up with three Registrar of Voters (and three deputies), adding an additional $111,000 in salaries to the Registrar of Voters's budget, putting a further dent in the City's failing finances.

None of the members of the city council whom I contacted were aware of this situation. Joshua Michtom was shocked by the situation and promised to look into it but in over two weeks was unable to uncover any additional information, including the actual salary of the Registrar of Voters. According to Garay-Jackson, the Deputy Registrar of Voters made $49,000 per year and the Registrars themselves make $62,000, although the Registrars used to make more in the past but their salaries were drastically reduced, and only recently were they granted a raise. Exactly salary information could not be found online or through the City's website, and numerous requests for this information have gone unanswered.

It took nearly three weeks of constant phone calls to reach Hall, adding fuel to the fire of questions regarding her whereabouts and what she is being paid to do. Additional, unconfirmed rumors arose that Hall has campaigned from her office at City Hall for her third-party candidacy (I did speak with a number of individuals who confirmed the rumors but none who were willing to go on the record, even if their names were withheld).

When finally reached on the phone, Hall was gruff and short, responding that the reason she's running as a third party candidate Registrar of Voters is that she's been a Registrar of Voters for the past ten years--public records show Hall has been elected as Registrar twice for a total of 8 years--and then quickly had to hang up before any additional questions could be asked of her. Hall's response to follow-up email attempts to schedule an interview with her was, "We are in the middle of a very contentious election for many reasons and for that reason I feel that at this time I am unable to set up interviews with Freelance Journalist such as yourself."

This response directly contradicts Hall's reasons for terminating Garay-Jackson, further supporting the notion that Garay-Jackson's termination is nothing other than direct retaliation for Garay-Jackson exercising her First Amendment rights to run for political office. In response to how Garay-Jackson was forced in a primary election, Hall qualified by gathering enough signatures on petitions to enter the primary race. Garay-Jackson explained further why she ran to become the Republican Registrar of Voters:

This is a dream, a goal that I've had and I was determined to accomplish it with or without [Hall's] help. This is not the route I wanted to take. I've been doing my best to work with her but the conditions have become untenable, especially over the last year. Why does she want to stay on, because of the money? What exactly has she been doing for the people in this City? She's never around, never reachable. She takes forever to respond to anyone, and she always leaves the work to me to do. So if I'm doing most of the work, why not run for the full position? She's refused to teach me anything about the office. Rather than growing and learning I just feel as though I've been languishing here in my position and being used. It's not the most conducive environment to conduct business and engage with citizens.

Asked what changes Garay-Jackson will implement when installed in January, she responded "Greater technological automation would greatly help maintain the voter rolls but the main system is run by the Secretary of State so we can't do anything to it without their permission." Garay-Jackson suggested increasing connectivity among various government agencies to help maintain voter registration records as an example of this, for example linking their system with the post office when people submit mail forwarding requests due to moving. "Of course, we'd have to get their permission but perhaps it could be done like the DMV, where there would be a box and people could check the box to have their new info sent to us so their records could be updated," she explained.

"We need to abolish the annual canvas. It's too costly and doesn't really help. As such, it only adds to the problem, creating more work. People either don't respond or respond too late. Another problem is that people think if they respond they're going to be summoned for jury duty, and that simply isn't true. There is no connection between registering to vote or updating your voter registration information and being polled for jury duty," Garay-Jackson informed.

She further advised, "Perhaps switching to an online canvassing system would be a solution, although getting and maintaining people's accurate email addresses or SMS phone numbers could be onerous, and there are privacy issues. But it would take far fewer resources--especially human resources--to do it electronically."

Ken Lerman, Hartford Republican Town Chairman, added, "Vanessa Garay-Jackson is running for Registrar on the Republican line. Vanessa served as the deputy registrar for a number of years and has been a significant help to the Republican party. Her experience, outlook, and proactive efforts will greatly assist Hartford’s voters in the fair and efficient election process. Voting for Vanessa will defeat third-party candidates which will save Hartford taxpayer dollars of over $110,000 per year in registrar office costs."

Due to the by-laws of the Registrar of Voters, Garay-Jackson will be serving at least one term. The only question is whether Hall will be elected as a third-party registrar. That will happen if Hall receives more votes than either the Republican or the Democratic Registrar, in which case a third registrar will be added to the city's Registrar of Voters office, with the additional expenses associated with it. Given the questions already surrounding Hall's performance and current actions, which could have opened the City to exposure of immense financial liability due to Hall's potentially unethical and/or illegal termination of Garay-Jackson, one must question the wisdom of voting in and creating such a new office in the City's government.

Attempts to reach the Secretary of State and State Attorney General's offices for comment on the ethical and legal questions regarding Hall's actions went unanswered. The numerous unanswered questions by elected officials raise further questions regarding the appropriateness and ethicality of this situation.

Even more alarming is the potential impact on Hartford's Republican voters, who are in the minority. One might wonder what impact Hall's actions may have on the Republican vote, either intentionally or unintentionally, perhaps to the extent that it may even result in a suppression of votes. The timing of Garay-Jackson's termination could not have been worse. Dismissing the Deputy Republican Registrar of Voters without cause, especially without appointing a replacement, leaves the office at a severe disadvantage in an election where accusations of voter manipulation, fraud, and other acts of malfeasance are frequent flyers in the news. 

How Hall intends to deal with all of these issues is unknown, especially as she is refusing to be interviewed. And as Garay-Jackson has stated, Hall never got her hands dirty doing any of the real work of the Registrar's office. This leaves open even more questions as to the ability of the office of the Registrar of Voters to effectively carry out its mission and ensure that all votes are counted accurately.

Given the level of obfuscation and obstruction encountered by this reporter in attempting to obtain basic, publicly-available information from the City in assembling this report, such a theory may not be far from the truth.

When reached for additional comment, Garay-Jackson responded that she was in discussions with legal counsel and advised to refrain from providing any further comment to the press in light of potential action she may be taking against the City for wrongful termination.