HUD Commissioners Conduct Hiring Interviews In Florida, Feds To Examine Costs

From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:

Troy White loves his new job as head of the Ansonia Housing Authority, and he wasn’t looking to leave.

But when, while vacationing in North Carolina in July, White was told by an executive headhunter his name was on a short list of candidates to run the Bridgeport Housing Authority, White agreed to be interviewed.

Why not? He lives about 15 minutes outside of Bridgeport–it’s not as if he’d have to board a plane to meet his potential new bosses.

Except that was exactly what he had to do.

Full story here.

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16 comments

  1. Investigative reporting? Seems to be what Brian Lockhart has been up to.
    Common theme to my mind is what is expected of Finch appointees (or ‘slide by’ members who have been previously appointed but go through no formal training specific to their duty, no formal evaluation process to see whether they are representing the broad public in their work, no practical ethics training that would let them see their duty when it comes to spending “other people’s money”).
    Public service as a volunteer Board member, whether elected or appointed has responsibilities attached. Stewardship of resources of all kinds is part of that. How is that working at the former Bridgeport Housing Authority? Changing a name, some personnel and a Board member or two does not necessarily cure what ails us, it seems. How many “fires” (at Boards and Commissions) are kept off the front page in the City with voters assuming all is well? Time will tell.

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    1. Convenient for Americo, though. Florida is so much closer to Puerto Rico–where he actually lives when he’s not leeching money from Bridgeport taxpayers or doing the cozy dance with Lydia on Finch’s absentee ballot drive.

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  2. The one part of the Post story that got my attention was a statement by Americo Santiago that it’s very hard to get all the commissioners together to interview candidates or to do any business. Well I noted there was no trouble getting the commissioners together to go for a week in Florida, all on the taxpayer. The thing that gets me is they could have had the training right here in Bridgeport because the people doing the training will come to your location. It is time to get rid of this whole board. One more thing, why is there a waiting list for apartments when there are many apartments that are vacant?

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  3. As I said after the audit and after Finch replaced Santiago; get rid of the whole board.
    Even if there are a few worth trying to salvage at this point, purge the whole board. It is toxic. You read this article and it seems like no one knows anything.
    And they paid a headhunter $34k who comes up with a candidate under investigation??? I wouldn’t pay them a dime for their services.

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  4. And I know it is a silly question but where in hell is the city council in the midst of this continuing embarrassment? Everyone was talking a year ago about all the change on this council but it seems the newbies are no better than the ones they replaced. It seems as if over half of the districts have significant BHA developments in their district (130, 131, 135, 136, 137, 138) and those council members are saying nothing and doing nothing.

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    1. Some, but not all, of us “newbies” have been pretty vocal about our opposition to BHA’s activities such as a $3 million capital expenditure to demolish Marina Village, the relocation of Marina to the edge of Downtown, etc. Yes, we attend the committee meetings although we have been kept off them and voice our opposition. It usually is a numbers game. Let’s get other districts involved in elections!

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  5. Sounds like a very expensive trip/conference. If they arrived early then at the very least those two nights should not be covered (including incidentals) because it is not business related. Aside from this there are very obvious ways of cutting costs here. It is atypical for this cost to be racked up in a not-for-profit sector.

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    1. Andmar, what makes you think some of them were not talking business during those two days? I bet three of the commissioners–Santiago, Nieves (his cousin) and Brown–arrived two days before. Just a guess, but I would like to know.

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  6. Sounds like Mayor Bill Finch appointed and the City Council approved the appointments of a bunch of incompetents. If they needed training, what took them so long to ask for it and get it?
    Where there’s smoke there is fire. Where Americo had a hand in, there is a paper trail.

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  7. Just another embarrassing headline about the city of Bridgeport courtesy of the Finch Administration.
    Now I know Bill Finch and his apologists will say this is not their doing but it is. He will say it is the BHA & HUD and not the city but how many photo ops does he enjoy courtesy of BHA?
    There have been numerous warning signs and Finch has refused to act. If he had acted promptly and properly it would not be his problem but he made it his problem. FIX IT. FIRE THE BOARD.

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  8. It appears the CT Post allowed Brian Lockhart to do some (relatively minor) investigative reporting.

    When I read the story, a question came to mind:
    Why are the BHA commissioners spending taxpayer funds for a junket to Florida? Training? Sure.

    Then, I remembered the city council does two junkets per year that make the BHA expenses pale in comparison.

    Then, I remembered I am aware of the city council junkets from first-hand experience, not from investigative reporting by the CT Post.

    Then, I remembered the city council may have used their stipends without paying taxes and used city funds to avoid paying taxes. But wait, that was not in the CT Post, it was concerned citizens sharing their findings on OIB.

    Looks like the BHA commissioners don’t have immunity from investigative reporting like the city council has.

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