#6 Dumbest Thing Done by Connecticut Democrats in 2007

# 6 - Perez Redecorates

Democrats have enjoyed lecturing that nothing was learned from the scandal of the Rowland administration. They then proceed to prove it by engaging in the exact same behavior that got the former Republican governor in trouble.

Rowland had his hot tub, and now Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez has his bathroom and kitchen. Hiring contractor Carlos Costa to do renovations to his home with no permits taken out, and no bill issued for two years after the fact was... well.. suspicious.

Suspicious enough to be the trigger of a grand jury corruption probe now underway against the Mayor. Today's Hartford Courant says:

How and why did Abraham L. Giles, a North End political supporter of Mr. Perez, get a lucrative no-bid contract to operate a city garage? Why did the city pay $10,000 to haul away trash from a warehouse owned by Mr. Giles? Did Mayor Perez, as alleged, tell Hartford developer Joseph Citino he needed to "satisfy" Mr. Giles to the tune of $100,000 to proceed with now-failed plans to develop city land on which Mr. Giles ran a parking lot?

All good questions. I'm sure the answers will be even better. That is why I have selected Eddie Perez's home remodeling as the #6 Dumbest Thing Done by Connecticut Democrats in 2007. Nonetheless, he was re-elected easily this year. That's the dumbest thing done by Hartford voters in 2007.