DECD’s Good Neighbor Policy.

Rumbling among Capitol village denizens about the O’Garro/Cloud defaulted state loans. The Courant reported that Ron Angelo, deputy commissioner at the Department of Economic and Community Development was eager to the point of reckless in overriding sensible colleagues to lard public funds on Earl O’Garro’s failed Hybrid Insurance Group.

Emails obtained by the newspaper reveal O’Garro’s bid for more taxpayer money was pushed by lobbyist Christopher Cloud, who appealed to Angelo to get the loan done despite O’Garro being in arrears on his first loan from DECD. Angelo intervened and took care of the deal. The Courant notes that one email exchange includes Angelo copying Cloud lobbying partner Tony Camilliere on the “I’ll take care of it” message that paved the way for O’Garro to get a $500,000 loan as his business was unraveling. Why bother to email Camilliere? Angelo could have opened a window at his Wethersfield home and shouted the news to Camilliere. They live several houses apart on the same street and are said to be quite friendly.

It’s nice when neighbors get along and have common interests, but it does not make for sound public policy.