New Haven Independent: Dems Endorse Replacements for Rawls-Ivy, Jolly

Dems Endorse Replacements for Rawls-Ivy, Jolly

by Melissa Bailey | September 27, 2006 7:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Scrambling to fill the Ward 28 aldermanic seat left empty by Babz Rawls-Ivy, who resigned after admitting to stealing $49,000 in federal funds, local Democrats chose an Orthodox Jewish man with deep family roots in Beaver Hill. In a vote that the Democratic Party chairwoman is calling into question, Moti Sandman (pictured) beat out Jamaican-born entrepreneur Ilona Leffingwell for the ward committee endorsement Tuesday. Meanwhile, in Ward 14, Fair Haven activist Erin Pascale beat out City Hall opponent Evelyn DeJesus-Vargas for the endorsement to fill another vacancy.

The Board of Alderman, having lost three of the mayor’s allies mid-term, is in a state of flux right now: Rawls-Ivy resigned two weeks ago. Former Ward 14 Alderman Joe Jolly left town to attend law school at Cornell. East Rock’s Ward 9 Alderwoman Elizabeth Addonizio is resigning to tend to an ailing family member. Three new aldermen, who will serve truncated, one-year terms, will be elected by a special election, most likely on Nov. 7.

Ward committees, the smallest arms of the local Democratic Party, hold nominating votes to endorse a candidate. That candidate then faces any petitioning independent or Republican candidate. Fair Haven and Beaver Hill ward committees voted Tuesday; East Rock’s votes at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the library at East Rock School. The meetings are public, but only committee members may vote.

The Ward 14 committee met for a reportedly heated discussion and vote at the Fair Haven branch library Tuesday. City Hall opponent Evelyn DeJesus-Vargas, who ran against Ward 14’s Joe Jolly one year ago, made another run against the City Hall-approved choice.

Erin Pascale, an environmentalist and neighborhood activist, beat DeJesus-Vargas by a 25 to 11 vote, according to Democratic Town Committee Chair Susie Voigt. DeJesus-Vargas is reportedly planning to run as an independent petitioning candidate a la Lieberman.

Meanwhile, Beaver Hill residents gathered at the Hillhouse High School cafeteria to choose between two candidates from very different walks of life.

Ilona Leffingwell, 59, is a Jamaican-born, English-bred entrepreneur who moved to New Haven 30 years ago and speaks with a twinge of a British accent. A graduate of the city’s Democracy School, she serves on the board of the city’s Housing Authority and Domestic Violence Abuse Task Force. She lives with her husband and elderly mother at 652 Winthrop Ave., away from the heart of the Beaver Hill neighborhood. A self-described “rambler” on the telephone, she said she prefers to communicate through email. She said she was running because, in the ethnically diverse neighborhood, “I feel that it’s important that we get together.”

Moti Sandman, 31, was born and raised in Beaver Hill. He’s part of the third generation in his family to work at the Deitsch Plastic Co. in West Haven. His extended family lives within a tight-knit area of Beaver Hill. They’re known as members of the Orthodox Jewish Yeshiva Bais Dovid Shlomo synagogue, as well as for organizing neighborhood block parties.

Sandman, his wife, Miriam (pictured below) and three kids live on Colony Road. He grew up going to New Haven Hebrew Day School in Orange, and now serves on the board at the recently renamed Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy. An affable man with a batchelor’s degree in political science from Manhattan’s Touro College, Sandman is making his first run for public office.

The pair ran on the same core platform: creating neighborhood unity, fighting an upsurge in crime, and cleaning up the much-loved Beaver Park Pond. In a Q & A session, neighbors voiced frustration and fear over recent street robberies and house break-ins. They urged the candidates to create a concrete plan on crime, and to advocate for neighborhood activists’ concerns.

Addressing a crowd that included die-hard Beaver Hill management team members and lifelong residents, Leffingwell spoke sincerely about wanting to unite neighbors. But she struggled to answer several of the questions posed. She began her introduction by saying she did not know if her Winthrop Avenue home fell within the Beaver Hills area.

Asked how she’d respond to gun violence, she said: “I really wouldn’t know unless I sit down with the sub base and talk to them about what can be done. I really don’t know unless I sit down with the sub base. I know that there is a volunteer group that works with police.”

Leffingwell said she’d support a youth curfew, with reservations. Her main goals, besides neighborhood unity, were to find a new use for the New Haven armory and to stop Southern Connecticut State University from further expanding in the neighborhood. She said she’d like to “see Southern stop where they are and go somewhere else.”

Sandman said his top goal was curbing crime. He said of a proposed curfew: “In principle it’s sound,” but it should be coupled with police presence. “The curfew is nice, but there needs to be a follow-up from downtown,” including cooperation between police and social services. He suggested a boost in community policing as well as calling in state police.

Sandman contrasted himself to Rawls-Ivy, who hadn’t always agreed with the very vocal core of neighborhood activists. “What’s been missing is the leadership of a single, tireless advocate” with access to City Hall, he said.

The ward committee retired for a vote. It came out 16 to 10 in Sandman’s favor. After the vote, Sandman approached his opponent: “Ilona, I want to work with you.” He gave her his business card. His brother-in-law, Meir Holtzberg, invited Leffingwell to the next block party, which are open events for those who live on Colony Road, Ellsworth Avenue and Norton Parkway.

But for some, the vote wasn’t over. Leffingwell’s campaign manager, Pierette Silverman, took issue with the fact that some of the members who voted Tuesday had just signed up as committee members moments before the vote. Only ward committee members, who are selected by each ward co-chair, are permitted to vote.

Silverman questioned if the last-minute signups were allowed by party rules: “If that’s the case, I would have had Ilona bring 10 of her friends,” to the vote, she said. By Silverman’s count, Sandman had signed up “about 10” friends and family to vote that night. An official count was not available late Tuesday.

Asked of the legality of last-minute signups, Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Susie Voigt said over the phone, “Local bylaws are not very explicit on this.” She hadn’t yet confirmed what had happened with the ward co-chairs, Connie Perkins and Don Walker, nor State Rep. Toni Walker, who oversaw the vote.

Voigt did get a phone call from Silverman, who’s a deputy chief of staff to the mayor. Judging by preliminary info, Voigt said, “I think that’s highly inappropriate. … I’m inclined to think that maybe they should have a do-over.”

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Comments

Posted by: S. Smith | September 27, 2006 10:12 AM

The block party is for residents of Colony, Ellsworth and Norton Parkway. it is NOT a family event.

Posted by: kennab | September 27, 2006 10:52 AM

Re: legitimacy of election: the bylaws seem to say that if fewer than 50 people were members of the ward committee, "any vacancy shall be filled by the Ward Co-Chairpersons with any enrolled Democrat from the Ward." There is not a time restriction noted on filling vacancies under this particular condition in my interpretation (but I'm not a lawyer). I don't see why anybody should get too worked up about this, given that any candidate can enter as a petition candidate anyway.

Posted by: Steve- New Haven | September 27, 2006 11:56 AM

Here we go again--it is never about what the ward members want it is Mayor Johnnie and Suzy stacking the BOA to propagate their corrupt agenda. The ethics problem in New Haven begins with the Mayor's office. Dear Ms Silverman please realize this is about the people not your personal gain!!

Posted by: nfjanette | September 27, 2006 1:45 PM

After the vote, Sandman approached his opponent: "Ilona, I want to work with you."

That's what we need rather than the Democratic machine politics. There's more than enough work to go around for all of us.

Posted by: THREEFIFTHS | September 27, 2006 3:15 PM

The Only Way You Will Stop These Crooked Town Commitee Boss, And There Puppet Ward Chairs,Is That We Must Demand Proportional Representation!!!

Posted by: sandstorm | September 27, 2006 3:26 PM

Mr. Sandman is a man of unimpeachable character with a huge personal and financial interest in the
neighborhood. The citizens of Connecticut have been demoralized through the actions of officials that have been "hand picked" by leadership. It is because of this that busy people, like this candidate, have been inspired to take action and restore confidence. He is to be commended.
Contrary to Ms. Voigt's suggestion of a "Do Over",
she must realize that she serves at the pleasure
of the voters and not at the pleasure of
City Hall. If you "Do" it right the first time, rules stay that you do not have to "Do" it again!!

Posted by: Chuck | September 27, 2006 4:46 PM

Not to comment on the two candidates, but merely the process - first, the article suggests the Independent candidacy of Leffingwell is not good, "petitioning candidate a la Lieberman". There is a great difference between a very public and well-participated-in primary such as the Lieberman/Lamont one and an internal party process to replace Aldermanic candidates on the even of an election period such as these ward meetings - this article points out that is was participated in by only a handful of people - a good number of whom first qualified the very evening the process took place. This curious exercise in democracy, coupled with the fact that State Law (supposedly because of the short timetable?) makes this body, undemocratic and narrowly representative though it is, the final word for the very important official Democratic Party line placement and bragging rights (Party Endorsed Candidate), makes the whole thing smell slightly. To jump to further conclusion, it is difficult to escape making a political connection between this manipulation of arcane party rule and poorly considered State Law with the not-unrelated race earlier this year, resulting with the "dumping" of the well-respected, and rare (for high powerful political office) minority/hispanic President of the Board of Alderman. All this SEEMS to add up to unfair pro-downtown dominance of the levers of power - after all, the New Haven Board of Alderman leadership effectively takes over City Hall by the end of the year should Mayor DeStefano win election as Governor.

Posted by: Chuck | September 27, 2006 5:15 PM

Actually, re-reading my earlier post caused me to remember or think for the first time another point - the conclusion I reach here is that we should learn by expereience, and lobby the state legislature to change such un-democratic and party leadership protectionist and pro-incumbent laws such as the one that allowed Lieberman to run simultaneously for re-election for U.S Senator and Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, allowed him this year to register to run as in Independent while also contesting to run as the Democratic Party candidate, and now allows Ward Committees the power to fill these vacancies without a party primary and even to sign up new nominating committee members at the last minute, making the process vulnerable to suspicions of stacking. Again, these observations are made with no judgement to the candidates.

Posted by: Suzy | September 27, 2006 8:57 PM

Ms. Silverman is a deputy chief of staff of the mayor, in the artical she is identified as the campaign manager of Ilona? Am i seeing the manchurnian candidate? a scandal brewing?

Posted by: Ari | September 27, 2006 10:23 PM

I find Pierette's assertion that we stacked the vote quite offensive. The fact is that none of us had any idea going into that meeting that there were going to be nominations or elections. We walked into a meeting in the hope of participating and we were just as surprised as they were by the process and results. Furthermore, I counted only 5 people including Moti and his wife, who even knew Moti before that meeting. He said the right things and he clearly meant them, so we voted for him and I can offer only praise to Connie Perkins and Don Walker for including us in the process.

Posted by: Larry | October 1, 2006 5:40 AM

I think if we are going to keep the political process as ethical as possible, we should disqualify people like Leffingwell from serving as the Alderman, as her paycheck and job are totally dependant on the whim of King DiStefano. As a recent resident to Beaver Hill, it is about time we had a City Hall outsider in the Alderman's chair, instead of some patsy rubber stamping King DiStefano's agenda. The Sandman family is well educated, Moti's father is a prominant professor at the University of New Haven, and successful business people who pay plenty of taxes to the City with all of the one family homes that they own in Beaver Hill, and they do NOT owe their paychecks to King DiStefano. This scares King DiStefano. I hope that this nomination serves as a springboard for Moti Sandman to take on King DiStefano and run for Mayor. King DiStefano should get out of New Haven and run for Mayor of Morris Cove.

New Haven Independent

Dems Endorse Replacements for Rawls-Ivy, Jolly

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