New Haven Independent

Posted by: Josh Erlanger | March 7, 2007 1:34 PM

Mr. Ross can you tell us a little about your experience in public office?

Posted by: Good Luck! | March 7, 2007 10:12 PM

Mr. Ross - I believe more people running for public office is great. And your answers even seemed sincere and honest. But New Haven is a city of neighborhoods and if you don't even know where Dixwell and Newhallville are, how do you expect to be mayor? You should really start by getting involved in civic affairs in a more modest way than running for mayor and learn about New Haven first.

But, since it looks like you are going to run anyway, here's a little help. Here is a link to a map of all the city neighborhoods:

http://www.med.yale.edu/newhavenhealth/statistics/vital/1994/map.html

Memorize it. You should be able to walk the city blindfolded and still be able to name which neighborhood you are in at any point along the way.

Second, here is a link to a ward map of the city (at the very bottom of the page):

http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Aldermen/index.asp

Better yet, you should go to the City Plan department at City Hall and get a giant size copy of the ward map (about $10) and hang it on your wall. The wards are the basic building block of any campaign organization.

Good luck!

Posted by: Bottom line | March 7, 2007 10:37 PM

Hey Josh and others. I like this ability to exchange. I don't know him, but I do know he opertaes a mortage company that made most of it's money in B grade clients, option-ARM mortgages, and any supporter or opponenet shpould look at the number of non-preforming B-garde loans his company generated.

Johnny is bad, and I would live to see him gone. BUt given Andy or John, I take the posion I know. Andy is not for New Haven

Posted by: That's a Laugh | March 8, 2007 8:07 AM

That is offensive, that someone thinks they can be Mayor of a city, and not even know about Dixwell and NewHalville. Try being Mayor of Westport or Madison if you want to live in a city that just caters to the rich. Geez, we have issues with gentrification as it is, can you imagine what things would be like with this guy? We have too much huosing, too many unions. What would Reagan do?

Posted by: Our Town | March 8, 2007 9:26 AM

Dixwell and Newhallville: "I'm not familiar. Is that a neighborhood? I will honestly tell you I don't know anything about them."

This man can't be serious. He thinks "New Haven" is just Downtown and Yale? This is a major blunder which indicates he has no chance of becoming mayor because he doesn't even have an inkling of what the City really is about.

Just a suggestion, before announcing you're a candidate, learn about us. Those people in the offices downtown...most of them don't live in New Haven and don't vote.

Posted by: SOLOMON | March 8, 2007 10:59 AM

"I'm not familiar. Is that a neighborhood?" Five years as a resident and he is absolutely clueless about Dixwell and Newhallville? What else does Andy NOT know about this city?

Posted by: Martin | March 8, 2007 11:54 AM

Andy says part of what is needed to 'fix' New Haven is to add more downtown restaurants. That's a first. And he says, New Haven can be like Atlantic City. If we could only be so lucky.

Does he care about more than just downtown devleopment? Does he realize that the heart and soul of any city is its neighborhoods?

It doesn't look good when he hasn't even heard of Dixwell and Newhallville, the two neighborhoods which need the most attention.

Posted by: Esbe | March 8, 2007 12:06 PM

It is great to have another voice in the political mix, but he doesn't know that Dixwell and Newhallville are neighborhoods of New Haven? Also, downtown New Haven lacks a lot of things, but *restaurants*? The 100s of folks clogging Friday evening downtown sidewalks, going to theaters, restaurants and clubs apparently haven't heard that there is nothing to do downtown. And is he aware that the city has already said that it is negotiating a 4-5 story base retail base around the Shartenberg tower (to match the surrounding neighborhood)?

I think he had better learn a little more about the city before he runs it. Maybe in the meantime he could look to use his business skill to propose and fund an actual commercial development of the type he imagines. Who knows, it might be good.

Posted by: concerned in ct | March 8, 2007 4:50 PM

Why does every white guy who decides to run for Mayor become a serious candidate? I've heard that at least two former alders, who are black, have said thay are interested in running, but they did not get the coverage by NHI that this guy did. Hey NHI, what's the deal?

Posted by: K | March 8, 2007 6:00 PM

I have to echo everyone's comments so far.

Moreover, even as a Yale student, I was concerned to read his statement in the Daily News that he will work even closer with Yale than DeStefano.

I love that City Hall is open to student suggestions and has a fairly good relationship with the university, but seriously, there's got to be some distance between the two. It would be to no one's benefit if City Hall became just another arm of Yale.

Also, Atlantic City?! Has he seen the amount of blight around Atlantic City?

Posted by: pinkbicycle | March 8, 2007 6:14 PM

I think Mr. Ross echoes the sentiments of a lot of folks. He just has the balls to say what other well-to-do folks think. Hasn't this been the MO of the City Hall--downtown means everything--it is the key to all things prosperous. So why are you jumping on this guy. How many White folks live in New Hallville? In Dixwell--beyond the Yale ghetto? You people are ridiculous. As if anybody has given a damn about Newhaville,Dixwell or the Hill. You have Alders who are overwhelmed and unsophisticated to get any "REAL" development---Hell they can't even get people in the neighborhood to care about the Q-House. The thing that is scary to me about Mr. Ross is that he may get the money and support he needs to run regardless of his ignorance of the geography of the City. And if people continue to apathetic about the political processes--Meaning not VOTING---HE COULD WIN.

Posted by: Joe | March 8, 2007 10:09 PM

Sounds like this guy Ross is a real shoo-in.

Posted by: Vanni | March 8, 2007 11:28 PM

:)

Posted by: jacob | March 9, 2007 2:38 AM

I share the amazement that a person could run for mayor and not know that Newhallville and Dixwell are neighborhoods.

I confess to being more amazed, however, at his total incoherence in aswering the question about YNHH and the union. Does this "candidate" have anything going for him?

Posted by: andy ross | March 9, 2007 8:21 AM

I would like to thank every one for all of thier comments and suggestions. It has become clear to me that passion and a desire to want to see change in a city is not enougn to make a person qualify for holding public office especially the top spot a city has to offer. I was blinded by the thought that a willingness to want to bring about change and apply grander visions would be enough to convince people that an unknown and admited inexperinced person of goverment might be able to do the job. Over the last several days however and after many people sharing thier time and knowledge with me has convinced me that it take far more than just passion to effectivly lead a city as diverse and complicated as New Haven.

This has been a great lesson in civics and humlity for me but intend to use it to help make me a stronger, smartter and more well versed peron about the City Of New Haven so that I can offer myself to its growth and future in what ever way I am called on to do.

Today was the day I was to officially fill out the paperwork to declare my canididacy to become this citys next Mayor. I will not do that until the day comes when I am completely convinced that I have a detailed understanding of this citys compicated diversity, its neighborhoods, people, leaders and goverment.
In the meantime I hope to use this experince to be encoraged to learn more and apply my skills in what ever area I can best be used.

I wish to thank the people and press that have helped me make what I belive is a good decsion not to run for Mayor at this time.

Andy Ross

Posted by: Ned | March 9, 2007 9:55 AM

More teen murders/murderers, more social disintegration, more single parent households, more AIDS, more blight - how much more city hall "help" can Newhallville and Dixwell (the Hill, et. al.) afford to receive? Those neighborhoods might actually benefit from less government intervention and more internal change. Also, what's with the "we" statements? Please speak for yourself about having a problem with gentrification; three quarters of New Haven looks, to me, like the "developing" world with potholed streets and garbage strewn everywhere. In addition, "well-to-do folks" (the vernacular is so homey, or did you mean volks? - yeah they're all racists), in New Haven, pay (a lot) of taxes (when they could live elsewhere) to prop up all of the social programs (and free cell phones for alders) that don't exist in any of the surrounding towns. As for Mr. Ross's (way in over his head politically, and seemingly clueless) alleged banking practices - is it the Nanny state's job to balance your checkbook for you? Ignorance is its own punishment. Caveat emptor. New Haven is a city of neighborhoods, in the same way that Yugoslavia was a country of ethnic enclaves...

Posted by: Grammar Princess | March 9, 2007 12:15 PM

effectivly inexperinced humlity citys smartter compicated experince encoraged belive decsion.
Andy,
Next time you announce your run for office in print, learn how to write or get a spell checker.
Do you really believe you could run the city with this lack of attention to detail and inability to take the time to review the material you are delivering.
I guess the Madison school system isn't any better than that of New Haven.
Thank You for stepping down
-Resident

Posted by: Cedar Hill Resident | March 9, 2007 1:37 PM

Andy I thank you for your passion and I understand were you came from on this. See all the problems makes you want to step up and do something! I wish I had the ****s to do what you did! This city is such a mess that it is going to take someone very intune to what is happening to fix it. But I would like to thank you for your thoughts and maybe someday you may through your hat back into the ring.

Posted by: strangerthanfiction | March 10, 2007 3:17 AM

Stay tuned for most magnificent upcoming movie: "Andy Ross: Cultural Learnings of New Haven for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan".

Posted by: robn | March 10, 2007 10:51 AM

To paraphrase former Guilty Party mayoral candidate Little Miss Mess Up..."New Haven; so small, even you can be somebody...i.e...announce and then renounce your candidacy within one news cycle". Thanks for the energy Mr.Ross...this kind of stuff is the priceless primordial goo that makes the Have' so interesting!

Props to Bill, Drew and Jack!

Posted by: Edward_H | March 11, 2007 12:24 PM

Many times someone without previous experience in politics is exactly what a city or town needs. Americans should keep an open mind and in hear out possible candidates for any position who are not career politicians. Although I do think if the couple of slightly harsh comments posted on the New Haven Independent are enough to get Ross to quit he certainly lacks the intestinal fortitude to be Mayor.