New Haven Independent: Ferrucci Presses -- & Grills -- The Vegan Flesh

Ferrucci Presses — & Grills — The Vegan Flesh

by Melissa Bailey | May 29, 2007 8:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

At a Memorial Day weekend picnic for the Green Party, mayoral hopeful Ralph Ferrucci set vegan burgers aflame and called for a tax break for police and firemen who live in the city.

Ferrucci hosted a low-key cookout Sunday at the Three Judges’ Cave atop West Rock, with optional donations to his 2007 mayoral campaign on the Green ticket. When the Independent caught up with him that afternoon, he was manning the grill for about 20 supporters.

Ferrucci said this year will be a different ballgame from the last time he ran for mayor, when he got 15 percent of the vote in 2001 under the Guilty Party ticket. That year, he financed his campaign with $800 of his personal money — “that’s not including the beers I drank when I was at Rudy’s,” the Elm Street bar that served as his unofficial campaign headquarters.

This year, for his second bid to unseat Mayor John DeStefano, Ferrucci is working to join the Democracy Fund publicly financed campaign system. He said he’d collected about 35 of the 200 donations necessary to qualify him for a $15,000 sum of campaign funds.

Sunday’s event drew local Greens, Ferrucci’s mom and dad, his cousin and roommate who’s helping run the campaign, and a slew of local supporters.

“I’ll give you money, on three conditions,” downtown “Floatin’ Fred” a.k.a. Fred Mass, told the candidate — “No hookers, heroin or horse racing.” Ferrucci took the pledge.

Ferrucci told the Independent he’ll be focusing on taxes and education — he would tax Yale to bring more money to the school system, and slow the $1.5 billion school construction project to lessen the burden on taxpayers. Asked if he supports the mayor’s elderly tax freeze, he said yes — and gave a new proposal to exempt firefighters and policemen from having to pay taxes at all if they live in New Haven. Click on the PLAY arrow to hear his proposal.

At a picnic table sat Green Party co-chair Allan Brison, who recently announced he’ll be running against Ward 10 Alderman Ed Mattison. He said he’ll run on a platform of standing up to the mayor, specifically on two subjects: taxes and downtown development.

Brison (pictured) called the Shartenberg site proposal “awful” in its “huge height,” and said the Coliseum never should have been torn down — he would have liked to see it turned into a space for the Long Wharf Theater, or a downsized arena.

On the budget, Brison said he’d do away with the $1 million subsidy the city gives to Tweed-New Haven Airport and change the ratio of administrative staff to teachers in the school system. He advocated an elected Board of Education, not appointed as exists now, to hold board members accountable for the budget and reduce “patronage.”

An Everit Street resident, Brison said he supports building the Worthington Hooker School on the contentious spot on nearby Whitney Avenue, but he advocated slowing down the school construction program in general.

Comments

Posted by: Westrockcairns | May 29, 2007 9:18 AM

Bravo to both Ralph Ferrucci and Allan Brison. Someone needs to hold this Mayor's feet to the fire. I read in the subtext of every new school that is erected (or "remodeled")"The John DeStefano School for Egomaniacs". With what is being spent on every school child yearly in the City of New Haven, each of the children could receive a private school education at Foote, Hopkins, Choate, Hamden Hall, etc. Buildings are great, but they do not an education make. I am expecting at least 100 new Einsteins out of my tax money for the last 10 years. Pity I had to ride the bus and skip lunch for years so that my children could attend a couple of the aforementioned schools rather than suffer the neglect and substandard curriculum of NHPS. And no, I am not a rich person "opting" for private education. It was that or years of psychiatric therapy for the whole family. Let's hold this administration and Board of Education accountable!

Posted by: AllanBrison | May 29, 2007 11:31 AM

Just a point of clarification concerning my comments on the issue of the siting of the new Worthington Hooker School at 691 Whitney Ave.

The matter is now before the CT Supreme Court which took the case out of the hands of the CT Appellate Court, presumably because they thought that the zoning issues it presented had important implications throughout the state.

What I support is implementing that decision without delay when it comes down, whether that means building the school at 691 Whitney if the City wins, or finding a new site for the school if the City loses.

As alder I will try to bring the community together around making the court decision work for all.

I also call on the litigants now, before the decision is known, to pledge to accept that decision with no more delay, thus saving both sides much time and money.

Allan Brison
Candidate for Alderman, Ward 10

Posted by: cedarhillresident | May 29, 2007 1:29 PM

Ralph

I think that is a great idea!! Something I have been saying for awhile. If the people that provide our services live here they will care more about the city. And this is a great way to encourage that!! Bravo I am excited that we have a good candidate out there running!!

Allen I agree with you 100% on the Coliseum and Shartenberg site!! I also agree once the courts make there decision on Hooker the community will need to start working together again.

I have to say it is refreshing to see 2 candidates that are going to work for the people that live new haven . I hope that this is the year of change!! We keep saying we don't like the way things are going...well the only way to change them is with that most powerful thing called the vote!! It is time to make changes!!!

ps. Final budget meeting tonight at the town hall at 7:00pm! Tonight the board of alderman approve the budget as is (no turning back after the votes have been placed).

Posted by: bexter | May 30, 2007 10:26 AM

Ralph,
I like the idea of property tax breaks, but I'm not sure giving government employees special priviledges is necesarily the way to build stronger communities.
The city of New Haven now has the largest police force in the entire state, even though we're something like the third largest city. We spend millions of taxpayer dollars on police, and much less on things like bilingual education, community mediation, or public housing.
If we're going to give tax breaks to people, how about giving one to the fifth to a quarter of New Haven's families who are surviving on less that the estimated cost of living in this city. If we're going to tax Yale, why don't we invest in things like more teachers per kid in our classrooms, or subsidize daycare for the children of folks who work there and make this city run? If we want police and firefighters to come here to live, let's talk about setting up the best school system in the state (I like Alan's idea of having elected school boards), more access to public services, and a better standard of living for all New Haven residents.
I agree that our city will be better if our public employees actually live here. Let's make it easier for everyone--across the board--who works here to make enough money to live here too.

Posted by: andy ross | June 2, 2007 1:59 AM

I have always liked the idea of special financial incentives for police and fire personal but think it can be extended to all city workers. They all serve the residents equally and with as much dedication and commitment to their jobs and I think they should live here if they can afford it. Given the new tax increases I don't see how that will be possible. I also think that it can be a combination of city tax concessions and special bonds from the private sector to provide down payment assistance and low cost mortgages.

New Haven Independent

Ferrucci Presses — & Grills — The Vegan Flesh

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