New Haven Independent

Posted by: Humorous | June 29, 2007 11:35 AM

This is great politics by Mayor John. Pick 5/6 african-american candidates to surround yourself with as take on the two african-americans who are running agianst you for Mayor. Expect that most white people are going to vote for the you because they have never heard of Green or Newton and neither Greene or Newton are trying to appeal to White voters. Meanwhile, all the white alders refuse to be seen with the Mayor. Despite their respective support for him, I doubt you will see Lemar or Mattison walking around East Rock with DeStefano these days. Same thing with the quartet of Silverman, Sandman, Golfield and Rodriquez in Westville/Beaver Hills. I'd bet that Lemar would beat DeStefano in all of East Rock and that Silverman would beat DeStefano throughout all of Westville. Too bad they are both too cowardly to actually endorse or work for Greene or Newton.

Posted by: WEBbloger 1 | June 29, 2007 12:16 PM

By Working together, this group of phonies, helped the mayor pass the largest tax increase ever on mainly poor renters of their wards. Blango and Shaw, who both are on the finance committee voted consistently, in committee to not only raise taxes, but also dramatically double fines for parking tags, double the late parking tag fee, increase fees for permits and licenses, and all other associated services needed by residents. In full board deliberations, these two were joined by Jones and Morehead, who was only on the board two weeks, in voting to approve this massive five year tax increase. Calder, if elected, promises to join this crew of hidden tax bandits, who masquerade as defenders of the poor.

"We all have the same agenda," said Blango, who with six years of service is the senior alder of the group. "That consists of stopping crime, rescuing and educating our children, and making economic opportunity. And that's why we're working together."

Really, well how come only 20% of our school chldren and even less of the high schoolers, can read write and perform math above the states proficiency grade levels?? BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER!! and if you were stopping crime, while providing massive increases to the police department, why has it become necessary for the Edgewood group to patrol it's own neighboorhood?

Go ahead take credit for removing abandoned cars.
Go ahead take credit for manipulating the senior citizens.
go ahead, pat your selves on the back for a job NOT WELL DONE.
AND YOU WANT TO BE RE-ELECTED?
PLEASE...

Posted by: Taxed To Death | June 29, 2007 2:47 PM

It is hard to imagine a more unqualified bunch of people running under a banner of unity and if they win, being in charge of a city budget fast approaching a billion dollars. If the Dixwell/Newhallville wards vote for DeStefano and his band of yes men and women, then they deserve the higher parking tickets, towing and taxes that come with it.

I completely agree with Webblogger who correctly notes the subpar performance in high school graduation and educational proficiences. I would also note that the city administration is trying to secure a 16% pay raise at the mayor's behest; and that surprise, surprise, there's a deficit in the city budget. Two of these braintrusts: Blango and Shaw sit on the Finance Committee and directly approved the excessive spending leading to the deficit. These others approved it in full board meetings including monthly finance reports. Moorehead voted on a budget he had not read and clearly didn't understand. He followed Blango's lead.

And finally, if Mayor DeStefano wants to give people something to vote for, instead of against -- well, he should have started a long time ago by reigning in his massive five year tax increase plan that will hurt every resident in New Haven including renters and property owners, the police department's dysfunctional internal affairs office, beat deployment, and overtime expenditures. Then he should have moved on to fighting crime and reigning in runaway school construction where taxpayers are the victims of runaway imaginations by those who are more concerned with building monuments than classrooms -- more concerned with excessive designs rather than escalating students abilities in the critical areas of math, science and the lanaguage arts.

This political escapade is about as phony as the mayor calling for "good politics" several months ago. It should require more than youth programs and the closing of the Taurus Bar for the mayor and his alder-henchmen to remain in office. Hopefully, the good people in the Dixwell/Newhallville wards will see through this shallow dribble.

Posted by: Gary Doyens | June 29, 2007 5:13 PM

They should paint bars on the windows of that campaign HQ and post mug shots of every member of the "team." They were all party to the mugging of taxpayers in this last budget, passing record increases in property taxes, hiding deficits, disregarding and minimizing taxpayer suggestions, hiding a 16% pay hike for senior DeStefano staff, and laying down a spending plan that will guarantee monster tax increases for the next five years.

Don't let Gina Calder off the hook either -- she's on the team and even wants to increase the city's babysitting of it's youth to around the clock 24/7 -- what an unbelieveably ignorant and mindless idea. Why is that city taxpayer responsibility? One of the problems for these kids is that they're out at all times of the night when they should be home. Where are their parents? Where's personal and familial responsbility? What in the world is wrong with Gina Cantor that she can't see that? God help us if she wins.

Here's a better idea -- send all these problem kids to Gina Calder's house - she can babysit them on her dime.

The campaign of the DeStefano team -- "If we can dream it, we can make them pay for it."

Posted by: Cait Sith | June 29, 2007 9:55 PM

"How did we do it?" he called out to his aldermanic court.

Court Jesters and the Head Clown!

Hilarious!

Oh Johnny Boy, you just don't get it. By associating yourselves with these people and aligning your "working together" farce this way, your credibility diminishes, not increases!

It's just a matter of playing the political dog and pony show because not much else is needed than fake gestures to win the election. Now they insult us like we can't figure out that their "oh so warm and fuzzy sounding work together hugginess" line is correctly received by the tax paying, non-criminal, legal US residents such as the two gentlemen that posted above?!?!?

Please. We deserve better. The current administration does not realize these critical facts:

1. the general fund is on life support and it got there by years of destefano administration abuse.

2. it is only going to get worse as less people pay general fund taxes, thus decreasing it. it is going to continually get more expensive (and dangerous) for a person to own property in New Haven. I know Morris Cove and Westville alders realize this.

3. public support service costs are going to continue to grow exponentially eminating from those who are not actively contributing to the General Fund - not robbing it as a result of "no jobs".

You see if you don't have at risk children in need of a mega school or gunshots at your doorstep then you are forgotten and abandoned - robbed our of General Fund right to community service.

TAXEDTODEATH and WEBBLOGER1 are 100% correct.

Posted by: anewday | June 30, 2007 1:41 PM

What wonderful comments!

I urge all you posters to keep an open mind about Willie Greene. His position papers stress a return to fiscal responsibility and promoting neighborhood interests vis. residents' safety, tax relief and youth accountability. The media has been deplorably slow in giving coverage to anyone who is critical of the DeStefano "dog-and-pony" show.

Posted by: THREEFIFTHS | July 1, 2007 8:41 PM

Master King Johns Plantation With His Collection
Of His Ventriloguist Dummies Who Should Be Singing
Jump Around, Turn Around Pick A Bail Of Cotton, Jump Around Turn Around O Lord Pick A Bail Of Hay!!! P.S King Master John I Am Glad That The Immgrantion Bill Was Stoped In Washington.

Posted by: Lisa J. Hopkins, Candidate-WARD22 | July 28, 2007 2:31 PM

"Give the People Something to vote for, not against"? This slogan is merely another example of how the Democratic Monarchy consistently manipulates and undermines the intelligence of the disenfranchised across this entire city. Our elected officials obvious failure to stay in touch with the needs of the working class residents,living in some the poorest wards in New Haven;truly heightens the urgency of casting a responsible vote this year. The team effort so proudly presented in this article reaks of devout loyalty...but, to whom? Have you asked your elected official,how they plan on factoring your needs into their voting process? Unfortunatley, this predictable way of governing the masses continues to cripple our communitites which provides limited economic growth,fewer employment opportuntities and a host of Band-Aid programming,merely providing a segue for us,the taxpayers, to dig deeper into our pockets! The staggering amount of increased revenue for those at the top of the food chain makes the rich, richer and the poor, poorer and the middle class fighting to stay above water. At the end of the day, we are still faced with the same dilemma: How to provide for our families (i.e. food,clothing,shelter)increased public saftey in our neighborhoods,the development of comprehensive community services & activities driven by the needs of the people in each particular ward and the promotion of individuals ability to access educational opportunties! "We, the people, don't want to be given "something to vote for", we EXPECT to be a part of the intricate decision making process the impacts our lives!