New Haven Independent

Posted by: charlie | June 7, 2007 10:42 AM

I think stop and frisk is a great idea. We need to remove guns from the street immediately. The City should temporarily bring in a special summer police force to do so if necessary, no matter what the cost. If each resident ponies up $100 and each business $500, that's at least $20 million to use for making our streets safer. If that saves a couple lives it's worth it.

Posted by: Gary Doyens | June 7, 2007 10:47 AM

I look forward to reading this report. The question is why has it not been publicly released until now? With fanfare and against a backdrop of youth gone wild last year, the mayor announced his request for the study, yet when it's done, it's quietly put away and not publicly mentioned again. It may have been available from Mr. Smuts, but if we don't know it's done -- how do we know to ask for it -- further, why should we have to? I'm also not sure what police reports Mr. Smuts is reading, but news reports driveby shootings at kids in the park, gunning down Chapel Street merchants, carjackings in East Rock, not to mention drugs, another shooting in Westville by a gang of youth thugs, breaking and entering and the like are hardly what I would call "not a crisis." Perhaps Mr. Smuts should read more. The response is standard -- spend more money: For open schools which is a glorified youth sitting activity, community policing which has been around for years and other conventional approaches. The only important question is whether any of this is working based on crime statistics and data not antedotes, or are we just putting bandaides on a problem and hoping we'll get through the Summer and Fall with fewer fatalities if not fewer incidents.

Posted by: Gary Doyens | June 7, 2007 10:49 AM

I look forward to reading this report. I question why has it not been publicly released until now? With fanfare and against a backdrop of youth gone wild last year, the mayor announced his request for the study, yet when it's done, it's quietly put away and not publicly mentioned again. It may have been available from Mr. Smuts, but if we don't know it's done -- how do we know to ask for it -- further, why should we have to? I'm also not sure what police reports Mr. Smuts is reading, but news reports of driveby shootings at kids in the park, gunning down Chapel Street merchants, carjackings in East Rock, not to mention drugs, another shooting in Westville by a gang of youth thugs, breaking and entering and the like are hardly what I would call "not a crisis." Perhaps Mr. Smuts should read more. The response is standard -- spend more money: For open schools which is a glorified youth sitting activity that ends at 7p, community policing which has been around for years and other conventional approaches. The only important question is whether any of this is working based on crime statistics and data not antedotes, or are we just putting bandaides on a problem and hoping we'll all get through the Summer and Fall with fewer fatalities if not fewer incidents.

Posted by: HeavyD | June 7, 2007 11:59 AM

Priceless. Newton doesn't think New Haven should push the envelope with the feds when it comes to providing some dignity for the immigrant community. But constitutional gray areas involving aggressive policing?? No problema! Newton's statement advocates "constitutional" stop and frisk for loitering. Maybe we could save a few bucks on litigation by noting in advance that frisking isn't constitutional for loitering.

Posted by: Joe | June 7, 2007 1:19 PM

Putting aside the fact that Newton appears to not understand the laws he's referring to, his response suggests he is out of touch with the real needs of New Haveners. New Haveners want and need local, proactive immigration policies that address the reality of the current situation. The more immigrants that, to name a few examples, use banks, get car insurance, attain safe and legal housing, utilize primary care physicians, etc., the better off we all are (ie: less crime, less hit and runs, less unpaid emergency room bills).

So far his campaign seems to be based on a platform that simply puts forth the opposite of anything DeStefano supports. Such a campaign, besides suggesting a lack of depth and creativity on the part of Newton and his handlers, is likely one that will lose.

Posted by: TrueBlueCT | June 7, 2007 1:23 PM

Sad to see that Newton continues with his all-things-DeStefano-equal-bad campaign. Frankly, his thought on the ID cards are hardly worth reporting. And the last thing New Haven needs is for the city to be declared a "crime emergency". What is Newton smoking?

Posted by: Give us a break | June 7, 2007 2:41 PM

Newton's campaign again reads the New Haven Independent and has a press conference. Only this time Newton actually loses his mind.

Hey Jim -- children lost their parents yesterday and you spout right wing talking points? Federal agents forced children to lay on the floor while there homes were searched and you say nothing in their defense. Are you sure you are running as a Democrat?

Let me help you out. Another conservative talking point is that everyone should be required to speak English and only English. Here's a tidbit from your press conference: "I don't know how you can put something in place like that that goes beyond the federal government's ability to define the law and the characteristic of a purpose that they truly have power and discretion over." Is that English? Maybe you should call ICE on yourself.

Now you want to begin "constitutional" searches of anyone found loitering? (What do you think this means? Will the NHPD recite the Constitution while throwing neighborhood kids against the wall?) Will these searches happen all over the city or only to those of us who happen to live in Dixwell, Newhallville, Fair Haven or the Hill? What planet did you just arrive from? Those of us who do live in those neighborhoods remember all to well when this was NHPD policy. There was even more crime back then, no one wanted to talk to the police and they couldn't arrest people in Newhallville without even homeowners coming out and yelling at the police. Thank goodness for the introduction of community policing. Maybe you should check with Mayor Daniels for a refresher.

Please come out with some kind of policy idea that is not hateful and nonsensical. You appear to be on the reactionary side of every issue from campaign finance to community policing to protecting children from losing their parents to broken federal immigration policy. Even people who might want to support you are leaving you in droves. Why are you basically running DeStefano's campaign for him?

Posted by: dwightstreetrenter | June 7, 2007 2:48 PM

if you're "illegal" then you're not here legally. My ancestors came to the US through Ellis Island. They were scared, poor, fleeing famine, and seeking opportunities.

They were "processed" and then worked hard to learn English. They were proud of being Americans, and encouraged their children to be active members of the community. Many members of my family have been in politics in Connecticut and Massachussetts. They now are prominent business owners and consultants, doctors, lawyers, accountants, and civic leaders.

People who are here in the US illegally, whether they've outstayed their visas, or have "jumped ship" or crossed a border illegally, are breaking the law! They have no right to be here, and need to face the consequences of their actions.

A city id plan is a mistake. Why should my tax dollars go to public services to pay the hospital bill, or fire department or police department fees, road maintenance, environmental cleanup at beaches, airport, etc...if these immigrants are not paying for these services? Why am I legal? I want to skip out on taxes too.

Maybe I should become an illegal, and get all the perks of citizenship without any responsibility for paying for it!

Posted by: Joe | June 7, 2007 3:37 PM

Dear DwightStreetRenter - You and all the illegal immigrants in town are paying the same city taxes in exactly the same way - through the property taxes built into your rent (or just directly through your property taxes, if you own).

Posted by: fairnessinmedia | June 7, 2007 5:04 PM

Can the author please tell me why she refers to Jim Newton as the "leading challenger"? (Not specifically in this story, but in the lead-in summary, as well as on 2 earlier occasions). I happen to work with the Willie Greene campaign, and our informal polling is very favorable to our candidate. (No surprise there.) Anyway, unless Ms. Bailey has some credible data to support her charactyerisation, I suggest she stop doing such a disservice to the Ferrucci and Greene camps. Just the facts,...maam.

Posted by: Robn | June 8, 2007 9:40 AM

Holy 5th Amendment Batman!

HeavyD's got it right. Jim Newton's is siumultaneously calling for unconstituional search and seizures while claiming that legal IDs are unconstituional. UP is DOWN? BLACK is WHITE? Tsk tsk...

As for Dwightstreetrenters sentimental journey back to Ellis Island, please remember sir that (with the exception of the insideous Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882) U.S. immigration quotas weren't established until 1921. By that time, the Germans, the Irish, and about 5.3 million beautiful Italians already made it through the door. So just maybe the problem isn't illegal immigrants (who pick your vegetables, butcher your meat, sweep floors, wash dishes etc.), but the current rules excluding them from the land of opportunity.

Posted by: Robn | June 8, 2007 10:23 AM

whoah!

I used the term "search and seizure" but Mr. Newton's statement included the term "stop and frisk". Not the same thing. Nevertheless, "stop and frisk" is in a gray zone between probable cause and a wild guess and could therefore nudge itslef right up against illegal profiling.

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | June 9, 2007 8:19 PM

Joe, you must be living in la-la land if you think that illegals are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get library cards, buy auto insurance and pay for their medical bills once they get their New Haven ID cards. All you're gonna do is encourage more illegals to move into the city and suck our resources dry. And if you think that renters pay the same in taxes as a homeowner does, then you are comepletely out of touch. When you pay a thousand bucks a month to the city for taxes, then you can start shooting your mouth off about contributing to the base.

Giveusabreak, I've listened to hair on fire liberals like you over the past 40 years whose social policies and activism had brought once great cities like Bridgeport and Hartford to the brink of collapse by driving out the middle class for the sanity of the suburbs. New Haven, you're next!

Posted by: Cap Coleman | June 10, 2007 11:10 AM

"Fed Up With Liberals" is right on the mark. I moved my business out of New Haven and to the Burbs, sick and tired of the tax increases and DeStefano's pandering to the moochers at the expense of the producers. Numerous relatives of mine also fled New Haven for surrounding towns and are glad for it. DeStefano's tax base has dwindled so much, he has had to resort to extorting payments from Yale, Yale-New Haven Hospital and most recently from the New Alliance Bank. What he has left largely are the bleeding heart white liberals, professors, and judges who live in East Rock and Westville and who are paying property taxes in amounts that make me and other suburbanites smile as we sit on our porches sipping lemonade, smug in the satisfaction that the liberals are getting what they asked for - a financial soaking.

Posted by: Come On | June 11, 2007 12:16 AM

CAP,

It would be interesting to know what business you moved out of New Haven. Over the last 5 years there has been an obvious boom of new businesses opening in New Haven. Once vacant storefronts all over downtown New Haven are now filled. Two grocery stores have opened, one in the Hill and one in Dixwell in formerly vacant buildings. Ikea opened in a long vacant property. Grand Avenue is now booming where it was once a bunch of boarded up buildings. Seems like other businesses don't agree with your flee to the suburbs rhetoric.

It gets tired pretty quick. I say good riddance to people who continually degrade this city even though any objective observer can see the positive changes.

And another thing, you act like only white people are paying taxes, yet after revaluation property values in neighborhoods like Fair Haven increased dramatically in relation to the value of properties in the "liberal" "white" neighborhoods you mention.

So sit on your porch, sip your lemonade and play I Wish I Was in Dixie on the old Victrola. We know what you think of us. Once again -- good riddance.

Posted by: Joe | June 11, 2007 10:50 AM

Dear FedUpWithLiberals -

Not quite sure I understand your "la-la land" point. If you are a landlord in New Haven, and you don't build your property taxes into what you charge as rent, then you are an idiot. The only rationale for doing such a thing would be to purposely take a business loss - but if so you'll reap the benefits of the business loss. Either way, an "illegal" renting is the same as a "legal" renting - both of them end paying the same de facto property taxes. Not sure what's so complicated abou this...

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | June 11, 2007 4:26 PM

Hi Joe!

You clearly are not a homeowner. You can't pass on the cost of all the increases you face every year. This is especially true in a soft rental market like what you see in East Rock. The city allowed so much high-end high rise housing in downtown, that apartments in the rest of the city are going empty for months. And, not for nothing, I'm looking to make a monthly profit on all the responsibilities and efforts that go into running and maintaining a property. I'm not here to have my assets redistributed to the poor.

You'll change your tune when you get a job that can be threatened by illegal immigrants who will work for less and who don't pay taxes. Your view will also change when you buy property that has a monthly mortgage, taxes and insurance that creep up every year despite what you make. Property also has to be maintained with large ticket items like roofs, boilers, electricals, plumbing and paint. Have you ever priced out what any of that costs? I don't think so. Renters like you have no idea how much it costs to run a house. You think it's all heaven sent. Put on top of that a Vassal for a mayor whose hell bent on destroying the middle class, and maybe you'll get your mind right.

Posted by: Joe | June 12, 2007 2:41 AM

Dear FedUpWithLiberals:

Two final points... First, the main point is that regardless of the landlord's financial plan, an illegal immigrant renting and a US citizen renting are co-equals in terms of their contribution to city coffers.

Second point - just to clarify your presumptions... I own two houses, one of which I rent (in New Haven). The rent thus far has paid my mortgage and taxes and annual expenses, along with a modest profit (and will continue to do so in 2007-8).

Posted by: HeavyD | June 12, 2007 3:23 AM

East Rock is a soft rental market? Do you live on this planet? Regardless, if you own/manage properties, stop whining about it. As you indicate, you're in it for profit, not as a public service, so nobody's heart breaks to hear you have to pay for a roof. Like the taxes Joe points out, that's what the rent is for. Are your properties magically rent controlled unlike anything else in that neighborhood? If it's breaking your back, please do sell the property -- with any luck New Haven will have one more *resident* homeowner (or at least a resident landlord -- it sounds like you're not one).