New Haven Independent

Posted by: darnell | November 16, 2007 9:07 AM

Paul, when is the public hearing?

Paul is right on the money in regards to the proposed Mayor's raise. If he wanted a raise, he should have proposed it earlier, before the election.

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Posted by: Hartford Johnson | November 16, 2007 11:23 AM

That would have been foolish of him. It is much smarter to wait until after the election!

Posted by: darnell | November 16, 2007 1:22 PM

I disagree. He would have still won the election, even though he may have lost a few, not many, votes. At least he would have had the moral argument that he let the public know before he won relection, and they, through his relection, agreed with the raise.

Posted by: Gary Doyens | November 16, 2007 2:46 PM

Hartford: It would not have been foolish for the mayor to propose his $25,000 raise - it would have been honest, upfront and respectful of the voters who are having to dig deep, and by all projections, even deeper in the next four years to cover an ever expanding cost of unlimited local government.

DeStefano's pay raise will add $500,000 to his pension payments, covered by the city, and across the next two years, add $50,000 to the operating budget.

To wait until after the ink is barely dry on the election results shows is dishonorable and shows a disdain for voters that is hard to understand in as much as he sought their support to keep him in his high paying job.

The cit clerk has the same traits. It's beyond shameful. I just hope this time, the aldermen turn him down and stand up for the rules that govern these matters, and for taxpayers who soldier on to pay for these decisions. This is not a tough call. It's not even close.

Posted by: Dean Moriarty | November 17, 2007 12:26 AM

Gary Doyens said this is beyond shameful. I agree. Today it was announced that VH1 and Comcast have donated 60K to two New Haven schools to keep their music education programs alive. We're not funding music education for our kids, two outside concerns come in and do it, and this Mayor is looking for a 25K increase? Sometimes I think I'm in Oz.

As a PS: Paul, why haven't (or have you) considered throwing your hat in the ring? You've got two years, you've got great support, as evidenced here, you obviously have the knowledge of New Haven politics, why not at least consider it in the next (long) 24 months?

Posted by: thinkagain | November 17, 2007 7:37 AM

I don't see how the city clerk has the same traits. The city clerk is a no-show job. The city clerk has another full time job and it is just so typical that not a single person has even mentioned the 55,000 salary for a job where you do not have to go to work. The city clerk should get paid half of what an alderman makes. The city clerk has two jobs to do. show up once in awhile to a meeting and have the signature scanned in for the paychecks and official stamps. Other than that they can come and go as they please - the deputy clerk and that staff do everything. The city clerk used to make what amounted to a stipend, now it is a full time salary for doing absolutely nothing. It is hard to read the rants here when the real budget issues are ignored - the mayor at least works 7 days a week. Think again!

Posted by: Tim Kane | November 19, 2007 9:02 AM

THINKAGAIN:

Is what you say about the City Clerk position true? Does Mr. Smith really have another 'full-time' job? $55,000 to have your signature scanned, and then show up for a couple of measly meetings? Where do I sign up?? Geez, I hope it's not true...gotta be more complicated than that...

Posted by: James | November 20, 2007 9:34 AM

Tim - yes, Ron Smith most certainly has another full-time job. He works for the water management district. He also has a large house in Beaver Hill, drives a Chrysler 300 (their luxury sedan), and has a car for two of his children currently living at home and one for his wife. Yes, four cars. Though to be fair I don't know if any of them bought their own car. This guy needs a raise like I need a hole in the head. And he deserves a raise about as much as he needs it.

Posted by: Hiscoolness | November 20, 2007 10:03 AM

A City the size of New Haven must should afford what it costs to get a good mayor who can manage the $445 million a year $717 million if you add in the Special Funds and capital budgets -- the City spends. But this Mayor is not doing a good job managing all this spending. Too focused on ego enhancement with "biggest in the USA" school building programs that do not address the causes of poor educational performace while endlessly repeating the mantra that the schools are doing a fine job.

This Mayor has an edifice complex when it comes to school construction. HE has done great damage to the City's fiscal health. Unfunded pension liabilities, rising City debt and the soon to be announced retiree health care liability will all work to the detriment of the City's fiances, and, will affect my pocket.

And, yes, with so little Mayoral opposition the Mayor should have been up front about this pay raise BEFORE the election. Just basic honesty and decency. What we have here is underhanded and sneaky.

Voters are sophisticated enough to wink and condone a certain degree of sucking up to constituent groups and dishing out favors to get pliticians reelected. The fact that twenty-nine out of thirty alders and the Mayor were reelected attests to the powers of incumbency. But there are limits, or should be, and what is happening here is a City digging itself a fiscal hole that must be paid for in future years. And it is happening because voters are unaware of these obligations -- IOU's that have their names stamped on them-- and Alders are complicit. Let us ascribe the Alders complicity to just lack of knowledge and information. They will have a chance to vote tonight.

All of this can happen because information such as this pay increase is suppressed until it becomes moot after the elections. The way to prevent this is to take a stand for fiscal responsibility by coming to make voters voices heard tonight at City Hall.

Posted by: JFlo | November 20, 2007 4:03 PM

It would be interesting to know when the mayor last got a raise and what the amount was. Has he had many raises over the years?

Posted by: Tim Kane | November 27, 2007 8:38 AM

James:

Yikes!