New Haven Independent

Posted by: Nan Bartow | May 21, 2008 9:52 AM

Thanks to all those who offered to help keep the Whalley Avenue police substation open. Continuing the substation in its existing location is absolutely essential to our neighborhood's efforts to improve this section of Whalley Avenue. The disappearance of the substation would mean a large increase in crime on the street and in the surrounding areas. Neighbors and businesses would lose heart. We must all do whatever we can to retain the substation on Whalley Avenue.

Posted by: Ned | May 21, 2008 9:54 AM

"If I were Citizens [Bank], that got held up three times last summer, I'd write a $500 check without even breathing" What's the difference between the city taking your money, via taxes, and someone else taking your money? when in either case you don't seem to get anything in return (except not shot - what a bargain!)? Seems like we'd be better off letting the Mafia run things - oh that's right, they apparently already do, okay scratch that idea. Any illegal immigrants with right (or left) wing death squad experience want to come clean up the neighborhood? Hmm, already working for the CIA. Okay folks, it's official pay $500 or you're all on your own; it's now everyone for herself.

Posted by: PowertothePeople | May 21, 2008 10:23 AM

Asked after the meeting if she is concerned that the deal might set a precedent for a similar situation next year, McCormack responded that she was "worried about getting through this one first."

It's this type of limited thinking that has us in the predicament we're in now. We need to stop REacting and start thinking long-term. I like Liz but...

Posted by: Yair | May 21, 2008 10:25 AM

Let's see, in rough numbers, a 10 million dollar budget gap, over 100,000 citizens, is 100 bucks apiece on the average.

How about everyone in the city pitch in that 100 bucks? Perhaps, for fairness, adjusted according to salary, property, or other measure of wealth? Oh, no, that would be taxation, which is evil.

I know! instead, let's pick a few sacrificial lambs, senior citizens, kids who don't really need an education, some city employees who don't really need a job, and a neighborhood with crime problems, and make them pay the difference. Now that's the American way.

Actually while we're at it, we should really disband the police department and have every citizen hire a private security force. Imagine the tax utopia we would then inhabit.

Posted by: dylan | May 21, 2008 10:26 AM

Looking for big contributions is good, but smaller contributions could go an awfully long way. Of the needed $11,000, $2,200 have already been pledged. If the seven potential donors mentioned give $500 each, then all you need to do is find 100 people in the neighborhood to give $53 each. Or 200 to give $26.50 ... or 400 to give $13.25. If it meant saving a police substation, I'd gladly shell out fifty bucks and ask a couple friends to do the same. If people of Whalley Ave. think its really worth it, so will they.

Of course, eventually this suggestion begins to look like people just being taxed again, but at least this way they know what they're paying for.

Posted by: Webblog 1 | May 21, 2008 10:41 AM

There is nothing in this story which explains why it is imperative to have the station on whalley Ave. as opposed to Hillhouse. The location of the station seems secondary to the current ineffective& inefficient operation of the station, as evidenced by the need to employ civilian neighborhood patrols last year.

Liz Mcormack should be attending Finance committee meetings to determine if funds are available else where in the budget in order to maintain the station at Whalley. The Mayor has always said that public safety is his first concern. Therefore, if MCcormack took the time to isolate the excess double dipping in this budget, and there is a plenty, it should be very easy to find 20K elsewhere.

It's there LIZ, just look.

Posted by: citizen | May 21, 2008 10:58 AM

What we need to remember is that Rabbi Greer is the landlord of that substation. AND from what I understood the sub-station would be housed inside school in the neighborhood, thus cutting out the rental expense altogether.
Who stands to benefit from this current deal the neighborhood or the landlord?

Posted by: Nan Bartow | May 21, 2008 12:05 PM

Whalley Avenue stands to benefit from having the police substation located on Whalley Avenue rather than hidden inside the high school blocks away. The businesses on Whalley Ave., the people who patronize the businesses, and the people who live or traverse the surrounding streets will benefit from having visible working substation right in its midst.

Posted by: robn | May 21, 2008 12:52 PM

Since our governemenr is daily burning trashcans full of t-bills over in Iraq, why don't we ask Joe Lieberman for a donation?

Posted by: Tired of it | May 21, 2008 1:46 PM

If Greer is so concerned about this part of the neighborhood, he should give the city a free rental space for one year. Oh yeah, he is only good at talking bad about the police or the city. Put your money where your mouth is, and show the people of New Haven that you truly do believe in community based policing (Remember that starts with Community)The one year free rent will only help build a stronger bond between Greer and the city.
Yeah, i'm sure he can get prime $$ for that location. So, if that is going to be your argument, just rent it out and let the police move to another location.

Posted by: Cheri | May 21, 2008 2:47 PM

I don't mean to harp on the cops...I really don't, but it is very common for no one to be at that substation to begin with...no one was there when I got chased by 5 kids a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday..around noon time, 2 blocks from that substation.
So, maybe the substation moving to Hillhouse is not such a big deal, compared to what I believe we really need: foot/bike/traffic cops on the street, and not hanging at a substation (or not hanging there, as the case may be).

Posted by: Hartford Johnson | May 21, 2008 4:04 PM

the answer:

PRIVATE POLICE FORCES

Posted by: Shill at City Hall | May 21, 2008 7:41 PM

Good to see all this community activism. What I do not understand is why all these people vote for democrats like Johnny Boy. If they must organize public services themselves they are TRUE REPUBLICANS.

Posted by: JSJ | May 21, 2008 9:07 PM

While I'm a proponent of keeping the WEB substation right where it is, I question the wisdom of opening the door to citizens paying for city services out of pocket. Is there any precedent for for this type of transaction?

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | May 22, 2008 6:11 AM

Why don't we hit up the same undisclosed source that paid for the whole illegal ID scam? Might help balance things out.

Posted by: on whalley | May 22, 2008 11:01 AM

"is there any precedent for for this type of transaction?"

I guess you haven't been forking over taxes? The clowns in "charge" have been extorting money from us to waste on buying votes for generations now. Is it that you just don't consider taxation to be the taking of whats yours by others to do with what they please? What else is it if not that?

I guess people thinking that reaching into your pocket and handing these spend-crazy asses even more cash on top of all the extortion is somehow different or "charitable" would benefit those who profit. This way they get to keep taxing and can add threats and guilt-trips to collect immediate funds. Give me more money or I'll take the "protection" away? How is that not extortion? Can I press charges? First I'd have to find an "authority" that wasn't a raging scumbag and crook but since Andy Griffith wasn't really a sheriff I guess I'm out of luck.

None of this would be happening to New Haven or any town, state, family or individual if they just lived within their means in the first place.

How many of you ran out and blew your "stimulus" money before you even got it? Maybe those who did wouldn't admit it because that would be an idiotic thing to do. Well, this city has been blowing money it expects to have for a long long time now. Here is where it learns a valuable life lesson in fiscal responsibility or not. I see an awful lot of people are more than willing to support the charade. Give DeStefano everything you have and you're delaying the inevitable. With proper management and growing only within the cities means (which means not buying idiot voters with unnecessary "services" and "programs" not giving voting blocks like unions and special interests everything they ask for and not letting your buddies in the construction business skim off the top but doing the responsible thing probably won't win you any reelections given the people who vote in this backwards and dysfunctional city) none of these cutbacks would be occurring.

Every individual that opts for spinning rims over land, every family that gets the 52" plasma over health insurance, every town and city that fills itself with "services" that attract dependents and frivolities like heated bus stops, and every nation that runs around policing the world while simultaneously regulating it's business out of the country and inviting the worlds dependents to suck from it's tit all have the same simple lesson to learn. They wont, however. They'll just plow themselves headfirst into ruin, point at a scapegoat, rally the idiots of the lowest common denominator and either start all over on the bones of the scapegoats or be overtaken by the scapegoats and lost to history.

What the hell is so hard about living within your means?

Posted by: j | May 22, 2008 1:00 PM

"If I were Citizens [Bank], that got held up three times last summer, I'd write a $500 check without even breathing" It doesn't seem that having the substation right across the street from the bank had any impact on the people who wanted to rob it!!!!
I like to see exactly what the plans are that the city has with moving the substation. Which offers the best solution? I would like to see more information before I make up my mind.