New Haven Independent

Posted by: anon | February 18, 2009 11:07 AM

How about a 30% across the board salary cut, combined with incentive pay (e.g., homebuyer programs, tuition reimbursements, free bus passes) to reward the minority of city employees who actually live in the city and pay taxes here?

Use the savings to lower property taxes on homeowners, invest in economic development, reward the best teachers, and allow homeless shelters to stay open.

Please don't reward unions for abandoning the city, using their high salaries to decamp to the suburbs and then shamelessly asking for more as the national economy crumbles.

Posted by: City Hall Watch | February 18, 2009 11:14 AM

The mayor can ask for all the concessions he wants. There is so much waste in city government. It will not make much of a dent in spending. We employ too many people and we just can't afford it anymore. City taxpayers are going to get a big bill, probably with a double digit tax hike in it under the mayor's plan. Maybe some of those who want to stuff the city payroll with felons could bother to turn out to help beat back the tax hikes it will take to employ them, that would be helpful. oh, that's right, that's an issue that doesn't affect them.

Posted by: That is the answer | February 18, 2009 1:18 PM

Hey city hall watch you are right on the money that is the trurth cut and dry.To many people on the ship makes the ship sink.Get rid of the excess and keep what you need to do the work the taxpayers not only deserve but pay for.Trust me Unions can help out here but they are far from solving this problem alone.This should of been 3% from every city employee Union or non Union regardless.They will only keep spending so Union concessions will never be enough

Posted by: live&workhere | February 18, 2009 2:03 PM

The mayor has achieved one thing--having the unions work as separate entities. At a time like this, our union leadership should be working together to develop a package to present to City Hall. Every union member has a stake in what the other unions are willing to deal or give back. Will the membership wake up and realize that what one union gives up will soon become the item another union is forced to give up when contract negotiations get underway. All of our contracts are up in the next 2-3 years.

And, please do not ask the average city worker to give back 30% of his/her salary or benefits package. Find out what the average compensation package to a city employee is before you make the huge assumption that we are living fat on the hog. Most of us would like to know how to find that hog to even get a nibble off of it. I live here, work here, send my kids to school here, play here, and love New Haven.

Posted by: waiting for my dinner invite | February 19, 2009 11:16 PM

The Unions are willing to work with the city, we are willing to help. We are willing to make concessions to help our fellow city workers keep their jobs. What the public doesn't know is, the Mayor has no interest in compromising. He wants what he wants, and that's it. He wants to take it all, and is not willing to "talk" to us. He says he's "asked" the unions for help....well guess what, the unions are YOU! We are workers just like you, the average guy who makes pennies and tries to raise a family on them. We attempt to buy our kids decent clothes, not $150 sneakers, but $25 from Walmart. We buy meat in bulk and try to make that ground beef last, while trying to keep it different so the kids will eat it. We keep the heat turned down really low, wear socks and sweatshirts and cuddle under blankets while watching tv with the kids to cut on heating bills. We wonder how we can afford to pay for college when we can't even buy a decent groceries. Next week's check is gone before we've received it. Yes, we are just like you....so before you want us to give and give, think about the fact that we "make too much to get assistance and make too little to pay for everything on our own!" You know, all of you who have so many negative comments about the city workers and how we are "bleeding" the city dry, remember this...when you are complaining about the stray animals that are not picked up on weekends (Because that would mean OVERTIME!), , the trash dumped on the street that is not picked up right away because there aren't ENOUGH PEOPLE!, the lights (street and traffic) that are not working causing a serious hazard, the phone calls to the police that go unanswered because there are 4 people working, (IN A CITY THIS SIZE!!), when you complain about the delay in getting an officer out to take your complaint about noise because they are out on SHOOTING calls, the 35-40 kids per classroom teacher, (hmmmm, and you wonder why your kids get lost in the system!)....you are the same people who are asking us to give up large chunks of our pay. The pay we use for rent, for mortgages, for groceries, for school clothes, and for the huge huge insurance payments we make on our homes and our cars BECAUSE we live in New Haven. Oh yeah, don't forget the high property taxes! Hmm, Destafanoooooo, wow, you gave up a tineeeey percentage of your pay...hmm, your over $100K pay, but yet you ask 4.25% of us? You want to raise our medical, take our overtime benefits, you want us to give up any and all bonuses, and all of our raises that you held back from us for YEARS! Every raise we've received in the last couple of years is less than what we've paid in medical increases!! Less!!! Why don't you tell the public that? No, that's not good politics right? Yeah, sure, as soon as you make my mortgage payments, pay my gas bill, my electricity bill, and give me an unlimited Stop and Shop card, I'll give up my pay. When my kids can survive on Ramen noodles alone for months and months, then I'll give up my pay......as soon as they are invited to your home for dinner every night, then I'll give up my pay. You want us to pay for your screw ups!! How typical of you... Let me ask you, how many "programs" have you paid for with our money? Guess what, when you invite us "Hill, Newhallville, and Fair Havenites" to your Westville home for dinner, THEN AND ONLY THEN will I give you all you ask for.......

Posted by: Stacy Miller | February 21, 2009 7:43 PM

Just wanted to let the residents of New Haven be aware that Mayor DeStefano is considering cutting out the adult softball program...a program which profited the city almost $75,000 last year. I cannot even fathom how one could even come up with putting a profitable program on the chopping block. Larry Amendola of the Park and Rec dept. had asked each and every one of us who care about this to call or email the mayor to voice your concerns. It does not matter if you play (or even care about softball), because that $75,000 LOSS IS GOING TO AFFECT EACH AND EVERY ONE ON US, REGARDLESS. Another job or program will be cut if softball does not occur, period.
As for you, Mr. Mayor...let me just say that in times such as these, when people are having so much trouble trying to make ends meet, and entertainment and/or gym memberships are put on the back burner so that families can be fed and have heat...I think it is horrific that you would take away a program that means so much to the players, their health, the children who come to watch their parents play, the fans who come to watch a good FREE ball game. There are hundreds of residents who belong to these leagues, who look forward to playing some ball each year, as it is not only great exercise, but also an affordable outlet, one of the few left anymore. But most of all, especially for those of us who are really feeling the pinch during this economic crisis, it is an hour a week where those of us who play can escape from the economic horror that we endure on a daily basis, and feel like a normal person again. I urge you, Mr. Mayor, to reconsider taking adult softball away from those of us who really need it. Not to mention, all that money that the city of New Haven is claiming they need right now. Do the right thing...keep softball alive, and perhaps with the profit, you could save a few jobs for the hardworking residents.

Stacy Miller
Manager of Goodfella's Co-ed Softball

P.S. Please be prompt with your decision as many of the teams are searching surrounding towns for other leagues, and the longer you take, the less your potential profits will be!!