New Haven Independent

Posted by: jawbone | February 27, 2009 5:20 PM

How much could it possibly cost to run these facilities?
Thanks for toiling away yer whole lives, now get out. More shut-ins, more daytime T.V., more lonely seniors. It sucks to be an aging american now more than ever.
Look into these people eyes...they're wondering where it all went terribly wrong.

Posted by: What? | February 27, 2009 6:08 PM

You mean our taxes actually pay for something of value? And when we choose to pay for lots of cops that means we have to cut somewhere else? You mean there are real people who get laid off and real people who use city services?

I would never have guessed that by reading the New Haven Independent which can be proud of its giving the anti-tax zealots a home.

Posted by: john john | February 27, 2009 8:52 PM

So here we have the chance for two of Destefano's favorite pawns to actually speak for their constituants. Yousef Shah and Ina Silverman over here on the Westside have had senior centers in their wards shut down. Where is the anger and outrage from them? Dead mice are louder then these two.
Of course over at bella vista, Non-city hall man Alderman Lee's backyard,and non-puppet State Rep. Bob Megna, they didn't follow the gameplan, so we knew that was coming. Come to think of it, non-puppet State Rep. Pat Dillion has the other two closed centers in her district. Humm?

Posted by: iwasthere | February 27, 2009 10:05 PM

It would be cheaper for then city to give illegal immigrant servies. The mayor likes agreeing with the illegal immigrant community and turning it's back on the legal citizens of the city. The id program gives the immigrant community a gleam of hope for city services that is provide to them and some voting power. Yes legal citizes are able to obtian these service through legal means. Now the city is cutting services for the elderly but not to the illegal immigrants that they bow down and kiss their feet. If the illegal immigrants did not have the cards How much money would the city save? Who's paying for the cards this year mayor?

Posted by: east rock dan | February 28, 2009 12:03 AM

Ahh! what's the big deal anyway? i mean, all these people have done is weather the great depression, win a world war,a war w/ korea, live thier lives with honor and virtue and have the misfortune of living in new haven.
What good are they.

This is disgusting. Disgusting, this is not who we were raised to be. This does not speak for me, and i hope the rest of you are as outrages.
The people being affected walked or took the trolley to high school when the high schools were on broadway, and grew up in a time without handguns, videogames and destefano administration.
shame on us.

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | February 28, 2009 6:47 AM

And yet, we fund programs for illegal aliens. I wonder how many "culturally oriented" programs were eliminated in this budget?

How 'bout we sell one of our heated bus stops to pay for the senior centers?

Posted by: robn | February 28, 2009 8:49 AM

looks like it costs $91,765 per center. Can't our other public facilites like libraries and schools serve the same pupose for these seniors and provide them with space?

Posted by: anon | February 28, 2009 1:05 PM

Robn, that would work if people could actually walk to the schools. But the state currently doesn't pay for crosswalks.

Posted by: Rep. Pat Dillon | February 28, 2009 2:24 PM

John John
Thanks for the shout out. My name is spelled Dillon, not Dillion, though lots of people spell it that way for some reason.

For the past month, I've been focused not on the city budget, but on the state budget. Good programs serving New Haven were cut or even wiped out by Gov. Rell in her budget.
I may write about the state cuts at at some point, but right now we're listening to those groups and need to have a plan.
The local decisions rest primarily with with local elected officials, but if they organize a team effort I expect the delegation members would be supportive.

Posted by: robn | February 28, 2009 2:37 PM

WHAT,

Theres a difference between anti-tax (trickle down) zealots and those of us who are willing to pay reasonable taxes that are spent wisely. Unfortunately, CTs tax structure is wildly unprogressive.

Posted by: jawbone | March 1, 2009 10:26 AM

Fedupwithliberals-
Are you making a connection between illegal aliens and heated bus stops? I hope not. That wouldn't be fair or accurate
I pay hella taxes to live in the City of New Haven...
and I take the bus to work...
and I appreciate the heated bus stops on very cold days.
Walk (or ride) a mile in someone elses shoes. Lots and lots of people ride the bus in this town for varying reasons.

Posted by: FacChek | March 1, 2009 11:40 AM

Pat Dillon:

Your comment below is exactly part of the budget and spending problem the city has faced for at least the past fourteen years, and includes your terms in office.

"The local decisions rest primarily with with local elected officials, but if they organize a team effort I expect the delegation members would be supportive".

The State delegation takes the position they only lobby on the cities behave for funding from the state, fine, however, after funding is received the house and senate delegates then take the position that their job is finished and it's up to the "city BOA and the citizens to decide".

Currently, it is the mayor who solely decides the allocation of state funds and almost always that decision is rubber stamped by the sixteen rubber maids on the board. While the BOA is required to hold public hearings by charter, those hearings for the most part are merely ceremonial, and neither you or your colleagues ever show up to testify.

It is here that you and your fellow state elected officials fail to monitor and offer guidance on how and where the grant monies should be spent.
All of you are city residents and pay city taxes; however, you never raise your voice in dissent.
Please don't tell me all your attention is now turned back to state matters, as you said above:

"For the past month, I've been focused not on the city budget, but on the state budget.
Good programs serving New Haven were cut or even wiped out by Gov. Rell.

Seriously Ms.Dillon, in the current economy we do not have the luxury of continuing to play DeStefano's blame game.

If you want to continue in this blog debate fine, you would do well by debating the local budget in local public hearings as well.

Posted by: lance | March 1, 2009 2:41 PM

this stinks. god bless the old timers.

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | March 1, 2009 5:49 PM

JAWBONE

How anyone can make a connection between illegals and bus stops from what I stated in my comment is beyond me. As EAST ROCK DAN stated so succinctly in his entry, we owe our seniors far more for what their contributions were to this city than your need for several minutes of comfort on a cold day. How about sacrificing and wearing an extra sweater so our elders can have a place to go and enjoy themselves? They pay taxes too!

Posted by: Edward_H | March 1, 2009 6:53 PM

Fedupwithliberals

How 'bout we sell one of our heated bus stops to pay for the senior centers?

No one would be stupid enough to buy them.

Posted by: KAMB | March 2, 2009 7:36 AM

Now that these seniors don't have a place to hang-out, I can only hope that they dont turn to misbehaving and selling drugs.

VOTE DeSTEFANO OUT !!!!

CHANGE!

Posted by: ROBN | March 2, 2009 12:15 PM

FUWL,

I think senior should have a place to go and I think that we have lots of public facilities, for instance schools, which can serve that purpose until our budget crisis is over.
On another topic, please don't lay a hysterical rant on us about the greatest generation because as far as I can see, New Haven was in decline for the entire post WWII period and it was only until the mid 90s, when a lot of energetic people, young and old decided to invest themselves in the city and improve their neighborhoods, and when Clinton made urban block grants available, that things started to get better.

Posted by: Beansie's Mom | March 2, 2009 1:16 PM

I agree with FACCHECK. However, I've been to Hartford to listen to lobbying for state funds this year. It's amazing how Rep Megna and Senator Looney can show up at the Re-Elect Congresswoman DeLauro event this past November. Perhaps both Roberts need to learn from the Women in that Ward. Bella Vista Seniors needed more from Rep Megna than a bunch of Sponges. Senator Toni Harp is doing more for both the Elderly and the children on the East Side of Town than their own State Representative. I wonder what Alderman Lee will want to celebrate next. Alderman Lee and his co-chair will have to explain this poor cooperation this August. Rep Megna will get a pass until Next August, but Primary time will come around. This is after all a time for CHANGE.

Posted by: fedupwithliberals | March 3, 2009 9:20 PM

ROBN

"New Haven was in decline for the entire post WWII period and it was only until the mid 90s, when a lot of energetic people, young and old decided to invest themselves in the city and improve their neighborhoods"

Statements like this expose your ignorance and myopic knowledge of New Haven history. Either that, or you were born in 1978 with no frame of reference other than the 90's to judge the world by.

Post WWll New Haven was a bustling manufacturing town with real families populating very colorful and prideful legal immigrant neighborhoods. This was a model city with a popular mayor, Dick Lee, who was lionized in the 50's and 60's and held up to the nation as one of the most ambitious of visionaries who completely transformed our urban landscape. In spite of this eventual failed experiment, we enjoyed a decent quality of life through Ben DiLieto's reign. Like all big cities, New Haven collapsed due to extended one party rule with no checks or balances on cultural or economic issues. Middle class families saw the writing on the wall and left for the sanity of the 'burbs. As the greatest generation dies off, we are now left with people who are not grounded in common sense or reason. I am completely ashamed of how we are treating a generation of people who would never have done this to their own.

Posted by: Common Sense | March 3, 2009 9:20 PM

Another bold statement by Robn...."On another topic, please don't lay a hysterical rant on us about the greatest generation because as far as I can see, New Haven was in decline for the entire post WWII period and it was only until the mid 90s, when a lot of energetic people, young and old decided to invest themselves in the city and improve their neighborhoods, and when Clinton made urban block grants available, that things started to get better."

Robn, did you live in New Haven in the 1940's 50's, 60's etc. If so apparently you didn't see very far. New Haven's "greatest generation" brought up the next generation making many sacrifices to ensure their children were brought up properly. New Haven was a booming city with plenty to do and every neighborhood was a real neighborhood where no one locked their doors at night and had to worry about all the crime we have today. It was a time when everyone dressed up when they went to downtown New Haven. Yes, even the children were dressed up. Many people from that era didn't know they were poor because we had no definition of the word "poverty". It was the era of the stay at home moms. It was a time when neighbors looked after neighbors. I would never trade that era for what we have today. Great memories of good honest hard working people Yes, decline occurred over time but not because of the "Greatest generation". Perhaps the word redevelopment is what destroyed many communities.

Posted by: commandments | March 3, 2009 10:07 PM

John
Does not care about seniors, his goal when he first got elected was to do away with senior centers.Seniors are not a priority on his list.
There was a senior center in the school at one time? But when John started this school construction business,they removed the senior center. And what happened to that person running that senior center?
I wish all of thoses people who got laid off, and the centers are closing the best of luck. Because all are caring individuals who do a great job. Dealing with seniors is hard work so God bless you all.
The buttom line is he does not care, the aldermen don't care and the community doesn't care. Remember, Honor thou Mother and Father.
(Older People John!)

Posted by: concern citizen | March 3, 2009 10:17 PM

JOHN
IT USE TO BE KIDS FIRST, NOW ITS ILLEGAL RESIDENTS FIRST AND SENIORS LAST. WHAT A JOKE, JUST LIKE YOUR ADMINSTRATION! ALL YALIES...
WHAT GOOD IS THE ID CARD, IF YOU CAN'T CASH YOUR CHECK WITH IT.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE, WILL IT GENERATE NEW VOTES FOR YOU ON ELECTION DAY?

Posted by: robn | March 4, 2009 6:44 PM

FUWL and CS,

Don't lecture me about "the greatest generation" and stewardship becuase I know it when I see it. There was little responsible stewardship in the post-WWII - pre-90s era.

Reality check. New Haven's population was at its peak between 1920 and 1950, after which it was in steady decline. By 1990 New Haven had the highest infant mortality rate for any US city of its size and the child poverty rate in New Haven was 34% ...more than three times the rate elsewhere in CT.

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | March 4, 2009 8:05 PM

ROBN

You really ought to try lining your hat with tin foil.

Posted by: robn | March 4, 2009 8:53 PM

FUWL,

After I line my hat with tin foil can I take a trip to Pleasantville where everybody's visionary and happy and dresses up and nobody locks their doors?

Posted by: robn | March 4, 2009 9:58 PM

And another thing...If you guys reread my earlier posts you may notice that I support finding other existing public facilities to accomodate these seniors...I just refuse to take a walk down memory lane with you because your path happens to lead through candyland, not New Haven. Nostalgia is just another word for selective memory.

Posted by: Common Sense | March 5, 2009 4:08 PM

There he/she goes again....poor Robn....All caught up in the declining city population from 1950 on....How do you spell "Interstate 95" It was built after 1950 cutting out a part of the city. How do you spell "Interstate 91" another surgical removal of countless homes. How do you spell "Oak Street" connector displacing hundreds of families. And of course the many entrances and exits that go along with these roads. Where do you think the people were going to live when they were displaced? And the many business/stoes etc. that were forced to close. Don't blame the "greatest generation". Pretty soon they will all be gone - then maybe you will be happy.

Posted by: robn | March 5, 2009 7:50 PM

COMMON SENSE,

So which is it...did the "greatest generation" do a god job of stewardship in New Haven in the 50's-80's or did they harm the city with wrongheaded redevelopment? Gotta get your story straight dude.

Posted by: iwasthere | March 5, 2009 10:04 PM

As I thought who is footing the bill for the id budget this up coming year the citizens of new haven. Private funding found last year. No mention of it in this years budget in how it is being financed? any answers?