New Haven Independent

City Hall | May 9, 2008

Anna Gets Her Money Back

by Melissa Bailey | May 9, 2008 3:04 PM | Permalink

This time, the road to Tony's towing lot had a happy ending.

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City Hall | May 9, 2008

Mayor's Favorite Marshal Rakes In $196K

by Melissa Bailey | May 9, 2008 9:52 AM | Permalink

"I'm the best," boasted Peter Criscuolo, the marshal at the center of an ongoing towing scandal, as he filed his latest eye-popping income statement.

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City Hall | May 8, 2008

102 Layoffs Loom

by Paul Bass | May 8, 2008 5:22 PM | Permalink

(Updated 9:36 p.m.) City Hall now plans to start turning away some men from homeless shelters, kill an early-reading program, eliminate 160 positions, and close a senior center, three police substations, and the Dwight School in order to balance the coming year's budget.

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City Hall | May 8, 2008

City Hall Confrontation Defused

by Paul Bass | May 8, 2008 2:53 PM | Permalink

Cops rushed to City Hall Thursday afternoon to subdue an "out of control" man allegedly yelling that he was "taking 'em all out."

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City Hall | May 8, 2008

Now It's a $14M Hole

by Melissa Bailey | May 8, 2008 7:47 AM | Permalink

Taxpayers and city workers stormed City Hall, as the New Haven's budget hole blew up to $14.2 million and the aldermanic president dropped the L-word -- layoffs.

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City Hall | May 7, 2008

"They're Thieves"

by Melissa Bailey | May 7, 2008 1:16 PM | Permalink

Anna Festa was trying to get two sick boys to the doctor when she looked out the window and saw her car was gone -- towed due to a "clerical error" at City Hall. Now she's fighting to get her money back.

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City Hall | May 6, 2008

"Bad Boy" Bill Moves Forward

by Melissa Bailey | May 6, 2008 10:10 AM | Permalink

After 13 months, the city's "Bad Boy" bill, calling for revocation of pensions from corrupt officials, has passed through another hoop before the Board of Aldermen.

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City Hall | May 6, 2008

Perez Presses School System

by Melissa Bailey | May 6, 2008 7:02 AM | Permalink

A teacher rewards system? Training for parents? Those were two ideas put forth as Jorge Perez at the annual aldermanic Black and Hispanic Caucus State of the City address, looking to the school board to take action on longtime disparities.

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City Hall | May 5, 2008

Labor Concessions Sought

by Melissa Bailey | May 5, 2008 3:42 PM | Permalink

After learning that state money won't fill a $9.5 million hole in New Haven's budget, Mayor John DeStefano told city unions to offer concessions and department heads to examine cuts -- with an unspoken but clear layoff threat looming.

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City Hall | April 30, 2008

Marshals Sent To School

by Paul Bass | April 30, 2008 2:03 PM | Permalink

(Updated story) The DeStefano administration's not booting any controversial or politically connected marshals from its towing program -- but it's sending them to sensitivity "training" as part of an overhaul.

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City Hall | April 30, 2008

Shubert Stages Budgetary Comeback

by Melissa Bailey | April 30, 2008 7:34 AM | Permalink

This smiling DCF worker was one of a wide range of extras called into City Hall, as the Shubert Theater staged a final act in a coordinated push for city funds.

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City Hall | April 29, 2008

Rob Smuts Explains The Fire Department

by Paul Bass | April 29, 2008 4:21 PM | Permalink

New Haven's firefighters have fewer fires to fight than in the old days. But voters don't want their ranks, or their firehouses, cut.

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City Hall | April 29, 2008

Rob Smuts Explains The Fire Department

by Paul Bass | April 29, 2008 4:21 PM | Permalink

New Haven's firefighters have fewer fires to fight than in the old days. But voters don't want their ranks, or their firehouses, cut.

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City Hall | April 29, 2008

New Solid Waste Authority Gets To Work

by Leonard J. Honeyman | April 29, 2008 1:08 PM | Permalink

Joseph A. Dolan (pictured), the chairman of the nascent quasi-public Solid Waste and Recycling Authority, used some ingenuity to secure a quorum for the panel's special meeting Monday night. The board set a tentative time for a public hearing on its budget. And Dolan's keen eye kept public works and recycling chief John Prokop from talking to himself on negotiations between the city and the authority.

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City Hall | April 24, 2008

Third Towing Scrape Detailed

by Melissa Bailey | April 24, 2008 4:48 PM | Permalink

A state marshal under fire in a city towing scandal allegedly dragged a taxpayer's car 30 feet and forced entry with a slim-jim before realizing there were no taxes due.

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City Hall | April 24, 2008

Your Name Here On This Recycling Bin?

by Paul Bass | April 24, 2008 11:00 AM | Permalink

The latest ideas offered to fix New Haven's budget long-term: Merging senior centers. Making schools and fire departments regional entities. And putting ads on those blue recycling toters.

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City Hall | April 23, 2008

A PILOT Plea

by Melissa Bailey | April 23, 2008 5:04 PM | Permalink

HARTFORD -- On a lobbying trip to the Capitol Wednesday, New Haven budget-weary pols scored an unexpected audience with the speaker of the house.

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City Hall | April 22, 2008

Clergy "Exemption" Detailed

by Melissa Bailey | April 22, 2008 2:22 PM | Permalink

The state marshal at the center of a city towing scandal, newly removed from a similar job in North Haven, said he makes a special exemption for clergy when deciding whether to tow a car.

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City Hall | April 22, 2008

Clergy "Exemption" Detailed

by Melissa Bailey | April 22, 2008 2:22 PM | Permalink

The state marshal at the center of a city towing scandal, newly removed from a similar job in North Haven, said he makes a special exemption for clergy when deciding whether to tow a car.

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City Hall | April 21, 2008

"We Saved Two Lives"

by Melissa Bailey | April 21, 2008 5:35 PM | Permalink

Nicole Wesley and her one-year-old son were talking to her husband on Skype when Mom went to the kitchen to check on the meatloaf. "I felt instantaneously dizzy."

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