City GOP Unveils ​“Striking” Agenda

Rev up the microbus. Give the public the mic. Stop dumping on Yale; give parents school vouchers.

New Haven will do that and more if it follows a path newly laid out by the city’s Republican Party.

Yes, we have a Republican Party in New Haven. It doesn’t have any elected officials (except a registrar of voters, a party-held position guaranteed by law). It’s running only one New Haven candidate for state legislative office this fall. It hasn’t won a mayor’s race since 1951.

But, under the leadership of a new town chair, the party is rebuilding. And now it at least has an official platform on which to rebuild. A platform with specific ideas.

A six-member party committee drew up what it dubbed a ​“pro-growth economic agenda, advocating for good governance, pushing for excellence in education, streamlining the city’s budget, promoting public safety and improving intra-community partnerships.” You can read the full platform here.

The Democrats who run the Board of Alders are also in the process of seeking public input for a revised policy agenda of their own. (Read about that here.)

Jonathan Wharton, the new Republican town chair, discussed and defended the new policy agenda during an appearance Wednesday on WNHH radio’s ​“Dateline New Haven” program.

The party exercised fiscal restraint in posting the agenda on the internet, he noted: It saved $300 a year by using a web service called Strikingly, which hosts the site for free.

Three portions of the GOP agenda take aim at the decision by Democratic alders this past year to slow approval of development projects by stretching out an approval process for a separate citywide parking plan by Yale University. Wharton, who sits on the City Plan Commission, said he was frustrated to see development delayed by what he called unrelated political interests advanced by Yale’s UNITE HERE unions, which support a majority of the Board of Alders. Wharton said that concern led to the platform call that ​“New Haven should improve relations with developers and investors to revitalize our neighborhoods”; should ​“not politicize parking spaces for specific interests”; and ​“should revise parking space demands by the Board of Alders placed on nonprofit institutions.”

The platform calls for allowing ​“vouchers and school choice for all families,” a fight that the city would need to bring to the state Capitol. Wharton said ​“choice” includes greater state funding for charter schools.

Wharton, who teaches political science at Southern Connecticut State University, was asked about criticisms that vouchers send needed public education dollars to private institutions, and that charter schools skim the easiest students to teach while burdening traditional public schools with special education students.

“We as Republicans believe in more competition,” he responded. He argued that traditional schools ​“can reform themselves” when faced with other schools that make successful innovations.

Wharton emphasized a portion of the platform calling for more public decision-making. He said a portion calling for Board of Alders decisions to be made ​“in public” refers to the current practice of holding the main discussions about issues and votes in a closed-door party caucus before each meeting.

“We don’t want to see all decisions made behind closed doors,” Wharton said. And the platform calls for the institution for a ​“public comment period prior to every general meeting in Alders chambers.”

Right now citizens can speak up at alder committee hearings. Wharton said that’s not good enough because ​“not all the alders are there” at committee meetings. He recommended that the alders set aside 30 minutes for a public comment session, with speakers limited to three or five minutes.

The platform supports outfitting all cops with body cameras, a topic currently a subject of negotiation between city leaders and the police union. It opposes Democratic-supported state bills to revisit Yale’s tax exemptions. It also calls for creating a ​“locally-managed microbus system with new hubs particularly between the train station and medical center area.” The GOP’s party secretary, Frank Lobo, came up with this plank. Mayor Toni Harp has proposed a similar idea. On ​“Dateline,” Wharton echoed Harp frustration with bus service in town. ​“CT Transit has a monopoly. I take the bus,” and the service relies on outdated routes, he argued.

“Sanctuary” Opposition

“New Haven must end its sanctuary city status in compliance with federal law,” the GOP platform declares. Wharton was asked in what way New Haven is not complying with federal law. He mentioned the immigrant-friendly Elm City ID card, which is available to undocumented immigrants along with all other local residents. The card allows immigrants to take out library books and was intended to help them obtain bank accounts, so that they can avoid getting mugged by criminals who regularly prey on workers they know carry their earnings in their pocket.

“It’s going against the federal government’s will,” he insisted about the ID card.

“You’re trying to position yourself as not a Donald Trump Party. … Traditionally the Republican Party has been a pro-immigrant party, much more than the Democratic Party … Are you going backward with this platform [plank] and failing to position yourself as a party that can speak to New Haven, with its increasing Latino population … by taking the Trump position?” Wharton was asked.

“I don’t think we’re going on the Trump position on this,” he responded. ​“I don’t think we’re going backwards. We’re recognizing the fact that the city should be there for citizens, residents at least, who live here, and not illegal ones. That’s at least the way we see it.”

Click on or download the above sound file to listen to the full interview with Wharton on WNHH radio’s ​“Dateline New Haven.” The exchange on immigration occurs around the 34-minute mark.