New Haven Independent

posted by: City Hall II on April 20, 2010  11:02am

There goes another objective voice into the grind.

posted by: cedarhillresident on April 20, 2010  12:21pm

Hey I applied for that job… Sean did not even call me :) I said I was out spoken and over spoken :) But I thought there was a hiring freeze. And I thought the Mayor would love to work side by side with me :)

Congrate’s Elizabeth. Keep your head and don’t get all caught up in it

posted by: Anon on April 20, 2010  1:23pm

no freaking way.  I don’t know what to say.  Is this a joke?  How do you have off the record conversations with people and then turn around and lobby them?

posted by: Our Town on April 20, 2010  2:03pm

In the midst of what some are calling a severe budget crisis, how does one justify this hire? Does the Mayor really need a bevy of personnel to “liaison” with the BOA? It appears he just strong-arms them into doing whatever he wants anyway (except for Darnell).

posted by: Mister Jones on April 20, 2010  2:08pm

This is a good hire.  We should be glad that smart, good people are interested in public service.  The City’s gain is the newspaper’s loss.

posted by: Brian on April 20, 2010  2:57pm

Congratulations Elizabeth!

posted by: Susan L. Voigt on April 20, 2010  3:03pm

Welcome Elizabeth!  I know you will do a wonderful job in your new position.

posted by: Threefifths on April 20, 2010  4:30pm

Smell the political patronage.

posted by: punch out for lunch on April 20, 2010  6:07pm

Is this a full time or part time gig?

posted by: Concerned Citizen on April 21, 2010  10:37am

At a time when the City is looking for every penny it can find, and is looking at charging for after-hours parking, taking away people’s houses because some of these people are unemployed and cannot pay the high taxes on properties that have lost 10-20% of their value; how can mayor DeStefano justify a $53K salary plus the cost of benefits?  Who can manipulate the BOA better than the mayor himself? There is never smoke without fire.

The bigger question is—WHY DOES MAYOR DESTEFANO NEED A LIAISON TO THE NEW HAVEN BOARD OF ALDERMEN? I have no doubt that this woman is qualified for the position. What is REALLY behind the creation of this position now? He has a scheduler, a spokesperson/media chief, a chief of staff who knows everyone in the city and on the BOA; there are all kinds of policy experts in NH who know the city inside and out and who work for the mayor. 

How is it the city is looking everywhere for added dollars, but has no problem creating a position that is going to cost taxpayers about $75K total?  I wonder what is the real reason this job has been created.  The mayor should first practice what he preaches—fiscal responsibility.  This is NOT fiscally responsible.

posted by: johnston on April 21, 2010  2:49pm

AMEN to “Concerned Citizen”

posted by: The Professor on April 21, 2010  2:53pm

Concerned Citizen,

I’m sure that the news that the city is just now “creating a position” will come as a pretty big surprise to Adam Joseph and Angel Lugo, who were the last two people to hold this position.  It’s not like the city is just now coming up with a BS gig, and it’s not as though people who work this job are living the big life on the city dole.

Executive staff jobs are HARD.  These people all work long hours for less pay than they could earn in the private sector because they want to see the city become a better place.  In this job, Benton will have to deal with 30 members of the BOA, and as we know, some of them have some pretty massive egos (although thankfully a big chunk do not).  In order to do ANYTHING in this city, you need 16 votes at the BoA, and that’s pretty difficult to get. So, in order to get those votes, she’ll go to work early and get home very late, and probably work weekends too.  She’ll probably work at least 60 hours a week, so her hourly wage will work out to something like $18/hour.  I realize that’s a lot more than a lot of people are making, but it’s a lot less than someone with a Yale degree and an MPA could be making. 

Interestingly, perhaps this position would become obsolete if we shrank the BoA through charter reform.  Unfortunately, the BoA’s obstructionist faction blocked that, so now we may be stuck even longer with our gridlock-ridden, bloated BoA.

In any case, congrats to Liz Benton and to our City on a great hire.

posted by: Claudia Herrera on April 21, 2010  8:39pm

That is a thought

Seems like the city is trying to find and receive the real say or not say of the community. She will work around 50 hours a week including weekends just to start and I don’t think this is going to be the hard part of the job, especially for 53,000 a year, the hardest part will be when she has to deal with
“personality VS ego” from some member of the BOA, Sadly,I have to say that some representatives impose their personal feelings and opinions when they “speak” for us and forget very easily to who and what they are representing.

“She brings a good set of skills and relationships”

I will suggest and invite Elizabeth that she joying us (community) in our activities (clean ups, etc.) to see who are the people who actually are getting the job done and help us with “those relationships” as need it and DON’T spend too much time in MEETINGs where the same people are present and not take actions.

  “complaints VS actions”

posted by: East Shore Guy on April 22, 2010  7:37am

I for one am for anyone that is going to make my city better.  It takes a real desire to leave the private sector and come to do low-paying government work.  As a violin playing, model-turned reporter its great to see someone have an interest in making their community better.