This story originally appeared in Spanish in La Voz Hispana. It was translated into English by Gilah Benson-Tilsen.
The political arena in New Haven is heating up with seven candidates for the coming election, which will determine the successor to John DeStefano Jr. as mayor. DeStefano is retiring from that position after 20 years of heading the local administration. Among the candidates for mayor, the presence of Henry Fernandez stands out. He has been directly involved in the development of this area for more than two decades, in addition to being at the head of advocacy and support organizations for the general Latino community, not only on a local level, but also on a national level. We spoke for a while with the young candidate and graduate of Yale Law School.
Q. What made you decide to run for mayor of New Haven?
A. My wife Kika Matos and I have an 8‑year-old son in a New Haven public school. One afternoon we were together, and we were talking about the future of New Haven. At that time I realized that the future of my son and the other children of this city needed to be brighter, and I thought that they should have more opportunities. We must have better schools, we must achieve a real reduction in crime rates, and we need a mayor committed to job creation. If we can do this, all of these children – including mine – can have a better future.
What made you leave your job with the administration of Mayor John DeStefano Jr.?
I worked in the city government for seven years, which I think was time well spent, since I had a few large projects that I wanted to complete, in particular Gateway Community College, and the issue of the area where the local coliseum used to be. Once we secured the funds, the design, and state and city approval for the completion of those two projects, I felt more comfortable leaving my position, because I felt that by then New Haven was heading in a different direction. Personally, at that time, Kika and I were about to have a child, I wanted to experience new things, and above all I felt the need to spend more time with my family.
Certain political camps in this city say that you’re a clone of DeStefano. What do you say to that?
John DeStefano and I are very different people. I’m not him. I think that each one of us sees the city in a different way and with different strategies. Additionally, the coalition I’m building to develop my campaign is very different from the coalition he formed to develop his. Now, I can tell you this: if I end up getting elected, from the first day I’ll be ready to do my job, because I’ve helped run the government of this city, something that I did for a period of seven years. I have the experience to do it, because I understand the budget, I understand how to manage large groups of people, and I have a vision for the city and how to help it grow, and the ways to create better opportunities. In addition, I’m very proud of having achieved what I did while I was in the New Haven government, whether it was constructing residences for families throughout the city, revitalizing Grand Avenue (which is a vibrant commercial corridor), relocation of Gateway Community College in the center of the city, bringing IKEA to the Long Wharf area, and achieving affordable housing for all of our neighborhoods. All of these major projects were built, and they were achieved because I was here to make them happen. I’m very proud of that time and that experience.
In keeping with what you’ve accomplished, what is your vision today for the economic development of New Haven in the short term or long term?
My vision is the following: first of all, we need to make a major commitment to job creation, something that we can do in different ways. We need to look at shops on our streets and in our neighborhoods, which create a significant number of small businesses and jobs. That was the reason I worked so hard to revitalize Grand Avenue. That’s something we need to do now with Dixwell Avenue, same thing with the Hill neighborhood. We need to build these commercial corridors, as a first step to create jobs and help people continue opening other small businesses on the main streets of our neighborhoods.
Second of all, we need to develop the center of the city, from the area we call “downtown” to where the hospital is located, since right now we have a number of empty lots around there that should be occupied by new buildings, with offices that contribute tax money. In other words, large buildings that generate hundreds of jobs, and lots of taxes. That’s the only way to produce a tax cut to benefit property owners and leasers in the city. And we can only do that by creating significant development in this area. With growth in mind, we need to ensure that what is built there will generate taxes, and that they won’t be buildings for non-profit or tax-exempt entities. Those are two of the things that I envision today for the healthy economic development of the city.
You’ve faced accusations that when you were working in the city government, you were known for a very arrogant and presumptuous personality, and that because of that you didn’t have many friends.
I can tell you a number of things: first of all, I was hired to clean up corruption in City Hall. It was such an issue that the FBI came and took all the computers and records from the office of the “Livable City Initiative.” And since I was hired to do a clean-up, to do it right required someone willing to say no to anyone who might come offering anything. For me it was very hard to do this job, but thanks to that I was able to manage to get the FBI out of there, I was able to get the attorney general out of there, and also I was able to get the federal inspector general out of City Hall. That required a person who was strong enough to do that kind of work, and that’s what I did. And it turned out well, I feel very comfortable with the idea that people think of me as a strong type. Being mayor is not a job for someone soft or fragile, it’s a serious job.
Still, I can also assure you that I’m a person who listens to other people. I’m not the same person I was fourteen years ago, when I came here to do the anti-corruption job. I think everyone changes through the years. I’ve changed so much that since that time until now, I got married, had a kid, and my wife and I are property owners in Fair Haven, where we have plenty of friends in our area. But of course, I think it’s fair to say that I’ve changed, that I’m more mature, more relaxed, and my wife has contributed a lot to this. Now, when the time comes to make big decisions or speak the truth, I won’t hesitate to do so. I’m not afraid to do what I have to to run the city. And like I said before, I enjoy listening to people, because I think that no one can make good decisions on their own. You have to account for other people. We make good decisions when we listen to people and create working teams, to work together.
When you worked for the administration of the current mayor, what did you do for the Hispanic community?
I promoted Latinos to various positions, for example Rafael Ramos, who was made head of the housing code department. And keep in mind, before I went to work with the DeStefano administration, the city government was collaborating closely with [federal] Immigration, turning over undocumented people to them. I stopped that, ended that relationship with Immigration, because it didn’t seem good. At that time, since the municipality had large numbers of immigrants who were living in deplorable conditions, city officials were going and closing down those houses, bringing immigration agents with them. I had to end that, saying, “That isn’t our job. Our job is to ensure that these families live in quality residences, and that they’re safe.” If we get involved with immigration officials in these functions of ours, of course those people aren’t going to call us to tell us that their houses are unsafe, and the consequence is that they’re going to have fires, and people are going to die from carbon monoxide inhalation and so on. You have to keep in mind that we’re talking about a community that works very hard, a community that’s trying to raise their families here, and whose children attend our schools. I’ve always believed, and now I believe it even more, that we need to do everything possible to integrate these people into our community – to do this without intimidating and threatening them. If we look at the city’s economy, and we hadn’t had that immigrant population among us, what kind of economic development would we be able to have now in areas like the Hill or Fair Haven? Immigrants are the ones who have revitalized and rebuilt those neighborhoods. What is the excuse for not supporting them? It’s because of this I think I’ve been a champion for Latinos in both issues: in hiring them, and in working with the community. And don’t forget that when the Spanish American Merchants Association (SAMA) began talking about coming to New Haven, I was the one who helped them find the building on Grand Avenue. With all that I’d like to demonstrate to you that while I was working for the DeStefano administration, I opened doors for Latinos so that they would have opportunities, and at the same time I opened doors for them that had been locked.
From what I can see, you also share the idea of giving driver’s licenses to the undocumented?
Yes, I support that idea. And I share it because I think it’s a question of dignity, since the people who get one can say, this is me. But I also think it’s a question of safety, since at this very moment we have thousands and thousands of people driving on state roads who have never been tested to determine that they are able to drive. Because of this, the sole fact of having a driver’s license proves that that person who’s at the wheel is in fact able to be on the road. As soon as immigrants have their driver’s licenses, they’ll be able to secure their safety, which will reduce the cost of policies for the rest of us. As you can see, for safety and savings, it’s worthwhile to let undocumented immigrants have access to driver’s licenses.
Finally, why do you think the Hispanic community should vote for you?
I’m the only person running who has spent the past 23 years defending Latinos. Beyond that, I’m the only candidate who lives in a primarily Latino area, I’m on the Board of Directors of Progressive Action, and I’ve worked hard to ensure that that organization is strengthened, since as a resident of Fair Haven, I’m very proud of where I live, above all considering that on a national level it’s very well recognized for its work with the Latino community. And I don’t think that there is a candidate to be found who is as fully committed to working with the Latino community as I have demonstrated myself to be for the last 23 years in New Haven.
As I said, in these last 23 years that I’ve been in New Haven, I’ve been a fighter for Latinos. While I was director of LEAP, I ensured that we had high quality programs for the Latino community. We hired large numbers of Latino advisers to work with young students, for example in neighborhoods like Church Street South, where there is a high concentration of children of Hispanic families. That has always been a commitment of mine. As far as my work with the local government, I’ve already talked to you about my achievements promoting and defending that community. In addition, in the last seven years, on a national level, my work has been committed to civil rights for Latinos, and their rights with Immigration: I’ve helped to organize major demonstrations in Washington D.C. and around the country, seeking justice. I’ve also worked on individual cases to help people get out of immigration detention centers. Not to mention, right now I’m on the board of two immigrant rights organizations, while also being on the board of a national Hispanic coalition which primarily works with mass media to defend Latinos across the country. And also, I live in a Hispanic community and have a Puerto Rican wife and son.
Not a lot of detailed answers in here, just broad brush strokes. I could give the same answers.