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by Paul Bass and Jay Dockendorf | Jul 1, 2010 7:53 am

(12) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Politics, Campaign 2010

Paul Bass Photo Jay Dockendorf Photo It felt like a local episode of That ‘80s Show as vintage popular politicians helped two East Rockers bring their state representative campaigns to suddenly wide-open suburban territory.

The politicians offered endorsements in the race for the Democratic nomination for New Haven’s only open state legislative seat this year, in the 96th General Assembly District, which covers parts of New Haven and Hamden.

That race turned into a two-person contest after a third candidate, John Morrison, told the Independent Tuesday that he’s dropping out.

Morrison was the only Hamden candidate in the race. That suddenly left a major and critical swath of votes up for grabs just 40 days before the Aug. 10 primary.

The remaining candidates—Alderman Roland Lemar and Debra Hauser, both of whom live in New Haven—spent Wednesday burnishing their Hamden bonafides and introducing themselves to the town. They organized events around endorsements from well-known former elected officials. Hauser claimed the endorsement of John Carusone, who served as Hamden’s mayor from 1987-1991 and spent 50 years in public life. Meanwhile, former U.S. Rep. Bruce Morrison, who lived in Hamden when he represented the Third Congressional District from 1983-1991, flew in from Washington to endorse Lemar at a gathering at the Playwright Irish Pub on Whitney Avenue.

About a third of the 96th District’s registered Democrats live in Hamden, Lemar estimated; but they comprise 45 percent of those who usually turn up at the polls.

And most of them have shown no signs of having heard of Roland Lemar or Debra Hauser.

“Hamden’s vital” to the race, Lemar observed. “I don’t think anyone’s predisposed to vote for me [in Hamden yet]. I don’t think anyone’s predisposed to vote for Debra.”

So they’ve started hurrying to change those predispositions.

Irish Ayes

There were scant sightings of actual glasses of Guinness bought at the cash bar and carried to the back porch of the Playwright. But an unmistakable Irish flavor suffused the Lemar fund-raiser.

Morrison said he made the trip at the request of longtime supporter Penn Rhodeen, a New Haven attorney. He called it the “Irish connection.”(Lemar’s Irish-American, too.) “I’m agnostic about whether it helps,” he added with a smile, noting that he’s been away from Connecticut politics since leaving Congress to run an unsuccessful race for governor (after being double-crossed by Lowell Weicker, a story for another day).

But among East Rock-Hamden liberals drawn to Lemar’s campaign, at least those who were out of junior high when Morrison last served, the former Congressman retains a reputation as one of the country’s most progressive legislators in his day. Morrison sounded as passionate and idealistic Wednesday as in the days when he was fighting Reagan budget cuts, saving legal aid’s budget, and forcing housing authorities to replace apartments razed by bulldozers. (Coincidentally, the Republican Congressman Morrison defeated to win his seat in 1982, Larry DeNardis, also reemerged this political season, running a short-lived campaign for governor.)

In an informal conversation at the beginning of Wednesday’s event, Morrison floated a new tack for trying to support public financing of campaigns despite popular objections to giving “money to politicians,” for instance: Tax lobbyists to pay for the program. “They pay for [campaigns] anyway,” he noted.

In formal remarks to the two dozen assembled Lemar supporters (most but not all New Haveners), Morrison decried the politics of cynicism rampant in the country today. He called the Lemar campaign an example of “grassroots” idealism that serves as an antidote to the view of politics as “at best something that you can ignore ... at worst something that is dragging us down.” Rather, he said, politics should be seen as “what’s possible” to make democracy work, “the idea that good people will continue to fight for us.”

Morrison spoke to the crowd about one of the major missions he undertook after moving to Washington in the 1990s— helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland.

Roland Lemar’s campaign is like that, he said.

Northern Ireland “seems like a million miles away from the legislature,” he said. But what he and others like former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell did there—“harness the tools of politics and government to making change” from the “grassroots”—mirrors Lemar’s approach in tackling blight or traffic safety in New Haven or in seeking to tackle Connecticut’s challenges as a state representative, Morrison said.

Lemar agreed when it came his time to talk. A looming $3.7 billion deficit may seem an ‘intractable challenge” that precludes creating new jobs or lowering energy costs, he said. But it’s not.

Then he made sure to add closer-to-home references. Like Hamden High School, “a pillar” that gets too little state funding, he said. He mentioned Spring Glen and Ridge Hill schools, too. They too deserve more state support, he said.

A “Mr. Hamden” Endorsement

Debra Hauser was ready with Hamden references when she showed up earlier Wednesday at a press event at John Carusone’s home.

She noted that while she lives in East Rock, her husband has a cardiology practice in Hamden. Her mom lives in the town, too.

“I’m very well aware of Hamden’s feeling that they’ve been shortchanged,” Hauser said. She promised to be “an ardent supporter of Hamden and New Haven.”

Hauser and Carusone also spoke about ongoing efforts to transform the longtime polluted dump and tire pond run by former state legislator Joseph Farricielli into an industry park. She spoke of the urgency to lobby Hartford for access to what Carusone called “the $100 million owed to Hamden by the Education Cost Sharing grants.”

While he has been out of the mayor’s office for two decades, Carusone retains true Hamden political cred. He served on the town council as far back as the mid-1960s. He spent 13 years as a school system administrator.

In remarks to 14 assembled campaign supporters at Wednesday’s event, Carusone put Hauser’s candidacy in a historical political context. He described the creation of the mixed New Haven-Hamden state legislative district as a shotgun marriage dominated by New Haven. (The current state representative, Cam Staples, is from East Rock; he has served for 18 years.)

“Now you know that Hamden and New Haven have had somewhat of a rocky relationship, with Hamden sometimes being treated as New Haven’s little brother,” he said. “What I like about Debbie is that she’s no one’s big brother.”

The former mayor called Hauser one of a rare breed. “Debbie is running as the first representative of both Hamden and New Haven. She’s rare. She doesn’t make phony promises like ‘I’m going to lower the tax rate!’”

Hauser promised if elected to remember Hamden by pursuing property tax reform and support for small business. “Property taxes,” she said, “affect seniors’ ability to stay in their homes, and they’re very worried about that.”

“If Debbie wins, they’ll pay more attention to us,” Carusone predicted.

In order to win, “she’s got to get a great plurality in Hamden, but the people recognize talent,” he said. “This is not your average race, so you’ll get a heavier turnout.”

Comments

posted by: Eastie on July 1, 2010 8:09am

If you want to vote in candidates that will tax you hard to pay for liberal handout programs (that have failed miserably), here they are!

posted by: The Sartorial Edge on July 1, 2010 12:06pm

That 80s Show? Not fashion-wise. Roland looks extremely sharp in that suit, while Debra is working the navy blue ensemble very effectively. Could be a close race, unless someone screws up by wearing white shoes or an unfortunate hat.

posted by: robn on July 1, 2010 1:03pm

EASTIE,

Do you mean liberal handout programs like vast and expensive road systems and energy infrastructure for low-density suburban areas?

ANON,

Beat you to it.

posted by: Bill on July 1, 2010 2:07pm

It never ceases to amaze me of the either ignorance and lies of liberals. Since transportation is only 2% of the federal budget which includes spending for things other than roads, I don’t think “expensive road system” is anywhere near accurate. Now Health and Human services is the largest component at nearly 25% of spending, that’s expensive and pretty soon paying interest on the national debt will be the largest expenditure thanks to Obama’s reckless spending.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals/

posted by: Paul Martin on July 1, 2010 2:17pm

I don’t see how it’s smart politics to bring Darnell Goldson to events in Hamden. This is the same guy who wants more projects built on Hamden’s border and wants those tenants to have more access to Hamden neighborhoods and parks, who wants to sue Hamden to take down the fence near those projects, and who picked a fight with Hamden’s mayor during his first week on the job.

Debbie - was Joe Lieberman unavailable that day?

posted by: Ned on July 1, 2010 2:48pm

Strange, but I don’t see Debra Hauser paying any vehicle tax to New Haven? The New Haven tax office is notoriously messed up [corrupt?], and in fact the information they have online, regarding my vehicle does not match the bill that I received. Maybe the candidates could work on making the tax collection and billing processes honest and accurate.

posted by: streever on July 1, 2010 2:49pm

...

If Carusone is endorsing Deb because “she didn’t promise to lower taxes” he’d do well by either candidate. Roland first outlined the progressive tax reform policies that both candidates now embrace.

While Deb is definitely spending more money on the campaign, with lavish mailers professing her suitability due to her limited experience (What?? It goes so far as to say “18 years of marriage to Jack” is the right experience) and political consultants to fine-tune & gently caress her platform, Roland has the volunteers & the commitment from individuals to work for him. I hope that Hamden sees the difference in these two candidates and makes the right choice.

posted by: Darnell on July 1, 2010 4:01pm

@ PAul,

And by the way, I stopped by Roland’s show also, I used to work for Bruce Morrison in the 80’s.

posted by: streever on July 1, 2010 10:13pm

I’m not sure why the NHI censored my comment. I was at the state central convention when Deb made her deal with carusone. This is a real issue and should not be censored. I stand by my word and what I witnessed at state central. According to Jack Keyes, Deb had assured him she’d vote for him, but changed her mind that night.

posted by: robn on July 2, 2010 12:30pm

BILL,

Add to Transportation spending, Energy Dept spending and Military spending worldwide to protect energy infrastructure; the cost of sprawl is far greater than 2%.

BTW, The money being spent now is for mopping up after the most irreesponsible administration in the history of the US.

posted by: robn on July 2, 2010 1:12pm

Hundreds of presidenttial scholars agree…Bush presidency one of the worst..

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/02/george-bush-worse-richard-nixon-president-poll

I rest my case.

posted by: Walt on July 6, 2010 11:27am

I do not believe John Carusone has anywhere near the effect on Hamden voters that John claims he has.

As I recall John decided not to run for reelection many years ago because he was expected to be defeated.

Not a bad guy, but if prime time were once due to him, that time has long since passed and his influence has disappeared.

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