nothin Mayor’s Poll Harps On Harp | New Haven Independent

Mayor’s Poll Harps On Harp

A voter survey commissioned by John DeStefano’s reelection campaign focuses less on his Democratic challenger than on a politician who’s not running.

Call-center workers from Utah-based Mountain West Research have been interrupting New Haven voters at dinnertime this week to conduct the extensive survey for nine-term incumbent DeStefano (pronounced by at least one caller as Dee — Stef — AH — no).

In the early stages of 15 minutes worth of detailed questions, the surveyer asks for voters’ opinions of two politicians in town (besides DeeStefAHno): Clifton Graves, who has formed an exploratory committee to challenge the mayor in a Sept. 13 Democratic primary; and New Haven State Sen. Toni Harp, who’s not seeking the mayoralty.

If the election were held today, voters are asked, would you vote for DeStefano or Graves? DeStefano or Harp?

At the very end of the survey, voters are asked the same question. Except only about Harp. Not about Graves.

The survey cites no other politicians. It does ask voters their impressions of the city’s police union and public employee unions, with whom DeStefano has clashed this year and which could provide potential opposition voting blocs in the primary.

Over the years Harp, a 10-term Democratic incumbent and the city’s most popular African-American officeholder, has consistently topped internal polls of potential mayoral opponents, according to a former DeStefano aide.

I’m flabbergasted,” Harp (whom City Hall forces unsuccessfully tried to unseat in 1998) said upon learning of her prominence in the poll. It’s been really clear throughout my whole political career that I’m not running for mayor, certainly not the race that’s coming up,” she said. I’m really surprised anybody would waste their money that way.” Harp has not yet announced whom she’ll support in this year’s mayoral campaign. She has made positive remarks about Graves’ candidacy; her husband, architect and developer Wendell Harp, is supporting Graves.

Candidates often throw in the names of popular politicians in campaign polls as benchmarks, even if those politicians aren’t running for the same office.

I’m not going to comment on the inside baseball of the campaign,” DeStefano said Tuesday when asked about the survey. What I will comment on is focusing on school change and academic performance.”

Slinging Mud

The poll goes on to test voters’ takes on the hot-button issues of this campaign season: DeStefano’s efforts to eliminate long-term budget deficits through benefit concessions from labor and through layoffs; crime; and school reform.

Is DeStefano balancing the budget on the back of middle-class workers” like teachers and cops, like an anti-union Republican in Wisconsin”? Or is he tackling unsustainable” runaway benefit costs and protecting taxpayers from further hikes?

Should improv[ing] teacher performance rank at the top of the next mayor’s priorities? Attracting good-paying high-tech jobs?” Prevent[ing] any property tax increase”? Crack[ing] down on violent crime”? Insur[ing] New Haven students have an opportunity to attend college”?

The survey asks questions like those, then proceeds to ask voters to respond to arguments against reelecting DeStefano. They sound like campaign attack commercials:

• The mayor has been a national embarrassment” to New Haven on immigration, the firefighters reverse-discrimination case, the current union fight.
• The mayor gave three new bureaucrats over $100,000 a year” while cutting the jobs of cops and other city employees.
• He opposed a living-wage hike.
• After almost 20 years” as mayor, DeStefano has lost touch with the people who live here. It’s time for a fresh face to lead the city.”
• While murders are out of control … he brought in an out-of-state police chief who doesn’t understand New Haven.”
• He created a budget crisis through massive” debt” from reckless” school rebuilding.

The last word (before the final Toni Harp questions), of course, goes to the new-morning-in-New Haven arguments for reelecting the mayor, such as:

• He knows people are doing more with less,” so he’s fighting to trim government rather than raise taxes.
• He has made improving public education a top priority and undertaken the country’s largest school-rebuilding program, most of it state-funded.
• His administration has given thousands of young people summer jobs and guaranteed a college education for many of them through New Haven Promise” scholarships.
• He knows how to make tough decisions.”
• He has made New Haven a greener city through bike lanes, energy-efficient public buildings, and schools buses running on alternative fuels. (“The mayor himself drives a hybrid car,” the surveyer notes.)
• He has tried hard to crack down on violent crime” and created a cold case unit” that solved an 11-year-old murder; while recognizing that better schools are the best way to combat crime.

Convincing reasons to vote for the mayor? Not convincing?

Hundreds of voters have now weighed in privately to the DeStefano campaign. Their responses should shape the way the campaign unfolds before thousands of Democrats weigh in publicly at the polls.

Previous coverage of the 2011 mayoral campaign:

Graves Running Clean
Graves Filing Papers To Run For Mayor

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