The following opinion article was written by retired Hillhouse High School teacher Robert Gibson.
In this year’s New Haven’s election, like any truly democratic election, people need choices.
In democratic nations around the world, it is supposed to be one man one vote for one of several candidates, not one man, one vote for
one candidate. Competitive races produce accountability, transparency, issues-based comparison and debate, and real choice. Competition produces better politicians! It compels them to respond to the public and change their views.
This is what democracy is all about. Government of, by and for the people as President Lincoln defined democracy.
Unfortunately, New Haven is a one-party city.There is no viable Republican party or third party in this city. Every mayor for the past
six and a half decades has been a Democrat. Democracy here is on life support, in dire need of resuscitation, if we really can call it democracy at all.
Marcus Paca is Mayor Toni Harp’s only challenger in this race. Without him Harp would run unopposed. There would be no political race at all! No need to campaign to win the public’s support.
How can people in New Haven go to the polls to cast their votes for candidates with NO opponents! It is a pathetic display of democracy
when candidates run unopposed. It is a farce, a disgrace, an outrage! Yet, in this fall’s election in our city, most of our elected officials are running unopposed! Running unopposed, like some third world authoritarian dictatorship. Running unopposed makes
a politician a winner of nothing! Imagine how ludicrous it would appear to watch a Superbowl in which one football team played the game alone, and won! How many would watch?
This does not mean that any of these these Democratic political candidates are bad people. They are not responsible for the lack of opposition
parties in New Haven. They are inheritors of this pathetic democratic dilemma. It does mean that for most elected offices, New Haveners simply have a choice of one candidate. A choice of one is no choice at all.
This speaks volumes for our political system here in New Haven, but says even much more about the residents of New Haven who have long settled in near absolute silence for the status quo.
In order for Marcus Paca get on the ballot for a primary, he will need three thousand signatures from registered Democrats in the next few days.
Those who choose to sign his petition to challenge Toni Harp in a primary election this September do not have to support him or vote for him. Doing this will simply allow the citizens of New Haven to have a choice between TWO candidates for Mayor.
May the best candidate win based on the people’s informed choice! But the people must have a choice!
Remember this is supposed to be a democracy, a republic, not an oligarchy, not a monarchy, not a dictatorship, not a one-party state.
We elect officials resulting from competitive political races, we do not crown them by default or apathy.
I would certainly sign the petition to have Mr. Paca on the ballot, however I have taken my own stand against the lackluster New Haven Democratic party by supporting the opposition party. I have registered as a Republican and hope that this party can begin to offer an alternative political force and vision in this city and state. As a newly-minted Republican I am therefore disqualified from supporting this very worthy petition but I support the effort!