Mayor: Hour Of Denial Has Passed

NH Independent: Thank you for access to this event. We appreciate the myriad creative ways you are bringing news to the public... a real public service.

Great speak. It was realistic for the times ahead. You can't get blood out of a stone. We city taxpayers have no more money to give if we're luck enough to have a job. We need reforms on all levels of government but I give DeStefano a lot of credit for taking charge with some real reforms at the local level. All cities in CT should follow his lead instead of just crying for more state funding. No comes the hard part, getting the aldermen to agree. Great blog Independent! I hope you got a lot of hits tonight.

Thanks Paul for making it possible for folks to listen,evaluate,comment and participate right from their homes. Hats off to the NHI...

All the employees know the mayor will lay off regardless if they give up certain benefits. And why punish the average worker while the ones making big bucks sit back and watch the little guy raked over the coals. In the past he asked for raises back, pay more into the pension for 6 months etc and what happened? The workers did it and he laid off workers anyway. The work force cannot trust the mayor, he isn't a man of his word.
When the mayor starts laying off he needs to absolutely start in his own office. There are just way too many employees working as mayoral staff. The next step is corp.council's office. If the mayor is so hyped on sub-contracting lets get rid of the entire office or only keep one or two attorneys. What does it matter? Much/most work is contracted out anyway. The cases they work on we usually loose anyway. And by the way, Attorney John Ward's wife is a contractor that LCI uses for green projects. What a conflict of interest! That family is making a nice amount off the tax payers.
The mayor also needs to take away and get rid of all city cars (and no zip cars either). Department heads and employees knew when they were hired that they needed a car, so why supply one for them? It is part of the job in many cases that a car is needed. Just reimburse for mileage like other employees get. It would save a tremendous amount of money.
Have a central supply office, instead of everyone ordering things separately for each office. That is just crazy. And yes, get rid of that bottled water, not needed!
Also stop contributing taxpayers money to the mayors staff's 401a accounts. 15% is being paid for them and they are vested from day one. Indeed alot of money for a city that is going broke.
And why do we need a chief of staff,we have a chief admin.officer? How many managers do we need anyway and all those deputies, just crazy!
This would be a nice start to show its not just about what the mayor wants.

Johnny D is right, the hour of denial has passed --- for him! He should have acted months ago instead of trying to intimidate the unions and point the finger away from his mismanagement of the city. Everything he's trying to blame as why the deficit is so bad is something he was responsible for. He gave the unions those contract deals, he approved the police pension provisions, etc. He gave away the city in his dream to become Governor, but guess what, he still here! The problem is he is dealing with the mess he created. What irony, his solution now is to make the most painful cuts he can in order to try and get New Haven taxpayers behind him. It won't work. We know you for what you are: a deceptive manipulative politico whose word means nothing.

Excellent speech. Great leadership in very difficult times. Lucky to have such a capable mayor guide the future of New Haven.

If we could just have properly Plowed Streets, then I'd say I'm getting my moneys worth, from Property Taxes Paid, to New Haven, CT.

Members of household, including Tenants, slipping & falling on unplowed City Streets.

Its easy to talk, but its really time, New Havens government put taxpayers monies where the politicians mouths are & do something.

"Its Time For A CHANGE" !!!

Put Officials in place in this city, to do what they are paid to do, & stop with "The False Hopes & Empty Promises"

& Stop Bleeding The Working Class Homeowners!

& add another tax, for what ???

This government, cannot even manage a few snow storms, anymore & push the snow back to the curb lines, instead only plow a single lane, & whereare people supposed to park?

I could imagine another 10 to 20 years from now, its going to be beyond 3rd. World in this place, let alone in this country.

People better wake up, before its to late!

I agree with Observer.

Never in the experience of human endeavor have so many had so much taken away from them in such an unfair manner by such an incompetent. In the annals of New Haven this will go down as their darkest hour, never to be recovered from. So goeth the way of the world with those that cannot add up, and those that do not and cannot understand what they voteth for. Dress up ye children in blue to be sacrificed to the God of Ineducation, for that is what those that wear the dark blue with white stripe garb of the Wall Street Messiah seeketh, and shall be satisfied with. Nor ye many that are rich and wealthy with thine urns overflowing with wealth be effected by this, for that is the way of those that rule city hall today, tomorrow, and forever.

I don't think even the Taliban are sick enough to surround themselves with a shield of innocent children wearing blue when things go wrong for them.

Great speech, great event. Our mayor is doing a great job and I am proud to support him. Keep up the good work!

When- after 20 years - will the voters??? Residents fire Destepha-no

An insightful article regarding the assault on public employees:
http://www.rdwolff.com/content/public-sector-squeeze

I am still using my snow shovel to clean up the B.S. in front of my T.V. that Came out of the mayors mouth.

a lot easier to just watch it live on CTV.

According to the city budget online, the mayor's office has a total general fund budget of $938,000. Not sure how someone saw several millions of dollars in mayoral staff last night. I guess sometimes people see what they want to see regardless of readily available truth. Here's the budget I used online: http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Finance/pdfs/FY_2011_BOA_Approved_Budget.pdf

I hope he started by apologizing for his complicity in creating this mess. It has always been a mystery (and therefore highly worth investigating) how (much less why) a poor city wound up supersizing so many school buildings with starchitecture that can't be the most economical and efficient way to improve student performance - if that even hhappened As for cuts in the Mayor's own budget - start with a redundant and moribund Cultural Affairs Office. Better late than never, I suppose. But CT has a long, long way to go and it matters because if we don't get this monkey off our back things that DO matter will die. To understand why we lost Pfizer to Cambridge is certainly not to blame Yale. But there is only so much you can do with the situation they inherited - after 50 years of one-party control of a city that should have cut to frugality, humility and restraint a generation ago.

Is DeStefano a "Bernie Madoff" figure?

Herbert:

"We have not faced up to the scale of the economic crisis that still confronts the United States. Standards of living for the people on the wrong side of the economic divide are being ratcheted lower and will remain that way for many years to come. Forget the fairy tales being spun by politicians in both parties — that somehow they can impose service cuts that are drastic enough to bring federal and local budgets into balance while at the same time developing economic growth strong enough to support a robust middle class. It would take a Bernie Madoff to do that.

For a variety of reasons, there are not enough tax revenues being generated to pay for the basic public services that one would expect in an advanced country like the United States. The rich are not shouldering their fair share of the tax burden."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/opinion/08herbert.html

"With about 130 school administrators and about 50 schools in the city, he can lay off only so many, DeStefano said. Every school needs a principal and assistant principal, he said." How does Wilbur Cross have 6 assistant principals??????

It is noteworthy that Mayor DeStefano could have given this speech in the bathroom mirror. Our financial ill-health is directly related to his own years of denial and the willing and complacent apathy of a Board of Aldermen who have refused to hold him or any department accountable. Their child-like need to be lead, to be dictated to rather than to lead and question and monitor have abetted and nurtured the mayor's denial.

Chronically underfunding the promises to city workers and pretending it is getting higher returns than it does is not a function of the market, it's a willful decision of its actuaries and city leadership.

Allowing contractual provisions in labor agreements that cannot be sustained nor morally and ethically supported is not an "oops" moment. It's an intentional act to buy off labor at the expense of your own people.

Maxing out city debt by refusing to pay for anything with cash - garbage cans, sidewalks or super-sized schools with excess capacity we don't need - is not a function of happen stance. It is intentional financial bungling rooted in an desire to maintain full throttle spending without setting priorities or making tough decisions on the trade-off between higher debt service vs. an ever expanding menu of "services" and programs with dubious if any results. Debt payments this year are $65 million - next year, they will exceed $70 million - more than twice the amount less than 10 years ago.

Despite direct warnings, not taking any appreciable steps across the last 18 months to curb work force hiring to critical needs only and to end even silly and irresponsible practices like $32K for bottled water, tens of thousands of dollars in viagra-like bonuses just for showing up, or to begin the process of serious spending reduction, is not a force of national downturn. It's denial that we are on the path to financial ruin.

So, the mayor is really looking for an intervention to help with his addiction to easy spending and borrowing and his chronic denial of its consequences. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with and the BOA embraces - converting core government services for which we are already paying into convoluted initiatives like taxing the rain; another fire sale; another mortgage on city revenues?

If the city's leadership is supposedly now primed to make the tough decisions, then it's time to propose them and not choose instead to go down the path of easy money that has debilitating long term consequences and short term, state of denial benefits.

Default, default, default.

The taxpayers of this city get what they deserve if they keep this guy in office another term. My taxes went up $450. 00 dollars more this year and it is the same song with a different tune . Do we need all the schools we have in this city-I am all for education but the Board of Ed budget is out of control. We have more schools in the city than the borough of Queens in New York city.For all the education we are suppose to be teaching the kids are still not passing the test.Keep him in and listen to his lies and BS and keep your complaints to yourself .We keep voting this guy back in and expect things to change and they don't they only get worse. Who has been watching the store for the last three terms while the budget has gone haywire ? He has and he waits until the horse is out of the barn to do something about it.Lead by example Mayor, something you have never done! Return your increase and your top administration increases and then you can go after the little guy.As far a Health care insurance simple solution-SHOP AROUND AND GET OUT OF BED WITH ANTHEM! If the company is not willing to help the city in this time of need you don't need them I am sure there are other insurers who will be happy to step up for our business.The people of this city are sold on the fact that there is not another candidate to do a better job, Well I am that candidate and I will be running as an independent.You do have a choice! I am a blue collar worker a firefighter in this city and I live in Fair Haven.You wont have to wait till Tuesday night to talk to me you can come and talk to me anytime at the house on Monroe street. I will lead by example and anyone who does not want to put the taxpayers first can look for another position as far as I am concerned when I win the Office. We are going to shake the trees and see what falls out. You will always come first because for too long this administration forgot that they work for the taxpayers of this city not the other way around.One more thing the every day city workers and their unions will have nothing to fear from me, we will work together and work out what needs to be done one day at a time-Together! SALVATORE A. CONSIGLIO JR.One more little tidbit if a home burns down or a person is murdered and it is because like the city of Camden New Jersey they layed off cops and firemen,let me ask you Mr. Mayor are you going to be held responsible for those lives lost because you made the policy to layoff the public servants who protect us. I would think about that analogy when comparing New Haven to Camden Sir.

Some 123,000 and 50 schools. I would say that you look to close and consolidate 20-30 schools. That would not only allow you to lay off 40 to 60 (vice) principals, but also the cost of not heating/power in the buildings. Sure, so of this would be off set by add'l transportation costs, but right there should net you at least $2 or $3 million!

posted by: unprotected on February 8, 2011 12:25pm
"
With about 130 school administrators and about 50 schools in the city, he can lay off only so many, DeStefano said. Every school needs a principal and assistant principal, he said." How does Wilbur Cross have 6 assistant principals??????

You hit the nail on the head.

Cuomo, Pushing School Cuts, Offers a Target: Superintendent Salaries By THOMAS KAPLAN
Published: February 6, 2011


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/nyregion/07cuomo.html?_r=1&hpw;

Threefifths
The layoffs with the BOE admin is a token offering not a cost saving one anymore....

Will clark quoted from this article:

<i>"That provision only relates to if there is a layoff or reduction," said Clark. If principals get laid off, "they have the right to bump down to being teacher."

In such a case, he explained, a principal's salary would be reduced by $1,000 per year until it reaches the teacher pay grade.

"So what this really means is we can't lay anybody off," noted Goldfield, "So for the administrators it doesn't do any good. They're just going to get paid the same salary, so we can't reduce our administrative costs without attrition."</i>

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/4_administrators_moving_on/

Sal,

If you are going to become Mayor you better get down the basics. We don't buy insurance from Anthem. The City is self insured for medical and Anthem only administers the health care plan.

Barring any major claims it is cheaper to self insure.

Vote for Sal Consiglio Jr. He's our man....

We continue to be blinded by this Mayor...will someone please run against him so we can see some real change in this City.

Ignoranceisbliss: as I read it, the writer WAS referring to health care insurance:

"As far a Health care insurance simple solution-SHOP AROUND AND GET OUT OF BED WITH ANTHEM!"

I, for one, would like to hear more of Mr. Consiglio's thoughts.

The mayor has been in office for almost 20 years. All of the problems have built up on his watch and he is just now realizing it! While the root cause of many city troubles have their origins in the social issues facing all of society the overall trend belongs squarely in City Hall. Just look at the recent pensions granted to top ranking Police administrators where they made more by retiring at a very young age than by continuing to work. This practice was negotiated by the City and approved by the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen. The residents of New Haven need to wake up and demand far more accountability from our elected officials or vote them out as soon as possible. This is what happens when there is complete one party domination and the only political disputes are between factions of the same party.

The Mayor said his staff is has not had a pay raise for sometime but he won't tell that when @ least 80% of them came to work for the city their salary increased by @ least 15k so if you look at a average city employee's salary increases you will see it takes at least 8 to 10 years for them to reach that kind of increase. As for the Mayor people for get he asked for a 25k increase and got 16k. Then because of lay offs you have people doing 3 & 4 jobs out of their job description with no compensation and this has been going on for at least the last 3years but he'll tell you his staff hasn't gotten a raise. They don't work out of their job descriptions and if they do they receive compensation.He want's public sympathy. As a city employee and someone who pay's five figure tax's don't fall for it he's blowing smoke again.

Dear Ignorance,
The plan I pay to is anthem bluecross.Maybe it is time to go another route. I may not have all the answers but at least i put my full name down and dont hide behide a fake moniker. As far as basics it got your attention didn't it. And also if the city gets sued like the New Haven Twenty who won their case and rightfully so.You are so quick to correct me ,wait and see what the tab is going to be when they decide what the damages are that these firefighters are entitled to. You are going to wish you had a money tree or an insurance company who is going to flip the tab. The only ignorance is putting this administration back into office.He wanted four year terms,it is a good thing that it is only two.Maybe if we make these people responsible for the bonehead decisions they make and make them responsible for the payout instead of the city taxpayers we will get a better grade of administrators.

It's amusing when everyone screams for someone else to run against JDS, but in the next breath state that they can't vote for a republican. I've a few neighbors that would never vote for anyone other than a democrat, no matter how good a candidate. We had a good republican aldermanic candidate in Westville a few years ago and he lost a close election to the incumbent after only campaigning a few weeks before the election.

There will never be a good democrat candidate running against JDS because he controls the machine. If you lose the primary, you'll be out of politics and most, if not all, of the candidates wouldn't want to risk it. Without a good operation behind them, presumably major party, a candidate cannot compete against an incumbent, eliminating almost all independents.

A few times Elser ran against the mayor and received token support, though this mess was being created the same time these elections were occurring. We need someone to come in and clean house, so I doubt anyone getting elected will have the cajones to go against the unions, unless they never had union support to begin with, and that means the other party.

So either quit bellyaching about someone running against him or grow up and expand your horizons to include the other major party.

Blue Dog - THANK YOU and AMEN. There is nothing wrong with Connecticut a two-party system and greater democracy couldn't fix. When they finally write the epitaph for 20th century liberalism, cities like New Haven and Hartford, that were like Athens a half century ago, will be submitted as evidence of what one-party rule has accomplished. There are probably 100s of viable options and solutions to public policy issues one doesn't even hear about; would never be raised, because they exist outside the narrow parameters of ruling party ideology. The Egyptians seem more truly free at the moment.

If one merely values traditions of discourse and dissent, they almost have to vote for the side that's been pressed to the margins, margins we forget that most of the nation, more than half of the states (the ones that are growing) embrace.

I love CT's cities but believe it is time to rethink some of our assumptions. Maybe JDS is doing that. Ironically, it would help him if his continuance wasn't a foregone conclusion.

blue dog
I have to say most I have spoken with, are really just looking for qualified, when it comes to a mayor for this city.

I am going to run and I AM GOING TO WIN AND I AM GOING TO CLEAN HOUSE- THIS IS NOT A DON QUOTEE (HOPE I SPELLED THAT RIGHT) I AM NOT CHASING WINDMILLS OR FALSE DREAMS OR HOPES.I HAVE LIVED ON THE CORNER OF PECK AND MONROE STREET IN FAIR HAVEN FOR THE LAST TWENTY SIX YEARS.AS SOON AS THE WEATHER BREAKS I AM GOING TO HAVE A "DRIVEWAY SUMMIT" AND ANYONE IS WELCOME TO COME AND MEET ME AND TALK TO ME WETHER IT IS FOR ME OR AGAINST ME -I HAVE THICK SKIN.IN THE LAST TWO YEARS I HAVE HAD A DIAGNOSIS FOR DIABETES,HAD MY HEART STOPED AND STARTED AGAIN BY CARDIOVERT AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST A HEART ATTACK THIS PAST APRIL AND I STILL CONTINUE TO DO MY JOB AS A FIREFIGHTER IN THE CITY . I AM 100% HEALTHY SO THE DOUBTING THOMAS' THAT THINK I DONT HAVE THE GAS TO DO IT THINK AGAIN.I REFUSE TO LEAVE JUST YET AND HOPE THAT THE MOMENTUM FROM ALL PARTIES IN THE CITY COME TOGETHER AND SUPPORT ME.I THINK OF TWO PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE ME THE FIRST PERSON IS APRIL CAPPONE OF EAST HAVEN.SHE TOOK ON THE MACHINE AND REFUSED TO BACK DOWN-GOD BLESS HER. THE SECOND IS THE LATE MIKE PETERS FROM HARTFORD WHO LIKE MYSELF WAS A FIREFIGHTER AND SAW A PROBLEM AND FIXED IT.MAY HE REST IN PEACE.THESE PEOPLE ARE TRUE PUBLIC SERVANTS AND THAT IS THE TYPE OF ADMINISTRATION I WANT TO HAVE HERE IN THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN.I DONT WANT THE BALL OF WAX ,I WANT THE WAX FACTORY AND WE ARE GOING TO DO IT.GET THE WORD OUT MY E-MAIL IS ON THE NOTE .NO QUESTION OR CONCERN IS OUT OF THE RELM OF ASKING.LET'S PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS TO OUR PROBLEMS.IF YOU WONDER I AM 49 YEARS OLD AND WILL TURN 50 IN TWO WEEKS SO FOR MY HALF CENTURY ON THIS PLANET LETS GET SOME THINGS DONE.I AM LUCKY TO BE LOVED MY MY WONDERFUL WIFE OF 26 YEARS, CARMEL AND I HAVE TWO GREAT KIDS SAL III AND GINA .SO I AM A FAMILY PERSON JUST LIKE ALL OF YOU. JUST THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT. THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS FOR OR AGAINST AND E-MAIL ME ANYTIME.OH AND LIKE ALL THE REST OF YOU I HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN LIFE.

@Mr Hosley

Thanks for the kind words and well-written points.

@CHR

You must have a group of friends/neighbors with broader horizons than I. I literally have been told to my face that they could not vote for a republican, and then bring Bush into the argument. How his presidency relates to our city still befuddles me.

What this city needs is someone who has private sector experience, who has had to make payroll, negotiate deals, whose dealt with management issues and not someone who is a civil servant that has never had to face any of those realities.

I posted something about Elser a few years ago, and someone commented about his business failings. Sometimes in business things don't work out, but at least they were attempted. Also, there are usually back stories that most people don't know about, but if it's a friend, then excuses made and if not, then dispersions cast. I can't say whether Elser would be a good mayor, or if he'd even run again, but what I can say is that I'd bet good money that he'd be better than the current administration.

The decisions confronting us must be dealt with quickly and drastically and all one has to do is google reports from cities across the US, not counting the failings in Europe cited by Hosley. Those pandering to the unions will just be more of the same, as is JDS' continued sell-off of our assets.

For example, if anyone tries to buy the garage for sale, they'll offer below market prices because the city must make the deal. Who would pay market rate when the city has to get the cash by June 30? In finance, it's called discounting because of the necessity of one party to go to contract so they have to give concessions. Just the latest example of his mismanagement, but then again, a career-long civil servant with no private sector experience.

Sal Consiglio

As a fire fighter you are not going to find favor with the taxpayers as the Fire Dept has been highlighted as one of the most over staffed depts in the city. I doubt that you will get as many votes as Mrs Whatley did. Please just pull over and let someone who has a chance of winning against DeStefano run.

Lesson one Sal,
Never type in all caps.
School of life is a good thing but what have you done in your49 years that would make you qualified?

posted by: William Hosley on February 9, 2011 2:39pm

Blue Dog - THANK YOU and AMEN. There is nothing wrong with Connecticut a two-party system

The two-party system is no good period.We need the system of Proportional Representation for the people to have a true Representation.

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/polit/damy/BeginnningReading/howprwor.htm

@ blue dog
I just may have. Don't get me wrong I am a dem. vote party lines most times. But I do think that New England in general breeds a different kind of Rep. a more moderate one. Ex: I did not like queen of wrestling, but folley was a big thought. I think for our system to work we need ying and yang.

Also remembering that a mayors job is different than a senator or congress person. I believe in those cases I would stick with Dem's because of health care laws, abortion ect.
But a mayor I would be willing to switch hit and so would many others. But again it would depend on what kind of Rep. Sarah Palin type no.

Cedarhill resident,I like the fact that you like to correct me but I am not writing for the Wall street journal,as far as qualified you can make that choice in November, but this I do know if it is someone else or me we need to change the same old - same old.If you want to correct my grammar go right ahead and thank you I hope I get a gold star next time!. I put it out there to show that I am like everyone else and I understand their problems.Maybe not yours or to your satisfaction. I am who I am and the flavor of my last post was to help show that.I hope before you correct me in the future that you consider putting your name on the ballot .Easy to correct when you have nothing to loose.My experience in life is like most and not like some, you cant fault me for that can you?Have A great day and be well!look forward to your post.

wow
sal I was just giving you an open door to show who you are....with a little joke attached to make people interested. Well at least I got a taste of who you are thank you.
And I was a write in last go around, more as a joke

Oh and sal
I grew up on wooster street lived in New Haven all my life. Any one that is interested in running gets an a+. Most will tell you that about me. Lighten up if you are serious.

@CHR

I only hope that most people in this city have your broad-mindedness, for their sakes and those of our children. You're absolutely right that the national issues don't really translate well to the local. A good administrator is much more important than an ideologue when it comes to running a city.

That said, is there anyone out there willing to take the time and money to run against the machine?

And in re to Palin, we'll all be in trouble if she becomes anything more than a reality star.

Cedarhillresident you should stop thinking what you say is funny because it isn't a joke at all and why should this Sal lighten up about your comments. You do this alot and frankly I want to know more about this guy. You are hurting his chances if he is a decent candidate by your silly comments. Whenever someone emails something it is very difficult to read the person because they are not sitting in front of them and there is no body language. So, all I am saying CHR is just be more sensitive. Again, don't know this man, but want to find out more without negatives surrounding him because people can't determine whether you are joking or not. I for one didn't know you were joking!

Wow all this hate because of a simple comment

don't type in caps???
Are you kidding me :0

Cedarhill
No hate at all. Just asking you to be more sensitive. Sometimes someone just needs to take a step back and actually listen to themselves to understand why other people are trying to make them more aware of their statements and how it affects other people. That's all.