Look Who Else Is Running — A Year Early

I wonder if the back of those shirts have tne names of the Judas Goats.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_goat

"I think she's on her lunch break."

What is the Mayor doing there? "just sort of being mayor".

Yes, John DeStefano is exceptional at campaigning for Mayor, and I have no doubt that he honestly believes that there is nothing wrong with him spending taxpayer money on him running more than a year before the election.

I hated the term "career politician" until I realized what it really meant--not a smear against an individual dedicated to the people, but a smear against an individual dedicated to campaigning and running for office as their job.

"Elyse? I think she's on her lunch break"

now go back a few days...wavy lines wavy lines

" just because it's legal, doesn't mean it's right"

Assuming the answers are the truth - "Just because it's legal, doesn't make it right." Is that just for other people?

Will there be any other credible candidates?

At least DeStefano didn't kill our City's longstanding transit & streetcar project, resulting in the City giving the Federal Government a huge middle finger (and forever dooming our city's public transportation system to rapid decline), over some kind of personal issue.

With all of DeStefano's flaws, I'd rather vote for him than a candidate who just wants to turn our entire city into a free parking lot for the Yale Unions.

I am relieved to hear that the mayor will be running again. He's not perfect, but he has done (and will do ) a very good job. It scares me to think where this city would be without a competent administrator at the helm. And I have not seen a competent challenger to DeStefano since Martin Looney.

@streever.I hated the term "career politician" until I realized what it really meant—not a smear against an individual dedicated to the people, but a smear against an individual dedicated to campaigning and running for office as their job.

This is why we need Term limits.

CHR,

Love the visual!

Was The Independent there to cover the 'block party?'

Excellent article, again, kudos to you New Haven Independent!

The Advocate, The Register, the CT Post would never, in my opinion, run an article such as this. (They would likely not even have the investigative journalism to 'scoop' a story such as this.)

Think about this, fellow New Haven residents:

In late summer 2012 in New Haven, Connecticut, with all the violent crime in our city (New Haven ranks among the most dangerous in the entire Union), with the ever-sliding quality of life (have you walked down Whalley, Broadway, or any of the streets that border The Green recently, and seen the panhandlers, the downtrodden, the open-air-drug-dealing?), the vanishing jobs, the dirtbikes and quads on the city streets, the increasing property taxes, the vacant storefronts, etc.

Your mayor, elected and compensated to be the top person in charge of the city, is campaigning with an eye on his re-election fifteen months from now!

To compare: Mitt Romney just chose a running mate, and the election he is vying for is in three months.

Thank you, NHI!!! The Independent, and to some extent, Vinnie Penn, are the last bulldogs for the people here in New Haven. The rest of the media is captured.


n.b. I would like The Independent to track down how much those tote bags cost to be made, and exactly how they were paid for.

I don't think New Haven needs DeStefano anymore. How about posting this comment? New Haven Independent? How about naming yourselves DeStefanos' Independent.

"She's currently employed in the economic development wing, working on the jobs pipeline project."

Sounds like there's only ONE job project in this pipeline. Nonsense such as this has gone unabated so long that apparently Mr. DeStefano thinks it his prerogative to administrate this city as his personal fiefdom.

"When the Independent spotted her Friday, Lyons quickly handed off the box of bags"

That certainly says a lot, no?

And I can't resist one more: "It's sort of just being mayor," he replied."

Hmmm, I would have thought "just being mayor" might mean trying to address what's currently killing our city, not campaigning for an election a year and a quarter away.

This man's arrogance knows no bounds, and I don't blame him! New Haven's voter's apathy is legendary. The only reason he is in office is because New Haveners JUST DON'T VOTE. Last turnout was what, 22%? Shameful, and no one else to blame but ourselves.

Jeff Kerekes, please sound in on this. I'm sure a lot of folks here would like to hear your take on the matter.

And how the hell do we raise the voter turnout???

"She's currently employed in the economic development wing, working on the jobs pipeline project.cSounds like there's only ONE job project in this pipeline."

Considering City staff time, Tens of millions in public funds including $10M in New Haven taxpayer funds have been spent to subsidize that developer. We get back a few hundred thousands in contribution to a "job pipeline."

Meanwhile, programs that would actually create thousands of jobs, like the transit study (funded almost entirely by the Federal government) are cut by the BOA and the Mayor puts up no fight. .

No leadership at the Mayor's office & no leadership at the BOA. That $10M would have been more than enough to open more of our school buildings in the summer for the next decade for our youth to have something to do.

Campaigning on the Taxpayer dime is a classic feature of old school machine politics. I'm not even sure it is fair to expect anything else from Mayor DeStefano, this is what he knows and how he maintained a political machine that has been going strong in New Haven for far longer then 20 years. When you vote for him you are voting for the old machine and this is how they have always done business.

Its a sad state of affairs when all it takes to get votes is a shopping bag and a soda. What I find even more appalling is that a city hall employee is out campaigning while on city time but that's how Johnny operates, just look at the school commercials from the last election.

As for the 22% turnout last time.. That just goes to show the amount of people who either just live and/or rent in New Haven and could care less as long as the status quo isnt upset.

If you have a City of New Haven ID and a DeStefano tote isn't that enough proof to register to vote?