Ring camera footage of Fekieta's campaign pitch.
One candidate campaigning for ward co-chair in the Hill tried a novel campaign strategy, at least for a New Haven Democrat: Insulting immigrants, then insulting a constituent’s house.
Joe Fekieta tried that approach Saturday afternoon at the door of Amistad Catholic Worker House 203 Rosette St. while campaigning for one of two “co-chair” positions representing Ward 4 in the Hill within the local Democratic Party. The primary election is Tuesday.
The interaction devolved into shouts from Fekieta accusing the homeless rights and peace advocates at the Catholic Worker House of being a “parasite on the social welfare system.”
A local artist, Fekieta is running on the “New Haven Agenda” slate recruited by political organizer Jason Bartlett and former GOP and Independent Party mayoral candidate Tom Goldenberg. The “Agenda” group has framed itself as an alternative to the candidates endorsed by the Unite Here Yale unions, most of whom are incumbent co-chairs.
Clips from the house’s Ring video camera footage, activated in two locations, show Fekieta explaining his view on the root causes of homelessness to Amistad Catholic Worker volunteers. (Watch two of those clips from the Saturday encounters at the top of this story.)
The Catholic Worker, helmed by anti-poverty and anti-war activists Luz Catarineau-Colville and Mark Colville out of their Rosette Street home, has provided resources to unsheltered New Haveners for three decades. In recent months, the group has hosted tents and built six small shelters in its backyard for community members without a place to live.
In his pitch to the group, Fekieta blamed “medical debt,” “drugs and alcohol,” and “gambling” as key causes of the homelessness crisis.
“Affordable housing, too,” one volunteer (not visible in the camera) said.
“You know what’s aggravating that? It’s the influx of illegal aliens,” Fekieta said. “They are taking over a lot of apartments that should be going to New Haven residents.” (Fekieta lampooned unhoused people who ask for money or support, including “illegal immigrants,” in an art project in 2015.)
“Oh. Ok, thank you! Have a nice day!” one of the volunteers said.
“Ok, I know you don’t agree with that,” Fekieta replied.
Nicole, a volunteer present for the exchange who declined to provide her last name, said that Fekieta subsequently left the house to knock on other doors down the block, before returning soon after.
About five minutes after he first knocked on Amistad’s door, the cameras show Fekieta yelling outside of the house.
Fekieta can be heard promising to “shut this mess down and make sure it never happens again, the best I can, the best I can.”
“You should go out and make a living in an honest way, instead of working as a parasite on the social welfare system,” he continued, according to the Ring footage. “This is a disaster, and your house should be condemned.”
“I hope you win co-chair! It won’t be from our neighborhood, that’s for sure,” a volunteer responded.
“Sweep this shit right into the Long Island Sound!” Fekieta replied.
One volunteer yelled, “What would Jesus do? What would Jesus do?”
In response, Fekieta called out, “Fuck Jesus!” before walking away.
It was unclear from the video clips and conversations with people at Amistad House what prompted Fekieta’s remarks. Fekieta could not be reached for comment; according to his campaign slate, he is out of the country on a trip that was planned before he decided to run for ward co-chair.
“As reported this was an unfortunate episode,” said Jason Bartlett, who recruited Fekieta to run the campaign on a slate called New Haven Agenda. “We are waiting to hear the full story, but as a slate we believe that every resident of New Haven should be respected, regardless of housing or immigration status.”
Catarineau-Colville responded to Fekieta’s remarks in a text message on Monday: “He accuses us of being parasites taking from the government[,] while we are not tax exempt and I work to cover bills here.”
“I don’t publicly endorse anyone but I am definitely going out of my way to make sure no one votes for this guy without knowing what he had to stay at our doorstep,” she added.
Some statements are wrong. Others are politically stupid. And then there are statements that are wrong and politically stupid.
I've interacted several times with Tom Goldenberg. He strikes me as an honorable person. I trust he will disavow Joe Felieta, if he has not done already. Reasonable people disagree on how to address homelessness, immigration, etc., but his statements are reprehensible.