As he won election to a third term as president of the Board of Aldermen, Carl Goldfield called for creating a “mini-WPA” to give New Haveners jobs.
Aldermen Monday night unanimously elected Goldfield (pictured), who represents Beaver Hills, to a third, two-year term as board president.
He said this term, he’d like to focus on “infrastructure and jobs.”
Specifically, he’d like to set up a small agency by which the city could hire laborers for public works projects. The city currently hires out contractors when it wants to pave a road.
Meanwhile, over 6,400 New Haveners are out of work. That’s 11.2 percent of the city workforce, according to the state.
Goldfield said he’d like to see more in-house labor for public works.
“Private isn’t always better,” he said of the contractors. He suggested the city create a “mini-WPA,” referring to the Works Progress Administration, the New Deal agency that employed millions of Americans on public works projects after the Great Depression.
Gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy plans to unveil a statewide version of a similar jobs-creation program through government investments in roads, mass transit, schools, and bridges.
Goldfield won election after a challenge from Hill Alderwoman Jackie James-Evans.
In her campaign, James-Evans focused on being an “inclusive leader” and on potentially making history as the first black and first woman board president.
Monday, James-Evans quietly bowed out of the race. She said she didn’t have the votes. She opted not to create a public contest on the aldermanic floor.
She said she chose “to come in to the new year not fighting.”
Though she lost, James-Evans said the campaign was worth it. The campaign “opened eyes and ears” to an unhappiness on the board, a feeling that not all members were being listened to and empowered, she said.
Newhallville Alderman Charles Blango was elected as president pro tempore, third in line to the mayor’s seat. Blango, who’s African-American, pledged to reach out to minorities and make sure they’re included in making decisions.
Jackie you should not have bowed out, you should have continue even if you got one vote. Blango what have you done for the community, your ward have murders after murders and shootings after shooting and you sir have done nothing to help make the people of newhallville feel safe in their community, Mr. Blango, you are done as Aldermen, we the community will no longer except you siding with the Administration because the Mayor is your boss which is a conflict of interest, we will support and do have someone who will run against you in the next elections, ...