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Facing Off: Rose, Looney.
The Harp Administration has publicly criticized New Haven State Sen. Martin Looney again — and Looney has swung back again.
The latest shot came in a letter written by city Corporation Counsel John Rose Jr. along with Tweed-New Haven Airport attorney Hugh Manke.
They sent the letter to state Attorney General William Tong in response to a letter previously sent to Tong by Looney and fellow State Sen. Len Fasano that had urged Tong to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court a federal ruling allowing the airport to expand its runway.
As reported in this story by the New Haven Register’s Mark Zaretsky, the Rose-Manke letter described the senators as making “disingenuous” arguments in their letter.
The Rose-Manke letter argues that Looney and Fasano “control the legislative process” and failed to deliver on promises in a 2009 runway-expansion agreement to increase state Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) to New Haven and East Haven. The letter states the Looney and Fasano (who represents North Haven) “chose to provide half a loaf even though they signed an agreement to provide much more.”
Looney swung back with a letter accusing Rose and Manke of “polarizing rhetoric and disparaging speculation” that “does nothing to advance the interests of the clients they represent.” Looney accused the lawyers of a number of mischaracterizations regarding “the realities of the legislative process and regarding my own intentions and motivation,” including that he and Fasano don’t “control” the legislature.
In a follow-up phone call with the Independent, Looney was still outraged at the Rose-Manke letter. He pointed to a line that refers to community benefits promised to the Morris Cove neighborhood as part of the 2009 runway expansion agreement as “sweeteners.”
Looney argued that that line “revealed their true intentions” in dealing with the neighborhood by “trivializing” its concerns, which have included noise, pollution, and traffic.
Looney and Mayor Toni Harp have been on opposite sides of the controversy over whether to expand Tweed’s runway. (Read about that here.)
This isn’t the first time Looney has swung back at what he perceived as a personal attack from the Harp administration. Last year the administration publicized spreadsheets it said showed that state legislators had failed to deliver enough needed state aid to the city. Looney, who is president of the State Senate, swung back with his own spreadsheet that he said showed increased aid, as well as with a public attack on City Hall for, in his view, blaming state legislators for its own unpopular decision to raise taxes 11 percent. Read about all that here.
The relationship between Looney and City Hall has never recovered.
Looeny was the highest-ranking elected official to come out early and in support of Toni Harp’s first run for mayor, in April in the 2013 Democratic primary campaign. He has not made an endorsement so far this year.
None of this should be relevant to Tong's decision. Tong is the state's civil lawyer; his job is to defend the state, not to make policy. The state has passed a law, so Tong has a ethical responsibility to defend it. The only issue for Tong should be the prospect of success on a petition for certification and, if granted, on appeal. As it stands, Looney agues that there is a split in the circuits. If that is really true, there's a reasonable chance the Supreme Court will take the appeal.