“Systems Guy” Takes On Incumbent

“I’m curious and I hope you don’t mind,” the business owner said. ​“But how old are you?”

“I’m asked that a lot,” replied the candidate. The answer: 28.

Older than he looks.

“I’m impressed,” said the business owner.

The candidate was not.

Youthfulness shouldn’t matter, the candidate argued. Belonging to any particular age bracket guarantees a new perspective. What does matter? A ​“systems” approach. Looking at systems, he argued, leads you back to realizing that ​“we’re all in this together.”

So went an exchange on the campaign trail for … yes, they exist … a New Haven Republican running hard for a state legislative seat.

The candidate, Josh Van Hoesen, had the discussion while making a campaign call at the Fire & Slice BBQ Smokehouse and Pizzeria in Morris Cove. (He was also picking up a pulled pork sandwich for dinner.)

Van Hoesen is the Republican candidate for the 97th General Assembly District seat held by Democrat Al Paolillo Jr. Paolillo is running for his second term, having been elected in 2015 after serving 14 years representing the Annex on the Board of Alders. The 97th District covers the portions of New Haven east of the Quinnipiac River.

Paolillo has been immersed in city politics and civic activity his whole life. His dad served as an alder for ten years; his mom who worked as a city employee for four mayors. Paolillo as a college student interned for Mayor John Daniels, then went to work for U.S. Joe Lieberman before following in his dad’s footsteps on the Board of Alders, where he was one of the closest and most knowledgeable watchdogs on government finances.

Paolillo’s relationship with New Haven organizations, businesses, and political personalities runs deep. Van Hoesen, who grew up on Nantucket and took his computer science degree at the University of New Haven, is a relative newcomer to town. He now owns a home near the airport in Morris Cove.

Van Hoesen, who is active in the East Shore management team and last year unsuccessfully challenged Sal DeCola for the alder’s position, said he has no particular beef with Paolillo. He just sees himself, through the lens of his training, as someone whose focus would be different.

His day job is with Accounting System Integrators, based in North Haven. He is the oldest in a department of five software developers and computer engineers.

“I’d focus on systems, structural issues, in how we conduct the state’s business,” he said. ​“Software developers, engineers give a unique perspective and break problems down to their component parts, and find solutions.”

“As a legislator, constituent service is as important as policy, and we’ll continue to work on both of them, without a doubt,” said Paolillo, who for 23 and a half years has been a registered representative with the John Hancock Life Insurance Company..

Van Hoesen went on to clarify that he too would attend to constituent service, as Paolillo does. But he vowed a focus as well on systemic challenges such as efficiencies in how the state manages its workforce from one department to another.

Among the constituent services Paolillo is proudest of from his first terms was working with Senate President Marty Looney and others to secure $1.8 million to restore the Fort Hale pier, where generations of Covers have fished.

Paolillo also pointed to $8 million in recent bonding that will address coastal rehabilitation at East Shore Park; $575,000 in bonding that will improve drainage and other problems that have been plaguing Fairmont Park and its Dom Aitro Field-based little league for years; and a moratorium, announced last June, on duck hunting in the Quinnipiac River in the area near the New Haven Land Trust’s Fargeorge Preserve.

Tax, Toll Differences

Here are some issues on which the candidates offered takes in recent interviews:

• On state budget and pension liabilities, Paolillo said that in the last budget battle he voted for no tax increases but did support restoration of services. To deal with a looming $4.6 billion two-year state deficit, he simply said he has ​“an open mind for all revenue opportunities, including legalized marijuana.” He did not commit to the latter.

Van Hoesen said he would save money by looking into what he called opportunities in ​“interdepartmental synergy,” including possibly more ​“swapping of positions.” He said he (like most humans) has ​“no solid answers” to offer for solving the state’s pension problem.

He said he too hesitates to support legalizing marijuana. Despite the tax income it might produce, Van Hoesen said, he is concerned about collateral consequences, like the additional costs connected to training people enforcing the new laws and the effect on the community. ​“How do you do a [traffic] stop for marijuana?” he asked.

• Electronic highway tolls: Paolillo said his first priority is to make sure money collected from tolls would go to transportation upgrades through a ​“lock box.” ​“We have to protect that revenue,” he said. ​“For example, the Grand Avenue Bridge is a $30 million ticket. It’s critical there be a dedicated protected stream,” he said before legislators consider adding tolls to state highways.

Van Hoesen is adamantly opposed to the idea, in part due to the kiosks and infrastructure building costs to be incurred, he said. Digital apps would adjust and help you find ways around paying the tolls, he said. ​“I know other states have them. But if a friend jumped off a bridge, would you? My mother used that one on us all the time.”

• Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski has called for eliminating the state income tax over eight years. Van Hoesen said he is supports that idea, although he doubts a Stefanowski administration will be able to fully implement it.

Paolillo pronounced a proposed elimination of the income tax ​“an entirely irresponsible approach” that would force New Haven property taxes to be increased and put residents at risk. As much as half the state’s revenues comes from income taxes in any given year.

Calling The Potholders Hot

Like Paolillo, State Senate President — and the senator from the 11th senatorial district— Martin Looney is officially facing a challenge, albeit a remote one, from young Republican Erin Reilly.

Looney is running for his 20th term. Make that 38 years already in the state legislature, including service in both houses and, since 2015 as president pro tempore of the Senate.

Reilly has been invisible in this campaign and impervious to requests for comment. She failed to respond to an email message, two phone calls, and a note left on her door in the Quinnipiac Meadows neighborhood seeking comment for this story. A small business owner, she spoke in this previous Independent article about her support for President Trump.

Looney said he still considers himself in a contested race.

“Any time someone’s name is on the ballot, I consider it a contest,” he said.

Over his long career Looney said, he is particularly proud of having led the effort to pass the earned income tax credit for working families and laws giving tuition, drivers’ licenses, and protections for ​“dreamers,” children brought to the country without documentation.

He said there is ​“no magic solution” to the state’s budget and pension crisis. ​“We need to put in actuarially required amounts as has been done. We also need to look at other ways, like a proposal to move lottery revenues, to increase the percentage of funding to reduce unfunded liability.”

Looney said he supports legalizing marijuana and some form of highway tolls.

High on Looney’s list of priorities for next session is ​“revisiting the fight for guaranteed right to paid leave for people who are ill or caring for a loved one,” he said. ​“Paid family and medical leave. A key agenda item. Many states have it and it’s important for us to have it to stay enlightened.”

He is actively campaigning, he said, particularly for other Democrats in contested districts. If you want one of Looney’s signature pot holders, which he has been distributing for details, your best bet is to go to the traditional Dems’ rally at Bella Vista senior complex, usually organized by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a day or two before election day.

Looney wouldn’t say how many potholders he has ordered up for his campaign year campaign. There are always enough, he added, for the seniors at Bella Vista where they are, er, a hot item.

Stealth Campaigns, Facebook Glimpses

Other GOP candidates on the Nov. 6 ballot challenging New Haven state legislators include John Carlson, Doug Losty, Grant Richardson, Joshua Rose, Eric Mastroianni Sr., and Yale student Jordan Grode. Carlson made then canceled three planned interview times; others failed to return repeated calls and emails seeking an interview and haven’t been quoted in other local media. The new GOP town chairman, Jeffrey Weiss, told the Independent he is advising candidates to ignore requests for interviews because he doesn’t trust the media to be fair. All of New Haven’s incumbent state legislators are running for reelection, including State Reps. Juan Candelaria, Patricia Dillon, Robyn Porter, and Toni Walker, and State Sen. Gary Winfield.

The GOP candidates have expressed some public positions through Facebook.

Richardson and Rose have identical campaign websites. The sites state: ​“For over 40 years, Connecticut has been controlled by a Single Party legislature that spends recklessly and makes empty promises to State employees. Putting left-wing ideology ahead of your best interests and pursuing the same failed policies over and over have been the hallmarks of Connecticut’s government. The results for New Haven have been higher taxes, fewer jobs, slower economic growth, higher crime, burdensome city debt levels, and fewer opportunities for advancement.” So does Carlson, who promises on it to oppose tax increases and highway tolls, put ​“police officers in schools [to] protect our children,” and ​“fix state employee benefits.”