The newly formed group of dissenting members of the Board of Alders is hitting a Sperry Street church Saturday, and inviting along some friends.
The group, the “People’s Caucus,” formed this month to offer an alternative to the governing majority of the Board of Alders. (Read about that here.) On Saturday, the caucus’s seven members plans a two-hour “community forum” to explain their vision to the public, and to hear from some local political experts.
The event begins at 4 p.m. at Springs Church at 31 Sperry St., near the intersection of Whalley Avenue. It is the first of three or four anticipated neighborhood forums, according to Caucus organizer Alder Michael Stratton of Prospect Hill/Newhallville.
Scheduled keynote speakers Saturday include Yale political science prof and author Douglas Rae (title of talk: “History of Divisive Ethnic and Machine Politics in new Haven”), prolific blogger Mark Abraham of the group Data Haven (addressing “Evidence-Based New Haven”); and Fair Haven-based community organizer Lee Cruz (“What We Yearn For”). All three supported independent challenger Justin Elicker in the 2013 mayoral election.
Paul Bass Photo
People’s Caucus Alders Claudette Robinson-Thorpe, Anna Festa, and Brenda Foskey-Cyrus.
In a press release Wednesday, the Caucus said it will both seek public input and unveil a seven-part “mission statement” of core principles:
“1. We support Good Policy Regardless of Source. We are not an opposition party. We act with compassion and openness even with those who oppose us or our positions.
“2. We challenge bad policy vigorously and support good policy zealously but we do not engage in the politics of personal insult, or disparagement.
“3. We never speak for the group without consensus. And we build most of our agenda based on public forums done regularly throughout New Haven.
“4. All caucus policies require public support, must be well researched and evidence based, and must be unanimously supported by our caucus
members before submission to the board.
“5. We will seek to gain new alder members through attraction and political support but only after the candidate demonstrates a willingness to adhere to the core principles
“6. We will not engage in peer pressure to exact consensus. Instead we will endeavor to broaden or contract our proposals to encompass the concerns of a dissenting member or members of the public. Dissent is Encouraged.
“7. Every member has a duty to do community work, and agrees to community service projects as a group.”
So far the Caucus has advanced proposals to abolish the elected city/town clerk position and bar gag orders on city employees. Read about that here; click on the video at the top of the story to watch members storm the clerk’s office recently.