Thomas MacMillan Photo
In his annual “State of the City Address,” Mayor John DeStefano warned New Haven to prepare for tough budget decisions, including a first round of government layoffs by the end of the month.
Live Blog
A transcript of the Independent’s live blog of the speech follows. Scroll to the bottom to add to the discussion with a comment of your own.
6:50 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 6:50 PM
Welcome everyone. We should be going live in about ten minutes.
6:54 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 6:54 PM
That’s mayoral aide and former Register reporter Elizabeth Benton in the right foreground. Her job is in part to schmooze aldermen and sell the city’s agenda.
6:55 Jonathan Hopkins
February 7, 2011 6:55 PM
we watch the video on the nhi website, right?
6:56 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 6:56 PM
Correct. If you have trouble viewing the WVIT box, we hope to have a second one working below the Cover-It LIve box.
6:57 Thomas MacMillan
February 7, 2011 6:57 PM
Dozens of high school students in blue “New Haven Promise” T‑shirts are waiting in the hallway outside the Aldermanic Chamber.
7:01 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:01 PM
Usually some of the top aldermen escort the mayor to the podium. Some sort of flags or other pageantry.
7:01 Thomas MacMillan
February 7, 2011 7:01 PM
We’ve just added a link to the text of the mayor’s speech. You can download it here: http://newhavenindependent.org/archives/upload/2011/02/2.7.11_2011_STATE_OF_THE_CITY.doc
7:05 Comment From Elaine Braffman
February 7, 2011 7:05 PM
As I watch the mayor’s staff walking around I see several million dollars in just his staff alone. He has come a long way from when he took his seat as the mayor. Lot’s of money is spent just to serve him.
7:06 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:06 PM
That Dwight Alderwoman Gina Calder offering divine guidance.
7:06 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:06 PM
The photographer in the foreground is Mara Lavitt from the Register.
7:07 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:07 PM
That’s mayoral spokesman Adam Joseph who just checked in with mayoral aide Rosemarie Lemley.
7:08 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:08 PM
No flags. SeeClickFix’s Ben Berkowitz just shook the mayor’s hand on the way in.
7:09 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:09 PM
The mayor is using the recent storms as way to talk about a community pulling together in tough times. It’s a useful way to introduce the idea of pulling together — and of shared sacrifice — in tough economic times.
7:09 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:09 PM
is anybody else experiencing choppy video quality?
7:09 Comment From Elaine Braffman
February 7, 2011 7:09 PM
Let the pageant begin!
7:10 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:10 PM
“I had a lot of suggestions for the aldermen during the storm … It was great to see everyone working together” to “dig out.” Of snow. Now: He’ll want us to do the same digging out of a budgetary hole.
7:10 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:10 PM
Before looking ahead, he runs through a brief 2010 report. It starts with the beginning of school reform taking hold, and the creatin of new jobs and new taxes through biotech development.
7:11 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:11 PM
The mayor is looking good…
7:11 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:11 PM
“We can no longer do business as usual … We need a new roadmap.” DeStefano is using those words to describe the approach to school change. Most people in New Haven are on board with that. Now he needs to convince a more divided polity to do the same on tackling the budget crisis.
7:13 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:13 PM
He’s highlighting key elements of the school reform drive: grading schools; taking action to change rules at poorly performing schools, making new opportunities at successful ones; evaluating teachers, too, and changing some of the rules for them, too. And the even trickier to define “community engagement” — getting everyone, including parents and neighborhood volunteers, involved in efforts like the “Promise” college scholarship program for city schoolkids.
7:13 Comment From Mike
February 7, 2011 7:13 PM
Video looks good on my end.
7:14 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:14 PM
Those of us immersed in covering or debating or participating in school efforts don’t always know how it’s selling in the community at large. Do people experience change in the school system the way the mayor’s describing it right now?
7:15 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:15 PM
“New Haven’s most effective wealth creation and violence reduction policy”: That’s how the mayor’s defining school reform. He’s making the pitch for considering it our top priority.
7:16 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:16 PM
Grand list grew by $229 million last year, at 3.5 percent the highest growth in the state. Think: 300 George St., Science Park, 360 State St. Interesting: “Yale is no longer our top taxpayer.” Fusco and Winstanley among those that top them. Think they’ll open eating clubs or secret societies, too?
7:16 Comment From Mike C.
February 7, 2011 7:16 PM
3% increase in grand list is great news
7:16 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:16 PM
those jobs come from the highway being built and the colleges being built! Yale stil owns New Haven!
7:17 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:17 PM
Foreclosures slightly down now. May be a good trend, he says. The trend is different in different parts of town: Check out Thomas MacMillan’s story on the Independent homepage about the second round of speculator foreclosures in Newhallville.
7:18 Jonathan Hopkins
February 7, 2011 7:18 PM
Job opportunity and access for the upper and upper middle class has increased with the growth in the medical and biotech industries, but job opportunities for low-skill, undereducated workers has decreased. The poverty rate is increasing. This is directly related to crime and poor student performance in schools
7:18 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:18 PM
Start Bank opens … Reopening of East Rock monument … Resolution of F. Haven Heights-Amtrak dispute … Stop & Shop’s decision to move into the abandoned Shaw’s … Mayor is highlighting these as instances of progress in neighborhoods. And again setting up the idea of people working together to make things happen.
7:18 Comment From Darnell
February 7, 2011 7:18 PM
unemployment 13% in New Haven, worse in other communitis, such as West Rock. Frustrating.
7:19 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:19 PM
He goes over crime stats: homicides up, many other crimes down … narcotics unit “actively back at work” and making busts, including allegedly breaking up Newhallville’s R2 gang …
7:19 Jonathan Hopkins
February 7, 2011 7:19 PM
Stop & Shop may turn out to be a long-term negative for the community — we shall see
7:19 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:19 PM
“Hard choices” — keep an ear out for that phrase. This was just the first utterance.
7:20 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:20 PM
Jonathan: What’s the potential negative of Stop & Shop? Impact on smaller stores?
7:21 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:21 PM
We Have GANGS! in and out of New Haven, And I feel that this City is only getting Worse! U do alot of great ! Talk!
7:22 Comment From Truth Avenger
February 7, 2011 7:22 PM
Greetings all…Love the technology making this possible
7:22 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:22 PM
Sometimes we forget how other communities all over the place are wrestling with similar problems to ours. DeStefano is seeking now to point that out — and to point out how in Alabama one community just stopped paying out pensions and in New Jersey they laid off lots of cops (and saw shootings rise). He’s laying out “bad choices” by others (like spending down reserves) to present his menu of better (even if non-ideal) choices. Will he succeed in framing the debate in a broader context? He’ll need to in order to succeed. Otherwise people will focus on the pain of seeing services reduced or some costs rising (or changing how they’re billed) …
7:22 Comment From Darnell
February 7, 2011 7:22 PM
Mayor is now discussing exampes of cities that can not pay thei pensions…we must make changes…I agree
7:23 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:23 PM
Man, I think none of us wants to end up as Camden North!
7:23 Comment From DP
February 7, 2011 7:23 PM
This is real, lets all pull togather and to what we need to support our leaders.
7:24 Jonathan Hopkins
February 7, 2011 7:24 PM
it is a national chain store, of which about 65 cents of every dollar spent in it is sucked out of the local economy and goes to the top management of the franchise.
Stop & Shop supports a large interstate trucking system, which increases asthma rates, and decreases air qaulity disproportionately in urban areas.
Creates an economic environment that is unattractive to small businesses that sell items already stocked in Shop & Shop
7:24 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:24 PM
“Classic definition of insanity — doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”
7:24 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:24 PM
Thanks Jonathan.
7:24 Comment From Darnell
February 7, 2011 7:24 PM
$5.5 million gap in this budget, what are we doing to close it?
7:25 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:25 PM
“What we have to do now is make the hard but right choices.”
7:25 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:25 PM
Why doesn’t he talk about the Real Truth! Let the New Haven Chief Of Police Run this City. Instead of the Mayor
7:25 Comment From Darnell
February 7, 2011 7:25 PM
Here he goes with the “Just Don’t Say No” pitch…give us something to say yes to
7:25 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:25 PM
Stop n Shop is only going to hit us all in the Pockets!
7:25 Comment From Elaine Braffman
February 7, 2011 7:25 PM
Ahhh, but that is exactly what our mayor has done the same thing (spending) over and over again…so the mayor needs to lead by example! Not continue with the insanity.
7:25 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:25 PM
Here’s a tricky point: DeStefano says that people who simply “oppose” all ideas will prevent New Haven from facing reality and dealing with the problem. Question: How should people who agree with that statement go about doing necessary vetting of ideas? Is it still OK to support some ideas, not others?
7:27 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:27 PM
Police and fire pension plans “are going to run out of money.” It’ll be interesting to see what union leaders propose as an alternative to the mayor’s suggestion to limit early retirement, tamp down COLAs and remove the inclusion of overtime in the base for pension benefits. “The bill has come due,” the mayor’s saying…
7:27 Comment From Darnell
February 7, 2011 7:27 PM
Paul, he should give us good ideas to say to
7:28 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:28 PM
Employee health care plans are doubling to $68 million a year over eight years. He wants to institute co-insurance and other elements of what the private sector includes in health plans.
7:28 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:28 PM
I can No Longer Believe in Our Mayor Or this City!
7:28 Comment From Robert J
February 7, 2011 7:28 PM
Pensions should not include overtime, it cost to much over the long run,
7:29 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:29 PM
The mayor just said he plans to start laying off people this month in departments “across the city,” including Board of Ed. Major news. He didn’t mention a figure.
7:29 Comment From guest
February 7, 2011 7:29 PM
john wants a pass for his mistakes
7:29 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:29 PM
Mayor welcomes Channel 3. “Do you always come late?”
7:29 Comment From Elaine Braffman
February 7, 2011 7:29 PM
I believe the administrators from the BOE with the health care plan they accepted, I believe does not go into effect for 3 years and the administrators make much more than an average worker.
7:30 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:30 PM
He mentions the stormwater fee/authority idea. “Nonprofits should be treated the same as everyone else” in being charged for services like treating stormwater, he says.
7:30 Comment From Darnell
February 7, 2011 7:30 PM
pushing all the same old ideas, stormwater, privizatation, more money frm the state
7:30 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:30 PM
He’ll go to binding arbitration if necessary to change work rules to do more with less, he vows. “I don’t know who is going to pay for us to keep doing things over and over again the same way.”
7:30 Comment From Elaine Braffman
February 7, 2011 7:30 PM
Didn’t Yale say they would fight the storm water fee?
7:31 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:31 PM
Surrounded by non profits…especially Yale..I agree Mr. Mayor…let everyone pay their fare share for services
7:31 Comment From Truth Avenger
February 7, 2011 7:31 PM
The State? The State is just as broke-busted and disgusted as the Cities
7:31 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:31 PM
Every-One is covering there own *%$ss And including our Mayor too!
7:31 Comment From Darnell
February 7, 2011 7:31 PM
tax, tax, tax, where does he hink this money comes from, he tree growing in my backyard?
7:31 Comment From ElmCityDaddy
February 7, 2011 7:31 PM
DeStefano is taking a lead from Governor Christie! That’s good for all of us. He’s being realistic!
7:31 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:31 PM
Now comes the pitch to the state: Let us have a local sales tax, institute an entertainment district, institute residency for city employees … Stuff that “won’t require a new red cent from the state,” but will require permission “to manage our own affairs.”
7:32 Thomas MacMillan
February 7, 2011 7:32 PM
Here come the high school students. Filing into the room now.
7:32 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:32 PM
New Haven would benefit in a big way if all the employees lived in NH
7:32 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:32 PM
Realistic! Wake Up…
7:32 Comment From Darnell
February 7, 2011 7:32 PM
now he is parading out a group of kids, shameful
7:32 Comment From Proud of New Haven
February 7, 2011 7:32 PM
It is the toughest time to be mayor.. Thankfullly we have a credible person with experience in charge
7:32 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:32 PM
There is No Money $$$
7:33 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:33 PM
No Real Leadership!
7:33 Comment From Proud of New Haven
February 7, 2011 7:33 PM
Excellent point Mr. Mayor! and New Haven is moving forward despite the naysayers!
7:34 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:34 PM
Promise (college scholarship) program update: 1,850 city high schoolers have signed “Promise pledges” to come to school often enough and earn good enough grades to qualify for Yale-paid college scholarship; 252 seniors have completed applications for those scholarships.
7:34 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:34 PM
I support the Mayor these are tuff times, we need to be supportive of his plan. We will get through this togather.
7:34 Comment From Truth Avenger
February 7, 2011 7:34 PM
Yes we can momemt
7:34 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:34 PM
He has brought in high school students to say “Yes” when asked if they’ll go to college and “make positive choices.” No Bart Simpson wise guys in the bunch.
7:35 Comment From Proud of New Haven
February 7, 2011 7:35 PM
New Ideas and great leadership.
7:35 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:35 PM
Why Only Ask Students!
7:36 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:36 PM
His bottom line: Keep going with school reform and “growing tax base,” and embrace his stormwater authority, health and pension reform, layoff, and privatization plans.
7:36 Comment From Elaine Braffman
February 7, 2011 7:36 PM
If the mayor wants to manage our own affairs he needs to start with the school construction program where an enormous amount has been spent that will not be reimbursed and we are talking millions and millions we now owe. As far as education for our New Haven students, yes, we need to what we can to get them and keep them on the right track….building big expensive schools is not the answer. We must break stride from spending on the school construction program that has put us in an enormous hole.
7:36 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:36 PM
Where are the Business Owners of New Haven….And Us Citizens!
7:36 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:36 PM
Ask Your Public of the City Of New Haven!?.
7:37 Comment From Darnell
February 7, 2011 7:37 PM
Give me a break, if he wants to make some real and hard choices, start with laying off some of his staff
7:37 Comment From Proud of New Haven
February 7, 2011 7:37 PM
Put our citizens first. Not the unions. Not the special interests. Thank you!
7:37 Comment From guest
February 7, 2011 7:37 PM
stop the spending
7:37 Jonathan Hopkins
February 7, 2011 7:37 PM
the school construction project is pretty much over, to argue against it would have been applicable about 10 years ago
7:37 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:37 PM
DeStefano decided to go with a straight-talk approach this year, not just in words, but presentation. Besides bringing out the kids for a moment, he read straight ahead without overhead slides/PowerPoint (as in past years). Form matches substance.
7:37 Comment From guest
February 7, 2011 7:37 PM
layoffs in these times, great. what is john giving back
7:38 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:38 PM
The only “news”: Layoffs are coming and Promise stats. Instead, the thrust of the speech is how he pulled together a slew of recent proposals to make a pitch for “saying yes” and abandoning what he sees as “denial” in many quarters of the city’s fiscal condition.
7:39 Paul Bass
February 7, 2011 7:39 PM
We’ll close out this discussion in a moment. Please continue commenting in the regular comments section at the bottom of this article. We hope to cut and paste this discussion into the body of the article by night’s end. Thanks to WVIT for the live stream! And thanks to everyone for participating. Next up: Republican and Black & Hispanic state of the city addresses in coming months.
7:41 Comment From Elaine Braffman
February 7, 2011 7:41 PM
We have two schools to go and it is never too late to stop spending. And it is first now coming out about the spending and the money we owe and will continue to owe.
7:41 Comment From Positive on New Haven
February 7, 2011 7:41 PM
Great speech. Good points and glad to have a strong mayor
7:41 Comment From Truth Avenger
February 7, 2011 7:41 PM
The school’s physical infrastructure improvement is a fait accompli Elaine
7:41 Comment From Guest
February 7, 2011 7:41 PM
These are hard choices, lets get togather. This Mayor is a good leader and a man of his word, the City is a better place because of him,
7:41 Comment From ElmCityDaddy
February 7, 2011 7:41 PM
The Adlermen due deny the hard decisions! The Mayor needs these reforms for the benefit of all taxpayers. We can no longer afford business as usual!
7:41 Comment From Positive on New Haven
February 7, 2011 7:41 PM
Thanks for a great opportunity to comment
7:42 Thomas MacMillan
February 7, 2011 7:42 PM
Thanks for joining the conversation, everybody. We’re going to shut down the live blog now, but you can continue the discussion in the comments section below.