Paul Bass Photos
Mayor Justin Elicker is sworn in for his third two-year term as mayor, surrounded his wife Natalie, daughters Molly and April, and mom Joan Elicker.
A Democrat, a second Democrat, a third Democrat, then dozens more Democrats all at once took oaths of office Monday to inaugurate the seventh straight two-year cycle of one-party government in New Haven.
The Democrats — Mayor Justin Elicker, City/Town Clerk Michael Smart, Board of Education member Andrea Downer, and the Board of Alders’ 30 members (one in absentia) — formally began two new two-terms in office at a 140-minute ceremony in the Wilbur Cross High School auditorium.
The inauguration had the air of a high school graduation: whoops from individual honorees’ cheering sections; a military march and salute; a performance of “Wind Beneath My Wings”; and speeches filled with acknowledgements of family and friends and platitudinous paeans to civic pride.
After taking the oath from retired state Supreme Court Justice Lubbie Harper Jr., Mayor Elicker said in an address that he will reveal new policy initiatives in his upcoming State of the City address. He focused this speech on “our values” as a city: “inclusion, compassion, justice, courage, persistence, innovation, partnership.”
Here’s how he described the “inclusion” value: “New Haven is a city that welcomes everyone. Regardless of your race, ethnicity, immigration or documentation status, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or general station in life, you are welcome in New Haven.” No mention was made of the discovery that his administration recently reported the identities of 78 immigrant couples “as suspicious” in three months to federal authorities after they sought to get married at City Hall.
Elicker also issued a call for civility in politics at a time of national rancor.
“When our nation seems more divided than ever, we say it doesn’t have to be that way. We can have differences and we can strongly disagree, but we can also be civil and we can treat each other with humanity and with dignity and respect,” he said.
Click here to read the mayor’s full prepared remarks.
Reflecting the national trend of communities morphing into bright blue or red islands, Democrats have occupied all of New Haven’s elected municipal offices since 2012, after Morris Cove Alder Arlene DePino retired.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, and state Attorney General William Tong sat with Elicker at center stage and delivered remarks praising him and other New Haven elected officials.
One speaker did deliver remarks that were not a reprise from previous inaugurations, graduations, or campaign speeches — but did address the overriding point of Monday’s exercise. The point being … Democracy. Or perhaps more broadly, democracy.
The speaker was New Haven Poet Laureate (yes, we we have one now) Sharmont Influence-Little.
Little read a poem that addressed “Democracy” as an endangered institution or demigod. He spoke in the poem of actors within our democracy who …
… sometimes can’t find the consistencies in the Constitution.
Their construct wants to erase our contribution and label us as cons.
They say slavery is abolished except for the convicted felon.
Most of us have never seen a gavel swing.
We are not dummies.
Our bodies should never be used as crash-test bullets in the name of justice, Democracy! …
I’ve seen this nation cry like the hardest of rainfalls
But the days are only brighter as we see the rainbow complete the melting pot. …
As the birthstone of the constitution, you know that gender equality is promoting welfare for all people, Democracy!
Your name is more than just a free vote.
It’s the freedom to have a choice — for a woman to choose when a child should exit the sovereign state of her body … The only voice that actually matters is hers. Democracy!
Democracy. Life. Some of us are not as privileged as others. But our blood and bones are still sewn in the fabric of the American flag.
Some of Uncles Sam’s grandchildren want to filibust us to the back of the bus, putting us in pigeonholes as those we don’t fight in those same holes in World War I, II, and Vietnam.
Democracy we love you, please. If you’re not careful you’re going to remarry a tyrant who will changed your name to Dictatorship …
Spontaneous “wooooo!”s broke out at that point. The audience was right with Influence-Little. They got the message.
The poet laureate finished up with envisioning a democratic (or, Democratic?) …
… future without bombs. People break your borders just to see what you look like, knowing if your drive matches your dream, there’s no distance that you can’t travel, especially when you ride with freedom, speech, equality, life, justice, in the name of you, Democracy! In the name of being an American.
Refreshments were served after the ceremony in the Wilbur Cross cafeteria.
City/Town Clerk Michael Smart, at right in photo, prepares to be sworn in to a seventh two-year term as the city's second-highest elected official.
Morris Cover Alan Ponder shows up at the inauguration with a message.
Dereen Shirnekhi Photo
Audience members on their feet as Jordan Watson sings "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers.