Markeshia Ricks Photo
State Rep. Dillon’s Republican opponent found it tough to get people to open their doors on the campaign trail. Dillon, by contrast, got not only a hello at the threshold of Mia Duff’s cozy house — but an invitation inside for a 20-minute chat on campaign issues.
Duff’s house on Lowin Avenue was Dillon’s first stop in a day of door-knocking as part of her campaign to be reelected to represent the General Assembly’s 92nd District, which covers New Haven’s Westville and Edgewood neighborhoods.
On a recent beautiful but bracingly cold and windy day, the longtime lawmaker, bare-legged and lightly jacketed, appreciated a warm place to chat, make her case, and hear from a constituent.
A mantle of family pictures and trophies lined the mantle at one end of Mia Duff’s living room, as a curious black and white cat came to inspect Dillon and the reporter on the couch sitting opposite Duff.
Duff comes from a family of Dillon supporters; a young relative who is now off to college, once worked for Dillon. But Duff had never had an spoken with Dillon one-on-one.
With 30 years of representing the 92nd District under her belt, one might think that Dillon would press her case with supporters with less vigor. But that’s not her style.
Dillon visited with constituents on Lowin Avenue like Duff to make sure they knew what she and her fellow Democrats had been doing on their behalf in Hartford, and to remind them to go vote Nov. 4.
She also was there to listen to Duff’s concerns.
Married to a New Haven police officer, Duff has plenty of concerns. She’s concerned about crime in the community and the fact that the New Haven Police Department is experiencing an ongoing shortage of officers.
As a longtime teacher and a school administrative intern at Hill Regional Career High School, Duff also expressed concern about the dearth of social workers at schools for children who have experienced violence at home and in their neighborhoods.
Duff said Career is lucky because it has a dedicated social worker. Other schools share one social worker.
The mention of children and violence grabbed Dillon’s attention, triggering her own memories of sheltering a woman who had been a victim of domestic violence in her home.
The memory elicited a story that had many plot twists and turns, then ultimately arrived at a point — that when people don’t experience violence they can be oblivious to the aftereffects, and devalue the need for support services.
Dillon said she’s sure that the state will face budget pressures next year, particularly because of the hangover impact of last year’s busy storm season and the federal government’s sequestration, which have affected New Haven’s economy. But she said she’s committed to looking for state funds to help.
“We’re all trying to figure out how to do more with less,” she said. “But it’s worth it to help now [with more state aid for support services]. You either pay for it now, or you pay for it later.”
When Dillon concluded her visit about 30 minutes later, Duff personally escorted Dillon to her neighbor Judy’s house, but not before she planted one of Dillon’s signs on her front lawn. She said she appreciated Dillon’s personal visit and believed it showed her dedication to the position and the people of the district.
Judy, who preferred not to share her last name, had more local concerns. A cracked sidewalk in front of her house irritated her, especially as it appeared that the sidewalk on each side of her property had been repaired.
Great gusts of cold wind buffeted her as she spoke. Dillon could have reminded Judy that she’s a state lawmaker, and has very little influence on sidewalks, but she didn’t. As the old saying goes, all politics are local.
A former alder, Dillon listened patiently, inquired about whether Judy had contacted her alder, anyone from the city, or Mayor Toni Harp’s office. Judy, skeptical of city officials, conceded she should at least give them a chance.
Judy also mentioned that she’s looking for a job and believed that she was being discriminated against because she’s older.
Now that was something that Dillon thought she might be able to help with. She took Judy’s contact information.
“I can’t make any promises,” she said. “But I will have one of my staff get in touch with you.”
Dillon later said she likes getting out in the district and connecting with people who from different backgrounds with different concerns.
She said she wants another term in office because likes being a lawmaker and she loves living in a community with sidewalks and diversity.
Dillon said she wants to keep fighting for state dollars to restore historic homes in New Haven, because that preserves the city’s history and provides jobs for local contractors. Addressing drainage problems and traffic safety on Forest Road is a top priority as well, issues on which state decisions are key.
She said she also wants to continue to work access to nutritious foods. Dillon said New Haven has been a leader in that arena and she wants to keep it that way. Prioritizing funding for the arts also is high on her list of “must do.”
“Part of my job is to keep up,” Dillon said. “The people of this district are such self-starters. If they want something they expect us to listen, but if they see something wrong they’re going to try to go fix it. They’re not going to wait on some politician.”