Kermit Carolina.
(Opinion) As a lifelong resident of the City of New Haven, a homeowner who has raised his family here and longtime community activist, I have come to the following conclusion: Toni Harp deserves another term as mayor of New Haven.
Not unlike many of her present critics, as a candidate for mayor, I harshly criticized Toni during the 2013 New Haven mayoral race. I did so at the time, in part, because I believed that we did not share the same passion for addressing the needs of the people with whom I identify the most-families who struggle to survive in a social, political and economic environment that seems to always work against them.
However, after working closely with Toni over the last six years, I have drawn another conclusion: I was wrong about what I believed about her in 2013.
A few months into her tenure as the first woman elected as mayor of New Haven, Toni and I met to “clear the air” and discuss ways that we could work together to bring about positive changes in the city for those who need it most. As I listened to her speak, I couldn’t help but notice the deep empathy she displayed for New Haven’s most vulnerable populations — children and senior citizens. It was at that moment that my understanding of Toni’s commitment altered my previously held belief.
Since taking office in 2014, Toni has worked tirelessly with a diverse group of people across the city, and her tireless work has yielded results. The most compelling improvement during her tenure has been the significant reduction in New Haven’s homicide rate. Between 1994 and 2014, I lost many people for whom I cared deeply.
If you recall, under former Mayor John DeStefano, the number of homicides in the city rose to alarming rates. It seemed like we were walking through the doors of a church to attend the funeral of a young black male every other day. Yet despite this horrific reality DeStefano enjoyed the overwhelming support of city voters and served ten terms as the mayor of New Haven.
In contrast, Mayor Harp in just her third term has reduced violent crime to its lowest levels in decades. Moreover, New Haven is the only major city in Connecticut with fewer murders now than when Mayor Harp took office in 2014. Our city has become a safer place and the lives of many city youths are being saved. Why is this significant accomplishment being overlooked? Does identity politics have anything to do with it? Of course it does.
Identity politics is a political weapon of choice for individuals in every racial group. This is particularly true of members of the dominant culture in this city and across the country. While many will attempt to deny this fact — the proof is in the pudding. Mayor Harp’s accomplishments and qualifications are seemingly ignored while her opponent – Justin Elicker –- routinely receives the benefit of the doubt. He is not asked to highlight his accomplishments or his qualifications or his vision for this city.
This of course is no fault of Justin. But I wonder if he were Black or Latino would his candidacy be accorded the same treatment? I doubt it.
Under Mayor Harp’s tenure, the unemployment rate in New Haven fell from 10% to just 3.7%. Under Mayor Harp, more Blacks and Latinos serve in positions of leadership within major city departments. And there is more:
• The number of affordable housing units has increased to 17,000 and is expected to exceed 19,000 by the end of next year
• High school graduation rates have risen to 80%
• The “School-to-Prison Pipeline” has been dismantled as a result of the significant reductions in expulsions and suspensions, coupled with increased access to services and student supports like YouthStat.
• New Haven’s mill rate (42.98) is still lower than both Hamden (49.99) and West Haven (up to 50.26), despite the fact that only 44% of property in New Haven is taxable.
Is Mayor Harp perfect? Absolutely not! In fact, over the last few months, we have constantly been reminded of her imperfections and missteps while reading hyper-sensationalized news stories and negative comments from her critics in the New Haven Independent.
Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly…”
Such words ring true today. Mayor Harp continues to firmly stand in the center of the arena and accept her critics’ best insults while valiantly attempting to make New Haven an even better place where our children can continue to safely play, learn, grow and ultimately maximize their potential as human beings.
Thus, I confidently support the reelection of Mayor Toni Harp!
Kermit Carolina, who ran against Toni Harp in the 2013 Democratic mayoral primary and then endorsed Justin Elicker in the general election, serves as youth family and community engagement supervisor for the Board of Education.