Melanie Espinal Photo
Mayoral hopeful Justin Elicker at Bella Vista Wednesday evening.
Justin Elicker didn’t tell the seniors at Bella Vista everything they wanted to hear. But he promised to stand by them.
In song. The one by Ben E. King.
Elicker, who is challenging incumbent Toni Harp for the Democratic mayoral nomination, brought pizza and an acoustic guitar along with his campaign pitch during a visit Wednesday evening to the vote-rich elderly housing complex on the east side of town.
He fielded questions from the seniors on issues ranging from homelessness, medical access, public transportation, gun violence, Social Security, immigration sanctuary status and pushing for Yale to invest more into New Haven.
And the 20 seniors gathered in the community room sang along with Elicker on Paul Simon’s “Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard,” Ben E. King’s classic “Stand By Me,” and John Denver’s “Country Road.” “Sing it now!” he urged them as he hit the refrain.
“There’s something about pizza, music and politics,” Elicker said. “Politics don’t have to be always heavy and mean. We had a little fun tonight.”
“Seniors are such an important population in New Haven,” he said.“In many ways the issues that face seniors face New Haven residents.”
Elicker said New Haven to him is the tale of two cities: a bustling downtown and neighborhoods that often struggle to get the same attention of City Hall. He also spoke of running on the public-financing system, which requires limiting donations to $370 from individuals only; and criticizing Harp for taking larger contributions from political action committees and from people who do business with the city.
He earned nods of approval by calling for more affordable housing and greater trade-training options for non-college-bound youth. “If people have a good job they won’t get into trouble,” he said.
Bella Vista resident John Moore argues against the city relying too heavily on parking meter and ticket revenue.
Elicker received groans, on the other hand, after he was asked about the state proposal to install electronic highways on highways.
“You aren’t going to like me for this,” he began. He said he supports the toll proposal, noting that drivers have to pay tolls as they pass through every other state on the way to Washington, D.C. He said Connecticut should get some of that money, too.
Another senior challenged him about whether immigrants allegedly receiving government resources and housing over veterans like himself. Elicker, like his opponents in the race, has supported New Haven’s immigrant-friendly “sanctuary city” policies.
He began his response to the question by first thanking the veteran for his service. That drew some applause.
He said veteran services need improvement. But he also said he believes sanctuary policies are in New Haven’s best interest. He said he has not seen any evidence that immigrants receive more government resources than do veterans.
Lillian Morrison (pictured), a retired nurse’s aide, said she came to hear Elicker talk about what he can do to help seniors, including making it easier for them to receive medical assistance.
“Sometimes people pay so much. Copayments are so expensive,” she said. “And a lot of elderly people on SSI [Social Security] are on a fixed income.”
Seniors often have to “pick and choose” whether they want to pay for medications, whether they want to eat or have a roof over their head, Morrison said. “We worked all our lives and still have to struggle.”
When she suffered from tooth pain last year, her insurance company told her it wouldn’t cover a needed procedure, Morrison said. She had to wait a year to get her teeth fixed, just last month, after switching form Blue Cross to WellCare.
While some issues fall under state and federal jurisdictions, Elicker said, “different levels of government have different roles and responsibilities, but that doesn’t mean the city of New Haven can’t help people.” It can help inform people about existing medical services for low-income people at places like Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, he said. He suggested revisit former Mayor John DeStefano’s “Mayor’s Monday Message” as a way to get out useful information.
He said he has often heard about government agencies tossing people back and forth among different phone numbers that have no answer or their complaints being dismissed as “another department’s” issue, even at the city level. He said he has begun setting a higher “expectation” in his campaign for responding promptly to people.
His campaign left each senior present with a flyer with Elicker’s cell phone number on it, the same number where he said his wife and parents call him.
“I think you deserve a mayor who gives you their cell,” he said.