Issues

As Mayor DeStefano warned in his State of the City address earlier this month, “When has it been easy for us? Even in the best of times, New Haven has had to fight to accomplish its goals. We are an open and welcoming community —and because of that, our dreams, our expectations and our sense of what’s right, sets a pretty full plate in front of us.”

This year, our plate will be full indeed; but together, and with an appropriate focus on local small business development, safe streets, and education, among other issues, we can accomplish our goals of sustaining a strong New Haven.

The following three issues are only the beginning in a series of proposals we will roll out as the campaign develops.

SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Even though New Haven’s biggest industries (higher education and health care) are less sensitive to a downturn, the current economic crisis threatens the health of our local economy. Yale University, the city’s largest employer, plans to make a 5% cut across the board next year, a decision which will both eliminate jobs held by New Haven locals and prevent the creation of new jobs. This cut, combined with Connecticut’s massive budget deficit, will put New Haven’s economic situation in jeopardy. Therefore, the city must act now to protect the local economy from slipping. One of most powerful and realistic ways a municipality can grow and sustain a healthy economy is through the recruitment and retention of small businesses.

We support the nourishment of a strong entrepreneurial spirit in New Haven through raising awareness of homegrown business opportunities. We hope to develop an active publicity campaign that would encourage people to re-evaluate their interests and talents and to consider the creation of a business with family and friends. We will lobby for Community Development Block Grants to support organizations that are dedicated to helping citizens start and grow small businesses. We know this can be done successfully. Empower New Haven Inc., through its “New Haven $AVE$ Program,” matches citizens’ savings of up to $6000 for starting a small business. We also will work on streamlining city resources for individuals wishing to begin the process of establishing a new business. And we hope to identify a point person in the city for these individuals so that there is a clear starting point in an otherwise intimidating process, a person who will explain the steps and the available resources.

That said, we must also place an emphasis on business retention. We need to acknowledge the work of existing local business improvement districts, such as those in Town Green and Chapel West, which have a proven ability to create ownership values and assist local businesses. Business improvement districts maintain cleanliness and safety in their areas, and they foster close ties with business owners in order to address key needs. Along with strengthening local business improvement districts, we need a city-wide fight to to preserve some of the major parades and festivals that have traditionally been held in New Haven, such as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, both of which are facing program-ending budget cuts. Events like these, which attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, not only promote New Haven as a center for art and culture, but also create business in and around the area.

EDUCATION AND YOUTH

While it is important to make a distinction between the Board of Aldermen and the School Board, we must recognize and capitalize on the potential collaborative projects. As a progressive city already making national headlines with its large school construction program, extensive magnet school system, and revolutionary “Achievement First” model, New Haven has demonstrated its ability to create sizable changes. We must continue to seek creative yet sustainable solutions in order to provide our youth with a real chance to succeed in school and beyond.

We also need to acknowledge that several disparities still exist. A Quality Review Report on New Haven’s public school system was mandated by the state last year because of the large achievement gap. Beyond this achievement gap, the report reveals that New Haven needs a “comprehensive, district-wide behavior support strategy… for students who have significant social and emotional difficulties.” We believe in a holistic approach to education that considers, as the report states, the social, emotional, and psychological well-being of the students. This holistic approach will grant students from different backgrounds the social and emotional support they need to succeed and thereby close the achievement gap. We must research effective and groundbreaking strategies, such as the Harlem Children’s Project, for addressing these challenges. The Harlem Children’s Zone Project brings together social-service programs including parenting classes, charter schools, and teen job preparation to prevent young people from slipping through their support system. Other inner city communities such as Richmond (CA), Rochester (NY), and Columbia (MO) have all successfully replicated The Harlem’s Children Zone Project and provided an effective program to provide support for at-risk children. President Obama has praised Harlem Children’s Project and hopes to implement it in at least 20 cities around the country. We will work assiduously to put in place the infrastructures and plans to prepare our city so that it will be a great candidate for federal funding of such programs. We cannot afford to miss out on such opportunities.

As citizens participating in a global economy, we need to help our children remain competitive by preparing them to enter and graduate from college. If the students know that they can afford a college education, they will be more likely to graduate from high school with a college-preparation coursework. Mayor DeStefano announced his plans to launch the Promise Fund, a college scholarship program, by the end of this year. We are committed to the Promise Fund and will work to secure sufficient funding so that this does not become a failed one-year initiative.

TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY

Last summer, Yale medical student Mila Rainof and 11-year-old Gabrielle Lee were both struck and killed by cars in New Haven. Visible as these tragedies are, behind each one are serious accidents, and still more near misses. New Haven streets are far more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians than they should be.

Fortunately, efforts are underway to make the streets of New Haven safer for everyone. The New Haven Safe Streets Coalition has been a strong force in advocating for street safety measures, while the city has recently received state funding to create bike lanes that will connect Union Station, downtown, and East Rock. We must provide strong support for these state and community efforts to make the streets safely accessible to all. Within the Yale campus, too, concrete changes are needed to insure student safety.

While physical changes are a critical step toward safer streets, it is also important that we educate those who use our roadways. Last fall, the City of New Haven announced the Street Smarts campaign, an effort to promote safe behavior among cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. While highly publicized at its launch, the campaign does not seem to be effectively reaching into the Yale community. It’s important to keep the momentum of this campaign going, and to bring its message into Ward 1. Drivers are not the only ones responsible for street safety; as pedestrians and cyclists, we also have an important role to play.

As New Haven seeks to revitalize its downtown through massive development projects like 360 State St. and the relocation on Gateway Community College, this is the time to ensure that all means of transportation are safe and respected. By supporting the measures of the New Haven Safe Streets Coalition, making timely changes around Yale’s campus, and reminding everyone of their personal role in street safety, we can save lives and make New Haven an even better place to live.