DeStefano Survives Strong Challenge

by Paul Bass, Melissa Bailey, Thomas MacMillan, & Michelle Turner | Nov 8, 2011 9:56 pm

(89) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Campaign 2011

(Updated 10 p.m.) Move over, Elizur Goodrich: Mayor John DeStefano is kicking you off of your longtime perch in New Haven’s history books. DeStefano Tuesday night won a record 10th two-year term as New Haven’s mayor. But it didn’t come easily. DeStefano faced his strongest challenge since he was first elected, in 1993, from first-time candidate, independent Jeffrey Kerekes. With all city precincts reporting, according to results collected by the New Haven Independent, DeStefano held onto a 55 to 45 percent lead. DeStefano outspent Kerekes about 20 to 1. It was the closest a challenger has come to DeStefano since he became mayor. See all our election results here, of the mayoral and aldermanic races. That means DeStefano can surpass the 18 1/2 year reign of Elizur Goodrich, who served as New Haven’s mayor from 1803 to 1822. Goodrich wasn’t popularly elected; the legislature appointed him. DeStefano is already New Haven’s longest-serving elected mayor, having topped Dick Lee’s 16 years in the last election. But the city voters clearly exhibited some DeStefano fatigue in an anti-incumbent year across the country. Jeffrey Kerekes, with a message that DeStefano has fallen down on the job in his handling of crime and the schools and the city budget, showed strength throughout the city. He won five wards, and he came surprisingly close in wards from Dixwell to Fair Haven to Fair Haven Heights. DeStefano addressed hundreds of supporters crammed into the Wicked Wolf bar at Crown and Temple streets for a victory party. In an indication of how bitter the contest had become, DeStefano did not congratulate Kerekes on a hard-fought campaign, the way victors often do. He told his supporters Tuesday night that the message of the election is that voters in New Haven want government to get more active on pressing issues, not less. “We need to do more” on school reform, job creation, and building the tax base, DeStefano said. (Click on the play arrow at the top of this story to watch.) A prominent longtime DeStefano backer, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, told the crowd, “John DeStefano has returned New Haven to its glory days.” During his election-night concession speech, Kerekes did congratulate DeStefano. But he also came out swinging. Click the play arrow to hear it. “The problems we’ve been talking about haven’t gone anywhere,” Kerekes told some 30 supporters gathered at his headquarters at his Lyon Street home. He said he was proud of having run a clean campaign; he said. He said DeStefano hadn’t. Kerekes did not rule out running again in two years. Whatever he decides, he promised to keep fighting for the issues he cares about. Kerekes said he called DeStefano; the mayor didn’t take the call, he said. DeStefano’s campaign manager said WEdnesday that DeStefano hadn’t had his phone on him at the time. He did return the call later when he retrieved the phone, and called Kerekes back. (Kerekes was not available, he said.) Also Tuesday night, challenger Carlton Staggers decisively knocked Darnell Goldson out of his Ward 30 aldermanic seat, in the West Rock neighborhood. Jeanette Morrison became Ward 22’s new alderwoman, in Dixwell, overcoming a challenge from Cordelia Thorpe. Westville’s Sergio Rodriguez held onto his seat in a challenge from Darryl Brackeen in Westville’s Ward 26. Barbara Constantinople, a Democrat, trounced incumbent independent Alderwoman Maureen O’Sullivan-Best in Fair Haven Heights. And Sarah Eidelson is the new alderwoman from Yale’s Ward 1. Feeble Flyers? Some of the more surprising results came in the black community. DeStefano won the wards there, but Kerekes posted a strong showing. It was known to both campaigns that Kerekes’ biggest and most important hurdle—and DeStefano’s stronghold—would be the black vote. Or, if that turned out not to be the case, then DeStefano might have more to worry about than most observers believed. The black vote carried DeStefano to a clear victory the last time he faced this spirited a challenge, in 2001 against state Sen. Marty Looney in a Democratic mayoral primary. This time around, DeStefano worked hard to line up endorsements from church leaders and other prominent figures in the black community, such as former mayoral opponent Anthony Dawson and the Firebirds, a black firefighters’ group. DeStefano also flooded the homes of sympathetic black voters with campaign flyers savaging Kerekes and promoting the incumbent (as he did in other neighborhoods). Kerekes, who’s white, has little name recognition in New Haven, especially in the black community, a reassurance to the DeStefano camp; it was believed that a prominent black challenger would have had a good chance of unseating the mayor. Kerekes tried to counter those disadvantages by spending quite a bit of time personally knocking on doors in Dixwell, Newhallville and the Hill neighborhoods, and with a final-weekend ad blitz on WYBC-FM, the main radio station targeted to New Haven’s African-American community. He also got the endorsement of two activist African-American leaders, educator Gary Highsmith and defense attorney Michael Jefferson. Random interviews with African-American voters at polling places Tuesday revealed that Kerekes had gotten through to at least portions of the community; a surprising number of people claimed they had voted for the challenger. “It’s time for a change,” 78-year-old Lillian Huckaby said as she walked out of the Ward 28 polling place, Hillhouse High School. Another voter there, retired cop Rick Randall, added, “Bricks and mortar don’t teach students,” saying DeStefano’s citywide school rebuilding program didn’t impress him; he too voted for Kerekes. “I voted for change,” seconded Ron Copeland, as he stepped out of Ward 29’s polling station at Beecher School in the Beaver Hills neighborhood. Copeland said he received “18,000” mailings from DeStefano; he dismissed them as a “joke. It didn’t fool me.” Another Beaver Hills voter, Margo Johnson-Taylor, 72, decided to stick with DeStefano—reluctantly, she said. “Jeffrey [Kerekes] doesn’t have enough experience,” which she considered a shame. “If the president is limited to two terms,” she said, “nobody should be in there for 20 years. No matter how great you are, you’re not that great ... You need some new ideas.” “Information can’t improve the status of what’s going on,” Mamie, a school bus driver, said in reference to DeStefano’s mailers, as she left a Dixwell Avenue voting station, the former Urban Youth middle school. “Words don’t mean a hill of beans. They have to show me.” R. Nelson, a 44-year-old Democrat, chimed in: “It’s the same story [with DeStefano]. Nothing’s changed; a bunch of broken promises. He has given us beautiful schools, but we can’t get the kids to stay in them. What’s the point of having the beautiful schools if we can’t get them to go to the schools? We need a change—someone who’s on the same page, about saving youth.” A Kerekes voter at Lincoln-Bassett School predicted DeStefano would win because “we [African-Americans] fight amongst ourselves too much. I should have mailed some of the stuff [DeStefano mailings] back. Too bad they didn’t have a delete button, like on Facebook.” Harriet, a Democrat, cited the WYBC ads. “I liked the statement that [Kerekes] made that people are tired of the mayor. I liked how he went about it. Everything’s outrageous in New Haven right now. We need to clean it up. Everything’s messed up for no reason.” Even a DeStefano fan over in Westville, retired schoolteacher Phyllis Friedman, said the mailings “did not affect me at all. I had already made up my mind. I knew I was going to vote for Mayor DeStefano. I think that his [school reform plan and school rebuilding program] have been outstanding. I understand that crime is a problem in New Haven, but I can’t fault him directly for that. I think that he has probably been in too long, but he has done a good job, and we haven’t had good opposition that would cause me to vote for someone else.” Ariela Martin, Allan Appel, Nicole Morales, Deni Cifuentes, and Neena Satija contributed reporting to this story.

Share this story with others.

Post a Comment

Commenting has closed for this entry

Comments

posted by: fairhavenflyer on November 8, 2011 10:07pm Jeffrey- thanks for giving it your all. Thanks for all your work for these last few years.

We didn’t get it done today. But we still have a voice!

posted by: yz on November 8, 2011 10:09pm Well it was a close race. I am disappointed, but there’s nothing more that can be done. I predict that taxes will rise next year. After all, next year is not a city election year.

posted by: Arnie Pritchard on November 8, 2011 10:22pm The story says Kerekes won two wards, but from your table I get five - wards 8, 9, 10, 17, and 28. Am I missing something? [Editor’s note: Thank you for catching that! We’ve been scrambling tonight, with some computer glitches.]

posted by: sorry on November 8, 2011 10:23pm DON

DON’T CRY ...YOU VOTED HIM BACK IN…ENJOY HIM FOR 2 MORE HIGH TAXED YEARS

posted by: KT on November 8, 2011 10:24pm Ugg. That’s about all I can say. This town has been bought and I seriously think it is time for me and my family to get the heck out of Dodge. I can see clearly that local elections go to the highest bidder and I was astonished by how ignorant so many voters were of the political landscape this year.

posted by: LOL on November 8, 2011 10:24pm The New Haven Public Schools’ calendar features various photos throughout. DeStefano’s picture (with kids around him) is featured in the month of November. What a coincidence!

posted by: Dear Elm City on November 8, 2011 10:33pm I am so damn tired of the tyranny of the stupid. Without JOBS you church folk will not raise family-minded, upstanding children. How is the mayor responsible for crime in New Haven? He has not.encouraged growth in stable employment that fits the working class. ... WAKE UP.

posted by: Streever on November 8, 2011 10:43pm I’d like to congratulate the mayor on spending roughly one hundred per vote! if he had 7 million, I imagine he would have spent one thousand per vote.

posted by: lizvitale on November 8, 2011 10:48pm “What luck for the rulers that men do not think.”-Adolf Hitler. Sigh…New Haven, when will you wake up?

posted by: observor1 on November 8, 2011 10:50pm Todays vote goes to show that money is the key in politics.Kerekes showed that the little guy can still put up a fight.For that I congragulate him. DeStefano has only shown that the “pay to play” game in his circle of cronies can most times win out.I would love to challenge him to go the next two years WITHOUT without relying on the people who are beholden to him to survive.He has only shown that his crooked deals keep him going.I hope for a stronger challenge in 2013,but remember Johnnie boy,a lot of voters have shown you are not as popular as in the past but the majority must prefer corruption !!!

posted by: Jon Doe on November 8, 2011 10:52pm Jeffrey Thanks for the good fight, King Johnny didn’t take you down but you left him with a Black eye. He Now knows 45% don’t like how he runs the city. He has to buy his friends Dawson, Fire Birds and Ricci. Jeffrey you ran a clean campaign and fought on the fact Hold your head high. Thank You again.

posted by: Neil on November 8, 2011 10:55pm I think it is stunning Kerekes took 45% despite being so heavily outspent. Good for him taking on the machine. This is the most serious challenge DeStefano has ever had. Maybe next time it will be tougher.

posted by: THREEFIFTHS on November 8, 2011 10:56pm posted by: sorry on November 8, 2011 9:23pm

DON

DON’T CRY ...YOU VOTED HIM BACK IN…ENJOY HIM FOR 2 MORE HIGH TAXED YEARS Now, there’s one thing you might have noticed I don’t complain about: politicians. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don’t fall out of the sky. They don’t pass through a membrane from another reality. They come from American parents and American families, American homes, American schools, American churches, American businesses and American universities, and they are elected by American citizens. This is the best we can do folks. This is what we have to offer. It’s what our system produces: Garbage in, garbage out. If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you’re going to get selfish, ignorant leaders. Term limits ain’t going to do any good; you’re just going to end up with a brand new bunch of selfish, ignorant Americans. So, maybe, maybe, maybe, it’s not the politicians who suck. Maybe something else sucks around here… like, the public. Yeah, the public sucks. There’s a nice campaign slogan for somebody: ‘The Public Sucks. F*ck Hope. George Carlin.

posted by: 'Staven Walt on November 8, 2011 10:58pm Congrats to Clifton Graves Tony Dawson and Marty Looney for the apparent purchase of your legitimacy and b…s, I hope you got a better price for your souls then Good ‘Ole Tom would have paid you. Hey did you all hear? Violent crime is DOWN!!!!

posted by: Thomas Alfred Paine on November 8, 2011 11:06pm Thanks two Tonis, Clifton Graves, Tony Dawson, Rosa Delauro, Governor Malloy, jesse Jackson, Black ministers association, Firebirds, New Haven heavy weight champion Boise Kimber, and all the cowardly political leaders local and state who refused to support change by making no public endorsements, and the silent majority of citizens who did not vote out of fear or apathy, thanks for giving us two more years of John DeStefano,

high taxes, lies, bullying, corruption, cronyism, high dropout, crime and unemployment rates. Today the city should declare an extended period of mourning. Hope and democracy are dead.

posted by: enjoying New Haven's "glory days" on November 8, 2011 11:09pm U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro was there, telling the crowd, “John DeStefano has returned New Haven to its glory days.” Well, this certainly points to how out of touch these people are. “glory days”? Really??

posted by: SB on November 8, 2011 11:09pm Wow, 55% of the vote. What a mandate. NOT. And he had to outspend his opponent 20 to 1 to get that.

Now wait and see how he punishes the Wards that went to Kerekes. He’ll probably take our fire engine. Oh no, wait, he already did that. How can people be so stupid?

posted by: first observer on November 8, 2011 11:12pm “He did not congratulate Kerekes on a hard-fought campaign, the way victors often do.” That just about says it all, doesn’t it? John DeStefano has no class; he remains the thin-skinned petulant autocrat who is outraged that anyone can have the nerve to challenge him. Jeffrey Kerekes deserves ENORMOUS credit for the challenge he mounted this year, embodying huge dissatisfaction so many of us feel about how the current mayor does his job, and about his attitude toward opposition. As I write, he DeStefano has 7968 votes this year, and Jeffrey has 6557. In 2009, DeStefano’s total vote, according to a previous NHI article, was 7715—practically the same as this year. In other words, he barely held his own against a much stronger challenge than he has ever faced, either in a primary or general election. He is the way he is because he never has any meaningful COMPETITION. He answers to nobody. Maybe not anymore.

posted by: Concernedwestvilleres on November 8, 2011 11:15pm The election is over and time to move on. For those upset about the direction of the city, get involved over the next two years. Attend BOA meetings and make your voice heard. During the budget hearings, go and speak about your concerns. I have done so several times and will continue to do so. If you don’t like the mayor and want to see him out of office, then help field a challenger who has experience ,knowledge, and Vision to lead the city. Find someone who can allay the fears of inexperience and move the city forward. Hold the mayor and BOA accountable and not just through complaining on this site but by becoming involved in the city. Everyone can make a difference. It’s up to each of us to do so.

posted by: first observer on November 8, 2011 11:21pm On a shoestring budget, compared to DeStefano’s hundreds of thousands of dollars, Kerekes achieved a margin of about 45% to DeS’s 55%. Before this, DeStefano has always succeeded in any challenge (the few of which have always been only in primaries) by margins of 2-1; roughly 66% to 33% or thereabouts. Not this time. Congratulations to Jeffrey and to all the committed citizens of this terrific city who can envision a new day, with new ideas, and a more open form of governing.

posted by: Nick on November 8, 2011 11:26pm “Kerekes said he called DeStefano; the mayor didn’t take the call, he said.” Wow. That’s incredible. He doesn’t even condescend to speak to someone who dared challenge him? I hope Jeffrey has already registered jeffrey2013.com.

...

posted by: Tony on November 8, 2011 11:28pm Next time try a Party Jeffery! Get cross endorsed by the Republicans. Hell try the Working Families Party or Green Party.

posted by: Irate Voter on November 8, 2011 11:28pm This election was almost undoubtedly fixed. There were no Kerekes vote checkers, and DeStefano - at every turn - did the most underhanded and selfish things. ... ... This city needs proactive change, and it needs to do it by standing against a corrupt machine that will not remove itself for office. Do not be fooled… John was not re-elected today at all. The ... registrar made sure he remained in office two more years. We need to do something about this… and now.

posted by: Ben Berkowitz on November 8, 2011 11:29pm Paul, Thomas and Melissa,

How many registered voters were there and how many voted? [Answer: 64,326 registered voters. 15,457 people voted for mayor.]

posted by: Jon Doe on November 8, 2011 11:31pm TO: U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro The day you endorsed Mayor DeStefano was the day you LOST MY VOTE so next time your up for election I will not be voting for you ever again. You like the Mayor are no the solution but part of the problems this country faces. from one of the 99%

posted by: Brian L. Jenkins on November 8, 2011 11:34pm Mr. Kerekes, hold your head up high my friend, you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Some voters just don’t get it! This voter illiteracy/lunacy that exist in New Haven is part and parcel a direct result as to why I departed from the city in the first place. Democrats in New Haven are extremely monolithic in their support of Democratic candidates. They need to be monolithic in their opposition to tax increases, less services, huge crime rates, ongoing lawsuits, no jobs, school dropout rates and absolutely horrible leadership. My only suggestion to you sir is, don’t go away, keep fighting and stay involved. Congrats Jeanette!

posted by: ohan karagozian on November 8, 2011 11:45pm I am disheartened but remain undaunted. DeStefano won Round 1, and in a few years there will be Round 2. DeStefano will have plenty of time to screw-up some more. I wonder how many more times he can ask someone to step in and divide the black vote like he did this time around with… Regarding Jeffrey, he just didn’t have enough name recognition but has moved that much closer for the next election cycle 2 years from now.

posted by: THREEFIFTHS on November 8, 2011 11:53pm Bad King John.A must see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGlMTRTkG-8

posted by: anon on November 8, 2011 11:55pm $100/vote versus $5/vote. That’s worse than Bloomberg. If New Haven wasn’t flooded with $ from suburban construction companies, we might have a democracy.

posted by: cedarhillresident on November 8, 2011 11:59pm Jeffrey you kicked his azz and he knows it. 100 per vote. Flyer full of lies to misinform the voters. I stood at the polls and watched a man I admire misinform a voter. That to me is no win. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO VOTED for Kerekes. We all rock and yes we are the real champions tonight! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdCrZfTkG1c

posted by: cedarhillresident on November 9, 2011 12:05am oh did I mention tonights murder? whats that 30?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdCrZfTkG1c

posted by: streever Question: Who was at the polls for the Mayor? Answer: Paid staff Question: Who was at the polls for Kerekes? Answer: People who didn’t get a dime

posted by: The King is Dead on November 9, 2011 12:26am A virtual unknown with no political experience just won 45% of the vote? Clearly the writing is on the wall. These next two years will be DeStefano’s last term. And then?

posted by: fromthefairside on November 9, 2011 12:28am So we got two years to come up with a Mayor the majority of us can agree upon.

Mayor Wanted,lets see someone who promises to:

reduce the murder rate

keep taxes down

teach our children

create jobs for adults and the youth

and of cause please the many interest groups.

Tax payers,Police, Firemen,Teachers,Janitors. and other Unions.

posted by: first observer on November 9, 2011 12:40am “Kerekes said he called DeStefano; the mayor didn’t take the call, he said.” DeStefano is one small, haughty, petulant, arrogant dude. This has been clear for a long time, but it is astonishing that he would demonstrate it so visibly on an occasion like this. He won, for heaven’s sake. Where is his graciousness? He has none.

posted by: richgetricher on November 9, 2011 12:42am Kerekes may have gotten fewer votes, but he was the real winner tonight. He had the guts to stand up for good government, honesty and transparency despite the most outrageous personal attacks. He made it close despite overwhelming odds and an avalanche of money. What he started will only grow from here.

posted by: you gotta be kiddin me on November 9, 2011 12:52am Blah, Blah, Blah, sound like the kids at the playground when they don’t get their way.

posted by: fairhavenflyer on November 9, 2011 12:58am John Doe-

I agree with you. Rosa- your time is up. To support Johnny D. with “back to the glory days” tells me that you don’t live here anymore.

There is nothing glorious about the rising food and energy costs, and higher taxes here in New Haven. My income has not doubled as all my costs have. I am the 99%.

posted by: robn on November 9, 2011 1:05am Mayor DeStefano didn’t win; he almost lost…to a political newcomer with 1/10 of his election budget. Think about it.

posted by: almostdidn'tvote on November 9, 2011 1:37am 64,326 registered voters. 15,457 people voted for mayor. Seriously? I should have been more informed. Was planning to just vote for Kerekes to vote against DeStefano. Then I talked to people, did some research and

I voted FOR Kerekes.

posted by: Observer on November 9, 2011 1:53am DeStefano is mayor thanks to the African-American community. We allowed Tony Dawson to masquerade as a serious candidate in order to neutralize Cliff Graves. We voted for [Destefano] despite his track record or marginalizing our community—which he will promptly do again now that he’s been re-elected. And nobody except for Michael Jefferson and Gary Highsmith had the stones to support the newcomer despite his warts becuase he was clearly better than another two years of DeStefano. SO LET’S NOT B… when Johnny D gives us more of the same. We are our own worst enemy, therefore we deserve it!

posted by: Truth Avenger on November 9, 2011 6:07am “We need MORE?” Hold on to your wallets folks.

posted by: Ellis Copeland on November 9, 2011 7:10am The most telling line is that Johnny Boy wouldn’t even take Kerekes’ call. ... , although I didn’t believe JK would pull more than 20%, so there is hope.

posted by: NewHavener on November 9, 2011 8:17am “it was believed that a prominent black challenger would have had a good chance of unseating the mayor.” There was a prominent black challenger to DeStefano with a good chance to beat him. He was Cliff Graves. So DeStefano’s strategy was to effectively split the community’s vote by getting Tony Dawson to run in the primary. We should all remember this becuase a black man was complicit in making this possible. The minute this happened Graves should have filed papers to run as an independent. I agree that if he had done that, he would have been the choice yesterday. Barely 25% of eligible voters went to the polls, so DeStefano can take comfort that he was elected by the smallest margin and smallest number of voters ever! He did not “win” an election by New Haven voters. He got the most votes among those few who showed up. I can’t seee him being to proud of this feeble victory. It is clear most of New Haven doesn’t want him.

posted by: dave on November 9, 2011 8:51am from my perspective…the debates I heard, the radio commercials etc. Kerekes ran an almost 100% negative campaign. His only platform seemed to be “I really, really, REALLY hate John Destefano and YOU should too” So if it’s true that Destefano refused to take Kerekes’s call I think that was likely poor form, however to be honest I’m not 100% sure I would either if the person calling had spent the last 6 months (much, much more actually if you know Jeffrey’s history and the sophomoric anti destefano t-shirts he produces etc etc) trashing me and calling me a liar and a thief at every opportunity.

posted by: NH Skyline on November 9, 2011 9:14am Jeff - you really did a great job with what you had, almost pulled it off and as someone said, “you are still a winner this morning”. Sorry to say it and there will be many negative comments (maybe even yours) about this however the loss is not at all yours. Take offense but seeing it from the inside, your campaign management has to take most of the responsibility for the loss. The margin was so close not because of them but in spite of them. I’m not holding onto very much hope but NH residents can only cross their fingers that JD has felt the nipping at his heels and will address some of the issues that gave Jeff 45%. Who knows if Mayor JD will take the chance on running in 2013 but anyone with aspirations should start now. Go to meetings, get your name out there, build rapport and bridges with all groups; Campaign 2013 starts today!

posted by: Fed up o'johnny on November 9, 2011 9:21am Mr. Kerekes…Congrats on a well-fought honorable campaign. You have so much to be proud of. For those of us NH residents, the voter turn-out for this mayoral race is appalling. We can change that for 2013. Let’s get voters out there. Start now. We came so close this race so let’s start campaigning now for 2013. Let’s focus on getting the voters out there. Had voter turn out been better, the outcome this morning might be very different. In the meantime, let’s hold Mayor Destefano accountable.

posted by: Curious on November 9, 2011 9:36am Oh well. Stil, Kerekes got 45% compared to DeStefano’s 55%. That’s not bad. Time to start building support for Kerekes 2013.

posted by: Person with a question on November 9, 2011 10:15am When I was at the polls last night I discovered that there were numerous people listed as registered voters who no longer live in New Haven—these were people who used to live in a rental unit we own. Tenants who haven’t lived here in more than five years were listed as registered voters. Can anyone tell me how to get these names removed from the list? Because if the city (or anyone) tries to establish what percentage of registered voters voted in any particular election, it seems obvious to me that the list of names should not include people who no longer live here and won’t be voting here.

Given the transient population of the city, it worries me, too, because if I’m seeing five or six or eight names on the list of people who don’t live here anymore (just *my* former tenants), and extrapolate from there, it means there are a WHOLE LOT of non-voters who’re still on the lists…. like, thousands and thousands, quite possibly… I’m no good at math but even I can see how this would seriously color (wrongly) how voting results look…

Am I making sense? Perhaps need more coffee.

posted by: streever @dave

I’m sorry we have such a poorly informed electorate. Kerekes did NOT run a campaign on “hating” DeStefano: He ran a campaign on removing a corrupt public official. Why do so many of his friends hold 50k+ consulting contracts with literally no oversight? No performance reviews? He is a thief—he is a liar. He is literally giving tax money to people who “volunteer” for his campaigns. Kerekes isn’t “accusing” him—he is stating an objective reality that anyone involved in city governance has seen. I’ve heard the shakedown for cash—I’ve heard a top staff suggest that a contractor firm might not be able to get any work from the city if they didn’t make the max contributions. Firms that are paid a million dollars to work for the city are literally buying the contracts by donating the maximum amount—per principal at the firm—to DeStefano’s re-election campaigns. Our city is for sale and sold. DeStefano is utterly corrupt and is more concerned with staying in power forever than he is with ethics and honesty. Kerekes has to hammer that message because people like you are choosing to not learn how poorly your city is managed.

posted by: Local on November 9, 2011 10:52am This will be DeStefano’s last term as mayor for one very simple reason: the Yale unions swept the aldermanic races earlier this year, and in two years they will have their own candidate for mayor. Did the Yale unions back DeStefano or Kerekes? No. That’s because they have their own agenda. There’s no way the unions will settle for just serving as a check to DeStefano. Mark my words. Two years from now, a Local 34 or Local 35-backed candidate will sweep DeStefano out the door.

posted by: streever Person with a Q

I think you should run for Registrar—Ferruci has no interest in seeing the voter registration lists represent New Haven—as little interest as Voigt and the DTC have in seeing voter turn-out improve. The city is full of officials who think “adequacy” is enough—there is precious little ambition or aspiration for anything greater or anything that requires taking a stand. A lot of the bums were voted out this time. I’d like to see more of that by 2013.

posted by: James on November 9, 2011 11:06am God willing, Gary Holder-Winfield will run in 2013. Proven leader, smart, capable, and all around decent guy. He’s got the name recognition, and would easily net 70% of the vote in this town.

posted by: ignoranceisbliss on November 9, 2011 11:13am Kerekes ran a dishonest campaign which relied on personal attacks rather than policy proposals. He consistently accused DeStefano of corruption (a term recklessly and carelessly bandied about by this publication and many of its commentators in a fashion which has drained it of any real meaning). I never heard Kerekes offer a realistic explanation of how he intended to maintain services and not raise taxes (except with voter referendum approval=not raise taxes) in the face of collective bargaining agreements and state spending mandates. All I ever heard was one unsubstantiated accusation after another which were rebutted by the facts. DeStefano should have called him but I understand why he didn’t. [Editor’s Note: The email this anonymous poster uses is fake, so I couldn’t respond privately, which was my preference. I don’t believe we have ever once used the word “corruption” to refer to the DeStefano administration. I appreciate your feedback seeking to keep us honest. When you make up a factual allegation—that we used a word, often, “bandied” it about—that really means the debate, something that happened so much this campaign season on both sides.]

posted by: Francisco Montejo on November 9, 2011 11:14am Crime pays!

posted by: john on November 9, 2011 11:17am The reality of the fact is that the people voted John Destefano back into office. Endorsements of elected officials does not translate to votes. New Haven voters are smart and are not influenced easily by endorsements. So stop crying and lets work together to make New Haven a better place for all.

posted by: Brian M. on November 9, 2011 11:26am You guys are already assembling enemies lists, calling the results a fraud, accusing regular voters of being stupid and committing felony-level crimes, and complaining that elections are corrupt. Absolutely no learning curve. How about building a coalition the next time around, eh? Instead of, say, trying to knock off Rosa DeLauro in 2012 and taking your cues from ‘independent-but-sounds-an-awful-lot-like-a-Republican Steve.’ Maybe you could even run on a platform that doesn’t sound like it was written by the Heritage Foundation.

posted by: NewHavenerToo on November 9, 2011 12:01pm Jeffrey, you got my vote. 2013 is just over the horizon. Let’s do this again!

posted by: streever ignoranceisbliss

Can you post a single fact refuting the accusation that Brian McGrath used to make almost 50k as a “pothole confirmation inspector” and now receives the same consulting fee for investigating our recycling? Can you refute that he has no review, no evaluation, and no performance review for this? Why do I harp on Brian? Because I know some of the individuals he bullied into voting for the Mayor—it was deplorable and he targeted people with autism and other disorders and made them suffer, all so he could rack up votes for his main man, Johnny D. Disgusting. He is not the only one—the list of corrupt officials and appointees is long and serious facts have been posted to prove that there is serious corruption in New Haven. You have never actually refuted any of the facts, but merely stated that they are proven wrong. When? Can you actually prove me wrong about McGrath?

posted by: THREEFIFTHS on November 9, 2011 12:31pm You don’t have to vote.Do like this gut did and buy politicians.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7387331n&tag=re1.galleries

posted by: SchoolsSadState on November 9, 2011 12:37pm While standing in front of Westville’s, Edgewood School’s voting station yesterday I was told by a young boy, in our New Haven school system, that he is disgusted by the schools. He said they are beautiful but that his classroom doesn’t even have paper to print handouts or tests! He said the only reason they have anything to bring home is because his teacher pays for it out of her pocket. What is this, a third world country!? I was stunned. We send our kids to these fancy schools and they don’t even have paper. I said to him, “what about pdfs that you can view at home”? He said, “I can do that but many of my friends are so poor they don’t have access to computers outside of school…they need the paper.” This city, the voters, and the unions who sent those deplorable, lie-filled mailers disgust me. DeStefano must not sleep at night.

posted by: westville man on November 9, 2011 12:39pm While it hurts to lose, I am heartened by the fact that we pulled 45% of the vote against the “machine”. Little money, few endorsements and scant time didnt stop Jeff from nearly taking down an 16 year incumbent with power, money & influence.

I spent alot of time, my hard-earned money and effort in supporting Jeff for mayor. And although I had hoped for victory, I have no regrets.

Thanks, Jeff, for running and for giving us an alternative. It restored my hope that perhaps the day will come soon when real cahnge occurs.

posted by: ex-newhavener on November 9, 2011 12:54pm Oh. My. God. Y’all didn’t seriously re-elect this guy again??!!!

posted by: concernedwestvilleres on November 9, 2011 1:12pm Regarding the comment about the kid who says they don’t have paper in school- I’d be curious to know which school the child attends. It definitely is not Edgewood or the other schools in the Westville section. That is a sad story and an indictment upon Reginald Mayo and his staff. Kids should not be lackingn supplies and the tools to complete their homework and studies. Too often we look to government to provide all the needs. Why not partner with the local universities and corporations to provide the supplies? Work with different suppliers to help provide them at lower cost. Government can’t supply all the needs- government looks out for its own needs over the needs of those it serves. This isn’t an anti-government rant- it’s just the nature of government. Like corporations it is self-serving trying to fulfill its own agenda and not meeting needs. If this is true and there are overpaid administrators in the system, then Reggie Mayo needs to be fired and a competent superintendent needs to be in place.

posted by: Curious on November 9, 2011 1:49pm Streever, If you have so many facts about actual corruption that you are challenging people to refute you, why don’t you report these incidents to the FBI? http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/corruption

posted by: dave on November 9, 2011 1:55pm @streever Here is your quote, “Kerekes did NOT run a campaign on “hating” DeStefano: He ran a campaign on removing a corrupt public official.” So you’re saying kerekes did NOT run a negative campaign, he simply ran a campaign which centered almost solely on calling the incumbent corrupt?! Uhhh, okay, so that’s your idea of a positive platform with fresh ideas? Thanks for proving my point. If the accusations you suggest against the mayor are true and you can prove them, well then by all means do. If the mayor is corrupt and a criminal and you can supply real proof then certainly its a criminal act that requires legal action. Why isn’t this your method of removing him? Look, I can’t speak for everyone, but I talk to enough new haven natives that I know a lot agree with me. Many of us who have lived through New Havens history, who witnessed the horrible blight and destruction of the 60’s, the slow hopeful improvements of the 70’s, the disappointing erosion and back slide of the 80’s…we KNOW new haven is a better place to live NOW. The city isn’t perfect and still has many terrible problems to solve. However in my opinion without Destefano we wouldn’t be having this discussion, the city wouldn’t be worth caring about or fighting over and to be rather blunt my guess is you (and perhaps even Jeffrey) more than likely wouldn’t even be living here in the first place. This is not to say I adore Destefano, I do have issues with some of his policies and agree 20 years may be a little much so I supported Jeffreys right to run, welcomed the open discussions and will again in 2 years. However I must give credit where credit is due, Destefano HAS helped new haven and the outlandish level of personal rancor blasted against him just seems over the top.

posted by: Recently moved on November 9, 2011 1:55pm OK…I’ll admit it. Hamden is a dump and it was a mistake to move here from New Haven. The other problem is that it borders…you guessed it…New Haven-now known nationwide as a fiefdom under the thumb of the same joker for the last 20 years…next move: OUT OF STATE!

posted by: Edgewood parent on November 9, 2011 1:56pm Re: Edgewood paper shortage. My child attends Edgewood. Sometimes the children do have to write out homework problems on their own notebook paper. I’m not sure if the lack of paper is a budgetary or a logistical failure. I shudder to think how things are in the Tier 3 schools where parents are less likely to complain. Another sad testament to the failure of our school administration. Reggie must go!

posted by: SchoolsSadState on November 9, 2011 2:51pm You too can pay outrageously high taxes and then have to donate money through great organizations like http://www.donorschoose.org because our local government is so overextended it can’t supply basic supplies to our schools. The New Haven Promise at work for our children.

posted by: The Count on November 9, 2011 3:21pm 55 to 45 percent a “strong” challenge? Jon Einhorn did better than that when he lost to John Daniels!

posted by: Noteworthy on November 9, 2011 4:20pm Amazing race by Jeffrey and throughout it all, retained his dignity, didn’t grovel for endorsements or trade on taxpayer’s money for phony consultant deals - Just laid it out there and said he could do a better, more honest job than John DeStefano. He made no promises to his core or other volunteers except that he would surround himself with the brightest, most ethical people who had as their goal, to serve the people of New Haven well and use as a benchmark - excellence. When he lost, he called the winner to concede as is the tradition in politics or in sport, to shake hands and communicate best wishes. While I wish Jeffrey had won a stunning upset, to have come this close while maintaining his values - I like that. Here are my other observations: 1. Nobody has ever claimed John DeStefano had, let alone exhibited much class, but refusing the call and failing to acknowledge the tight race or the guy who ran against him for 5 months, is a new low even for him. It’s below telling his wife to be quiet and sit down at the Dem Town Nominating Committee. 2. To those who through blurry vision, want to claim that Jeffrey ran a “hate DeStefano” race or a negative campaign - it would be nice in your post election analysis, get real honest about this subject. To point out that DeStefano lies - and continues to lie about the police chief being in charge and that he lies about Jeffrey being a member of the Tea Party or as Danny Kedem (where is he by the way? DeStefano run him off too in the final days of the campaign?)tried to do, label him a “birther” is not running a negative campaign. It is calling John out for what John is: A Liar who frankly, wouldn’t know the truth if it sat at his table. Name the subject, and I’ll tell you John’s latest lie. Likewise, to point out the many troubled contracts and special deals for FOJs, and the secret deals to abate taxes on the YMCA for $500K; or to give a $1.5 million gift of taxpayer money to the gilded Chase Family; or to put taxpayer’s money at risk with a tax dodging, foreclosure loving investor, or intentionally bypassing the checks and balances of the BOA, is not a negative campaign. It’s our reality - the one DeStefano would love for us not to know about. Jeffrey’s press conferences were factually based, with documentation. It stung DeStefano because they were truthful. Sometimes, truth hurts. The best way to avoid the pain of getting caught is to be honest, truthful, trustworthy and responsible. Nobody accuses John of having those traits either.

posted by: Bill Saunders on November 9, 2011 4:49pm To the Count: The real math behind your assertion is that Einhorn received 43.9% of the vote in 1991, so he did a little worse than Mr. Kerekes in terms of community support (on a percentage basis). However, the sad and interesting fact is, in 1991, almost twice as many people voted (29,749) than this year. Jeffrey deserves a big round of applause from the community at large for mounting this long and exhausting race. His support from citizens of New Haven far exceeded my expectations, and he should be very proud of his success.

posted by: Mister Jones on November 9, 2011 5:19pm More biased reporting: a 42 second excerpt from DeStefano’s speech compared to the complete 3:30+ Kerekes speech. Any place else a 10 point margin over a serious opponent would be called a landslide. Mostly these comments sound like sour grapes. DeStefano crooked? Really? Tell that to Joe Ganim or John Rowland. You might not like our campaign finance system, but until we repeal the First Amendment, money is political speech. Enough with the New Haven bashing. Rosa was spot-on when she called these days our glory years. Some of us remember what it was like living in the city twenty, thirty, forty years ago. They city began a long decline after the 1970 riots and the 1974 Yale student murder. Sure we still have serious issues but things are far far better now. I was downtown last night, not at a victory party, and I saw a vibrant city with sidewalks abuzz. Our neighborhoods are strong. It’s time to get back to work to make things even better.

posted by: r a on November 9, 2011 7:13pm Congratulations Jeffrey. You ran an ethical and honest campaign concentrating on facts—you did not resort to trashy mailers, slanderous and untrue television and radio ads. DeStefano spent almost 3/4 of a million dollars and you raised a fraction of that and almost beat him. In fact you DID beat him, yes they were still driving the mentally challenged in to vote here in Ward 25, not to mention those from half way houses who most likely got paid to work at the polls and let’s not forget to VOTE also. I was at one of the polling stations when the van of four women were let off to give out palm cards for Mr. DeStefano, I chatted with them, they were “rounded-up”, hate to say it that way, but thats what took place, from a half-way house, “This was the first time I voted one told me”, so I asked if she knew anything about the issues, or if she knew anything about Jeffrey Kerekes or John DeStefano she said NO but was TOLD DeStefano was the ONE to vote for, plus she got a sandwich and coffee—and I am certain a couple of bucks for the day—nice! Also nice they had poll checkers but you did not, that sounds really fair and above board to me—just what the election process intended, wouldn’t you say?! The stories go on and on—so yes Jeffrey you won, you won the respect of all who voted for you, which is something you already had I might add, and YOU made the DeStefano camp go into major high gear—after all, those who are bleeding the city dry want it to continue as long as possible. Foreclosure lawyers, contractors, cushhy do nothing jobs—like DeStefano’s and DeMayo’s! People like the omni-present Concernedwestvillers, I could never figure out just how many wesvillers this one spoke for, but certainly wanted it to seem like a lot of people—nice try! Nevertheless Concerned, posting on every article with the same mantra are on the list of the gravy train, why, becasue like JD they have lost what it means to be a person of honor, of integrity—why in Concerned’s last post he/she/it even defended the horrendous 50% dropout rate under DeStefano saying, hey, it’s the law anyone can dropout at the legal age—so concerned, HA, wouldn’t you say?!?! Yes, $700,000, with a paid staff of professional campaign people—I hardly call the work they did professional, professional issue skirters and muckrakers of the worst sort—and he could only come out with a 10% margin—goes to show how sorry a candidate he is and just what kind of “experience” he has, not to mention the type of people who back him! Hey he even got Malloy down here ..., and scared the firemen to death with the thought of possibly trimming the excessive city budget—hey they came wimppering out of their bunks to stay on the dole, the hell with the real welfare of the city! Hey just look at the stats of New Haven, New Haven is BROKE, 100% tax increase in seven years, 4th most dangerous city in the ENTIRE United States, school system that has a 50% dropout rate, test fixing scandals that go all the way to the United States Supreme Court, which find the city at fault!!! Three police chiefs in nearly as many years, the last one lived in Chicago, the new one in Providence! HA! Jeffrey Kerekes you are a welcomed breath of fresh air and to J DeStefano and his brood I say, For what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul in the process. I, for one, am honored to count you as a friend and a supporter, keep up the good work and hold your head high you have earned it my friend. Let us all work to make New Haven the best she can be!

posted by: LOL on November 9, 2011 9:21pm @Mister Lee—Ironic you’d point to the 1974 Yale student murder when Annie Le occurred during DeStefano’s tenure. I also think you should check New Haven’s murder numbers in recent years and visit some of New Haven’s toughest schools, where some of the city’s most needy kids are stuffed in wih nearly 30 other students in one class and lack vital support staff. PS—That DeStefano refused to take Kerekes’ call is testament to DeStefano’s petulance, immaturity and arrogance. Some example DeStefano is for our city’s kids.

[Editor’s Note: the DeStefano camp says the mayor did not have his phone on him when Kerekes called, and that he did dial back later int he evening when he received the message.]

posted by: SaveOurCity on November 10, 2011 12:37am Rather sad voter turnout for such an important election. It appears that many believe that the machine can’t be defeated…. ....and the numbers will continue to dwindle. I have two neighbors who were closely watching this election as a barometer of whether to stick it out in New Haven. They will each have their houses on the market by year end. So as Johnny D continues to make the city impossible for people who are not on his payroll, the percentage of those who are indebted to him will continue to rise and the likelihood that he can continue to buy and win elections will continue to rise. A very sad state of affairs.

posted by: Curious on November 10, 2011 9:48am @ LOL, ...Anne Le was murdered on campus at Yale, in a secure building - not downtown. That is to say, she was killed in an area in which DeStefano has zero control, by a Yale employee. There’s no way t pin that on DeStefano. This, however: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Christian_Prince

posted by: SouthWest on November 10, 2011 9:51am This time around the Board of Alderman should vote on changing the charter for a (4) or (6) year term limit for mayor . It should be the same as governor and president. For the people who thought it was cool to vote for “Johnnie Boy” less see how your’e going to feel when he breaks all of his promises. ...

posted by: westville man on November 10, 2011 10:27am Let’s see how the next few months play out- investigations into government fraud, jobs for Dawson and/or Graves- we’ll know this by spring, at the latest. Some of us will be right and some of us will be wrong. I know I’ll be watching to see what transpires. As an aside, Yale students get killed every 5-10 years (Prince, Jovin, Le) but city residents get killed every month. So I’m not sure what’s the relevance of mentioning Yale murders.

posted by: concernedwestvilleres on November 10, 2011 10:49am @Southwest - The BOA can’t just change the charter. I believe you need a charter commission and then a vote by the residents of New Haven. @curious - You can’t blame DeStefano for the murder of Christian Prince. That was in 1991 and DeStefano was first elected in 1993. Blaming the mayor for all murders is ludicrous. If someone wants to kill someone they will do it unless a third party can stop it. With the 13 year old killed a couple of weeks ago, the police couldn’t do anything about it- it was in a private residence. However the other people with the killer, having seen the gun and heard him say he has to kill someone had decided not to hang out with him or called the police the murder could have been prvented. The problem is we live in a culture where life is not respected. If you diss someone they can kill you- if a girl breaks up with her husband or boyfriend they might kill them no matter how hard the police try to protect her. Until it is realized that life is to be respected by all, this will continue. What can the mayor do? He can work with the police department on education and outreach programs. He can work with clergy and schools to ensure these outreach programs occur in churches, schools, festivals, etc. He can hold the police department accountable for their attempts to minimize violence and for solving crimes. He can work within the community to set a standard. DeStefano hasn’t been doing this and we have a rise in murders and crimes (not just the past two years- this has been years and years in the making). He can ask for help from the State and Federal Government instead of believing he has all the solutions. @r a - I didn’t say the whole dropout problem would be solved with raising the age. My point is the law allows students to drop out at a certain age and the mayor, teachers, and school board can’t make them stay in school at that point. If students were not allowed to drop out except in extenuating circumstances you wouldn’t have the drop out problem. Instead, you would defer the illiteracy and lack of knowledge problem further down the road. Also- the actual drop out rate is around 34%. The 50% includes those students who have moved due to the transient nature of New Haven (students whose parents work at the Universities and find new jobs elsewhere or students whose parents move to the burbs, etc.). Still 34% is 34% too high. One problem is not every child can do well in the current system. Not every child can go to a 4 year college and get a degree. New Haven does not have a Vo-Tech option due to State Law. Those who have a stronger inkling towards auto mechanics, refrigeration, construction, etc. should be allowed to attend a Vo-Tech high school and begin learning a trade in which they can excel when they graduate. We will always need people with Vo-Tech training. This, in turn, will help provide a skilled workforce in New Haven for contractors who do construction and allow New Haven to require a percentage of workers on contracts to be New Haven residents. Problem is that no one has fought the state on this and then where would a Vo-Tech school be placed? One solution is the Science Park area where there is an old factory that is not being used or renovated. Or how about the old CT Transit complex on State Street. Let’s give kids the opportunity to excel at their strengths whether it be business, science, politics, or trades. DeStefano has not been succesful at this, but Kerekes did not show that he knew what was needed to be done and how to do it. This is why DeStefano is in and Kerekes didn’t win. Also to those who complain the mentally challenged were being bused in to vote. The law grants them the right to vote and they are exercising that right. Yes, they were probably told who to vote for and voted that way, but they have the right to vote and can vote for whomever they want. If a challenger wants to get that vote they need to arrange transportation and meet with the caregivers to ensure the choice is there. Don’t complain because they are being manipulated- be glad they’re voting and doing what many in the world would be glad to have a chance to do- vote for their leaders.

posted by: LOL on November 10, 2011 12:14pm @curious—Duh. I know that. If you had read what Mister Jones wrote, then what I wrote, you’d understand my inference. Sad that I have to clarify such things. Sad as well that many people gloss over the putrid state of some of the city’s schools.

posted by: r a on November 10, 2011 11:56pm Reply to Concernedwestvillers, ...

Now to the handicapped issue—let’s not try to minimize what has taken place here in Ward 25 before (Silverman vs Malone) and currently. The mentally challenged have the legal right to vote, that is a broad statement—it may depend upon the severity of the handicap. BUT they most certainly do not have the right to be PREYED UPON—to be “rounded-up” and driven in masse to the polls and to be TOLD whom to vote for! You call that correct & ethical—you call that excerising their FREE right, you are so twisted it is pathetic. That is ABUSE and it is reprehensible and criminal. Seems to me that when it fits your purpose it’s OK. You wrote, “Yes, they were probably told who to vote for and voted that way, but they have the right to vote and they can vote from whomever they want.” What is it going to take to make you wake up. The issue is not having the right to vote, which you try most miserably to justify, the issue is the manipulation and blatant abuse of a segment of our society who are defenseless and vulnerable. They were preyed upon by sick and unscrupulous people who have lost all shred of human decency—very much like yourself!!! Dosen’t suprise me one bit you are a DeStefano supporter—and in this comment I do not intend to denigrate any individual who voted with a free and clear conscience for Mr. DeStefano; but I most certainly do wish to state emphatically that there are those who have lost all shred of human feeling and decency that they could possibly try to justify in any manner whatsoever, the rounding up of the mentally challenged and the coaching of them to vote for someone. Concernedwestvillers… I could only imagine your self-righteous outrage if such were perpetrated by the Kerekes Campaign.

posted by: r a on November 11, 2011 12:28am To Concernedwestvillers: One last word regarding the mentally challenged voting. Your last sentence says it all, “Don’t complain because they are being manipulated…” Well, when then do you complain! I surmise it would be if they were rounded up in masse and coached to vote for Jeffrey Kerekes, if they were ruthlessly “preyed-upon” in such a disgusting manner, then a complaint would be justified. Right! Oh yes! ...

posted by: Taxpayer New Haven on November 12, 2011 10:45am It is a sad day in New Haven when African Americans put this slave master back in office! Another two years of dirty schools that Teachers have to mop, sweep, and clean their own classrooms, because of a lack of custodians or enough to clean buildings, The restrooms and the so called new buildings are dirty at schools that are located directly in the urban areas! I guess all of his family members, and there friends will keep making extra money doing nothing but picking up free cks. every other week! The nerve of some African Americans such as the ignorant Black Clergy, Firebirds to endorse this godfather thief! WAKE UP BLACK COMMUNITY!

your kids are being miseducated because of racism, nepotism. and political-ism!This man and his family will be wealthy when he leaves office! Our kids will know how to take test and can not tell anyone who the Governor of this state is or where New England is? Go to any school inside the city not the ones on the outside of the city! It is so shameful that thousand people the majority African Americans put that Johnny Boy back in office!

posted by: LOL on November 13, 2011 1:07pm @Taxpayer—I agree with your points, although your slave master comment is overboard. All the African American factions that voted for DeStefano need do is visit Hooker, Nathan Hale and Edgewood and look at what the students in those schools get to do ... special projects, awesome trips and engaging lessons. Meantime, because the students at the low-performing schools are so academically needy, the district has teachers at those schools teach a boring curriculum in a strict time framework, as if the kids are robots. Administrators in those schools, at downtown’s direction, develop ridiculous to-the-minute schedules that treat educators and students like robots; and the mandated curriculum is so mundane it puts teachers to sleep never mind students! What the district fails to realize is that the needy students NEED EXPERIENCES (like those at Hooker, Hale, Edgewood, etc., get) to build background knowledge. Some of our students can’t distinguish a zebra from a giraffe, or even identify a farm. Allowing their teachers to be creative instead of stifled would greatly benefit our students, giving students the power to do what preschoolers in most suburban districts can already do. Instead, the district “rewards” the staffs at the Hookers, Hales, Edgewoods, etc., with autonomy and tightens the screws on the staffs at low-performing schools. For example, some schools have primary students locked in their homerooms for four hours after a mid-morning lunch. No naps, no recess, no snacks because, the district says, every second is too valuable. Incredibly dumb! These kids are not robots! The poor teachers at these schools also are heavily scrutinized. Here’s a true and prime example of the district’s stupidity: Administrator: “Why aren’t you doing centers now? It’s 8:20 and centers were supposed to start at 8:15!” Teacher: “Our shared reading lesson went over time because the students were really engaged on a topic.” Administrator: “You have to follow the schedule. Next time, you will be written up.” WOULD YOU WANT YOUR CHILD IN A SCHOOL THAT RUNS THIS WAY? Not in a million years would my child ever set foot in a classroom in some of New Haven’s schools. Not if they paid me. But therein is the problem. I know this. Many others do. But apparently, many voters in New Haven don’t. For if they did, there’s isn’t a chance DeStefano would’ve been re-elected. Oh well. Two more years of DeStefano pointing the finger at teachers. Considering the source, I shouldn’t lose too much sleep.

posted by: r a on November 13, 2011 2:00pm Like Bernie Madoff who finally ended up in prison for the rest of his life there is a lesson to be learned in life: “Virtue is its own reward” Also an ill gotten gain is no win at all, such people are more to be pitied than scorned because they have lost their “moral” compass, and they will be held accountable.

...

posted by: Taxpayer New Haven on November 15, 2011 9:23pm LOL, I agree with you the inner core Urban schools are run like small prisons. The kids must wear uniforms, walk in lines, must be escorted to and from classes. The schools are filthy because the school system know that the parents will not protest about anything. I went to visit a school outside the inner core and the kids were allowed to walk alone and be free to talk in the cafeteria during lunch too! Not in inner core Urban schools in New Haven! No creativity is allowed!

posted by: Mister Jones on November 17, 2011 4:52pm If anyone is still paying attention, @LOL, @curious, @concerned, etc.: In 1974, Yale student Gary Stein was shot and killed in a robbery attempt on Park Street. It took years for the city to recover, especially the Howe and Dwight Street neighborhoods that were essentially off-limits to students after that.