Get a Wallpaper version for your Desktop

Some fun courtesy of Photoshop

800 x 600
1024 x 768
1280 x 1024
1600 x 1200

FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS to vote on Mayors PROPOSED Budget Tuesday, May 18, 7pm City Hall.
Shah (Chair), Clark (Vice-Chair), Perez, Goldfield, Jackson-Brooks, Castro, Lemar, Morehead, Elicker, Bauer, O’Sullivan-Best

See how they voted in past budget cycles

PHOTO	WARD	NAME	ADDRESS	ZIP CODE	PHONE
	4-D	Andrea Jackson-Brooks Ward4@newhavenct.net	102 DeWitt Street	06519-2131	H:203-776-0502
	5-D	Jorge Perez Ward5@newhavenct.net	24 Cassius Street	06519-2313	H:203-562-4373
	7-D	Frances T. Clark Ward7@newhavenct.net	320 Audobon Court	06511-1203	H:203-772-4455
	9-D	Roland Lemar Ward9@newhavenct.net	6 Eld Street	06511	H:203-507-7869
	10-D	Justin Elicker Ward10@newhavenct.net	192 Willow Street	06511-2531	H:203-500-2969
	11-I	Maureen O’Sullivan-Best Ward11@newhavenct.net	54 Foxon Street	06513-2320	H:203-467-9783
	14-D	Stephanie Bauer Ward14@newhavenct.net	55 East Pearl Street	06513-4309	H:203-785-0065
	16-D	Migdalia Castro Ward16@newhavenct.net	203 Saltonstall Avenue-Court Cottage	06513-4250	H:203-777-6835
	22-D	Greg Morehead Ward22@newhavenct.net Ward22 website	13 Frances Hunter Drive	06511-3604	H:203-507-7766
	23-D	Yusuf I. Shah Ward23@newhavenct.net	59 Gilbert Avenue	06511-5331	H:203-507-7679
	29-D	Carl Goldfield Ward29@newhavenct.net	25 Roydon Road	06511-2806	H:203-782-2064 W:203-787-9222

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/NewHaven/petition.html

We had a very successful turn out last evening and even won over the people turned out by the Mayor. Lets keep up the pressure to have the Board of Aldermen send the budget back to the Mayor.

The undersigned residents and taxpayers of New Haven wish to register our opposition to Mayor DeStefano’s proposed 2010-2011 budget. The $670,448,590 proposal is a large one and calls for a city-wide 9–11% tax increase, regardless of taxpayers’ ability to carry this burden. This is unacceptable.

We agree with the Mayor that these times are not normal. We disagree emphatically, however, with the Mayor’s proposed responses to these events. The Mayor’s proposal does little to attack the real problem, which is rapidly escalating costs, well beyond the rate of inflation. We refuse to be deflected from this focus.

In normal times, those who want work can generally find it. In normal times, wages and salaries increase, real estate values rise, the stock market expands – and we can support tax increases. But these are not normal times. In households throughout New Haven, families are re-learning how to “do without”. In New Haven’s businesses, and in our churches, colleges, and universities, responsible officials are finding ways to cut costs – not to control their growth, but to cut them. We affirm that, in these decidedly not normal times, New Haven’s city government must do the same. As City Alders, you have the authority to demand changes in the proposed budget and not simply accept it with minor changes As those who voted you into office, we deserve your protection and support.

We urge you to request that every department head identify ways to cut their actual expenses– not their proposals, but their current budgets – by 10% and to submit such reductions in a revised budget proposal. These are competent professionals who know how best to do this. They alone know how the dollar is spent and which activities provide the least value.

As an outside group we cannot presume to dictate where those cuts must be. We are confident, however, that competent professionals in every department know best how to cut 10% from their expenses with the least pain to New Haven’s quality of life and critical City services. Let them use furloughs, freeze hiring, wages and salaries, health care benefits, or simply turn the lights off earlier. Let them identify the ways to achieve the 10% reduction. We expect that some services will be sacrificed, and we are reluctantly ready to deal with that. We are not ready for yet another tax increase.

We know that what we propose is difficult. But these are not normal times. We urge you to send the Mayor’s proposal back and demand accountability from each and every department throughout this city. We love this city. We want this city to remain a great place to live for all.

To sign our petition to cut 10% of the budget: http://www.petitiononline.com/NewHaven/petition.html

Or if you want to print out the petition and help gather signatures. Return it to Jeffrey Kerekes, 43 Lyon Street, New Haven, CT 06511 203-676-0880

Shah (Chair)
Silverman (Vice-Chair)
Perez
Goldfield
Jackson-Brooks
Clark
Castro
Rhodeen
Sandman