User:Happypixie/NHCAN (New Haven Citizens Action Network)

New Haven Citizens Action Network (NHCAN) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit citizens advocacy organization which was started in early 2007 and is based in New Haven, Connecticut (host city of Yale University which owns more than 45 percent of the property and is non-taxable) this large group of volunteers are a government watchdog group, looking for accountability and transparency to prevent waste, abuse, corruption and mismanagement in New Haven's government. New Haven has a 9 term Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. and administration. Due to lack of qualified candidates to run for the position of mayor, citizens have set up a group to monitor how tax dollars are spent. NHCAN is best known as a leader in tracking, analyzing, and publicizing the city's budget in laymen terms . It also takes citizens suggestions and presents them to the Board of Finance (BOF), which allows city wide participation in the budget process.

Technique

• Block watch and CMT Meeting Lectures
• Online videos and emails informing the citizens of issues and city meetings
• Gathering signatures for petitions, hanging posters
• Showing citizens how to submit opinions to media and government officials

Organization's Notable Work

2007

• February 2007 A small group of people at a New Haven, CT city budget meetings noticed the same people at each of the meetings. Jeffery Krerekes, Gary Doyen and Harry David organized the group and NHCAN was founded. These New Haven taxpayers "New Haven Citizens Action Network (New Haven CAN)" raises public awareness of these issues.
• April 2007 the Group offers up their first of many budget suggestions
• May of 2007 a web site to inform the public of information that the group was uncovering.
• August 2007 stopped the practice of city employees holding elected positions. A letter stating the concern with the familiar practice was sent to the United States Office of Special Counsel such practices violate the Hatch Act. A complaint was filed officially on Sept. 20, 2007. In November of 2007 the Elected Official was Laid off from said position. . Many other elected officials still have ties to city related departments,, many are concerned how objectionable and honest can the votes of such officials be, can they represent the citizens of the city. (disclose statements"City Money") AKA why the Hatch Act was created. But is still repeatedly ignored in New Haven.

2008

• May 2008 The City of Haven took the First amendment from their employees after one employee spoke out at a budget hearing.Ref article, The employee was suspended. The women won her case soon after and passed away 2 months later. The Department Head that suspened her quietly quit her job 3 months later. The damage this action had was devastating to make the city budget transparency locked up more, making getting honest information from city hall workers impossible.
• NHCAN was awarded the Best watchdog group award by the New Haven Advocate
• November 2008 Voter Fraud compliant was filed after a reporter from the New Haven Independent was a witness to a disabled man being forced to vote and told who to vote for on election day.case Number 2007-388 City Rep and poll worker were fined for their actions. (still vote pulling with the same tactics)

2009

• 2009 After repeated requests for citizens participation the city agreed to set up a Blue Ribbon Panel. The panel was selected Oct 2008. The panel consisted of 7 citizens 2 Alderman as well as city controller Mark Pietrosimone and city budget Director Lawrence Rusconi. Final Report
• May 2009 Founder Jeffrey Kerekes ask for a 5 year budget prediction document he was shown but BOF will not release it. He files a Freedom of Information Act complaint(Docket #FIC 2009-014). Did receive a modified version of it with a better out come. City representatives claim the original document no longer exists.

2010

• 2010 NHCAN took the group in a difference direction. They went out to the people. Doing community presentations on how the city budget works.
• March 2010 City Wide Brainstorm NHCAN Asked the public to submit ideas to cut the budget. 316 suggestions adding up to $269,086,818.00. (June of 2010 only 6 million dollars was cut from the budget).
• April 2010 Efforts start bearing fruit when hundreds at a city hearing speak out against the way the city is being ran. City Hall attempted to set up a Fake Grass aka Astroturfing group to "Save Our Schools" to redirect the public from the real fact, it failed.
• 2010 Budget year had over 1100 signatures for a full 10% cut in property taxes. The Mayor was quoted say he would sign it, but when asked declined.
• 2010 Gain up to 1500 new requests to be on their email list and growing
• May 2010 NHCAN's community efforts managed to unite citizens, community's and Unions to work together. Despite all efforts of the political powers to continue there divide and concord strategy. This was a major triumph for the group. Who gained support from across the city.and where able to get a tax increase from 8.8 % to 4%.

Mission

NHCAN's mainly concentrates on 4 areas:

• City budget.
• Taxation and government performance.
• Information and access for citzens.
• City Halls policies.

The members of New Haven CAN do not adhere to any other common ideology. This is NOT a political organization. NH CAN welcomes those of every political persuasion (party). Furthermore, as an organization of individuals, NH CAN respects the rights of each individual to his/her personal views.

Other issues

Avoiding Gentrification

New Haven being the home of Yale University, one of the issues that face the residents of New Haven is the increasing fear of Gentrification. With Yale acquiring more properties within the city limits for the expansion of the University and hospital there is the underlining issue of the gentrification of the blue collar working class and artist community. Coupled with the 2007 the 5 year property tax phase-in the City of New Haven implemented the working class home owners are being slowly taxed out. Remembering that the brunt of the tax burden falls on the home owners with in the city due to the large amounts of tax exempt properties(45% Yale, 3% non-profits, 6% senors and vets0. And the lack of the PILOT (finance) available to fund said properties. Under the original State PILOT said it would reimburse cities 77% of the value of college and hospital property; that number has dropped to around 45%. New Haven’s supposed to receive 55% reimbursement for taxes lost on state-owned property; that number’s down in the 30%..

The argument within the city is Development vs Gentrification. But with with raising property taxes and lack of city spending to provide basic services, the city is considered to be nothing less than a disaster zone. Political blame is the fall guy for what is happening in New Haven that and the remaining low income communities. But as you drive through new haven you can see the steadily changing facades from the downtown area spreading out. Some say this is the to make the rich parents of Yalies fearing to send there children to school in the city. By setting up Special district programs to help change the city block by block. Subsidizing cliche restaurants and boutiques to distract the parents from the urban reality.

Health of National and State Economy

New Haven is one of the larger city's in Connecticut. And as with most city's are effected by the National Economy and State Economy. Being a magnet for society's castaways city's have to fund programs to help people that come to them. This not only puts humanitarian pressures on the tax paying residents put a financial burden. http://www.scribd.com/doc/26690499/New-Haven-Analysis

Related Links

Grassroots

Checks and Balances

Democracy

Community Organizing

Gentrification

Poison Ivy (Ivy League Gentrification)

External Links

NHCAN

New Haven Independent

Facebook

New Haven Register Op-Ed: Throwing money at New Haven’s problems is not the solution

An Inconvenient Budget Presentation