{news} Green mayor candidate in Hamden?

[David Bedell]

Hamden Daily News (cyberpaper) interviewed Aaron Gustafson about a Green 
endorsement of Carl Amento if he loses the Democratic primary.  Aaron or 
Kelly, can you explain your strategy?  Did the Green Party petition for a 
ballot line in the mayoral race?  Otherwise, you can't get him on the 
ballot, can you?

In theory, I support this idea of using our minor party status as a backup 
plan for progressive Democrats.  We were going to do this for a progressive 
candidate in Fairfield, but he won his town's primary in July.

http://www.hamdendailynews.com/town_gov.htm

August 14, 2005

Going Green?
Who knows?

By Sharon Bass

If Democratic Mayor Carl Amento loses the Sept. 13 primary against Craig 
Henrici, voters might still see his name on the November ballot. Might.

But there wouldn't be a D after Amento's name. There would be a G. As in 
Green. As in the Green Party of Connecticut. He could be the first Green 
mayor in the state. (Darek Shapiro is running this year as a Green mayoral 
candidate in Stamford.)

However, there doesn't seem to be much loyalty toward the mayor coming from 
the Greens. "It's really not fair that nobody aside from Democrats can vote 
in the next primary. Carl is the candidate we're choosing to run, but it 
could have been anyone," said co-chair of the state Green Party and Hamden 
rezzie Aaron Gustafson. His wife, Kelly McCarthy, is running for the 5th 
District council seat as a Green.

If Amento wins a fourth term as a G, Gustafson said he might run a Green 
against him in 2007. And Amento sees it more as an endorsement than a 
petition to run on the Green line. He said if he bombs out on Sept. 13, he 
might hang up his hat altogether.

"At this point it's an option. I consider it an endorsement by a good group 
of people who respect my environmental record," the mayor said. "I'm not 
that partisan. And I don't think I should be as a mayor. I should be mayor 
for all the people."

Amento has appointed Republicans and Greens to town commissions, some as 
chairs. He said if he does run as a Green in the general election, he 
wouldn't change his party affiliation, although there would be that G after 
his name on the ballot.

Asked why he petitioned Amento and not Henrici, Gustafson said, "Henrici's 
general tone seems to be wholly negative. All he talks about over and over 
again are the dire financial problems in the town. While I agree, I haven't 
heard any solutions from him. All he does is complain. He just seems like a 
real downer frankly.

"Given the choice between Henrici and (Republican mayoral candidate Dick) 
Reilly, I'd probably vote for Reilly," he continued. "I haven't seen 
anything positive about Henrici. I'd like to. All they're trying to do is 
get a candidate to get Carl out."

Henrici responded. "I don't know the gentleman (Gustafson). I don't know how 
long he's lived in Hamden. (Gustafson moved to town four years ago.) I 
served 15 years on the council, 10 as the president. You know, anybody who 
knows me, has watched my career in politics, knows I'm not a negative 
person," he said. "If he thinks I'm a downer there's nothing I can do about 
it."

The Green Party has a progressive agenda. According to its Connecticut Web 
site, the party "is committed to grassroots democracy, social justice, 
non-violence and ecological wisdom."

Gustafson said Amento's political and social views somewhat mirror the 
Greens'.

"Carl is a pragmatist. We're very into fiscal responsibility," said 
Gustafson. "We take holistic views, instead of short-term thinking. I think 
he does take the long view. Our whole thought on this is we want to open up 
the democratic process to the entire electorate. And we happen to think Carl 
has been a solid mayor."

On the other hand.

"We certainly haven't agreed with everything Carl has done," Gustafson said, 
like the mayor's decision to close the middle school on Newhall Street and 
build a new one on the former Meadowbrook golf course "We feel it will ruin 
our neighborhood. It's taking a school out of a neighborhood and leaving a 
contaminated area."

Still, the Greens find Amento's political behavior attractive enough to 
bring him on their line.

"He's not always playing party politics. He's not just doing favors for his 
friends. He seems very open to people from different parties," said 
Gustafson. Amento has appointed three Greens to the town's Energy Use and 
Climate Change Commission, of which Gustafson is chair. His wife serves on 
the Clean and Green Commission.

Amento feels the political process needs to be open to all, especially in 
Hamden where the largest group of voters are unaffiliated.

"I try not to label myself. I'm kind of a populist," he said. "I like to 
involve people. That's what democracy is all about." Amento said he's been a 
Democrat since he was 18, because of the party's stand on civil rights and 
other social justice issues.

"I think it bodes well for the Henrici campaign," Henrici said of Amento 
potentially going Green. "I don't want to say it's desperation, but it looks 
like he's anticipating a bad result (at the primary)."

"I'm actually confident with hard work we will win the primary, so the 
option of going on the Green line will become moot," said the mayor.