{news} Hamden Daily News: Kelly McCarthy nominated

[David Bedell]

http://www.hamdendailynews.com/town_gov.html#green
July 26, 2007

McCarthy's Official

By Sharon Bass

When Kelly McCarthy ran for her district seat in '05, the Green Party woman
garnered 40 percent of the vote in a three-way race -- possibly an
unprecedented high for a third-party Hamden candidate. Democrat Willie
Mewborn won with 49 percent, and Republican Henry Platt got 10 percent. It
was a year when the Democrats soundly defeated every opponent and Mayor
Craig Henrici got 81 percent of the vote.

Last night in McCarthy's Treadwell Avenue living room, she received her
party's endorsement for another stab at the 5th District Council spot. This
time the 29-year-old will likely face just one challenger -- Democratic
at-large Councilwoman Kath Schomaker. The Republicans haven't put anyone up
so far. And Mewborn is calling it quits after one term.

McCarthy's campaign manager, attorney Mark Sanders, made the nomination and
Jeffry Larson of the 4th District seconded. (Party rules allow any Greens
present at a nominating convention to vote regardless of their home
address.) And "McCarthy for Council" was reborn.

"To say Kelly is well qualified for this position is the understatement of
the century," said Sanders. "She's been extremely concerned about town-wide
issues as well as her district."

He described McCarthy as the quintessential community activist. The Yale
Divinity School grad, who runs a tutoring business, has been involved in the
Whitneyville Civic Association for years. She was just elected president.
She chairs the town's Clean & Green Commission. Organizes cleanups around
Hamden. Is a founding member of the grassroots group Hamden Alliance for
Responsible Taxation, created after the 2005 revaluation that hiked many
residents' property taxes by double digits. And sat on the Newhall Advisory
Committee, a group the state formed to give a voice to residents about the
soil-contamination controversy in that neighborhood. (A controversy the
state has yet to resolve.)

"Kelly has done yeoman's work," said Sanders, also a member of HART.

In recognition, the Library Board named McCarthy a Hamden 2007 Notable.
"That's an honor that's usually given to people later on in life," her
campaign manager said. "She's got the character and intelligence and energy
to make this [Council] run."

"I think it's terrific. It sounds like you've been doing the work," Charlie
Pillsbury, co-chair of the New Haven Green Party, told the candidate.

"It's different this time because I know what I need to do," McCarthy said.
"But it's a different race so it's sort of its own animal. My biggest
disappointment starting out in this campaign is who my opponent is. I
expected Kath to be more of a champion of the people and fight for southern
Hamden. I was expecting her to be more environmentally conscious. I just
feel she's let us down and the 5th District and southern Hamden."

Schomaker's at-large seat was said to be vacated for retired Police Chief
Jack Kennelly. He was endorsed on a four-candidate slate with the three
remaining at-large incumbents by the Democratic Town Committee at its July
23 convention.

"I think there's a lot that needs to be done for southern Hamden that the
Council has been neglecting. The Democratic Party politicians have been out
of control," said McCarthy. She cited their refusal to seriously consider a
multi-year tax phase-in following the '05 revaluation, while New Haven and
North Haven did so to take some of the burden off low- and middle-income
homeowners who were typically hurt the most.

"There was ridicule and mockery toward citizens who were really suffering.
It was a travesty," she said.

Larson said the Henrici Administration "has it in for the library. It just
seems to me the mayor is just hostile toward rational library planning."
Henrici eliminated two technology librarians from the new budget and added a
second IT person to his office.

"It's just nonsense," said Larson. "I think a lot of people in Hamden are
proud of their library."

"I have been let down time and time again by Henrici," said McCarthy. "I don
't care what you say. I only care about what you've done."

She said she won't be supporting Henrici in his bid for re-election this
November and will instead throw her political weight on Republican mayoral
candidate Ron Gambardella -- despite the vast social and ideological
differences between their parties.

"I don't agree 100 percent with Ron's ideas," the Green said, "but I think
he has his head and heart in the right place. And his focus is on Hamden and
the people who live here. And that's what a mayor should do. And I can't
ignore the fact that he was one of the only people on the Legislative
Council who was willing to listen to the phase-in and about other financial
problems."

Republican Town Committee Chair Mike Iezzi said it's too premature to
discuss supporting anyone outside of his party. But he spoke highly of
McCarthy and her principles and said, "I'm very happy to hear she's
supporting Ron. It further exemplifies that Ron is gaining support from
people outside of the Republican Party."