{news} Green constable Erik Eisenberg profiled

[David Bedell]

I missed this story when it came out in the Stamford Advocate last November, but Erik alerted me--he's back visiting CT and attended tonight's Fairfield County GreenDrinks (about 100 people turned out for this environmental social networking party--see http://www.fcgd.biz ).

I still say the "entry-level" position of Constable is the easiest to get elected to, and it can help us get a foot in the door of municipal politics.

David Bedell
http://www.greenconstable.org

The Advocate. Stamford, Conn.: Nov 26, 2007. pg. A.7
(2007 Southern Connecticut Newspaper Inc)

Constable post attracts entry-level politicians

By Wynne Parry
Staff Writer

STAMFORD - Long before November's election, Erik Eisenberg knew he would win - he was among six candidates for six constable positions in New Canaan.

As a constable, he could be hired by attorneys to serve legal papers. But because Eisenberg lives in Hanover, Germany, he cannot do the job.

He admits the situation sounds strange.

"I can't deny that," Eisenberg, 27, said by telephone. "But on the other hand, I am not aware that the constables there are always doing the tasks that are assigned to them."

A graduate of New Canaan High School and a Green Party member, Eisenberg maintains a New Canaan address with his father.

When he is sworn into office, Eisenberg will become one of a number of constables in New Canaan and elsewhere who seek the office for personal or political reasons, with no desire to perform the duties.

Running wasn't Eisenberg's idea. David Bedell, secretary of the Green Party in Fairfield County, suggested it. Bedell, 45, sought the same office in Stamford, along with another Green Party candidate.

"I thought because the Green Party is a new party and we don't have any elected officials, ... the best place to start was at the bottom," Bedell said.

Generally, constables may deliver legal papers only within the boundaries of the municipality in which they are elected. A town of about 20,000, New Canaan has little work for constables, so Bedell said he envisions Eisenberg as cultural liaison between Germany and New Canaan - someone who can write letters to the editor with the added weight of an elected title. Another Green Party constable, Hector Lopez, was re-elected in New Canaan this year.

Faced with a full slate of major-party competitors in Stamford, Bedell did not fare as well.

Stamford's larger population means more legal action and more work for constables.

"Believe me, if someone wants to work, they can make money at it," said Ralph Serafino, 51, a Democrat and full-time constable in Stamford.

By law, he receives a base pay of $30 for a service, plus additional fees and reimbursement for mileage, depending on the nature of the case.

But as in New Canaan, not all of Stamford's constables are interested in the position for its duties.

In 2001, Republican Joseph Tarzia campaigned for strategic reasons.

"If you have people that are well known, and so forth, that does help bring out the vote," he said. "The Democrats always fill their slots, so I think we have a responsibility to be competitive."

But as a teacher and Board of Finance member, Tarzia, 60, didn't have much time to serve papers. He ran again and was elected in 2005 but gave up the post a few months early because he wanted it to go to George Christiansen.

As a Republican and professional constable, Christiansen, 63, has been the odd man out in a number of elections.

He began serving papers in 1993 after losing his programming job at IBM, he said. But he was elected only once since 1999, though he ran in every race. Because Stamford is a heavily Democratic city and he lacks name recognition, job security has been elusive, even though he is dedicated to the work, Christiansen said.

"I just don't know why you would run for an office and tell the people you would do something when you can't do it," he said.

Without an elected title, Christiansen can serve certain documents, but he loses more than half his livelihood when he loses an election, he said.

For six years, he collaborated with state marshal George Ritchie, who died in April. Marshals also serve papers but they are appointed and work within a county.

In March, Christiansen and Ritchie arrived at a home in Greenwich with divorce papers. The man Ritchie was seeking struck both of them with a truck carrying a snow plow, dragging Christiansen 5 or 10 feet, according to records.

This month, Christiansen took the test to become a state marshal, even though he said he's happy being constable.

"If you become a marshal, then you don't have to run for constable any more," he said.

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