{news} Greens' Leaders Split On Strategy

[David Bedell]

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2009/05/brison_announce.php

Greens' Leaders Split On Strategy

by Melissa Bailey | May 4, 2009 7:24 AM


As the Green Party's only office-holder launched a reelection run, the party
's leader prepared to attend a fundraiser - for the Democratic mayor's
campaign.

The two developments reflect a difference in strategy among vestiges of a
party that once played an influential role in steering city policy. The
difference raises the question of what role a third party, albeit a
diminished one, can play in a one-party city.

East Rock Alderman Allan Brison, the only Green on a board of 28 Democrats
and one Republican, officially kicked off his campaign for reelection
Friday. After representing Ward 10 for two years, Brison is facing a
challenge from a young environmental activist, Justin Elicker, in a November
contest. (Click here to read about the race.)

Brison made his campaign announcement Friday not in his ward, but inside a
downtown church, where the city's social justice activists gathered to
celebrate May Day. He made his 2007 announcement at the same festival, which
marks International Workers' Day. After a brief speech inside the United
Church on the Green, he grabbed a ribbon and joined a group weaving around a
maypole (pictured).

All Eyes On East Rock

Charlie Pillsbury, co-chair of the New Haven Green Party, said his party is
focusing entirely on defending Brison's seat this year, instead of backing
candidates for multiple offices.

In fact, Pillsbury is supporting the Democratic incumbent for mayor, John
DeStefano, Jr.

"Our plan is to reelect Allan," he said, speaking outside the church on May
Day.

Unlike the past two years, the party won't be backing perennial candidate
Ralph Ferrucci, who just announced he's making his third run for mayor this
year.

"Ralph has been there and done that, and I think we need fresh voices,"
Pillsbury explained. He said the Greens want to focus on races they can win
or races with a hot local issue.

Ferrucci this year is running on the ticket of the Waterbury-based
Independent Party. In past mayoral runs, he garnered almost 12 percent of
the vote as a Green in 2007 and 15 percent in 2005 on the parodic Guilty
Party line. Pillsbury predicted that as an Independent, Ferrucci wouldn't
top 10 percent.

"I'm not sure it's a serious candidacy," Pillsbury added.

Ferrucci replied that he planned to focus on serious issues like taxes and
crime. In a phone conversation, he chided the Greens for not making more of
an effort to make an impact citywide.

"They aren't taking the election seriously," said Ferrucci. "They're only
looking for one candidate."

Ferrucci said he didn't seek support from the Greens this year because he
knew they were focusing on Ward 10. He added that the Independent Party is
looking to back aldermanic candidates this year. Pillsbury said his party
hasn't ruled out backing other candidates, but has no plans to at this
point.

A Birthday Guest

Instead, the Green Party leader is supporting Democrat DeStefano. In a
one-party town, DeStefano is running virtually unopposed for a historic
ninth term in office.

"I think the mayor, by and large, has done a good job," said Pillsbury.

In fact, Pillsbury said he's planning on attending DeStefano's annual
birthday party/ fundraiser on Wednesday.

Pillsbury's party plans highlighted a difference in strategy between the
Greens' leader and its only candidate.

Brison does not plan to attend the birthday bash.

"I assume when you go to a campaign event, you go with a checkbook," said
Brison. "I won't be contributing any money to the mayor's campaign." Last
month, when DeStefano critic and former state legislator Bill Dyson was
considering a mayoral run, Brison replied without hesitation that he'd
support Dyson's campaign.

Pillsbury identified his attitude towards City Hall as "one area where
[Brison] and I disagree."

"As a Green, you need to be talking to everybody," Pillsbury argued. In his
role as a mediator, Pillsbury has worked closely with the mayor, including
helping him reach a historic peace accord with East Haven on the Tweed
Airport.

On the board, Brison has allied himself with aldermen, led by Jorge Perez,
who are often critical of DeStefano's proposals. The group has voted against
the mayor's agenda, including a mid-year subsidy for Tweed-New Haven
Airport.

Pillsbury praised Brison for making good relationships with those members of
the board.

Before Brison, there were only two Green aldermen in city history, Joyce
Chen of Dwight and East Rock's John Halle. They won their seats in 2001 -
and a third candidate came close to winning a third seat in Wooster Square -
on a platform that called for publicly financed elections, opposition to a
proposed energy plant in Fair Haven, and a greener city policy. After their
victories, Mayor DeStefano and his newly hired aides embraced all those
positions; the mayor even ditched his SUV for a Prius hybrid.

Chen also led a successful neighborhood revolt in Dwight against city plans
to raze a block of successful businesses on Upper Chapel to make way for a
new high school.

Pillsbury said Halle and Chen were "loners" on the board. He said Brison has
gotten more accomplished because of his good relationships with the outsider
aldermen. Asked for an example of something Brison has accomplished,
Pillsbury couldn't think of one.

However, Pillsbury charged that Brison has not been successful in making
similar relationships inside City Hall.

The "ultimate challenge" of Brison's candidacy will be, "can he find enough
common ground with all, including City Hall?" said Pillsbury. "That's an
open question. Do you need that support within City Hall to get things
 done?"

Brison addressed that point in Friday's speech. He recounted how, when he
first ran for office two years ago, opponents argued that as a third-party
candidate, Brison would be excluded from the workings of the board,
including the Democratic caucus, where many decisions get made. As a loner,
he wouldn't be able to get things done, his critics charged.

"This has simply not been true," replied Brison Friday. He said he has been
welcomed by the "independent" members of the board and has worked
effectively beside them.

Brison argued that he has worked together with City Hall staff to address
constituent services, and has supported some of the administration's
efforts, in lobbying for prison reentry and PILOT money, in the Complete
Streets initiative and in a green cleaning bill.

To The Streets

Meanwhile, back in East Rock, both candidates are hitting the streets to
bring their message to voters.

In the term ahead, Brison announced plans to try to restore community
policing, "institute reforms to bring the Board of Education under taxpayer
and/or aldermanic control," investigate double-dipping and fight for
sustainable energy policies.

Brison, a 71-year-old, retired computer programmer, emerged as an
indefatigable door-knocker last election, in 2007. He brought his message to
every doorstep in the ward and, on election day, toppled a City Hall-backed
incumbent Democrat, Ed Mattison, in a surprise upset.

This year, Pillsbury predicted a tougher battle ahead.

"Allan ran almost a guerrilla campaign [in 2007]. He knocked on every door
twice, and sold himself to the voters," said Pillsbury. "He caught the
Democrats napping."

"This year, they're going to come at us with everything they have," said
Pillsbury. He suggested that Elicker, a young, environmentalist Democrat,
was a strategic choice to combat a Green Party man.

While both candidates refrained from going negative, Pillsbury did not.

"I think it takes a lot of chutzpah to think [Elicker] can win in a ward he'
s only lived in [the ward] for four or five months," charged Pillsbury.

"That has Yale arrogance written all over it."

Reached by phone, Elicker dismissed the comment as "misleading." A graduate
student at Yale, he moved into East Rock's Ward 10 from East Rock's Ward 9
in January. He has been active as the co-leader of the Friends of East Rock
Park.

"I've lived in East Rock for two years, and the activities that I've done in
East Rock have been primarily in Ward 10, in East Rock Park," he said.

"The issues in Ward 9 and Ward 10 are very similar," he said. "To insinuate
that I can't understand issues on Willow Street when I've lived on Edwards
Street, which is five blocks away, is irresponsible."

"I've committed to staying in New Haven long term," Elicker added. "The fact
that I happen to be going to graduate school at Yale is irrelevant to
whether I can do a good job" as an alderman.