Unapproved minutes

Sunday, March 7, 2010, 6:30 pm, at Homeward Bound Treasures, Golden Street, New London

Present: Andy Derr, Ronna Stuller, John Russell, Ron Suresha, Rick Buell, Lorain Simister, Art Costa, Bob Stuller

Guest: G. Scott Deshefy, Green candidate for Congress, CT 2nd District

1. Minutes. February meeting minutes submitted by Andy. John moved to accept, Lorain 2nded: passed. Still need January regular mtg. minutes from Chris. Update: Chris submitted Jan. 2010 mtg minutes online, to be approved at mtg 4/12/10.

2. Treasurer report. Report submitted in absentia by treasurer Chris Nelson: “Our only activity in the past month was cutting a check for $100 to the Deshefy for Congress campaign to cover the cost of renting Union Station for his campaign kick-off event in January. Our current balance is $1,106.47.” Scott added that the check was forwarded to Union Station, with his thanks.

3. State Central Committee report. Andy / Ron. New chapter in Meriden. Annual mtg. tentatively, April 24th, 11:00 am – ?. Platform committee for state Greens. Court date for appellate court next couple weeks, Andy discussed implications. Ballot access for statewide offices. Getting reps to go up to meeting on rotation.

4. Old business

a. Land Value Tax, Art. At last month’s council session on LVT, good turnout from Greens. Council moved to request extension. Norwich has inquired about taking up LVT if NL drops ball. Art thinks issue may be seriously stalled, but it will need demonstrated public support – hence he initiated a petition drive which requires NLG support. Petition needs signatures from landowners who support LVT, Art requested help getting sigs; petition copies were circulated. Art moved that NLG support move to obtain extension for pilot program, Bob 2nded: passed.

b. G. Scott Deshefy, campaign for Congress. Coming events: WILI radio interview; Montville, Teaparty Patriots; TG, April & June; Stonington Borough, Sierra Club. Scott has developed position papers. Deshfyforcongress.org: website up and running.

c. Regional chapter. Was earlier intention for SE CT Greens to maintain regional chapter activity; Andy wants to use Deshefy campaign to develop regional chapter, esp. promising in Norwich; needs support for this over time. Ideas discussed.

d. Town Committee. 3 vacancies; 1st, 4th, and 6th districts. Discussed possibilities for filling slate.

e. Reports from elected Greens.

John R:  Explained responsible contractors ordinance. Budget process, start zero-based financing. Tree-cutting issues, moratorium.

Ronna S:  Budget is big issue, still many problems to resolve. Children First NL, new group submitted community action plan.

5. New business

a. Vacancies on City Commissions. Ronna brought a list of current vacancies for city commissions. Greens (and non-Greens) are encouraged to apply for positions. Ron questioned committee selection process in view of LVT committee failure.

b. Meeting dates for upcoming year.

2010: 4/11. 5/2. 6/6. 7/4. 8/8. 9/5. 10/3. 11/7. 12/5.  2011: 1/2. 2/6. 3/6. Continue meeting location at HBT. Potluck must end promptly at 6:30 before meeting; if bringing food, please come at 5:30 pm.

c. Town Committee meeting. 3/28, 6:30pm, Andy’s house (location tentative).

d. State Representative candidate. No prospects at present, but still interested in finding motivated candidate.

6. Updates

a. ReNew London Council. Art: NL Local First is going well. RNLC is doing two studies: one is discussing economic linkage to study importing goods locally; Reconnecting New London, connecting North end of town to downtown (idea grew out of TG show!). Also met with Bike NL to discuss collaborative event.

b. Thinking Green. Ronna: need guest for 3/18. Merrick Alpert possible special TG interview. Other possible guests discussed. Starting 4/8, show start time switches to 8:00 pm Thursday.

c. Sustainability Committee. Ken absent, no report. Bob reported on SLE. Bob reported on FRESH NL, new community gardens at Caulkins Park.

7. Announcements.

8. Next meeting day and time: 4/11. Potluck, 5:30 pm; meeting, 6:30 pm.

John moved, Art 2nded, to close meeting: passed.

respectfully submitted,

R. Suresha, Secretary

Unapproved minutes

Sunday, January 3, 2010, 6:30 pm, at 11 Evergreen Street, New London

Present: Thomas Cornick, Ronna Stuller, Bob Stuller, Ron Suresha, Andy Derr (arrived around 7:00 pm), Chris Nelson
Treasurer’s Report (Chris Nelson)
There has been no new activity over the past month.
The Town Committee balance remains $1206.47
State Central Committee (Ronna Stuller)
There will be a meeting later this month to discuss the 2010 elections.
There is a movement to recruit Bill Curry to run for governor and Ralph Nader to run for governor.
Town Committee (Ronna Stuller)
Chris Nelson reported that he gone through the lists of registered Greens sorting it by the old district number system that we use for choosing representatives.
Thomas Cornick asked why, when there are so few registered Greens, we worry about which district they are from.
Ronna responded that we wanted to have representatives from each neighborhood in the city, and that using the old district system seemed to be the best way to try to achieve that goal.
It was agreed to table the election of new officers and representatives until the February chapter meeting in order to allow time to recruit new candidates.
Ron Suresha agreed to draft a news release to be submitted to the New London Day. An excerpt from this release will be posted on the New London Greens web site, facebook page and listserve.
Thinking Green (Ronna Stuller)
Show will continue in its current slot, change Thursdays 7-8 pm to new starting time for the next quarter, 8:00pm.
Andy Derr will fill in as host for Ronna on days when Ronna has Board of Education meetings.
Open Discussion
Andy said that he would like to see some sort of regional Green organization revitalized, perhaps a quarterly meeting of Southeastern CT Greens.
Chris said that a regional chapter might be problematic because there is no regional government around which such a chapter could organize campaigns. Perhaps the Deshevy congressional campaign would be a good vehicle for growing the Green party in CT’s 2nd Congressional District.
Bob Stuller said that increasing the number of Greens serving on local commissions and running for local office in the towns that comprise the 2nd Congressional should be a good goal for the campaign.
Ronna said that she would follow up with Scott Deshevy  to discuss the campaign’s schedule and goals.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned after about an hour, around 7:30 pm.

submitted by RJS on behalf of

Chris Nelson, Secretary

New tax idea draws supporters, foes to NL hearing

By Kathleen Edgecomb
Publication: The Day
Published 02/09/2010 12:00 AM

Concept puts burden on land, not buildings

New London – Despite a committee recommendation that the city not participate in a land value tax pilot program, twice as many people spoke in favor of the program as against it during a three-hour hearing Monday at City Hall.

“Large and small cities are the future. If we’re ready to step up to build a resilient city, we should do this,” said Art Costa, a member of the Land Value Tax Committee and one of 16 people who spoke in favor of the new program.

“It’s not a silver bullet,” he said. “Our problem is systematic and only a systematic solution will fix it.”

The Land Value Tax Committee, appointed by the City Council with oversight by the state Office of Policy and Management, spent three months researching and reviewing four possible models for the city to adopt a new tax system based on assessing land rather than buildings.

In a 5-to-4 vote last month the committee opted to stay with the status quo.

A land value tax, or LVT, is supposed to shift the tax burden to the land and not penalize property owners for improving their buildings. Supporters believe the system would help reduce blight and encourage development of brownfields and vacant lots, in part because improvements to the physical condition of buildings would not lead directly to higher taxes.

William Cornish, who lives in the city and owns property downtown, was one of seven who spoke against the proposal. Others included Adam Wronowski of Cross Sound Ferry, Murray Renshaw, a local businessman, and an assessor from Windham whose parents live in New London.

Cornish argued that the city does not need a new taxing program to get rid of blight and attract economic development; it needs to address the dozen to 20 buildings in the city with absentee landlords who have let their buildings fall apart.

“You can’t tax us into development if there’s no customers,” he said. “You need to put teeth into a blight ordinance.”

LVT, he said, shifts the tax burden so that less people pay the most taxes.

“It’s social engineering,” he said. “It doesn’t belong in New London and it doesn’t belong in America.”

Those who spoke in favor of it included David Bingham of Salem, a representative of the Southeastern Connecticut Sierra Club. He praised the new tax program as a way to encourage dense development in the city and curb sprawl.

“This is an opportunity for New London to do something big,” he said. “We want New London to prosper. We don’t want thousands fleeing the city.”

The City Council is expected to vote on the proposal at a future meeting. If the program is adopted, New London would be the only municipality in the state with land based taxes.

A minority report by the committee has recommended the city implement a pilot program only in a portion of downtown. It also recommended a program to educate the public on the impact of land-value taxation.

But the majority report said large apartment buildings, larger shopping centers and car dealerships would be impacted negatively by LVT.

“Under a majority of the LVT models, the top 250 properties whose taxes would increase are already being put toward uses (commercial or otherwise) that seem to maximize the properties,” the report states. “The effect of having their taxes increase in order to implement LVT seemed counter-productive.”

The committee determined that the city has too many unique parcels and businesses to benefit from any impact that LVT may have.

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Link to reader comments:
http://www.theday.com/article/20100209/NWS01/302099883

]]> http://www.nlgreens.org/wordpress/?feed=rss2&p=645 1 http://www.nlgreens.org/wordpress/?p=605 http://www.nlgreens.org/wordpress/?p=605#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:21:21 +0000 rjs http://www.nlgreens.org/wordpress/?p=605

Interested voters, whether or not registered presently as a Green, are invited to attend this important event:

Special Chapter Meeting

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

6:30 – 8:30 pm

The meeting at 7:00pm will be preceded by a half-hour potluck.

Contact ronna AT nlgreens DOT org to discuss new leadership opportunities as officers and town committee representatives or go to http://www.nlgreens.org for more information.

Also enjoy refreshments and music by Maggie’s Guitar.

NL voters need to get more involved

About seven months ago, in this space, I was lamenting an embarrassing lack of leadership in New London. The city was in need of a new police chief, city manager and superintendent of schools.

Some time before that, the concern and topic matter here were whether, in an impending charter-revision referendum, the residents would choose a strong mayor form of government or maintain the city manager form. The number of voters was so woefully low as to void the vote.

Perhaps the only thing worse than a lack of leadership is having solid leadership for a constituency too apathetic to be led. Let’s hope the next Charter Revision Commission won’t suffer similar failure. I went on record back then contending that a change in form of government would make little or no difference in New London.

Part of the reasoning was that the Democratic Party, firmly in control at the time, would simply choose who would be its candidate for the position, and that person would probably be the mayor.

Things have changed. The council is balanced, three Republicans and three Democrats, with a third-party candidate – the Green Party’s John Russell, who was cross-endorsed by the Republicans – rounding out the seven-member panel. Republicans not only gained a valuable third seat at the table, but Russell attracted enough support to add an apparently non-connected, and perhaps deciding, vote to the roster.

One of the first actions the new council took was to vote to create a new Charter Revision Commission. Its goal is to, again, take the city’s form of government to a vote.

This time around, I think the outcome will matter. This time, I think, the people will vote to have a strong mayor and this time, I think, the city is ready for such a change.

“I believe the problem with the city is we sit around and complain there’s no leadership, but we don’t elect a leader,” freshman Councilor Michael Passero said earlier this week. “You wouldn’t run a garden club without a president.”

He’s not the first to make that point, but it’s worth reiterating because it makes a lot of sense. I like to think that a strong mayor would bring a passion to the position that a city manager hired from the outside doesn’t have – and can’t have, at least not immediately upon arrival.

Leadership and home-grown passion are two good, strong qualifications for the job. A third and equally important necessity is vision. This city needs a vision. Someone or some group or the people at large need to step back and conjure up an ideal for New London’s future.

What should be the image the city wants to project? How should it be marketed and promoted?

What kind of businesses does the city want to attract? How does it go about it?

The answers to those questions, and many more, should come from a variety of voices, which brings us back to a more involved population. New London’s vision has to be one that is melded from the myriad cultures in the city. The city is divided by far more than political lines, which, lately, voters seem to cross quite readily. Perhaps the same vigor can be generated across cultural lines and the new leadership can foster that movement and inspire more people to take part in activities, from youth sports to council meetings.

A strong mayor with a vision would make for a good change. A better change would be a strong citizenry that helps craft a municipal vision and elects a passionate fellow citizen to lead it.

First, though, it would be nice to see enough people vote, when the time comes, to make it all possible.

This is the opinion of Chuck Potter.

NL council starts fast

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We were glad to see the new City Council act quickly in forming a Charter Revision Commission and giving it the task of drafting charter changes that would replace the current city manager system in New London with a government led by a directly elected mayor.

It is also gratifying to see strong support on the council for making the change to a mayoral chief executive, a restructuring that this newspaper has been advocating for several years. A mayor with the power to draft budgets, veto council resolutions and appoint people to key administrative positions is necessary to provide the kind of focused leadership New London needs to progress.

Ultimately, of course, it will be up to voters to decide what kind of government structure best suits their city. And that is all we and the new council ask for – a clear up or down vote on the proposal. In March 2007 voters approved the change to a mayoral system, but the turnout was too low to validate the results of the special election. In November 2008 voters narrowly rejected a generically worded question that lumped the proposal together with some unpopular amendments.

The council appears to agree that a question on changing to a mayor system should stand alone. And holding a vote during a general election would assure a greater turnout.

The commission can, and should, consider other charter changes. Much of the language in the charter is outdated. The last revision commission identified many archaic provisions, making the work of the new commission easier. The council also wants the commission to examine the duties of the Board of Finance and consider term limits for the council and Board of Education. Indeed, a stronger finance board may make voters more comfortable with the idea of giving greater power to a mayor. And while we do not agree with term limits – since voters can already limit the terms of any elected official – it is a topic worthy of consideration.

We’d also like to praise Mayor Rob Pero, recently appointed by fellow councilors, for taking a nonpartisan approach in forming the commission. With potentially four votes in his pocket – his own, two fellow Republicans and Green Party member John Russell (elected with the cross-endorsement of the Republicans) – Mayor Pero could have sought to dictate the appointments. Instead, each member of the council will select someone to sit on the seven-member Charter Revision Commission.

New London citizens should feel excited about this great start.

Honor thy father: Rob Pero, now NL mayor, says dad taught him to listen to others

By Kathleen Edgecomb, The Day, Published 12/08/2009 12:00 AM

New London – When Rob Pero was sworn in as the city’s 122nd mayor Monday night, he took the oath of office from the man who taught him about being a good public servant – his dad. Tony Pero, 88, spent 41 years watching over the lifeguards at Ocean Beach Park, managing musical entertainment on the boardwalk there, and befriending visitors from across the city.

Rob Pero, the youngest of the six Pero children, said his father taught him how to listen. After administering the oath of office, the two men hugged. “I’m glad he had his family here,” the elder Pero said after the ceremony, which included the swearing-in of six other city councilors, who unanimously chose Pero as the mayor. Republican Adam Sprecace, who was elected to a second term, was unanimously chosen deputy mayor. …

Pero became the first Republican in nearly 20 years to be chosen for the one-year, ceremonial mayoral position. The late Willie Nahas, one of the city’s most popular councilors despite being a Republican in a Democratic controlled city, was the last Republican to serve as mayor. He was on the council for 20 years, from 1971 to 1991, including a long stretch when he was the only Republican. He was chosen mayor twice, once in 1973 and again in 1990. …

Pero succeeds Democrat Wade A. Hyslop Jr., who was also sworn in Monday for a second two-year term on the council. In November, Pero and Sprecace received the highest number of votes. Also elected were fellow Republican Martin T. Olsen, Democrats Hyslop and Michael Buscetto III, both incumbents, and political newcomer Michael Passero.

John Russell, who ran as a Green Party candidate, was elected to his first term. No small feat in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans five to one and only 83 of the 11,839 registered voters declare themselves Green.

In front of a standing-room-only crowd, the new council took the oath of office, with some choosing to have a relative swear them in.

George Sprecace, a civic minded and active resident of the city swore in his son, Adam. Mary Minton administered the oath of office to her brother, Michael Passero. And 89-year-old John W. Russell Sr. swore in his son. …

For the first order of business, Pero outlined his goals for the coming year, which include a “spirit of cooperation that will hopefully lead to an ability to shape sound policies for our fellow citizens.”

The agenda includes changes to the city’s blight program, merging services with the Board of Education to save money, charter revision, ethics reform, zero-based budgeting and finding developers for Fort Trumbull.

“My goal is one that will be very active and transparent,” he said, urging residents to get actively involved in the city.

Monday’s ceremony was broadcast live on Metrocast cable television, the city’s first live broadcast of a municipal meeting. City Council meetings, which are held on the first and third Mondays of the month, will air on cable channel 22.

Monday’s meeting was adjourned early for a party at Ocean Beach Park. The meeting will resume at 7 tonight at City Hall.

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Kinsall to lead New London Board of Education this year

By Stephen Chupaska, The Day, 12/08/2009 12:00 AM

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New London – Alvin G. Kinsall was elected president of the Board of Education at a swearing in ceremony Monday at City Hall.

The six other members of the board – Jason Catala, Susan Connolly, Louise Hanrahan, Barbara Major, Bill Morse and Ronna Stuller – were also sworn in.

Kinsall, a Democrat who served two previous terms as president in 2006 and 2007, said in his remarks the board would seek to raise expectations of teachers as well as students. “In my view, our challenge and focus for the next two years must be on policies that affect student achievement,” he said in a prepared remarks.

Kinsall said before the meeting that getting the new members acclimated to board procedures will also be a challenge. Major, one of the three newcomers to elected office, said the board “has a lot of work cut out for” it.

Although the election of former City Councilor Catala and Major, both Republicans, and Stuller, a Green, shrunk the Democratic majority to one vote, the party will maintain control of the major commitees – Finance, Administration, and Personnel and Legal.

Morse will join Stuller and Kinsall on the Finance Committee. Connolly will retain the chair of the Personnel and Legal Committee and will serve with Kinsall and Hanrahan. Kinsall will head the Administration Committee and will be joined by Connolly and Catala. Major, who will be the board’s Special Services liaison, said the Democrats never asked her to be on one of the committees.

The new board will hold its first regular meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School.

Article published Nov 7, 2009, The Day
Voting for dull years at NL City Hall

Tuesday’s election had many themes. It could easily have been titled “Buscetto’s Close Call.”
Mike Buscetto saddened me. To see him point to anyone not in his mirror for his plummet from the top to the near-bottom of the vote-getters was disappointing. No matter who he believed caused his problems, a strong leader looks inward. They ask themselves what they could have done or not done to avoid a bad situation.
Even if Buscetto believed there was a smear campaign, diplomacy should have governed his commentary. Apparently he didn’t learn that before the election and didn’t show it after. Buscetto might, someday, play a great role in moving the city forward. He just needs to learn to push it with a stroller, not a bulldozer.
The election could have been titled, “Peg’s Curtin Call.”
When it comes time to say farewell to Mary Margaret Curtin, surely the room will be filled with more than just Democrats. She has served the city for nearly two decades. The entire city. She deserves a grand sendoff. No, we won’t have Peg Curtin to push around anymore. It will still be cool to have her drive us around, though.
Thank You, Ms. Curtin, for all you’ve done.
The election could have been titled “Shut Up and Run,” which didn’t apply to, but was applied by, Adam Sprecace. Rather than just hang around the polling places talking to people who had already decided to vote, he shut up and ran, toting a huge campaign sign through the city. Sprecace said he missed his regular running routine during the thick of the campaign. So he jogged from his Gardner Avenue home to Nathan Hale School, then to Harbor and finally, to New London High School. And back.
Whatever the title, Tuesday’s drama might just have been the preview of coming attractions. Soon, Councilor-elect John R. Russell Jr., perched cozily among three Democrats and three Republicans, will be the most powerful person on the council.
I caught up with Russell (on the cell) at Hot Rod Cafe, where re-elected Councilor Wade Hyslop hosted his traditional thank-you party. When a group of Republicans arrived, fittingly led by Rob Pero, the man who would be mayor, the Democrats applauded. The two groups, and Russell, socialized into the night.
Rod Cornish, the proprietor, called it a beautiful thing. Perhaps, he wished aloud it is a sign of the times. I agree.
I digress.
Russell, who was respectfully denied a position on the Republican ticket, switched his affiliation to Independent, ran on the Green Party line and was subsequently dual-endorsed, said his loyalty will lean toward the right thing to do for the people and the city.
“There’s no pressure. I’ll do what I think is best,” he said. “I made that clear to the Greens and the Republicans, too.”
He was sincere. I just hope he can sustain. The council appears to be a productive, intelligent mix of personalities and ideals that seems conducive to cooperation.
If the Democratic trio attempts to maintain its position of power, might the Republicans fight back with their own party line weaponry? Will Russell be compelled to fight with them? Will the Republicans expect loyalty from him? Will they expect their endorsement to be Russell’s last deciding variable?
The coming years could offer an action-packed reality show worth watching. Or they could be as boring as a rainy resort. I vote for the latter. Enough with the drama.
This is the opinion of Chuck Potter.

http://www.theday.com/article/20091107/NWS05/311079976

It’s a ‘new season’ for NL City Council

By Kathleen Edgecomb, The Day, 11/05/2009 12:00 AM

http://www.theday.com/article/20091105/NWS01/311059328/1018

Republicans Pero and Sprecace, Green Party’s Russell say it’s time to end divisiveness and move city forward

New London – The three highest vote-getters in Tuesday’s election are setting an agenda for the next two years that they say will focus on issues and not political gains.
Rob Pero and Adam Sprecace, two of three Republicans elected to the City Council in this predominantly Democratic city, want the new council to bring development to Fort Trumbull, hire a new city manager, revise the City Charter, address the homelessness issue and improve relations with the Board of Education.
John Russell, the first Green Party candidate elected to the council, is looking for a group that will work to improve the city, not someone’s political career.
It’s a tall order for a council made up of three Republicans, three Democrats and one member of the Green Party.
“It’s day one, or the first day of school, or the new season of a baseball team or a football team, however you want to put it,” said Pero. “We have to take whatever issues we’ve had in the past and put them behind us.”
Pero, a 14-year veteran of the council who will most likely be elected the city’s ceremonial mayor by fellow councilors at the first meeting in December, said he will be looking for consensus from his peers.
“I’m not into majority rule,” said Pero, who, if elected mayor, will be the first Republican in the position in 20 years. “I’m not into building a party. We’re here for the city.”
Sprecace, who earned the second-highest number of votes, said Wednesday that when he was first elected two years ago, he had a vision. Now he wants to help make that vision a reality.
“In my eyes, we have to sit down with stakeholders and identify changes that can bring New London forward,” he said.
Both men agree that searching for a new city manager, establishing a Charter Revision Commission to update the city’s governing document and looking again at the Fort Trumbull Municipal Plan of Development are some of the top priorities. They also would like to work more closely with the school board to save taxpayer money and improve the city’s education system.
Russell, who was the third-highest vote-getter, said he’s looking forward to working with a council that does not have a majority vote.
“I don’t have any special interests pushing me one way or the other,” he said Wednesday, adding that he hopes to be a unifying force. “The city, especially over the last year or two, has been damaged by a lot of divisiveness. Instead of everyone getting mad and taking a personal interest in things, we’re going to transcend that stuff.
“This is not about you or me. It’s about the city.”
Russell, who was elected to his first term, said he plans to focus on drawing more business to downtown and improving schools to attract families. He said he also will continue to help the homeless.
“Some think my penchant for working with the homeless will have the city filled with homeless,” he said. “That’s just not the case.”
In collaboration with the Homeless Hospitality Center, Russell opened the Homeward Bound Treasures Thrift Shop, which filled a vacant downtown storefront, created six jobs and put three former homeless people into apartments. The store pays sales, payroll and property taxes.
“Little organic grass-roots ideas can work,” he said.

City Goes Green, Sort Of

By David Collins, The Day, Published 11/04/2009 12:00 AM

http://www.theday.com/article/20091104/NWS05/311049893

John Russell, who won a seat on the City Council Tuesday, went right to an analogy last week, when I asked him how he came to be a Green Party candidate cross-endorsed by the Republicans.
“When logs come down a river, they sometimes jam up, and someone has to kick them free,” Russell said.
And in a city long dominated by Democratic Party rule, what better way to kick than for the two weaker parties to join forces.
“I believe the city needs a shake-up. There is too much nepotism and cronyism,” Russell said last week. “Coalition building would be a way to change the balance of power in the city.”
And indeed, the coalition built by the Greens and the Republicans on Tuesday helped unlock the Democratic majority on the council, a remarkable win given an overwhelming voter registration handicap.
(It didn’t hurt that dysfunctional Democrats, busy locking out one of their own, practically handed them the keys to the election.)
Not only was Russell the third highest voter-getter in the council race, Green candidate Ronna Stuller finished fourth for Board of Education.
That’s quite a showing for a party with only about 50 registered voters in the city.
Russell and Stuller are the first Greens to win council or board seats in New London and are among only a handful from the party to hold elected office around the state.
At their campaign headquarters Tuesday night, a corner of the lobby of Union Station, the Greens were reliably understated, although a small cheer went up when preliminary results showed their only two candidates had won.
“The Green Party had a clean sweep,” someone offered slyly.
“I guess Green is in,” said a grinning Stuller, who is also chairwoman of the party.
Clearly the cross endorsements of Russell and Stuller by the Republicans were instrumental in the party’s success this election, and in a curious way the arrangement supports some of the party’s unorthodox political thinking.
They are not people easily herded.
Russell was actually a lifelong Democrat before changing parties and running for the legislature as a Republican. He ended up as a Green council candidate this election when he didn’t at first find a place on the Republican council slate.
“I am not a party guy and I vote across party lines,” he said. “I don’t see the big issue of parties at this level.”
Stuller, too, told me she votes for individuals, whatever their party might be.
Stuller said she and other Greens supported a lot of Republicans this year, mostly because they wanted more of the city’s business done in the open, rather than in closed party caucuses.
“When one party has a monopoly on power, even one as fractured as the Democrats are now, everything becomes a done deal,” she said.
By that same thinking, she said, the Greens didn’t want to see a Republican sweep either. Even the Greens, she added, wouldn’t want all seven council seats to themselves.
“The Greens have never wanted to run the city. We just wanted to be in the mix,” she said.
When I heard her say that I tried to imagine Anthony Basilica, chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, saying the same thing, and I had to chuckle at the thought.
I might have tried calling Basilica Tuesday night to run the idea by him, but I figured, given the Democrats’ poor showing, that he might already be home in bed, right where he was the October night when the top vote-getter in the last council election (he fell to seventh in Tuesday’s voting) was busy locking the mayor out of his campaign headquarters.

This is the opinion of David Collins.

NL Green Party candidates Russell and Stuller elected

Two New London Green Party candidates, who were cross-endorsed by the local Republican party, have been elected!

Green Party candidate John Russell was chosen third among all nominees to serve on the city council.

Democrats lose their grip on New London City Council

By Kathleen Edgecomb, The Day, Published 11/04/2009 12:00 AM, Updated 11/04/2009 09:18 AM

Majority lost for first time in 20 years as GOP, Green Party combine to win four seats

New London – For the first time in nearly 20 years, Democrats have lost control of the seven-member City Council, with Republicans winning three seats and the Green Party one.

Republican incumbents Rob Pero and Adam Sprecace were the highest vote-getters with 2,207 and 2,067 votes, respectively. John Russell, a Green Party candidate who was cross- endorsed by the Republicans, came in third with 1,638 votes. Republican Martin T. Olsen, who served on the council from 1987 to 1991 and returned to politics this year, received 1,390 votes, winning the seventh seat.

Democrats Wade Hyslop and Michael Buscetto were re-elected to second terms, coming in fifth and sixth, along with Michael Passero, who was seeking his first term. Passero earned 1,618 votes, making him the fourth-highest vote-getter.

Voter turnout was estimated at 27 percent, compared with 39.1 percent in the last municipal election two years ago. There are 11,839 registered voters in the city.

In 2007, in his first bid for office, Buscetto earned the most votes in each of the city’s seven districts with 2,492. This year, with the voting districts consolidated to three, he came in sixth with 1,316 votes.

“It’s a sea of change for New London,” said GOP committee chairman William Vogel. “I think we had good candidates who worked hard. … The Democrats had a major split and that had to help us. I think that was worth one seat.”

. . .
Sprecace said the vote indicates to him that people want a change and they want a council that will work together. “It’s three Republicans, three Democrats and one Republican cross-endorsed Green candidate,” he said. “It’s good to have a split. It means we have to work together.   . . .

Ronna Stuller was elected to the Board of Education (third time’s a charm!):

Republicans make gains on NL school board

by Stephen Chupaska, The Day, Published 11/04/2009 12:00 AM, Updated 11/04/2009 05:27 AM

Green Party’s Stuller, GOP’s Catala help shrink Democrats’ majority

New London – The Democrats maintained control of the Board of Education Tuesday, though the once-dominant party now has just a one-vote majority.

The Republicans gained a seat, bringing their total to two, as challengers Barbara R. Major and Jason Catala each won election, while the Green Party candidate, Ronna K. Stuller, who was cross-endorsed by the Republicans, also won.

“I’m in shock,” Stuller said, as she celebrated Tuesday with her fellow Green Party members at Union Station.

As he did in 2007, Democratic incumbent Bill Morse got the most votes. Morse had 1,597, followed closely by Catala with 1,547. Catala’s election to the school board marks his return to elected office in New London. He previously served on the board and on the City Council.”A couple of years ago I was told I wasn’t a fit in New London,” he said. “Tonight the voters have spoken.”

Waterford teacher and New London native Louise Hanrahan, a Democrat, finished third in the election standings, with 1,514 votes. Hanrahan credited her experience as a teacher and her positive campaign as reason for her election. She said she is looking forward to working with board members of all parties.”We are all working for the best interest of the children of New London,” she said. . . .

The New London Green Party congratulates both John and Ronna for a campaign well won.