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By Kerri Provost, March 6, 2013 7:49 am

In Hartford, the Working Families Party has displaced Republicans as the minority party on City Council. We have three Registrar of Voters because of the strength of this third party.

Knowing this makes Hartford’s recorded results from November’s presidential election seem unlikely. How can a city with a sizable progressive-minded population only have two votes for Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate, and none at all for Stephen Durham, the Freedom Socialist Party candidate for president?

It can’t. Continue reading 'When Every Vote Doesn’t Count in Hartford'»

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By Kerri Provost, November 7, 2012 6:30 pm

Elections raise as many questions as they answer.

Case in point: the line of voters at Hartford’s City Hall on Tuesday. The silver lining is that people were fired up enough to wait for hours to cast a vote, knowing they could not weigh in on the ballot question or any of the candidates running for a position other than President.

But the silver lining is not the whole story.

Walking alongside the line that ran the length of the atrium, down the stairs, and into the basement, it was hard not to wonder: what is going on in Hartford that this many residents have not registered, moved and not updated their information with the Registrar of Voters, or have encountered some other difficulty that would require them to go downtown and spend hours to vote? How have some, who registered and voted in the 2008 election, found themselves removed from the lists despite not moving at all? How is it that hundreds of students who have long since graduated from local colleges and universities remain on the lists, while long time residents who have relocated to another part of the city encounter these challenges?

If Hartford had been wrecked by the late October hurricane, this kind of controlled chaos would be expected. But aside from a handful of property losses, Hartford was thankfully unscathed. Continue reading 'Election Hangover'»

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By Kerri Provost, November 6, 2012 11:45 am

Voters at the Burns School in Hartford's Frog Hollow neighborhood

It’s always something at the Burns School, whether it’s poll workers giving incorrect information to voters, as has happened in past elections, or the doors being locked. In a previous election, voters were told by a school employee not to use an entrance that was clearly marked as one for the polls because school was in session. This morning, with school in session again during voting hours, some citizens found they could not get inside because all of the heavy doors were completely shut and no poll workers were nearby to hear knocks. This was eventually resolved by slightly propping the door.

Several parents wanted to know why Hartford Public Schools remained open today when schools in neighboring towns closed. One mother was concerned about the number of people entering the school, seeing this as a potential risk to her child’s safety.

Entering and leaving the Burns School on Election Day tends to be stressful with obnoxious in-your-face cheerleaders. Early this morning, it was quiet, with a notable absence of loud music. The cheerleaders only momentarily blocked the driveway, and instead of receiving a rude response when turning down literature because the voting had already happened, one of the men just said, “I love you.” Whether or not this civility is maintained through the afternoon remains to be seen.

Unregistered voters wait to vote for President at City Hall

Down at Hartford’s City Hall, where unregistered voters are permitted to cast a ballot for President only, the line snaked through the entire atrium and down the stairs. Several times the door opened, a person took one look at the line, and then walked away. To vote here, one needs only bring proof of residence.

Across the street, at the Hartford Public Library, campaign literature was being handed out on the sidewalk, too close to the actual polls, as is typically the case.

Inside, the library modified its offer to erase the fines for voters, extending the offer to all residents, citing that there are many individuals who are in process of becoming citizens and cannot vote yet.

One Hartford resident explained why he was not voting today– he thinks that the system is rigged and that “they” already know what the outcome will be. Vote…don’t vote, he said, it does not matter. But, he said, if [Romney] gets elected, we’ll be at war with Russia soon enough.

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By Kerri Provost, November 5, 2012 7:40 pm

Cynics, rejoice!

Filling in one bubble or another on Tuesday may make no difference on the national level, but it’s not all for naught.

Adults wearing their “I VOTED TODAY” stickers can have their fines forgiven at the Hartford Public Library. Youth are not being forgotten. They can also have their overdue fees dropped if they complete a civics questionnaire.

Over at La Paloma Sabanera, voters wearing their stickers will receive a free small cup of coffee, providing a much-needed boost for those planning to stay up all night while the results are tallied.

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By Kerri Provost, October 31, 2012 10:44 am

On Tuesday, November 6th, as with every election, the polls are expected to be open from 6am-8pm on Election Day.
This year’s ballot question (yes or no) asks whether or not more funds should be appropriated for the massive MDC project. According to The Hartford Votes-Hartford Vota Coalition, the question — in layperson’s terms — reads:

Approval for the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) to appropriate an additional $800 million for Phase 2 of the Clean Water Project, which is being implemented to comply with a Federal consent decree and State consent order requiring the reduction of sewage overflows.  The appropriation is to be financed through grants, loans, and MDC issuance of bonds.

But on MDC literature, it is stated as follows:

Shall the appropriation of an additional $800,000,000, to be financed, in part, by the
issuance of bonds and Clean Water Fund grants and loans, for Phase II of the Metropolitan
District’s combined sewer overflow, sanitary sewer overflow and nitrogen removal programs to decrease levels of pollution in Metropolitan District member towns, the Connecticut River and its tributaries, and Long Island Sound to comply with a consent decree of the United States District Court of the District of Connecticut and a consent order of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, be approved?

Currently, diluted sewage is sent into the Connecticut River and its tributaries. The Clean Water Project will deal with the “approximately 1 billion gallons of combined wastewater and storm water currently released each year to area waterways,” says the MDC. Residents of Bloomfield, East Hartford, Newington, Rocky Hill, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor will also be able to vote on this question.

As for the candidates, voters should have taken responsibility to learn about their options by now; however, one’s choices might seem limited if a person’s total knowledge of the process comes from advertisements, commercials, and phone calls. Besides the choices listed on the ballot, it is possible to write in candidates. The Registrar of Voters is not required to have the names of all candidates listed on the ballot; in other words, it is up to the voter to know the names of write-in candidates when they enter the polling place. The Hartford Votes-Hartford Vota Coalition has provided a list of options:

In addition to the listed candidates for President,  it is possible to write-in Stephen Durham, James E. Harris, Tom Hoefling, Raymond Sizemore, Jill Stein, and Gerald Warner.

Stephen Durham is an openly gay candidate running with the Freedom Socialist Party; his running mate is feminist Christina López.

Tom Hoefling is an America’s Party candidate; this party believes that abortion and euthanasia violate the U.S. Constitution.

Jill Stein, Green Party candidate, is running with Cheri Honkala.

Individuals do not need to vote along party lines. For example, a registered Democrat can vote for a Libertarian candidate if he feels so inclined. Voters can also choose not to vote, either in general or for any position or question. Even if only one choice is provided for a particular seat, there is no obligation to cast a vote for that candidate. While this seems like commonsense, less informed voters are sometimes given misinformation by cheerleaders standing outside of polling places, and worse, by poll workers. Continue reading 'Hartford Voting Guide'»

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By Kerri Provost, October 26, 2012 4:06 pm

November 1

• “Livable Communities at All Ages”: Coralette Hannon from AARP will be the keynote speaker at this event; panelist speakers include Jim Finley of CT Conference of Municipalities, Julia Evans Starr of CT Commission on Aging, Nancy Roberts of CT Council for Philanthropy, and Dawn Lambert of Department of Social Services. This will take place from 9am-12:30pm in the Legislative Office Building.
• The Wadsworth Atheneum’s First Thursday party, Art After Hours, has a Moulin Rouge theme this month. After touring the Medieval to Monet exhibit, you can watch the Connecticut Ballet give a can-can demonstration. Bated Breath Theatre will perform, and, visitors can make their own tarot cards. The event goes from 5-8pm; $5 admission for those who are not museum members.

November 1-4

Free French Film Weekend: The Well Digger’s Daughter (La Fille du Puisatier), Children of Paradise (Les Enfants du Paradis), The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (La Passion de Jeanne D’Arc), The Princess Of Montpensier (La Princesse de Montpensier), Cyrano De Bergerac, Perfume: Story Of A Murderer, and Farewell, My Queen (Adieux à la Reine). These range from PG to R to NR and include films with subtitles, that are in English, and are silent. These are showing at the Wadsworth Atheneum.

November 2

RIDE: The Dirt Salon celebrates its one year anniversary with a group exhibition of contemporary art. Sculpture, video, painting, and yarn bombing to be displayed at 50 Bartholomew Avenue, 7:30pm.

November 3

• Free admission to museum galleries at the Connecticut Historical Society from 9-5. There will also be family programming and a gallery talk for the Tiny Art: Connecticut Poster Stamps exhibit.
• “Walk of Light” at Cedar Hill Cemetery. This is a sunset candlelight vigil for lost loved ones. There will be poetry and music. This starts at 5pm. Free.
• Echo & Drake will give a benefit show in Wilde Auditorium on the University of Hartford campus. Proceeds will go to the Hartford/Ocotal Sister City Project. The show starts at 7pm. Tickets can be obtained in advance.
• Día de los Muertos acoustic celebration at La Paloma Sabanera. Donna Gentile, “Rob the Drummer,” Justin Migliorisi, Angela Luna, and Dave Giardina will be performing. The audience is asked to dress festively and is invited to bring a candle or photos of ancestors for the altar. Suggested donation: $10; music starts at 7:30pm.

November 3 and 4

There will be high fashion in Parkville.

Fashion is wearable art, and you can come browse this exhibit of vintage and high end textile and jewelry for free. Pieces designed by Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, and Schiaparelli, among others, will be on display at 1429 Park Street, in the Design Center. This art can be bought; proceeds support the Wadsworth Atheneum. Saturday, 10-5. Sunday, 12-5. Continue reading 'November Events'»

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By Nichole Guerra, October 18, 2012 9:13 am

Candidates for state office discussed a range of pressing issues facing the city of Hartford this past Monday at a forum held at the Hartford Public Library. Some of the candidates were long-time veterans of political campaigning and public policy, while others were running for the first time. Generally, the issues remained consistent; however, more than once, the conversation turned to the topic of Connecticut’s tax structure and its disparate effect on cities like Hartford.

The forum, moderated by the Hartford Courant’s Tom Condon, highlighted that Hartford is over-reliant on property tax for revenue. Several factors play into this. As the Capitol city, Hartford has several public buildings that are exempt from paying the tax. As a result, the burden falls on businesses and homeowners. Furthermore, as an urban area, the city must provide for more publically funded services for residents on a greater scale than its non-metropolitan counterparts.

Every candidate present agreed that over-dependence on property tax amplified several of the city’s struggles, such as financing education, closing the achievement gap, and improving the climate of the city in terms of attracting businesses and jobs. While there was consensus that property taxes are an underlying structural problem, each candidate had a somewhat different solution. Continue reading 'Hartford’s Property Taxes in the 2012 Election'»

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By Kerri Provost, November 9, 2011 1:01 am

Early, unofficial results show the six endorsed Democrats (Anderson, Aponte, DeJesus, Kennedy, MacDonald, and Wooden) and three of the four running on the Working Families slate (Cotto, Deutsch, and Jennings) winning seats on Hartford’s City Council.

At the Red Rock Tavern, the Working Families Party celebrated their win. Followed by booming applause, Jennings said that the only Republican elected was Segarra. The Mayor ran as a Democrat, but had accepted the endorsement by the Republicans and was on the ballot for both parties.

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By Kerri Provost, November 1, 2011 8:25 am

It is not the job of the media to promote candidates.

Reporting on a candidate’s actions and quoting him verbatim should tell voters all that they really need to know about a politician’s qualifications and character.

On November 8th — between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. –  Hartford’s registered voters will have the opportunity to provide their own opinions about who they believe should hold office. Here is an image of a sample ballot, provided by Hartford Votes:

Image courtesy of Hartford VOTES

On this sample ballot, you can see where the instructions state to “vote for any six.” Sometimes this presents confusion. You do not need to vote for six City Council candidates. You can vote for zero, one, two, three, four, five, or six, but, you can not vote for more than six. The same holds true for Constables; you can vote any number up to, but not exceeding, four. If you want to just vote for Mayor, but for nothing else, you can do that as well.

We trust that Hartford voters will be making smart, informed decisions at the polls, and that they do not need a media outlet suggesting to them where their votes should go.

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By Kerri Provost, October 6, 2011 12:33 am

The Municipal Building a.k.a. City Hall

While some folks get themselves all worked up over Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, the average person can have the most impact in local politics; local politics also have the most immediate impact on us. If garbage is not removed on your street, you do not take the matter President Obama; you call 311 or complain to the City Council. Maybe you push for better funding of the Department of Public Works, or better management of it. And unlike top level national politicians, you actually have a good chance of being able to arrange a meeting with someone on City Council and sometimes the Mayor. At minimum, you can sign up and wait for a chance to air grievances at a Monday evening City Council meeting. In a city where so few people bother to vote, each person’s vote actually has a lot more weight to it than it would in a national election.

With all this in mind, another forum/debate for City Council candidates was endured on Wednesday evening. All candidates whose names will appear on the November ballot were invited to participate; those actually participating included: Kyle Anderson, Alex Aponte, Corey Brinson, Kevin Brookman, Luis Cotto, Joel Cruz, Raul DeJesus, Larry Deutsch, Cynthia Jennings, Ken Kennedy, David MacDonald, Sweets Wilson, rJo Winch, and Shawn Wooden. Republicans Gerry Pleasant and Michael Fryar were invited but did not attend. Ironically, Luis Cotto, a member of the Working Families Party, acknowledged and explained Fryar’s absence, stating that the candidate is working toward his Ph.D and could not get out of a midterm exam Wednesday evening; no Republicans mentioned their absent colleagues.

With fourteen candidates and roughly two hours, the audience could only get a small taste for what each person had to offer.

The best response to anything was when a misinformed resident accused the current City Council of voting for their own enormous raises. A yelling match ensued, as the resident refused to allow candidates to respond as they were entitled to by the event’s format. When Cotto, Deutsch, Kennedy, and Winch finally had the opportunity to respond, all explained, coherently and consistently, that the pay raise was put forth to the voters; Hartford residents were the ones who voted to increase their salaries. This was a strong showing that demonstrated the ability for at least some Democrats and Working Families Party members to work cooperatively.

The majority of the evening, however, was not spent with questions posed by the audience. Continue reading 'Who Wants to be a City Councilperson?'»