New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker
Uninformed Tweed Expansion Cheerleader
Justin Elicker has repeatedly failed to listen and take seriously the health concerns of his own constituency -- New Haven residents of the annex, next to Tweed Airport.
When asked whether he planned to address the fact that people living near the airport are exposed to dangerous air pollutants connected with increased respiratory and cardiovascular disease, he responded, “Improving the economy in New Haven and increasing job opportunities for people will also improve health outcomes by allowing them more access to health care" (CT Examiner)
This response fails to understand that the health issues documented from Tweed pollution make it harder for people to work -- less likely that they will complete a college degree, less likely that they will work full time. In fact, childhood exposure to these pollutants are shown to reduce people's income by $1,000/year for the rest of their lives.
It's unclear which constituency Elicker thinks he represents...or why he thinks the best way to love New Haven is to make it easier to leave. Let's help remind him of his responsibility to the people of this fair city, and all the ways New Haven is already wonderful.
Campaign website: https://www.justinelicker.com/
Email: MayorElicker@newhavenct.gov
Phone: (203) 946-8200
State senator Christine Cohen
Oddly Absent for her Constituency
Christine Cohen is State Senator representing a part of East Haven that runs along Tweed airport (unnervingly, she does not even mention East Haven in her campaign website), Branford, north Branford, Guilford, Killingworth and Durham. She also Chairs the Senate Environment Committee.
On her campaign website, Cohen notes, "I founded the bipartisan Coastal Caucus, which has served to amplify the voices of coastal communities."
And yet, on the subject of the Tweed Airport Expansion, Cohen has remained oddly silent. She has not even spoken in favor of an FAA Environmental Impact Survey. Perhaps this is because of her close professional relationship with Sean Scanlon?
We're told that Cohen says she favors an EIS off the record, but she refuses to say it publicly. To which we ask, if you are supposed to represent us, what good does it do to harbor a silent wish for something where your voice is crucial?
Let's help remind Christine Cohen of her responsibility to her constituency:
Campaign website: https://www.senatorcohenct.com/
Phone: 860-240-0455
Email: She does not make it available the way other politicians do.
Comptroller Candidate Sean Scanlon
Incompetent or not-very-smart Tweed enabler?
Scanlon's campaign website says he's running for State Comptroller to "to look out for taxpayers and make Connecticut more affordable for families, workers and small businesses." And yet, his actions as Executive Director of the Tweed Airport Authority -- while service as State Representative to shoreline Guilford & Branford regions -- suggest that these goals could not be further from the truth.
As Executive Director at Tweed, Scanlon has presided over actions that reduce the value of people who have lived & paid taxes in CT for longer than he's been alive. He's enabling unnecessary pollution that will compromise the lifetime earnings of our future workforce -- children and their children.
He's also failing to comply with his responsibilities as state representative to Branford; enabling pollution of the beautiful shore that recently landed Branford a glowing write-up as a shoreline community in the New York Times. Branford's Conservation & Environment Commission recently detailed the damage his Tweed Airport activities are doing to our shoreline -- and, by extension, our economy as a shoreline community.
Strangely, Scanlon notes on his website that, "he secured a $100 million public-private partnership deal to expand the airport, brought in a new air carrier with non-stop flights to six destinations and created over 100 new community jobs," but we're told that AvPorts came to the city of New Haven with the expansion proposal in early 2019, before Scanlon took the role in October, 2019.
As someone who will be responsible for all of our money, we should also be concerned that Scanlon has repeatedly ignored East Haven Mayor Joseph Carfora's requests for additional information about Tweed. Carfora notes that the documentation provided to the FAA ahead of the Tweed Expansion are incomplete, and that his multiple formal requests, including one submitted through FOIA, have been unanswered.
Since Sean's win as Comptroller is all but assured, let's help him remember what his responsibilities are as the holder of our tax money:
Campaign website: https://www.seanforct.com/
Email: Sean.Scanlon@cga.ct.gov
Phone: (860) 240-0160, 1-800-842-8267