Facing an electorate where Democrats hold a nine-to-one edge over Republicans in voter registration, Ward 18 Alder Ann Piscottano has decided to challenge incumbent Mayor John DeStefano Jr. in November's general election. If she beats the considerable odds, the 41-year-old mother of five would become New Haven's first Republican mayor in over 40 years.
The Yale Herald: What are some problems your campaign will address? Can you assess how Mayor DeStefano has handled them?
Ann Piscottano: I don't want to criticize the current administration because it's not part of my personality. I certainly don't want to be negative about him in order to be positive about myself; that's not what I'm trying to do. When we have a corporation counsel that we fund at $1.3 million, and then we have to hire one outside counsel at $700,000, I believe that's misused funding. We could have taken part of [the $700,000] and tried to give it back to people in tax dollars. We passed a contract for $467,000 for someone to come in and maintain City Hall. We have Local 287 - our custodians' union - and they're quite capable of keeping City Hall clean. They keep the rest of our city clean and they keep our schools clean, so why can't they keep City Hall clean? That $467,000 could have been given back to the taxpayers. I am opposed to privatization and Mayor DeStefano, with this contract, obviously is in support of it. Is that what we want to do to the people of New Haven?
YH: How do you plan to reach out to the voters and present your message to them when they're so overwhelmingly Democratic?
AP: I believe that the people of New Haven, although they may be Democratic, are becoming much more aware of the issues. I'm trying to set up meetings with community leaders, because if I sat here and told you that I know all the answers to problems in Dwight or Newhallville or the Hill, I'd be lying to you. I need to go out and hear from these people what their problems are and have them help me to find the solutions. When you see pictures of [the current administration,] it is always out shaking hands with businesspeople. The businesspeople don't vote for us; the businesspeople aren't who we need to support. We need to support the people who vote for us.
YH: Mayor DeStefano has already raised a considerable amount of money in his campaign. How do you plan to compensate for his relative financial strength?
AP: I don't think that the voters of New Haven can have their votes bought. He may have over $200,000 in his war chest; we've raised about $9,000 at this point, but we had to go out and work for that. I don't have the big contract getters of New Haven giving me $1,000 contributions. I didn't get a $1,000 contribution from someone last month, and then [give] them a large city contract. I would much rather not have the money and have to go out and knock on people's doors than have the money and have to owe anybody any type of contract. We're a grassroots effort and we're going to have to do a lot of door-knocking and rallying and just letting people know that I'm here. I have a big mouth and I'm going to use it. And you can quote me on that.
YH: What are your views on Yale-New Haven relations and Yale's role in the city in general?
AP: Yale is certainly a big part of New Haven. If we didn't have Yale here - and I'm not using this in a derogatory manner - we could probably be Bridgeport or Waterbury. I think Yale has been very supportive of New Haven and I welcome Yale [and its] students, but I don't always support Yale's issues. I have problems with Yale generating revenues that aren't taxed. If you're generating revenues, it should be taxable. I had a problem during Interconnect [Yale's plan to connect its power plants] because they talked about displacing members of Locals 34 and 35. They needed to keep their jobs. At this point, Yale doesn't have any history of paying taxes to New Haven. I truly support Yale being here - I have a nine-year-old who wants to go to Yale and I'm proud of that - but anything that generates revenue should be taxed. That's a discussion Yale and I will be having once my administration is in place.
YH: What effect, if any, do you think your candidacy will have on New Haven Republican politics in general?
AP: I believe that when I become mayor, people will see they have the opportunity of choice here in New Haven. It will offer people the opportunity to know that they no longer have to feel restricted to being a registered Democrat. It will open a whole new horizon for Republicans, or people who would like to be Republicans, or people who would like to be Independents. They'll know that they can do that without any fear.
YH: What will ultimately determine who is New Haven's mayor in 1996?
AP: The issues of the city of New Haven and an honest election. I truly believe that New Haven voters are smart voters, and that after the November elections, we'll see how smart they are and that my confidence in them will prevail.
Copyright 1995, The Yale Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
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