This will be cross-posted and modified slightly for the collaborative news blog that I write for, Undercurrents.

Disclaimer: this is a very long piece of writing. But I sat in a hot and noisy room for over two hours of my life, and I am not letting that be all for nothing. I suggest that you read in small increments, and whenever the politics makes you feel like vomiting, mark your place and return later.

Rude People Flock Together

I have heard that hell is other people, but really, hell is being in a crowded room full of Eddie Perez’s people. Before that is misinterpreted as me hating on Hispanics or something, let me explain.

The Mayoral Candidates Forum held tonight showcased the rude and disrespectful behavior of many Perez supporters. Certainly, most in attendance understood how to behave in public places—clapping politely, cheering when appropriate, and showing a sense of decorum. But far too many were making loud, obnoxious comments while other candidates were speaking. There also seemed to be a cluster of anti-Art Feltman people in the audience who, though not timekeepers, called out “time” when he spoke past his alloted 30 seconds (or whatever the case was at time). They did not do this when the other candidates went over time, as all did at some point during the evening. You should not have to try to win an election by having your supporters act like bad sports and spoiled children.

The Forum

I was able to get one of the few remaining parking spots at the Hartford Public Library before 5:30. Waiting for the event to start, I overheard an audience member refer back to the development discussion from a few weeks back. He said there were a lot of “chamber types” there who were “delusional.” The crowd that night was mostly suits. Tonight, it was more of a mix, but I noticed many elderly people there. Also spotted in the audience: WFSB, Evelyn Mantilla, Luis Cotto, and Elizabeth Horton Sheff.

Most of the program consisted of each candidate responding in three minutes or less to two planned questions. Later, questions submitted by audience members and approved by Tom Condon, the moderator, were given one candidate’s two minute response, followed by other candidate’s 30 second responses. Time constraints only reinforce this soundbite culture we have that, in turn, encourages people to expect very swift solutions to problems. Before starting, the Reverend Patrice Smith was the first to sit down, and was the only one who appeared to spend time reviewing her notes.

Vision

The mayoral candidates in attendance were: Frank Barrows, Rev. Patrice Smith, Raul De Jesus, Eddie Perez, Art Feltman, Minnie Gonzalez, I. Charles Mathews, and Stan McCauley. The panel was first asked to describe their vision for Hartford.

Minnie Gonzalez, who seemed very unprepared and at a loss for words most of the evening, said that she would like to see a “better and safer Hartford.” For her, this would include “safer schools and safer parks.” All fine ideas, but she seemed to have spent little time preparing to articulate this vision or any other plan. It was almost like she was there only to piss off Perez. I can’t fault her for that.

Frank Barrows, in one of the many nostalgic speeches given by candidates, spoke of a time when Hartford was a wealthy city. He said that “you have to know the past of the city” and that the “only way we gonna have a future in this city[…is if we] reduce crime rate and perception of crime.” To put it bluntly, he said, “some third world countries do better than we do in this city.”

Stan McCauley, the Republican, in one of the many self-described politically incorrect statements he would make, claimed that his “vision shouldn’t be that much different from [that of the] people sitting in [this] room […and that the mayor would] need to listen to people in Hartford.” In another act of bravery, he explained how right now, those in power are listening to the suburbs’ vision for the city, but are ignoring what Hartford residents envision for it.

Rev. Smith preached. I have never quite seen someone so possessed with spirit as I did when she spoke. That was one of the things that I think might be overlooked because of the ill-mannered audience members’ antics—many of the candidates, qualified or not, were really speaking from the gut, and not from some rehearsed string of soundbites created for them by a public relations expert. Smith’s vision for Hartford involved peace and God. She was primarily concerned with violence in the city, and said, “I’m not afraid to go anywhere. […] We talk a big game […We got the money, but] We’re not using our money in the right place.”

Raul De Jesus was the first candidate to actually stand up and get animated. Like Smith, he may not be the most qualified, but he had the unquestionable enthusiasm for the position. He gave information on his background, of growing up poor in Charter Oak Terrace. He said that what we need in Hartford is not for cops to solve the problems for us. Instead, he was advocating for community policing.

Predictably, Perez took the “I want the job again because the job is not finished” approach, to be expected from any incumbent. Perhaps he misspoke, but the mayor said that originally he “wanted the job because [he] had the qualification for the job.” Umm…I’m qualified to be a waiter and a mother, but that alone is not sufficient reason for why I would want a job. Anyway, he bragged about how he “saw construction of 2100 housing units” since becoming mayor.

Art Feltman countered this with some statistics. Maybe it was the hard evidence that earned him a devoted committee of hecklers. He suggested that while there have been more new housing units, there have also been a high number of foreclosures during the same period—a number that essentially cancels out the one Perez was talking about. As for vision, Feltman said he’d like to see Hartford as “an exciting […] comeback city.”

The final candidate to speak on the question of vision was I. Charles Mathews, who said that he’d “rather talk about a shared vision” than of his personal vision. He mentioned how this would “need to include all voices, all neighborhoods.” In what one hopes is not just talk, he said that there is a need for “honesty in government.”

Serious Problems

In the second planned part of the evening, all candidates were asked what the one most serious problem is that they would tackle. McCauley, after some strange dramatic delay, replied, “my department heads.” He then explained how he would basically call on all of them to defend their jobs. He announced that there are a lot of “obstructionists around in Hartford. I am here to move them out of the way.” It’s always nice to hear plans for housecleaning. Remember when Rell first came up and kicked out a lot of the corrupt employees? And then remember when she began to get tangled up in some of it? Power doesn’t have to corrupt.

Gonzalez said education and public safety. Very repetitive, general remarks not worth quoting.

Mathews pointed out the obvious that “all these problems are interrelated” and that he would “have to attack root causes of crime.” In another comment, that might have been directed at a certain individual, he said that “as mayor, you have to work on more than one issue. You have to multitask.” Speaking of cryptic, De Jesus, God bless him, said, “sort out the grains to make it pure.” Are we talking about starting a microbrewery or something? Well, I’m guessing this was the metaphor for what he talked about next—cleaning house. Very raw, real, and earnest, he said that he “believe[s] in the city and [has] no doubt in the city.”

But if things couldn’t get any weirder, Rev. Smith stood up and took care of the hecklers who were making commented so loudly from the back of the room that she could hear them up front. She said, “I’m not gonna talk about it. I’m gonna be about it.” “Where is the community?” “You ain’t gonna do nothin’ without God.” Her demand for respect made me consider throwing out that separation of church and state thing. If this woman could challenge rude people straight up, then maybe she’s on to something.

Feltman’s biggest challenge would be getting the resources [money? people?] to get things done, but did the slick thing of turning this around by explaining how he has experience in doing just that, having served six terms in the state legislature. He also spent some time explaining how the “80 new police officers” is fiction, and in the budget report, was actually a “misprint.”

Barrows repeated the call for housecleaning. He also said that he would work with the surrounding towns to deal with crime. He mentioned stings and stopping cars coming into the city, making it so that criminals don’t want to come to Hartford.

Various Answers to Selected Questions from Audience Members

Rev. Smith earns the award for Ovaries of Steel for saying: “I go to drug dealers, to people who carry guns, and ask them to put their guns down. […] Until we stop being fearful…the violence is not going to cease.” Later, when talking about jobs, she said that there are a lot of jobs in Hartford. It’s just that it’s not Hartford residents who are getting them.

Art Feltman, who was the best prepared but had trouble expressing himself within the time constraints (and I’m sure the hecklers didn’t help), did leave a positive impression for occasionally stepping outside of prepared responses, especially when, after following Smith, suggested that we “need to have more reverence for life in the city [and that] maybe spending more time in church is part of the answer.”

There was also a quick lesson in why clarifying statements is so vital. Mathews made a comment which I thought I’d heard wrong, but had in fact heard correctly; however, I had misinterpreted his statement. He said that he would look at the police department and issue like deployment. I’d assumed he meant that the HPD was suffering because of officers being deployed to Iraq. Wrong. He really just meant how they were being deployed, or dispatched, on the job. And there I thought he’d made this great anti-war statement. He still got some applause when he blasted the misplaced energy in Hartford. Rather than investing everything downtown, he said, “we have to invest in people…and our neighborhoods.”

De Jesus got passionate about funding the arts, encouraging people to spend their money in Hartford instead of “Miami,” and in getting more people employed. The latter was in response to the question of what he would do to address gun violence, to which he said it shouldn’t even get that far. He equated employment opportunities with crime reduction.

Barrows was only partially being serious, I think, when he suggested that to stop gun violence we “stop making guns.” Amen, amen. He echoed a concern that Mathews had, which was both crime and the perception of crime. Gonzalez, who again had good ideas, but not always the best ability to express them, did manage to say that to stop the revolving door of prison, people need jobs. This jobs for ex-offenders sentiment was also expressed by Feltman. Gonzalez echoed the need to get more jobs for Hartford residents and to allot more resources to transportation. In another comment aimed at the current administration, she promised “no back rooms deals.”

Finally, McCauley explained that to curb gun violence, we must “take away the underground economy that supports all of this.” Surprisingly, there were few (if any) mentions of drugs all evening. To deal with employment issues, he said that he felt the government should stimulate culture where jobs could be created, but that it was not the government’s place to actually create these jobs. At one point, the Republican commented on how Bush has been messing things up. As for transportation, while other candidates said they’d work on it, he basically asked “What transportation problem?” noting that Hartford is geographically small, walkable, and in no way needs a subway system.

VERDICT: Perez needs to go. I don’t know how Gonzalez has stayed in politics this long. Smith doesn’t have a shot. De Jesus, unfairly, has his lack of age working against him. As for the others, who knows? McCauley had the most interesting responses.

The forum was aired live last night, and usually the HPL puts audio from these events on their website. If you think this is an inaccurate account, then listen to those. The Courant also ran a piece today (Wed.) on the event. IonHartford has an equally long write-up there, but takes it from a slightly different angle. CT News Junkie and Liveable Hartford also have good coverage.