The road to economic recovery runs through our cities. Connecticut was at its best when we had vibrant urban centers. New Haven was a hotbed of innovation. Bridgeport was the arsenal of democracy. Hartford was the insurance capital of the world. Our cities brought prosperity and jobs to the whole state, and they will do so again.
Connecticut's future must start with our cities. They must be centers of entrepreneurship, where the best and brightest can innovate, start businesses, and create jobs. With livable, walkable downtowns, our cities can keep young people in Connecticut. As governor, I will lead the revival of our urban areas.
Nothing is more important to the future of our cities than the quality of our schools. I will pull together teachers and administrators, students and parents, and transform urban education from cradle to career. With some of Connecticut's youngest populations, our cities are raising the 21st century workforce. Our future depends on their success.
I will also stand up for local manufacturers--centered on our cities, they employ 170,000 and return millions to our urban communities. I will tackle high energy and health care costs and reach out to manufacturers to ensure my government is dialed into business needs now--and threats and opportunities in the future.
I will center the state's transportation strategy on our urban train and bus hubs--revitalizing our downtowns, liberating commuters from rush hour traffic, and creating thousands of jobs in the process.
As more people ride buses and trains, the areas near our transit hubs will become desirable places to live and work, just as neighborhoods near subway stops are in New York. I will capitalize on this by focusing state investments near transit and encouraging private investors to do the same.
So our cities can take advantage of these opportunities, I will make sure the state doesn't shortchange our urban centers. I will make full reimbursement of our cities' tax-exempt property a priority and provide ample funding to redevelop old industrial sites and turn blight into business.
Revitalizing our cities doesn't just mean bringing in new residents and outside investment, though: it also means creating growth from within. I will help parents in our cities get good jobs, build savings, and give their children the tools to succeed.
Ned's Plan to Renew Our Cities
Introduction
The road to economic recovery runs through our cities. Connecticut was at its best when we had vibrant urban centers. New Haven was a hotbed of innovation. Bridgeport was the arsenal of democracy. Hartford was the insurance capital of the world. Our cities brought prosperity and jobs to the whole state, and they will do so again.
Connecticut's future must start with our cities. They must be centers of entrepreneurship, where the best and brightest can innovate, start businesses, and create jobs. With livable, walkable downtowns full of museums and colleges, our cities can keep young people in Connecticut.
I will be a tireless advocate for our cities. For too long, Hartford has allowed them to fall by the wayside. That will end when I am governor. If you have visited New Haven recently, you have seen how strong leadership can turn around a city. Half a block from my campaign office, a block from the Green, and across the street from commuter rail rises a 32-story, 500-unit apartment building with a grocery store, LEED Platinum rating, and the future of Connecticut written on it.1
I will lead the revival of our cities. I will transform urban education, stand up for local manufacturers, focus transportation investments on our urban areas, reimburse cities for providing vital services, keep our cities safe, and help our families succeed. These initiatives, combined with my plan to get the state growing again and creating jobs, will make sure Connecticut's best days, for our towns and our cities, are still ahead.
Introduction
The road to economic recovery runs through our cities. Connecticut was at its best when we had vibrant urban centers. New Haven was a hotbed of innovation. Bridgeport was the arsenal of democracy. Hartford was the insurance capital of the world. Our cities brought prosperity and jobs to the whole state, and they will do so again.
Connecticut's future must start with our cities. They must be centers of entrepreneurship, where the best and brightest can innovate, start businesses, and create jobs. With livable, walkable downtowns full of museums and colleges, our cities can keep young people in Connecticut.
I will be a tireless advocate for our cities. For too long, Hartford has allowed them to fall by the wayside. That will end when I am governor. If you have visited New Haven recently, you have seen how strong leadership can turn around a city. Half a block from my campaign office, a block from the Green, and across the street from commuter rail rises a 32-story, 500-unit apartment building with a grocery store, LEED Platinum rating, and the future of Connecticut written on it.1
I will lead the revival of our cities. I will transform urban education, stand up for local manufacturers, focus transportation investments on our urban areas, reimburse cities for providing vital services, keep our cities safe, and help our families succeed. These initiatives, combined with my plan to get the state growing again and creating jobs, will make sure Connecticut's best days, for our towns and our cities, are still ahead.
Transform Urban Education
Nothing is more important to the future of our cities than the quality of our schools. Connecticut has the nation's largest achievement gap between rich and poor students,2 and it is because our urban schools are failing too many kids. This is unacceptable--not just for our cities, but for the state as a whole. With some of Connecticut's youngest populations, our cities are raising the 21st century workforce. Our future depends on their success.
As governor, I will pull together teachers and administrators, students and parents, and transform urban education from cradle to career.
* I will promote high-quality early education for low-income children, an investment that yields impressive returns by the time kids are in high school, and use rigorous assessments to ensure our investments pay off.
* I will spread across the state bold reform efforts like New Haven's, where a mayor and teachers union reached agreement on ways to link teacher and student performance, turn around failing schools, and help teachers excel.
* I will support vocational-technical schools and strengthen school-to-work programs, so more of our young people can start careers in the skilled trades. Rather than closing Wright Tech in Stamford, I will cement our commitment to vo-tech.
* I will ensure our community colleges and businesses work together on curricula and internships so students can land great jobs right after graduation. Our community colleges will be economic hubs where people of all ages can acquire the skills for better careers.
* I will create a full loan repayment program for students who attend state colleges and universities like CCSU in New Britain, study high-demand fields like renewable energy, and stay in state after graduation.
* I will put Connecticut on the cutting edge of President Obama's national effort to reform education, competing for and winning federal funding like Race to the Top that will help pay for the transformative changes we need.
Stand Up for Local Manufacturers
I refuse to give up on Connecticut manufacturers--centered on our cities, they employ 170,0003 and return millions to our urban communities. For years, the state has had no clear manufacturing strategy, and it shows--in the boarded-up factories of our major cities. As governor, I will stay committed to our manufacturers, up and down the Naugatuck Valley and east to west from New London to Bridgeport.
* I will tackle the sky-high electric rates burdening our manufacturers by encouraging energy efficiency that brings down prices, and I will halt the rapid growth of health costs by promoting smart prevention efforts, expanding electronic health records, and using the state's purchasing power to drive smart reform.
* I will reach out to manufacturers across the state and empower a network of ambassadors to do the same. These ambassadors, retired executives who know their industry inside and out, will ensure my government is dialed into business needs now--and threats and opportunities in the future.
* If I catch wind that a manufacturer is considering downsizing or moving out of state, I will dispatch a SWAT team of business leaders and economic development specialists to make certain Connecticut keeps those jobs.
Make Cities the Hubs of Our Transit Network
For too long, Connecticut's transportation policies have isolated our cities. We've sliced up our urban areas with elevated freeways designed to bring cars in and out as quickly as possible. How many commuters in Hartford never leave their garages and offices to walk on the streets? And how much time do commuters spend stuck in traffic on I-95? We've spent billions on freeways, yet they are still parking lots at 5:00 p.m.
As governor, I will center the state's transportation strategy on our urban train and bus hubs--revitalizing our downtowns, liberating commuters from rush hour traffic, and creating thousands of jobs in the process. To pay for the changes needed, I will get on the phone, get down to Washington, and get Connecticut back in the game for federal transportation dollars.
Step 1 will be to strengthen our rail network.
* I will build double tracks from New Haven to Springfield to reestablish frequent commuter service and lay the groundwork for an eventual high-speed line.
* I will upgrade the Waterbury branch and increase the frequency of trains to Derby, Naugatuck, Waterbury, and elsewhere along the line, bringing opportunity and jobs and supporting transit-oriented development.
* I will maintain increased service on Shoreline East, linking Groton-New London with the rest of Connecticut.
* I will equip train cars throughout the state with Wi-Fi, so travelers can stay connected and productive.
Step 2 will be to boost bus ridership.
* I will institute a "smart card" that riders can use statewide for bus and rail, making buses a more convenient extension of our rail network.
* I will fill in the missing links in our bus network, including a fast, frequent bus route between the revamped New Haven -- Springfield rail line and Bradley Airport.
Orient New Development around Transit
As more travelers ride buses and trains, the areas near our urban transit hubs will become desirable places to live and work, just as neighborhoods near subway stops are in New York. I will capitalize on this and encourage smart growth.
* I will require that all state construction and investment follow a comprehensive plan for transit-oriented development.
* I will encourage public/private partnerships to pay for urban transit investments. Train station improvements, for instance, raise the value of surrounding real estate: in exchange for state and local investments, private developers can put up part of the funding, allowing us to afford more improvements right now.
* I will focus state agencies on finding ways to make development projects happen, rather than recounting all the reasons they cannot. If a project is stalled, I will personally pick up the phone and clear roadblocks.
As we redevelop our downtowns, we must be sure our developments include affordable housing, a necessity if we are to keep recent college grads and young families in Connecticut. Statewide, home prices rose 62% from 2000 to 2008, but personal income rose only 39%.4
* I will provide incentives for new zoning for higher-density, more affordable housing under the HOME Connecticut program. Now is not the time to cut this successful initiative.
Reimburse Cities for Providing Vital Services
So our cities can take advantage of these opportunities, I will make sure the state doesn't shortchange our urban centers. Vast parts of our cities--47% of New Haven, for instance.5--are tax-exempt. Colleges, churches, hospitals--the amenities that draw people to our cities--do not pay property tax. At the same time, cities provide the bulk of affordable housing for our families, so they pay to educate thousands of our youngsters. We leave our cities a stack of bills and few options to pay them. The state picks up part of the tab, but it does not pay in full, or even close to that.
As a result, our cities face budget crunches in the best of times, not to mention times like these. Waterbury's property tax is about five times Greenwich's,6 driving away people and businesses.
* I will make full reimbursement of our cities' tax-exempt property, through so-called PILOT payments, a top budget priority. While we may not have the funds to do this right now, as the economy improves I will increase our commitment to cities.
Another burden cities bear are brownfields. Our cities' old mills and factories, which provided good middle-class jobs for entire regions, have left large swaths of land unfit for development. Over 400 acres of Bridgeport and Stratford, for instance, lie undeveloped where the Remington Arms Company used to test munitions.7 For cities with little free land and shrinking tax bases, every acre is crucial.
Moreover, these sites are often close to existing business centers and rail lines, highways, and ports. Instead of spending precious economic development dollars to locate businesses outside cities, swallowing valuable open space and grid-locking our roads, I will build on existing infrastructure in our cities.
* I will include an easy-to-use tool on a new, one-stop economic development website where developers can learn all they need about redeveloping brownfields; they will also get an advocate, not an adversary, who shepherds them through the process.
* I will provide ample funding for brownfield redevelopment to draw more investment to our cities and turn blight into business.
Keep Our Cities Safe
In order to revitalize our cities, we must make sure they are safe for our families. Over the last two decades, our cities have grown dramatically safer, with crime falling by half.8 As governor, I will build on this.
* I will get guns off our streets by creating a registry of the state's worst gun offenders and supporting the Connecticut Forensic Science Lab, which performs forensic investigations for the whole state.
* I will invest in prevention efforts, such as after-school and summer programs, that treat the problems, not the symptoms, and help kids avoid the criminal justice system altogether. Prevention pays: it costs nearly as much to send someone to prison as it does to send him to Yale.9
* I will work with our mayors to break the cycle of incarceration. That means helping the newly released get a job, find a home, and be good parents for their kids, rather than just dumping them in our cities with little or no support.
Help Our Families Succeed
Revitalizing our cities doesn't just mean bringing in new residents and outside investment; it also means creating growth from within. We must help parents in our cities give their children the tools to succeed.
* I will focus on providing affordable, high-quality childcare so every child in Connecticut gets a good start on life.
* I will build stronger families by supporting teen pregnancy prevention and promoting initiatives that help fathers develop parenting and job skills.
* I will implement a state earned income tax credit--something all of our neighboring states have done10--that reduces the tax burden on our most vulnerable families and increases their incentive to work. As well, I will expand eligibility to noncustodial fathers who make their child support payments to encourage responsible fatherhood.
We must also help families build prosperity--that starts with a good job and a bank account. Many families in urban areas do not have accounts, so they face exorbitant fees to cash paychecks and triple-digit interest rates to get tax refunds. At the same time, many industries face staff shortages, even in this recession.
* I will encourage more collaboration between labor, business, and the state's job training and placement programs to match strong candidates with employer needs. Shortsighted policies like cutting the licensed practical nurse (LPN) programs at our vocational schools would not happen under my watch.
* I will team with local banks to offer financial literacy training and first-time checking accounts with simple terms, low fees, and effective advertising so our families can begin to find firm financial footing. San Francisco pioneered this approach, and it is spreading across the nation.11
Conclusion
Our cities are primed and ready to succeed, but they have lacked an ally in Hartford. Starting day one of my administration, that will end. By investing in our urban areas--and in their residents--I will get our cities growing again. We can't do, or afford, it all at once, but after a few years, you'll see more cranes on our skylines, more businesses in our downtowns, more people on our city streets. Our cities will reclaim past prosperity and with them in the lead, so will Connecticut.