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Urania Petit | Luis Cotto | Dr. Larry Deutsch |
Working Families candidates have been ENDORSED BY THE HARTFORD COURANT - 10/31 - Read the endorsement here.
Hartford Courant: Council Candidates Sound Off - 10/30
Most of the night was cordial, minus one shouting match between Urania Petit of the Working Families Party and Calixto Torres, an incumbent Democrat. The two were asked what can be done to solve the city's unusually high asthma rate.
Torres said the city council had already worked to respond to the issue, saying they had started to retrofit the city's school buses so the engines would emit less pollution.
Petit waited patiently for Torres to finish before launching into him, saying the city had been sitting on the money and done nothing to fix a single bus.
"Your answer sounds so sweet, but what you need to tell the people of Hartford is that we have the money to retrofit those buses," Petit said. "The money is just sitting there just because of petty politics. We need to do more."
Hartford Courant: Matthews Request Marshals at City Poll Sites (Election Notes) - 10/30
Two activist groups - the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and the Connecticut Citizen Action Group - have thrown their support behind the Working Families Party candidates for Hartford city council.
"Luis Cotto, Urania Petit and Larry Deutsch are not typical politicians. They are activists who are willing to fight for things like education, a healthy environment, and open, honest government," said Phil Sherwood, legislative director of CCAG. "For Hartford voters who are looking for new leadership who will fight for them, the Working Families candidates are the clear choice."
Hartford Courant: Perez Challengers Must Stir Things Up -- Or Lose (Bill Curry Column) - 10/28
The Working Families Party council candidates promise far more independence. The difference between mainstream Democrats and their progressive offshoots is less in what they say than in how much they mean it. Candidates Luis Cotto, Urania Petit and Larry Deutsche might not enact a living wage, but they'd be fine watchdogs for a city that will go on losing precious revenue to patronage until people demand better.
Hartford Courant: Meet Your Other Council Candidates - 10/27
Profiles of all the council candidates .
Hartford Courant: GOP in Bloomfield Takes a New Approach (election notes) - 10/23
Last week Lamont endorsed the Working Families Party candidates for Hartford city council - Luis Cotto, co-owner of La Paloma Sabanera coffeehouse; Urania Petit, a community activist; and Larry Deutsch, a pediatrician. All three supported Lamont in his bitter battle against Sen. Joseph Lieberman.
Lamont has also endorsed West Hartford council candidate Tim Brennan, and is scheduled to appear at a Brennan fund-raiser today.
Meanwhile, after touring what they described as some of Hartford's "most toxic" sites, Cotto, Petit and Deutsch have announced a "Healthy Hartford" proposal.
The Working Party candidates said they would oppose expansion of Hartford's trash incinerator, increase recycling of waste, retrofit city school buses to reduce emissions, offer preference to city contractors who use equipment with cleaner emissions, use safer chemicals to clean city buildings, retrofit city buildings for energy efficiency, provide resources to health clinics so they can expand their hours and push the state legislature to enact a statewide universal health care program.
"As a pediatrician working in schools and clinics around Hartford, I've seen the alarming number of cases of asthma, diabetes and other health problems in our city," Deutsch said. "I'm running for council to push for a healthier Hartford, where city public health services are active in ensuring a clean, healthy environment and quality health services for all of us, from birth through old age."
La Voz Hispana: Candidatos a Consejal del Partido "Familias Trabajadoras de Connecticut - 10/12
Hartford Courant: Campaigning Down Memory Lane - 10/9
"Luis Cotto, Urania Petit and Dr. Larry Deutsch, the three city council candidates from the Working Families Party, have persuaded more than 3,000 voters to sign up for their "Good Jobs" program.
The program is designed to increase the number of Hartford residents with meaningful, well-paid employment.
"When people have a job with decent wages and benefits, they can raise their families, be active at their children's school, shop at local businesses and still have time and money for a movie, a play or a concert," Petit said.
The party has suggested expanding the city's living wage law to more residents; enforcing local hiring laws more strictly to guarantee that more residents work in Hartford's construction jobs; establishing training and apprenticeship programs; and building a specialty high school to train students for jobs in construction."
Hartford Courant:
Hartford News:
It all comes down to Election Day. And if we work hard, we can bring a new independant voice to the Council.
Working Families candidates are the only independent candidates endorsed by the Hartford Courant!
Ned Lamont has endorsed the Luis, Urania and Larry!