Platform, Patricia C Vener-Saavedra, Green Party Candidate for Mayor of Hamden, CT
Files Available for Your Reading: I have begun drilling down into the processes I feel we should implement in order to get working on the planks in my platform. If you are interested in the plans as I work them out, email me to request the relevant PDFs. The first PDF that ready for readers is my thoughts for ways we can get started on the Newhall Foundations Project. email me at Patricia4HamdenCT@gmail.org if you'd like me to email you a copy.
In the News: Read my interview with the New Haven Register's Austin Mirmina.
Every candidate for every office should have a platform that represents their principles and the priorities that relate to the office for which they are running. Here are mine.
- Repair and remediation of the failing foundations of homes in southern Hamden's Newhall neighborhood. It has been decades that these homes have been foundering, and that is decades too long. This is the highest priority on my list and I have already begun a preliminary plan of action. It is available for anyone's review upon request.
- Cut out the positions of Chief of Staff and Assistant Chief of Staff and replace these with a professionally trained Town Manager or Chief of Operations.
- Give myself a pay cut.
- Initiate a forensic audit of all Town finances followed by the creation of recurring processes for monthly financial statements and reports from all departments to be sent to both the Legislative Council, the Mayor's office, and the Town Manger, as well as be publicly (and easily) accessible on the Town website.
First Priorities:
- Introduce recommendations made by Michael Milone in his 27 July 2025 presentation to the Legislative Council - with only a few modifications.
- Introduce recurring meetings with department heads and also with department staff and encourage interdepartmental meetings, as well. My goal is to introduce a cooperative style government where everyone has a voice and, in the near future, a vote, in how their departments are run. After all, the staff doing the work will have first hand knowledge of their departments.
- Encourage the Legislative Council to review the suggested ordinances in our Charter and consider implementing some of them.
- Review what is working for us and what is not. For example, several properties such as the ice rink, Laurel Woods, High Meadows. These are all examples of things that have been up in the air for far too long.
- Introduce more opportunities for residents' voices to be heard and thoughtfully considered. We can have surveys and referendums and I would encourage these.
- Insist that both the police and the public treat each other with respect and compassion. There will be no cooperation with ICE raids. I further propose to add systems to ensure police officers are mentally as well as physically prepared for their job. Annual mental health checks, if not already mandatory should be required.
Government Operations:
- Encourage cooperative business opportunities as we determine what kind of town (city, really given our size) we want to be. We already have the start of a wonderful collection of restaurants. These can play a huge role in this self-definition. As can the farms in our area and so forth. What kinds of industries do we want to engage with?
- Investigate and encourage a shift from absentee landlords to cooperative, resident managed apartment/home complexes.
- Enhance our Farmers Market so that SNAP/EBT are accepted and there is both variety and spice!
- Encourage climate resposibility. I envision the various commissions that already exist with interest in this will have thoughts and ideas to share.
- Encourage our diverse communities to engage peacefully with each other.
- Encourage the BoE to investigate Structured Word Inquiry as an adjunct to the school system's classroom toolbox. (With this method anyone can be taught to read English. It is, as one professional told me, the science of reading English and understanding its rules.)
Economic Development and Community Welfare:
The egalitarian ideal of one person, one share, one vote is possible not only in business but in other aspects of life and human relationships and it is my goal to encourage even town governments to embrace and strive for this ideal. This does not mean that there are no leaders. Rather that leaders are part of the cooperative and everyone has a voice in those choices. Thus I also want to work toward a relationship with the Legislative Council that is less confrontational and more collaborational. We have a Charter and it has suggested ordinances that the LC should be considering.
I have no doubt that this list will be enlarged. Please stay tuned.