A new Hartford Courant/University of Connecticut poll released this morning shows that most people in Connecticut are satisfied with the way things are going in the state, but that there is concern about jobs and economic growth.
Gov. Rell's approval ratings are still quite high. 73% of respondents rate her as either "excellent" or "good." This is consistent with earlier Quinnipiac and SurveyUSA polling.
Her Democratic opponents continue to suffer from a lack of name recognition, although this will certainly change as the campaign generates more news coverage over the coming year. Rell would easily defeat both Democrats by 40% or more.
In other good news for the Rell campaign, 63% of respondents think that Connecticut is headed in the right direction.
There is some good news for Democrats, here. A wide majority of respondents say that jobs and the economy are the number one issues for them in the upcoming gubernatorial campaign. Both Democratic candidates are strong in this area, while Rell is percieved to be weak. Issues where Rell is strong, such as campaign finance reform and ethics in government, are rated lower.
There is little new or surprising in this poll, although it will probably help to cement the Democratic tactic of attacking Rell on the economic front.
Read the full poll here.
13 comments:
Other than having the Fortune 500 and Yale already inside the city limits, why are the Dem candidates good on jobs?
Right now DeStefano is busy keeping Y-NH from expanding. The only think I see on his agenda is making "Look for the Union Label" the state song.
I believe the poll bodes well for the Democrats. Everyone knows Rell. They know she isn't John Rowland. She has little upside and as people start focusing on Connecticut being last in job growth, she will have lots of downside.
The Y-NH issue actually reflects a strength of Mayor DeStefano. We need leaders that are willing to look at all sides of an issue, the developers side, the union side, the community side, and not simply rubber stamp the developers requests.
The issues in New London have demonstrated what happens when politicians fail to do their job and simply rubber stamp a developers plans.
We need smart growth in Connecticut. That doesn't mean new convention centers, sports stadiums. It doesn't mean rubber stamping what appears on the surface to be a good idea without doing the due diligence to make sure it is a good idea that will be well executed.
Mayor DeStefano is the sort of leader that is willing to take hard looks at all development to make sure that it really works out to be the best for the people of this state.
A cancer center is New Haven is smart growth, it will provide hundreds of jobs in the construction trades to build and more when it opens, without impacting New Haven's taxpayers.
Before taking issue with New London's development efforts, New Haven should review it's own proposed development of the Long Warf Mall.
Aldon, get it straight. We're not talking about DEVELOPMENT, we're talking about a cancer center, one of only 38 in the nation. This is not a proposal by a DEVELOPER, but by our local hospital and our local medical school. The city and the Mayor should jump on the chance to have the cancer center in New Haven. Instead, the Mayor is afraid to anger the union and its supporters by continuing to tie the union issue to the issue of the cancer center. This is a good idea that will be well executed, otherwise the NIH wouldn't have given YNNH this honor and distinction.
DeStefano's CT; Contributions > Chemotherapy
A cancer center in New Haven is smart growth, if it is done smartly. To suggest that the Mayor does not want this growth is working to prevent it or that the growth isn’t ‘development’ simply isn’t true.
There are a lot of issues involved with this. To quote Y-NH, “In addition to the cancer center, the hospital is proposing the development of a 1,343-space, mixed-used parking structure location along the Route 34 corridor and a new medical office building located on Park Street. The parking structure would contain shops and offices. The Park Street Building would provide a loading dock that would remove a significant amount of truck traffic off local streets.”
Also, in a Y-NH press release, Joseph A. Zaccagnino, president and CEO of Yale-New Haven Hospital “emphasized that the Cancer Center is the largest economic development project ever proposed in New Haven.”
There are vast implications to the city and the surrounding area. Various groups, beyond just unions are expressing concerns that this project be done right. The development project requires special changes to zoning. These changes need to be fully understood and discussed. It is irresponsible to simply dismiss the need for deliberation and hearings, whether you are doing it in New London or in New Haven. Rubber stamping “the largest economic development project ever proposed in New Haven” is a bad idea.
For those of you stuck on the labor component, I would also encourage you to read the article in the Yale Daily News about some of the zoning issues.
We all want a cancer center built in New Haven that all of us in the city and the state can be proud of. This will only happen if all parties are willing to sit at the table and negotiate. Mayor DeStefano is working hard to get everyone talking. Those from Y-NH, the unions, and community groups that over simply their opponents views are doing a disservice to themselves and their community.
Aldon,
Just so we can have a little policy discussion around here from time to time, I've had trouble finding examples of specific economic and tax legislation that Mayor DeStefano would propose if elected. How, for example, should property taxes be restructured? How would he convince reluctant Democrats (and there are many) to go along with it?
And what about regionalism? I keep hearing a low buzz about it, and I keep hearing that that's one of his ideas, but is there something more concrete you can tell us about his plans?
DeStefano's propoasl to reso;ve the impasse over the cancer center seems to little to do with zoning and more to do with orangizing labor at the hospital.
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/HealthCare/archives/2005/11/destefano_we_ca.html
What neighborhoods? Legion Avenue was demolished by Dick Lee years ago and much of the property surrounding the hospital is commercial or mulit-story apartments.
Using the city's zoning process and delaying the center, as a backdoor to press for organizing labor concessions, is costing local people good jobs now and cancer treatment options later.
I doubt it benefits DeStefano's image outside of a small labor block.
Traffic congestion a concern for DeStefano...they guy who's delayed the Q Bridge replacement? the guy who wants to tear down Route 34 (and impede access to the hospitals) so he can sell state land in the ROW to real estate developers?
Please
Actually, Yale U and YNH Hospital already have a cancer center, and have for 30 years or so. It's more of a debate over a new building and future growth. I'm sure a lot of people who read this blog wouldn't know it (you wouldn't unless you lived here), but there really are neighborhoods right on either side of the hospital, and houses have been torn down over and over again through the years to make way for similar expansions as this one. So it's no wonder that people are a little suspicious about the project.
That said, I think it's pretty clear to DeStefano that it's important to find a way for this expansion to work, and my hunch is you'll see everyone all smiles at some point in the next two months.
Is it blatantly obvious to anyone else that DeanFan84 works for DeStefano?
DeStefano will make Howard Dean look like Zell Miller
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