Hamden Candidate Profile: Laurie Sweet For Legislative Council

HAMDEN, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Hamden and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Hamden Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Laurie Sweet is running for Legislative Council At-Large as a Working Families Party candidate.

Are you running for office in Hamden? Contact Vinnie Salzo at vincent.salzo@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Hamden Patch.

Occupation:

Adjunct professor (2 years), birth doula (7 years), CT representative for Immigrant Families Together (1)

Education:

BA Classical Studies from Bryn Mawr College, MA History of Art from NYU, PhD Greek and Roman Art from the Ohio State University, CD (DONA)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:

n/a

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Our budget. Hamden spends more money than it makes and there is no long-term plan for our future. I am concerned about rising property taxes and unpaid pensions. The Council is tasked with fiscal responsibility and it's time that job is taken seriously. I also want to reprioritize spending to reflect our values. You can read more about us at www.caldwellandsweet.com or follow us www.facebook.com/caldwellandsw...

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Elected officials have created our current budget crisis and they have no plan to get us out of it. Further, our local government lacks transparency. For example, Rhonda Caldwell and I continually show up, asking our mayor, council members, and police commission for accountability regarding the April 2019 shooting of Stephanie and Paul. Our mayor and police commission refuse to address citizen complaints of police misconduct. Unfortunately, Hamden has a tendency to follow traditional practices and contracts, but not the town charter. If elected, I would work to include citizens in the details and processes of town business.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

I care deeply about all of Hamden, which is why I want to see equity in our public schools. Half our black and brown children are behind grade level in school, and yet, every year, the Board of Education asks for and receives more money. Our current budget includes a plan to add more police working as school resource officers to our schools instead of full-time nurses and more social workers. Police do not belong in our schools. Research has shown they perpetuate the school to prison pipeline without adding any safety benefit. I would also fight for magnet schools so that every child in Hamden has access to excellent education no matter their neighborhood.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I successfully founded and ran my own business for 7 years, Your Sweet Birth, which served expectant families all over Connecticut. For the last year, I have connected asylum seekers from central America and Cuba to local services. I am accustomed to responding quickly to the needs of working families. Since April, I have worked with New Haven and Hamden residents to promote police accountability at meetings around the city. Direct action works and I respect the people who show up and comment publicly. As an involved community member, I am confident that I am up for the challenge of being a Council member.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

have courage and be kind

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am not afraid to work hard. Rhonda and I have been campaigning daily for the last month. There are six at-large seats on the Council, but you only get 4 votes. Rhonda and I hope you will consider using 2 of your important votes to elect us. You will find our names on row C of your November 5th ballot. We are endorsed candidates of the Working Families Party (WFP, https://workingfamilies.org/states/connecticut/). Last year, WFP helped to pass paid family leave, the Trust Act to restrict collaboration with ICE, and to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour in Connecticut. I am prepared to work alongside fellow Council members to make improvements to a town I love while focusing on the needs of all Hamden families.