To the editor:

In their decision to endorse Rebecca Livengood for Ward 1 alderwoman, the Yale College Democrats have chosen a candidate out of touch with mainstream Democrats and Yale students as a whole. Livengood’s involvement with UOC and GESO render her unrepresentative of Democrats who value action and pragmatism over activism. In the meantime, her lack of independence from special interest politics is hurting Yale and New Haven. Her alignment with the Service Employers International Union has stalled the Cancer Center for over nine months. Not only will the Cancer Center deliver critical care to Connecticut citizens and facilitate life-saving research, it will also create over 1,000 new, permanent jobs in a city with 4,800 unemployed.

Unionization is a separate, on-going issue, and the Ward 1 alderman should not use the Cancer Center approval process as a political tool. While claiming to protect workers’ rights, Livengood supports a process denying their fundamental right to a secret ballot election. Impractical activism has never before had such serious health and economic consequences for New Haven.

This is still a race between two Democrats, and we look forward to representing mainstream Democrats and average Yale students.

Joshua Stern ’06

Sept. 27, 2005

The writer is field coordinator for Nick Shalek’s campaign.