To the Editor:

Nick Shalek’s charge that Rebecca Livengood would jeopardize the future of the Yale-New Haven Hospital Cancer Center is misleading and irresponsible. In yesterday’s paper (“Shalek ’05 makes Ward 1 new goal”), Shalek stated that he feels “very strongly that Yale students wouldn’t want union politics to stand in the way of a project with such economic and health benefits.” Neither does Rebecca. Rebecca is thoroughly committed to the construction of a cancer center at Yale-New Haven Hospital. But she is also committed to ensuring that the medical care the facility provides is accessible to everyone in the city and that the jobs it creates are living wage jobs that assure workers’ rights. For workers who provide care to the sick not to be able to afford health care themselves would be outrageous. The cancer center project is too important not to do it right. The Board of Aldermen has the responsibility here, as with all major development projects, to ensure that the project takes place in a way that respects the needs of its neighbors. Rebecca recognizes that responsible development strengthens our economy and our community, and that all businesses should have to play by fair rules. And she looks forward to voting for a responsible plan for the cancer center’s construction — a plan that respects the values of affordable health care and housing, workers’ rights and environmental sustainability supported by the majority of our ward.

Amanda Elbogen ’07

Sept. 15, 2005

The writer is a member of Rebecca Livengood’s campaign.