Zoppo's speech to the Democratic Town Committee

Here's what city Councilor Ellen Zoppo told the Democrats in announcing her mayoral bid:

History is part of the fabric sewn into our lives.
I think about my great-great grandfather James Tracy, who came from Ireland in the 1850s and along with other Irish immigrants, threatened to strike at the copper mines unless the workers were allowed attend Mass on Sunday. He went on to have 8 children, and opened a corner store on upper North Main St., where he was working in 1915 when he suffered a stroke and died.
I think about my Italian grandfather, Archangelo, who couldn’t speak English when he came to America and enlisted to fight in World War 1 in order to become a naturalized citizen. He eventually returned to Italy and brought his pregnant wife, his sister and her children, and other relatives to America in 1929. In Bristol they pursued the American Dream during the Great depression with Archangelo working at many of the factories that lined North Main Street, eventually opening a shoe repair shop on the bottom of the brick tenement building on North Main Street where they lived.
Today, I serve on the City Council representing the North Main Street neighborhood that began my family’s story in Bristol.
Why is this relevant?
For a couple of reasons. Its important to know where a person comes from to know where they are going, and where they might lead you.
And second, North Main Street is the perfect example of how much Bristol has changed, and also what the challenges are going to be for the future.
Let’s talk about the brick tenements that lined upper North Main Street, home to waves of immigrants that came here to work in the factories. Children walked home from school, relatives lived near each other, and if you ran out of a grocery item, you walked to the corner store.
Neighborhood Schools.
Owner-occupied multi-family housing with built-in family support networks.
Corner Stores.
Bingham School, known as the North Side School when it was built in 1916, is slated to close.
Absentee landlords have a tight grip on our neighborhoods.
There are no corner stores.
Some of the factories still stand, some obsolete, others have been renovated for other uses.
So what is the future of North Main Street?
Some things have not changed – it’s a major thoroughfare. At one time thousands of people walked the street each day to go to Ingraham, Horton, New Departure, American Silver and other factories that provided jobs and stability for families. There were social outings, company stores, and sports teams.
Today, thousands of people drive down North Main Street to reach the government center or to the dozens of professional and medical offices that now occupy the former New Departure Administration building.
The streetscape project has given new life to North Main Street. The beautification project has now created a gateway, as well as a stage to showcase community events. With the millions of ball bearings that were made on North Main Street, and which contributed to Bristol’s connection to General Motors, I find it nostalgic to a degree that one of the most popular events on the new North Main Street is the Auto Club car shows. I wonder how many of these cars we see and admire have ND ball bearings in them?
Author John Kotter wrote "Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there. They cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there."
Ever since I heard this quote, I have been struck by how much it fit with my vision of what Bristol could be, from what it was at the age of the industrial revolution.
All along I have said that I had an obligation to complete the projects I am involved in before turning my attention to elections. To me, the knowledge that projects are finished, funded or substantially complete is more important than my political plans. I did not want to be advocating for these projects and have my name be followed by the ever-present comma and phrase "who is running for Mayor." The projects were too important to be compromised in that way.
Earlier tonight we approved the budget for next year, which represents the future. And tonight, I have made the decision to seek the Democratic nomination for mayor, and I ask for your support.
So now the work begins. The first question is…
What is our Democratic Agenda?I believe in the New Deal philosophy that government is an instrument for improving people’s lives. I believe we need a Call to Action and that its time to get it right.
I believe that strong communities build strong neighborhoods, strong families and a positive quality of life, and that investing in these issues will pay dividends. Not investing in these issues will create more problems that require even more money to solve.
And I believe we have seen a failure in leadership to deal with these issues.
Leadership is needed to focus on completing projects, and new projects need to be evaluated for financial impact and long-term benefits. I have been involved in many projects over the last few years of which I am very proud:
The investment we have made in the new state-of-the-art library, which came in on time and under budget last year.
The commitment we have made to fully funding education and targeting student achievement
I am proud of the work done to finish the work of the Roberts Property Committee since the city purchased the property in 2001, and all the people who passionately participated in the process of discussing the merits and deficiencies of that plan.
I am proud of the commitment we have made to refocusing the Public Works budget on investing in our infrastructure after years of neglect, as well as the infusion of new equipment and safety upgrades that took place at the Fire department under my watch.
I am proud of the work that the Park Revitalization panel has done this past year to push the City to begin restoring Rockwell Park to its former glory, as well as the revitalization of Brackett and Stocks.
I am proud of the work we have done to establish an effective code enforcement program over the last five years, which has departments working together and sharing information, which is paying big dividends to cracking down on blight, nuisance issues and building code violations. Coordinating the efforts of 12 different departments has been a delicate and labor-intensive process but seeing the Code team activated and at work, as it has been over the last several months, has made it all worthwhile.
I am proud of the reorganization of the community promotions and tourism piece that I spearheaded that now provides competitive grant funding for our assets and attractions, which in turn bring people to town that shop and dine here.
From the Library Building Committee to the informal group of city employees that meet monthly to work on code enforcement issues, to the citizens who were instrumental in developing the park and Roberts Property plans, I am especially proud of the positive working relationships that I have created to get things done.
If these are the projects and initiatives that qualify me as "someone who likes to spend money on big ticket projects," then I plead guilty, with a clear conscience. These are projects that this community deserves, and it is a record in which we Democrats should take pride.
The alternative, not investing in all of these areas, is not an option for me and brings us back to John Kotter.
"Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there. They cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there."
I think back to the era of Albert Rockwell, Charles Treadway, Edward Ingraham, and the first Wallace Barnes and I marvel at what this group of industrialists did for Bristol, from their philanthropic gifts to the formation of the Board of Finance, the Fire Dept and the Water Department, and Memorial Boulevard, to name a few. They did sacrifice, they had convictions and they created a foundation of prosperity that made Bristol what it is today. Our role is to honor that legacy as well as show leadership for the future.
Tonight, here are three themes that I want to touch on briefly.
I want people to have faith and confidence in the ethical standards of their elected officials. In keeping with my past campaigns, I will again state on the record that I will neither solicit nor accept campaign contributions from city department heads or any individual or company doing business with the city. Maintaining the ethics standard is an essential component of leadership.
My professional experience gained in 15 years of working in the Chamber of Commerce setting will be an asset in dealing with the most important issue we will be facing: responsible economic development that includes resolution of the Mall issue, completion of the industrial park as well as promoting an aggressive plan for business recruitment and business retention, as well as a one-stop shopping function for businesses who are looking to expand and relocate. Economic Development should be the Number One priority of the Mayor’s office.
My educational background with a Bachelors Degree from Providence College and a Masters Degree in Public Administration is an asset in evaluating how government works and how we can do it better. The Task Force on Government Efficiency I chaired identified several areas where cost saving and efficiencies were realized, as well as relied on employee input as to how we can make government work better.
To that end, I believe its time to re-examine the City Charter that was adopted in 1913 and move to a city manager form of government. My masters program at UCONN trains people to become government administrators and city managers and I have worked with some of the best. I think I am best qualified to lead this discussion and identify whether it is in Bristol’s best interests to move in this direction over the next few years.
A friend was aghast that I would decide to run for Mayor and in essence promote an agenda that would result in the elimination of the job as it is currently structured. Again, this falls into the Kotter philosophy of leadership. Sometimes sacrifices must be made.
Lee Iacocca recently wrote a book called "Where have all the leaders gone?" in which he defines characteristics of leadership…..
-Curiosity – to step outside your comfort zone and hear different ideas
-Creativity – to think outside the box. Leadership is about effectively managing change
-Conviction – to have the passion for getting the job done.
-Courage – taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes
-Charisma – inspire confidence so people trust and follow you.
-Competence – assembling and surrounding yourself with the best team
These will be the guiding forces on the roadmap to success for the Democratic Party this November. One of the biggest disappointments that I have encountered over the last 18 months is the lack of teamwork to tackle city issues. I don’t think the mayor has served the city well by attempting to keep all of the issues and decision in his office. The spirit of bipartisanship that the majority of us offered to him in 2005 was real. The fact that he spurned our efforts to be partners in policy and chose instead to go it alone has resulted in failed policies, missed opportunities and wasted time.
We have lost our compass and spend way too much time playing the blame game. Instead, we need to focus on responsibility, accountability, and community spirit.
Having served under three mayors in my three terms on the Council I can promise you that I have seen the best and the worst of management styles and will be working hand in hand with members of the City Council and department heads to get things done.
I look forward to receiving endorsement at the July meeting. I would like to thank everyone for their support to date and am enthusiastic about having a positive debate of issues. I do not think anyone benefits from a negative campaign and I have adopted the Bingham School oath that prompts the students to ask the following questions before taking an action "Is it necessary? Is it kind? Is it right?"
And now its time for you to hear from some of the other members of the team we have put together for this election cycle. Please allow me to introduce four people who will be critical to our success in November. Their roots, their personal experiences and their commitment to being a part of the solution for Bristol will be important threads in the fabric of the teamwork we need to win.