DareToStruggleCT
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Democrats Run New Britain for the First Time in 12 Years, But What Will Actually Change?

Some people see Bobby Sanchez’s win as a sign of change to come and are cautiously hopeful. Many forget that nothing fundamentally changed the last time a “blue wave” swept across America in 2020. We can’t say for certain what will happen over the next 2 years from this local election, but we highly doubt this blue wave in New Britain will resolve any of the injustices people in the city face. Most of our political work takes place in New Britain,​​​​​​​ so we think its important to explain why with the following questions and analysis.

When Will you add public bathrooms downtown?

Currently under your administration, homeless people get tickets and are arrested when caught urinating in public when they can’t find a public bathroom. In a recent article from CTInsider, you stated that you wanted to set up a restroom in downtown. When will this happen and will it be open 24/7?

Will you get rid of the $99 Loitering and panhandling tickets?

Back in the winter of 2024, after meeting with us and a few homeless people, we asked former alderwoman Lori McAdam to get rid of these ordinances that ticket people $99 for loitering or “aggressive” panhandling. Some homeless people reported to us that they would eventually get arrested after a certain number of tickets were given out, either for missing court or not being able to pay the $99 fine. NBPD officers give out these tickets, deciding for themselves what counts as “loitering.” Usually the deciding factor for them is whether someone looks poor or homeless. 1 out of every 10 people who were arrested by NBPD in August 2025 were experiencing homelessness, the overwhelming majority for nonviolent offenses such as trespassing or disorderly conduct.

The motion from McAdam should have aimed to get rid of the fines entirely, but to make it more “likely to pass” the motion only lowered the fines instead. The motion also changed the language on the loitering ordinance to omit people who are ”sitting, standing, eating, consuming non-alcoholic beverages, sleeping, conversing, praying and/or reading in public places, parks and sidewalks”. The issue is that it’s common for homeless people to drink, using alcohol to cope with being outside, self-medicate, or to keep themselves warm (even if it’s temporary). So the change still puts a target on homeless people.

Despite watering down the motion for the city council meeting on February 28th 2024, other politicians on both sides and business owners mobilized to oppose any challenge to these ordinances. It should be noted that any panhandling or loitering “incidents” business owners referenced to show why this ordinance is necessary happened after the ordinances were implemented in April 2016. This proves that these ordinances don’t actually stop aggressive panhandling or loitering. In reality all they do is enable the harassment of homeless people.

From what was observed at that meeting, other Democrats did not take a firm stand with McAdam. In the end, the council tabled the watered down motion and never discussed it again.  Even if it had passed the common council, then-Mayor Erin Stewart would’ve vetoed it.

Today, New Britain has a Democratic mayor and a Democratic majority in the common council. The “blue wave” means y’all now face no political opposition in the city and are free to remove the ordinances immediately. So will you?

What are you going to do about the benches removed around New Britain, like behind 85 Arch Street and recently by TD bank?

These were places homeless people and locals would sit and hang out at, but the city removed benches and tree coverage to push homeless and poor people further from downtown. People justify removing benches because of the very real problems of drug use, violence, and littering that has taken place. However, all it does is push the problems somewhere else, so the problems don’t get resolved!

What are you going to do about Police Chief Matt Marino who refused to fire Former NBPD officer Connor Reinsch for Killing Katherine Colon in 2023?

What are you going to do about the police murder of Zoe Dowdell and the 5 NBPD officers who murdered him in 2017?

What are you going to do the next time NBPD kills or brutalizes another person? 

“Restoring community policing to ensure every neighborhood is safe,”​​ like Bobby Sanchez plans to do,​​​ will not prevent another police killing or incident of brutality. NBPD already touts its “community oriented policing,” despite having killed Katherine Colon and brutalized Jaqua Tann in the last two years.

NBPD also continues to employ all five of the officers who killed Zoe Dowdell (including Kyle Jones, who received a promotion this year) despite their continued transgressions against the community:

Michael Slavin pinned Dennis Ramos to the ground and repeatedly punched him during an arrest in 2019; and Marcin Ratajczak arrested one of our activists this summer on bogus charges for the crime of protesting. On top of all that, gentrifying landlords and businesses call the cops for petty reasons on homeless and poor people.

So no, the police aren’t community oriented nor are they here to protect the community. Bobby should instead pressure NBPD to fire and charge these killers with a badge!

What are you going to do about luxury establishments like the Assembly Room that discriminate against homeless people or people who look homeless?

Luxury establishments like the Assembly Room and luxury apartments like the Brit are drivers of gentrification: they cater to a wealthier demographic that lives outside downtown in the hopes people move downtown while pushing away homeless and poor people or anyone who doesn’t fit their target audience.  What are you going to do to ensure that these luxury establishments don’t displace current residents, including homeless people?

What are you going to do about the reports of mistreatment at homeless shelters in New Britain, such as the Friendship Service Center?

Do you condemn the charges against the 3 DtS activists who were arrested in August 2025 for protesting the mistreatment of the homeless at the Assembly Room?

Will you pressure NBPD to produce the body cam footages of their arrests?

These questions are a litmus test: are you on the side of everyday people or will you continue with the status quo? You have inherited these issues as mayor – doesn’t matter if you caused them, they’re yours to deal with now.  Truthfully we have little faith in electoral politics stopping the injustices people go through on a daily basis, not just in New Britain but anywhere.  There’s a reason for that.

There are people elected who go in promising to fight for change but eventually conform to the status quo to keep their political careers, pretending that they are still on the side of everyday people, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) continues to do.  Then there are people who don’t bend to power but stand up to it, such as Cynthia McKinney. During and right after her political career as a congresswomen, from the 2000s to the first half of the 2010s she took a firm stance with the people of the world instead of saving her political career. Beyond individuals’ control, there is always power from above keeping everyone in check—both political and financial.

For New Britain, those higher political powers include the CT state legislature, the governor, and even a body like a police union.  When it comes to wealthy groups of people who have influence in New Britain, landlords certainly did in 2012.  

Former New Britain Mayor Tim O’Brien put a fine on absentee landlords in an effort to fight against blight in the city in 2012.  He faced organized opposition from 53 landlords, within and outside of New Britain. This included Sam Zherka, who bused tenants downtown and paid tenants up to $25 per household to attend a pro-landlord rally and testify against the ordinance during a city meeting in Fall of 2012.

500 people joined the rally and the Connecticut Property Owners Alliance was also present.  The rally, the media controversy it created, and subsequent lawsuits forced the mayor to lower the fees in December of 2012.  Sam Zherka and many other landlords including former mayor Tim Stewart kept protesting Tim O’Brien and led political campaigns that eventually got him ousted from power in Fall of 2013. Tim Stewart’s daughter, Erin Stewart became mayor and in March of 2014, the blight ordinance was repealed.

Here’s what we’re advocating instead

As outlined in our mission statement, the path forward Dare to Struggle is advocating for does not rely on electoral politics or legislation to resolve any of the injustices people deal with here in New Britain or nationally.  Instead we go to people directly impacted by a variety of injustices and figure out ways to organize them, bring them in as leaders, and fight alongside us against the person or people responsible.

This looks like NYC public housing residents organized under ”Rouge Residents” confronting the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to make repairs to their apartments.  This looks like homeless and formerly homeless people in New Britain under ”Homeless Liberation Initiative” mobilizing to demand the Friendship Service Center take in a homeless woman who they’d kicked out.  This looks like families impacted by police brutality under “Families Demanding Justice” confronting the cops responsible, complacent elected officials, and DA’s. When people take the streets and interfere with the daily function of this society, our voices are heard and change is possible.

This method doesn’t bow down and isn’t limited by any sort of higher powers, nor does it have to lie to anybody. We’re making this post not to shit on people’s hope, but to tell people the truth and the reality of the situation that faces us. Voting will not change anything fundamental. A “blue wave” will not end police brutality nor will it stop the criminalization of homelessness.

So Bobby Sanchez, and all the “progressives” recently elected:

After seeing all these questions, ​​​​​​​will you stand with the people of New Britain and take their problems seriously? Or will you abandon them like any other two-faced politicians?

Sources

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