User talk:Happypixie/NHCAN (New Haven Citizens Action Network)

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This grassroots group started in early 2007 during the New Haven, CT budget process. A group of active citizens saw how things where being ran in the city decided to form a group to spread the word and educate the public of the rights they have as citizens. The right to be a part of the decisions the government and elected officials make on their behalf. NHCAN first organized appearance was just a few people that meet up at city hearings, Gary Doyen, Jeffery Kerekes, Harry David, and Ken Joyner.

NHCAN started off with a web site and a few concerned citizens and neighbors showing up at budget meetings in the City of New Haven, CT (home of Yale University ). Presenting budget sheets and ideas and testifying, all to help the citizens of New Haven from being pushed out of there homes. Some calling it a form of gentrification of the middle class, similar to the events that happened in Cambridge Mass.and other University towns. They noticed the lack of accountability and transparency in the presented budget year after year and questioned it. In 2008 the group was awarded The New Haven Advocates Watchdog group of the year for their work and dedication to public awareness.

In 2008 the city of New Haven set up a Blue Ribbon Panel for the 2009 budget because of repeated requests that the residents have input into the budget processes. And also set up social networking pages to get the word out in those circles.

In 2009 the fight for transparency in government budget documents was taken to a higher court. The city had a devastating 5 year prediction work sheet and would not provide copy's of said worksheet. Instead provided a fact simile (copy of sanitized projections at a Freedom of Information Act Hearingin Hartford CT. City stated the original document did not exist anymore.

Realizing that the citizens where not aware of the right to fight and that a few news story's are not spreading the word, in 2010 they took the group to the next level. Going to community meetings and giving presentations on how the budget works. Teaching the average citizen how they can be active in government. They set up a citywide brainstorm was the first task where over 316 suggestion from the average citizen were given. The idea that every person can make a difference and every person should be heard. Next was to get a petition out to allow people that could not come to be part of it. Added to this a small online news paper New Haven Independent did live blogs to make the citizens part of the long drawn out process. It changed a budget meeting that had at the most 10 citizens into a room of hundreds.