Sign this petition if you believe that decisions related to our health and human rights are not made by one person. Demand that a committee of elected, community, and religious leaders is formed to advise Mayor Justin Elicker on Orders given that affect over 130,000 residents of New Haven. Mandate that each order is first reviewed by a group and the names of those persons are made public to the community.

My name is Darnell, and I am one of millions of Americans who fear for our country during this COVID-19 crisis. In New Haven, thousands of residents have lost rights based on Executive Orders made by Mayor Justin Elicker. Though we understand his desire to protect New Haven residents, not one person should be making decisions which affect 130,000 residents, it should be a shared decision-making process. I have spent my entire life in a democracy, I don’t like having decisions made for me and not knowing who is in the room making them. Elected representatives, business and community leaders as well as the community most affect by these decisions are informed of decisions AFTER they are made, as opposed to being members of the decision-making team.

For example, Mayor Elicker wrote an Order which makes it illegal to gather in groups of more than ten people. His edict doesn’t expire until September 19, 2020, a full six months from now. Even the Governor thought it went to far and ordered that Connecticut mayors cannot write any other orders without his approval. Another example is his designation of a high school in the middle of a community as a hospital/shelter/prison for people who have tested positive for COVID-19. This site is not appropriate for this function and has widespread opposition, including from all the elected leadership in that community. He says he doesn’t care about their opinions; he is going to do it anyhow.

We hear daily from him about the number of infected and the orders he makes to reduce our rights. We do not hear what he is doing to protect those families who are losing their jobs and/or paychecks and are late on their bills, destroying their credit. We haven’t heard how our utility payments will or will not be frozen. We haven’t heard how he is using his newfound power to get food to families. How our elderly who can’t receive visits from family members are being protected.

We want a leader who is focused on making sure our economic and health needs are met, not a mayor who is focused on consolidating more power and ignoring community concerns.