Cartoonist's comments attacked by NHVN mayor

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) - "Losers raise losers." Those words in a Connecticut newspaper, is sparking anger and controversy in New Haven.

The write-up, from a political cartoonist, is critical about the Governor's plans for inner city schools.

New Haven Mayor John DeStefano is on the attack about that commentary.

The political cartoonist, Bob Englehart has now apologized, and the Hartford Courant has taken the controversial blog off their website, but the damage was already done.

Englehart's commentary was supposed to be about Governor Malloy's plans for education.  He starts out by saying that he supports what the governor's doing, but then he starts going on about what a waste it is to invest money into inner city schools. Englehart says we already have a deficit, and schools aren't going to change until the core of the problem is changed.

What he calls "dysfunctional inner-city poor minority families."  Englehart goes on to write "Sure, we hear of an occasional winner come out of the ghetto, movie starts, athletes, business people."

For the most part Englehart says, "losers raise losers." DeStefano, among others call the cartoonist offensive.

"I don't think it was inner city schools, I think it was particularly kids of color, quite honestly, that he was focusing on, you know, let's be honest about it, that's what he was doing and again, I say that only in the sense of it sounded like to me like a not particularly well thought out remark," said DeStefano.

DeStefano also said the comments made by the cartoonist are inaccurate. Test scores are going up, graduation rates are going up and with organizations like the New Haven Promise , more inner city students can afford college.  

The mayor has invited the cartoonist to New Haven to meet some students, and see what they're like. An apology was given by the cartoonist, and the Hartford Courant has taken the blog off their website.