According to an electronic invitation I just received, Mayor Setti Warren is kicking off his reelection campaign with a fundraiser on Monday, Sept. 24 at the home of Rick and Jan Lipof.
I’m very happy that he’s made this decision. Newton still needs him at the helm.
I hope part of the platform will be to influence charter reform with the goal of reducing gov’t in Newton. We have almost twice the number of legislative representatives (“alderman”) as Boston, as example. Our commissions and committees are at times way too powerful — examples: cove swimming at Crystal Lake. liquor license distribution (Star Market) and election decisions (Yeo). And our gov’t is getting yet deeper with Area Councils. Approaching, influencing and getting action from gov’t in our humble community should be easier and more direct. Make a change Mr Warren that will last a century, not a mere term.
Hoss,
Everything you listed is run by volunteer citizens, not the government. The only legitimate point was the Board of Alderman. You want as many volunteers to participate as possible. Part of the problem with the previous administration was that no one volunteered so you had many of the same people running various committees. More people volunteer under Setti’s administration and they deserve credit for that (along with the volunteers, of course).
Good news.
The other part of changing govt here that would be beneficial is to bring a “One-City” approach. We currently have two sovereign gov’ts: City and Schools. This prior approach has given us duplication of all administrative services: finance and budgeting, HR, IT, etc, etc. Consolidating administrations should save us substantial tax dollars as well as ensure consistent training, skillsets and management of staff. In addition, schools must have the same checks and balances as the rest of gov’t. I don’t see why we’ve let them snooker us into what happened last year in spending surplus budget dollars of over $1.5MM. A “One-City” approach would generate a discussion about priorities of use for that surplus.
Tomsheff: Those volunteers are costing us substantial legal fees. We should thank them for contributing by shifting approvals for their decisions to elected officials. In a corporate approach, this kind of management risk would not be tolerated
Let’s hope that he truly pledges to serve out the full term. I want it in writing this time.
No running for Governor or Lt. Governor in 2014. Let’s also get to the bottom of the Police Chief investigation. It’s time for the Mayor to give us some transparency in this matter.
Agreed, Asherman. I think Mayor Warren is doing a great job in many ways but I fear that he still wants “OUT” as soon as possible, to something bigger and better.
The timing of this announcement strikes me as odd. Does anyone have a theory about why the mayor decided to announce his reelection bid now?
Amazing how quickly this young Setti Warren learned the art of political deception. Only 3 years ago while running for Mayor, Setti promised the following:
1. Make Newton government transparent
2. Balance the city’s budget
3. Not to ask for overrides
4. Develop all village centers
5. Reform the city’s Charter
6. Repair Newton’s schools, fire stations and the infrastructure
7. Stay on the job for at least one term.
Then he broke all these collective promises. Personally too, he promises everything to everybody but honors nothing. While smiling and slapping everybody on the back, Setti’s actually more dictatorial than his predecessor David Cohen.
I for one am delighted Setti is running again. He’s done a very good job, after inheriting a “mess” from the prior administration. He’s not run away from tough decisions that needed to be made, nor do I believe he will run from those that still must be made.
Our pent up infrastructure deficiencies will occupy much of his remaining term, and well into a next term.
I personally believe we owe Setti our gratitude for his service to date, and for the continued commitment this announcement signals from him to finish the tasks at hand.
@Anatol,
On the contrary, I believe he has gone a long way to fulfilling most of the promises you have listed. There are some spots where I can understand your angst, but overall I think you’re being unfair when you say he has broken his promises.
As far as his Senate bid, and the potential for his future: originally, I agreed that his Senate aspirations were a mistake, but as I have seen Mayor Warren grow as a leader over the past few years, I have come to sincerely believe his Senate campaign was not motivated by blind ambition, but rather the same deep sense of duty that compelled him to join the Navy when he did, run for Mayor when he did, and will propel him onward to great opportunities in the years to come.
For now, I feel lucky he remains our Mayor, and wish him luck in the upcoming election.
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
Great news!
@Mike: The Warren campaign did not make an announcement. Gail received word of it in the form of an invite to an event and, true to her journalist instincts, she shared the news.
I’m sure the campaign did not want it to be announced this way.
@Paul,
OK, let’s talk specifically:
“1. Make Newton government transparent”
Negotiatians with the unions were done behind closed doors. A survey of Newton municipal buildings was awarded to the mayor’s friend despite the Designer Selection Committee’s recommendation to give it to another company, no reason explained. Many complaints to the 311 system, such as snow removal and breaking trees did not result in action. No reasons explained.
“2. Balance the budget”
See #3
“3. Not to ask for overrides”
Several times Setti promised publicly to avoid overrides. Now we’re heading for a debt-exclusion override, ostensibly to build a new Angier school, or Cabot, or Zervas, pray tell which one?
“4. Develop all village centers”
Several times Setti promised publicly to develop Newton Centre, Needham Street and West Newton Center. Many studies are done but no action taken.
“5. Reform the city’s Charter”
Many studies are done, signatures collected, nothing is done and no plans for the future.
“6. Repair Newton’s schools, fire stations and the infrastructure”
See #3
“7. Stay on the job for at least one term”
Several time publicly Setti promised to stay in the city, but ran for Senator instead. Just 2 years ago most citizens were outraged by that deception and most Newton Democrats opposed his run.
I can carry on if I dig in files but the above is only what I remember.
Read more: http://village14.com/netwon-ma/2012/08/setti-warren-is-running-for-re-election/#ixzz24yVoFkIM
I’m not so sure about that, Greg. The mayor is certainly savvy enough to know that sending out invitations to this event was letting the cat out of the bag. Just seems like a strange way to make this news public. Odd timing as well. There’s no conspiracy here. I’m just wondering why he did this now.
@Mike: I’m sure.
I am extremely happy that Setti is running again and I don’t think he should make any commitment to serve a full four year term. There’s no reason he should be hostage to any such demand. I hope that he will give it four years, but I will hardly hold it against him if another grand opportunity presents itself during that four year time frame.
He’s talented, appealing, organized, focused and dedicated. These are some of the main attributes of a good manager and and sound leader. Sooner or later, it’s almost inevitable that political and civic sources outside Newton will recognize these attributes and approach him to run for some higher office or super administrative position. I, for one, will be thankful to have him as long as possible.
Bob, do you honestly believe that, when a politician – any politician – runs for office, they should not be willing to commit to the full term? I don’t understand that logic in politics, or in life. A commitment is a commitment. When you run for office for a specific term, well….what’s the point if you are not committing to your constituents for that specified period? How about taking a wedding vow until something better comes along??!! That work for you, too?!
I guess my invitation was lost in the mail:).
@Native Newtonian.
The clamor to make politicians commit to a full term is of rather recent vintage. In the past many candidates were encouraged and even pressured to run because they represented a certain section, philosophy or set of issues. Barry Goldwater and Bobby Kennedy immediately come to mind. They were in the middle of their terms when they ran. There are many others I can recall at the Presidential level alone who ran for higher office in the middle of their term for a lower office.
John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillery Clinton in 2008
John Kerry and John Edwards in 2004
John McCain and George W. Bush in 2000
Bob Dole in 1996
The list goes way, way back to
Estes Kefauver, Richard Russell and Bob Taft in 1952
JFK, Stuart Symington, Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey in 1960
@Greg– So what you’re saying in effect, is Mayor Warren was counting on everyone who received an invitation to keep it secret? How is it possible that someone as politically skilled as Mayor Warren, could be so naive?
Mike I’m saying that when you have enthusiastic volunteers helping you with a campaign stuff happens.
Also, everyone knows the mayor was going to announce on Rosh Hashanah. 😉
BOB BURKE — I can’t spot anyone in your list where during their first term in a top administrative role ran for a new office without resigning.
@Hoss. I think you are essentially right about that except for , ironically, Barack Obama and I think Estes Kefauver in 1952. but I was essentially referencing what the Mayor might be doing in the middle of a second term where he would be running while holding the office. Most of my list consisted of U.S. Senators in their second or third term and there were probably more of those because the six year term allows them a window to run for the Presidency and because the Senate can be missing a few of its members and still run as well (or as poorly) as it would if they were there.
Hillary Clinton also ran for President during her first term as a Senator.