All 24 seats on the soon to renamed Newton City Council and all eight seats on the Newton School Committee will be on the ballot this November. If you’re thinking about running (or running again), you should certainly think about attending this….
Don’t Just Stand There…RUN!
Thursday, April 9, 2015 from 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
at Brigham House, 20 Hartford Street, Newton Highlands.
How to Run a Campaign for Local Public Office: Considering public office? Helping someone run for office? Interested in how local campaigns work? The League of Women Voters of Newton invites candidates, potential candidates, campaign managers, campaign treasurers, and all interested citizens to a workshop that offers practical information and advice about political campaigns by a group of knowledgeable panelists:
- David Olson, Newton City Clerk, will give an overview of the local filing and state requirements
- Claire Sokoloff, former School Committee Chair, will discuss being a candidate and elected Official
- Greg Reibman, President of the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce, Village 14 founder and former Newton TAB Publisher, will discuss effective Press/Media communications
Contact the League of Women Voters of Newton at 617-383-4598 or [email protected] with any questions.
Always a good program, and also interesting to see who shows up.
So true Chris! In fact, I’m sure Aldermen Yates and Crossley will be very curious to know if you will be attending!
Alison, the stipend is $9750 per year for aldermen, $4975 for school committee, with health benefits and post-employment health benefits after 10 years if you retire after 65 years old or 20 years if you retire after 55 years old. Same benefits as any other city employee, with the same premium and deductibles. But the benefit of serving the public? Priceless!
@Alison, aw shucks. T’weren’t nuthin’.
@Alison, in my life as a public servant, I have surely seen that some politicians who profess to love humanity just don’t like people. But as much as I like to rib my colleagues at times, I have been truly blessed to serve with some of the best people I have ever known. I mean that in all sincerity.
My life has become all too real and complicated lately, and I sometimes doubt myself and who I really am. But I do not doubt for a New York minute that the folks who sacrifice time with their families and friends or careers to sweat the details over potholes and stop signs and streets and sidewalks really care about this community and all the people in it. Please give us a chance.
Peace.
Bless you Saint Teddy!
Alison, you’ve made me break my rule about not drinking before I’ve digested breakfast.
On a different thread Blueprint Bill writes…
And on this thread Alison writes…
I don’t always agree with our aldermen (and clearly they often don’t agree with me) but they deserve our respect for serving.
Resume building? Political ambitions? Slippery? I’m not seeing it.
There’s no recent historical evidence that I can think of which shows being an alderman leads to a path of something even bigger, more powerful, more evil or whatever Bill and Alison are suggesting. Instead the men and women who serve on our boards are probably sacrificing their own career resumes by spending so much time on city matters. Certainly they’re giving up nights away from their families, not to mention all the Monday Night Football, Red Sox games and episodes of “Better Call Saul” they’ve missed.
Maybe those aldermen who are missing Monday Night Football, Red Sox games and episodes of Better Call Saul, could learn use their DVRs!
Ha! But @Geoff, they’re missing out on that two screen experience!
If it makes any difference to potential candidates for School Committee, the 2011 pension reform legislation set the minimum annual stipend for which public servants are eligible to receive post-retirement benefits at $5,000. So School Committee members in Newton are no longer eligible.
While I agree that Alderman Hess-Mahan is one of the most open, and probably accessible, aldermen (I say probably because I’ve don’t think I’ve ever tried to contact him for any issues as a private citizen), I agree with him (and Greg) that it’s a disservice to his colleagues to question their devotion to this city. There are many reasons that it’s difficult to get things done, and yes, ego gets in the way sometimes, but ego gets in the way in the private sector as well. Out of 33 elected officials in this city, 32 are part-time positions, and these folks put in a ridiculous amount of hours.
Doesn’t mean I agree with everything they do. Doesn’t mean I think there shouldn’t be term limits. And it doesn’t mean that I don’t question any individual person’s motive on any single piece of legislation, but as a whole, I belieive they’re in it because they care.
But…Greg, in recent history, being aldermen led David Cohen to the State House as state representative and then back to City Hall as mayor. It also took Ruth Balser to the State House. Mayor Ted Mann was also an alderman and a state representative. Further back in history, Governor and subsquently Senator Leverett Saltonstall was Newton alderman as was John Weeks, Newton’s 14th mayor, who was later elected to the the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate, and then appointed Secretary of War by President Warren Harding.
There are probably others. But the point it: History shows that being alderman is actually a good stepping stone for someone with political ambition.
I’m a little bewildered as to how Gail can say that “There are many reasons that it’s difficult to get things done” considering that left-wing Democrats and Unenrolled in Name Only voters occupy 32 out of 33 seats in Newton’s government.
Last I checked, the Board of Alders voted 22-0 to ban plastic grocery bags and 19-5 to change their name to “City Council”. The budget and other pieces of legislation is routinely rubber-stamped 24-0.
I think Gail is wrong with her statement.
@Alison: You didn’t respond to my comment. You accused folks of holding office to “bolster their own resumes, egos, and business relationships.” You responded saying they do a bad job or don’t care. Those are two different things.
Would you take advice from Jim Kelly on how to play quarterback in the Super Bowl over some guy from the Lake who loves and follows pro-football? Kelly may not have won, but he actually played four times in the Super Bowl for the Buffalo Bills.
It would seem that running for public office is a spectator sport for Reibman and Spector (as far as I know neither have actually run for office). It makes me wonder who our community exalts as experts in anything. Frankly, wouldn’t you rather hear from the LWVN’s Sue Flicop on the matter? She has been involved in many campaigns including her own for School Committee in 2009. As for advice from Mrs Gifford, she has run for local office and won, however is not a captivating public speaker, so I’ll pass.
@Janet: You’re arguing that Greg, who was editor-in-chief and then publisher of the TAB for more than a decade, isn’t qualified to speak about media relations? I’m not sure where I came into this. I’m not on the agenda.
@Alison I would estimate I spend 10-15 hours a week on alderwoman duties. Some periods (eg budget) are busier than others (summer).
@Janet Sterman-I do not know what the professions all of our Alderpeople are but I know that a few of them have law backgrounds, business backgrounds, real estate, or don’t have no job backgrounds. I think that Greg Reibman, Gail Spector, Jerry Reilly and even Josh Norman would all make fantastic candidates because they all seem to be exceptionally honest people who have pure motives whether I agree with them or not. Look at all that Jerry Reilly has done for Newton Upper Falls! He has improved that community so much with the pathway that he is having built and his Feast of the Falls event etc. And Greg and Gail are fantastic communicators and they both seem to genuinely care about this City. I hope that we get some fresh faces in the next campaign!
Please excuse the double negative in the above paragraph. I wish I could edit this somehow.
@Emily Norton-Thank you Emily for answering my question.
Thanks Alison, bUT there’s zero chance I’ll be running for any public office.
I’ve always been impressed with the amount of time that all the alderman devote to their duties. That would interfere too much with all my fun projects.
@Gail
I am simply noting how there may be better qualified people in our community to present this information to potential candidates. For example, people who were actually willing to run for office and have experience running a campaign. Being in the media position as a so called ‘reporter of’ campaigns qualifies one as a watcher. Even in sports, many commentators are former quarterbacks!
I was honored when Sue Flicop and the League invited me to be on this panel. I’ve been asked to offer advice to candidates about effectively working with traditional media as well as blogs and social media platforms. I will do my best to draw upon my experience of more than a decade as editor-in-chief/publisher at the TAB and 14 other community weeklies; the director of editorial content for more than 150 Massachusetts news sites; a board member at NewTV; and the founder of two Newton blogs.
While not directly related to municipal elections, I’m sure my experience is also shaped by my years as a deputy managing editor at the Herald and my role as editorial director for three presidential primary election TV specials for the PBS World Channel.
I hope my suggestions for how to interact with local reporters and tips for blog-nervous candidates may be useful. I’m also honored to be presenting alongside David Olson and Claire Sokoloff. In fact the best advice I may be able to offer first-time candidates that evening may be related to a story Claire and I can share about her first campaign for office.
Janet’s right, Greg. You’re not qualified.
@Greg
I am absolutely thrilled this put you over the moon! Best of luck, COACH!
What you should be Janet is sorry I wasn’t offering free advice when you ran. Perhaps you wouldn’t be a two-time loser.
Greg will do just fine.
LOL. Thank you Greg for proving the “quality” of your “advice” in your own words.
Wow Janet Sterman why are you being so rude to Greg? I think that he is OVER qualified for this little workshop but the people who attend will be lucky to get the benefit of that. By the way did you know that you bear an uncanny resemblance to Princess Stephanie of Monaco?
With regard to Jerry Reilly running for office:
He already has a position- Newton Cultural Ambasador.
@Terry. Jerry is also the official Minister of Games and Frivolity.
Bob, I like that much better! MINISTER OF GAMES AND FRIVOLITY!
And Ward 5 is blessed with the best Ward Alderman of them all, John Rice.
Any other Wards out there challenging Ward 5 for fun leaders?
I wish that Ken Parker or George Mansfield would run for Alderman again. Does John Rice take call from constituents outside of Ward 5?
@Terry Malloy .. and my election to the self-appointed post of Minister of Games and Frivolity passed by a unanimous vote of one. I have a mandate from my constituency!
The more citizens that run for public office in Newton the better off we are. I agree that change is good and we should encourage folks to run.
How much would it cost to run for Alderman? Can Emily or Ted tell me how much signs cost etc? I am guessing that the signage is the biggest expense.
@Allison: John Rice takes calls from everyone & anyone
I infer from Chris’ comment that this is a regular program each election cycle? That’s really great and should be publicized more- demystifying will get a few folks off the fence and running (says the guy who isn’t planning to run for anything in the near future).
Alison, I think the financial questions are excellent. Anything that paints a clearer picture of what one might be getting into is a plus.
(and agreed that former editor/publisher of the TAB is as good a choice as any to advise on dealing with local media).
@Doug – That’s correct. League runs the program in the Spring of each municipal election year. There really is a lot of good information covered – both that intended by the presenters and also through the excellent questions asked by (potential) candidates and others.
Also, the financial question is not one to be taken lightly. A campaign is a significant commitment of time yes. In addition to this, a first-time candidate must get his or her name out into the general dialogue. This is accomplished through signs, mailing, etc in addition to (one hopes) continuing to do the important volunteer work one is already doing in the City!
@Allison John Rice has his faults. Many many faults. Many many many many MANY many many faults. Not taking phone calls is not one of them.
@TerryMalloy: What bar are you in? I have to join you…
Barbara- Anytime, anywhere! Could use the company and always a bit pahched!
My guess is that a person who is trying to run for Alderman would have to spend around $2500 to buy yard signs and other advertising materials. I am not sure if this would be tax deductible or not if you lost the election. They also would need to buy a good pair of walking shoes because I was told by one of the Aldermen that the way to win is to walk the district and I mean knock on almost every single door.
@Alison – You’re underestimating the budget, but you’re absolutely right on the shoes. I knocked 1500 doors the last time I ran and it was not quite enough.
By the way – it was also one of the true joys of running!
At least the playing field will be slightly more level this year since even incumbents will need new City Council lawn signs.
Alison – If a candidate is running for a ward alderman seat, then “walking the ward” is doable. But if a candidate is running for an at-large seat, then the whole city votes so keep that in mind.
@Chris Steele-1500 doors? That is very impressive! Since I assume that you still have all the signage I certainly hope that you run again this year.