According to this tweet from Trevor Jones at the TAB,
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#Newton aldermanic candidates take out papers: Alison Leary W1. Gerry Chervinsky W3 at large. Richard Lipof W8 at large@newtontab
either we have big news in Ward 3 or someone is playing games. My guess: There is no way that Gerry Chervinsky is running for alderman.
Tip for the TAB: Never assume the obvious where Gerry Chervinsky is involved.
Please, please allow this to be true……please oh please. If I intend to move to ward 3 by the end of the signature deadline, will I be able to run against one of my favorite Newtonite’s?
Wow. Fun.
Is there one open seat or two? Is Ted Hess Mahan running again?
I always wanted to ask – are both Newtonian and Newtonite interchangeable when describing residents of the Garden City?
So who did Gerry pull papers for: John Walker or Sarah Jacobs? Or did John or Sarah pull papers for Gerry? Do we get three aldermen for the price of one? 😉
I thought he lived in Ward 4. Or was that just Sarah Jacobs?
Gail’s right, someone was playing games. I exchanged a few emails with Chervinsky yesterday. He confirmed that someone pulled papers on his behalf, presumably as a joke. He did not say who did it but he suggested that I was behind the fake Facebook and Twitter pages for his fake campaign.
But THEN he told me he’s actually thinking of running….
He’s too chicken. He’s a guy who would rather run behind the scenes and not have to actually put himself out there. What he basically said id he would run if he was unopposed. Gerry, if you want the seat run….just run.
actually he said…
But then he espouses some specifics that aren’t so much “progressive” as they are supportive of the current school committee’s decisions/priorities.
Um, wait a minute… How does a third party pull papers for someone else? It’s been a long time, but my recollection is the candidate’s signature is required to pull papers. It’s certainly a flawed system if someone can walk into Elections at City Hall, and pull papers for a third party as a “joke.”
It’s funny how he doesn’t mention his legacy, which is bringing us Mayor Cohen. I’d love to hear his defense for that.
I’d like the answer to Mike Striar’s question. Don’t you have to show some ID when you pull papers?
Although if the Twitter account is fake, then it’s easier to understand why @VoteChervinsky is following @MayorDavidCohen, whose last tweet was in 2009 when Ted Kennedy died. Unless @MayorDavidCohen is a fake account, too. Or Jerry Chervinsky is running David Cohen’s Twitter account? Getting dizzy, this is like a house of mirrors. Bedtime.
When I read a comment that begins with “And truthfully” – I generally don’t assume it’s intended to suggest that the author’s prior comments were untruthful or deceptive. With Jerry Chervinsky/John Walker/Sarah Jacobs I’m not willing to give him the benefit of a presumption of truthfulness. He’s lying until proven truthful.
In so many ways, Gerry Chervinsky is really his own worst enemy….not Jane or Tom or Lisap or (fill in the blank).
I really do believe, as he says, that he cares about Newton. Certainly, he’ll be forever aligned with David Cohen, but he’s also helped many good people who’ve gone on to contribute to our city and schools in meaningful ways.
But he didn’t help himself when he participated on the Newton TAB blog under a series of pseudonyms, instead of being willing to put himself out there and give folks a chance to know him.
If he’s serious about running, and more importantly, serious about serving, he’s going to have to put himself out in front of a wider circle of people than he’s accustomed to — or comfortable — interacting with.
Anyone can take out nomination papers on behalf of another person, according to City Clerk David Olson. Nomination papers can also be downloaded from the Secretary of State’s website. In order to certify the papers, however, the candidate’s signature has to be notarized.
I guess the lesson is that it can never be assumed that a “candidate” pulled papers. All we really know is that papers were pulled under a certain person’s name. We never know if someone is really a candidate until he or she turns in all the required signatures.
There is no end to what can learn about election law.
Who is Gerry Chervinsky?
If they consider it a routine form that has no meaning without certification, why even record who it’s for? That part doesn’t make sense. Seeing a person’s name is clearly influencing who else grabs a form.
In answer to Mike and Julia, I pulled papers this morning to run for Upper falls Area Council. I wrote my name and address on the sheet in the folder. No one checked. I could have written anyone’s name. I was then handed the form. I came home and wrote my name and residence on the form. I could have written anyone’s name.
Greg said:”Certainly, he’ll be forever aligned with David Cohen, but he’s also helped many good people who’ve gone on to contribute to our city and schools in meaningful ways.”
Greg, he is/was a man for hire. He went where he got paid. Cohen paid him thousands of dollars for his “help”. He would have helped put Bin Laden into office if the price was right.
Tom – I am fairly certain that David Cohen is the only elected official in this city who paid Gerry Chervinsky. All his other work has been volunteering for candidates and causes in which he believes.
Gerry has dished out his share of criticism at people publicly. But he is not a guy who “goes where he got paid.” In fact he’s as far from it as anyone I know. Saying he would have helped Bin Laden is malicious.
Besides, didn’t you ask him for your help once?
Way to go Sheffy – your thoughts on this thread is on target.
In Newton, like other cities, “Pulling Papers” is not a legal action, it’s more of a tradition.
The candidate is not required to “Pull Papers” nor is there any restriction on who can get the forms. Intent to get signatures for nomination, for yourself or another, is not binding or of significance.
Blank signature forms can be copied from someone else or if the city web site was up to date, could be printed off the internet. You are running for office when you have turned in 50 or 150 (Ward or At-Large) signatures of registered voters and appropriate organizational papers by 5:00 pm on July 30.
Everything else is just conversation.
Media outlets who report that so-and-so “Pulled Papers” and therefore is a candidate without bothering to verify (is a phone call so difficult?) are lazy at best.
Ouch!
Charley M — When Mayor Warren joined, I think he said he saw that the Treasurer was counting quarters and made of point of how that’s a waste of resources. This isn’t a big example. but it makes City Hall appear in 1920s mode. Why keep a record of who takes a form? Instead of name/address, the front of the folder should say “Take One” (along with the words “Also available on newtonma.gov ). Most importantly, everyone in gov should be testing procedures and asking if they are truly needed. This base old-school inefficiency is an obstacle for getting people to think of process improvements, including avenues for new revenues.
I “pulled papers” last week for Newton Highlands Area Council for myself and two other council members who where not able to conveniently get to city hall. In the past there was no sign in list for Area Council but I thought it was nice to be operating in the same manner as Alderman and SC. I think there is a technical need to know what position a candidate is running for as the signature requirements differ. I need half the signatures needed for Ward Alderman and the AC service area crosses Ward boundaries. Of course this does not mean a sign out sheet is needed but I like the idea of knowing who is considering a run, perhaps that would prompt more people to get into the fray.
Thanks for the tip, Gail!
Most of the elected officials read this blog. Has anyone gotten help from GC without paying him? Please speak up, We’d all like to know. If GC is out there, how about telling us the candidates/issues you worked on without getting paid.
Gail said:” didn’t you ask him for your help once?”
No. Never met him. I called him at his home several times to be on my show and left a message and he never called back, but I never asked for his help on anything.
I asked him on the show, that to me is not asking for help. He didn’t have the decency to return my call.
Greg said:”But then he espouses some specifics that aren’t so much “progressive” as they are supportive of the current school committee’s decisions/priorities.”
Greg, please explain.
@Tom: Just look at his list of issues here. They’re all issues that have been supported by the SC and, in some cases, challenged by aldermen. Basically, since the guy won’t comment directly, we can only guess, but it appears he want to be a school committee advocate on the Board of Aldermen.
Just read that linked column that Greg posted. Is this GC appear to have the temperament to represent all of Newton? He seems happier when he’s working with people in his social/political group. Within the boundaries that he set up for himself – no one did that to him – there’s a lot of good he can do for the city.
Thanks to those who cleared up the [lack of] signature requirement to pull papers. It strikes me as a terribly flawed system that allows third parties to pull papers for any individual.
@Mike Striar – “flawed”. I don’t think so. It has no more legal significance than “pulling a 1040 tax form”. As Charley M said above, it’s only when you file them that anything substantial is taking place. I think the confusion comes because people have been reporting on who picked up the form. It may be interesting from a political gossip and conjecture point of view but has no legal significance.
Ugh. “Does GC appear to have…” At some point I will use that preview button.
Greg, I agree 100% with you, he seems to want to be a school advocate on the Board….he probably should just run for the SC. Not only are his issues school related, but they’re also financial issues.
I don’t believe financial issues are political issues. Abortion is a political issue, that doesn’t seem to me a financial issue. In reverse, being fiscally responsible is a financial (management) issue, not a political issue. People consider tax and spend as liberals, I don’t agree with that, I believe tax and spend is a characteristic. President Bush was tax and spend and he was a republican, while President Clinton was fiscally responsible and he was a liberal. Just my thoughts.
Sorry for the extra entry: When I see GC wants to make the Modulars an issue, I don’t believe that this is a political issue, it’s a financial issue. I have a hardtime labeling one side liberals and the other conservatives. I also have the same problem when it comes to infrastructure repairs, it’s a management/fiscal issues, not political, in my opinion.
Hey Tom: At the very end of this Chervinsky column he says he wanted to buy you a drink. Never happened? Maybe you should follow up.
Meanwhile that same column drops the names of quite a few of the candidates he’s “helped” — including Claire Sokoloff, Reenie Murphy, Jonathan Yeo, Sue Rosenbaum, Diana Gomberg, Greg Schwartz, Vicki Danberg, David Kalis and Mitch Fischman. I don’t believe any of their finance reports indicate that they ever paid him. And I do believe the people on that list have contributed to our city and schools in meaningful ways.
Greg, he says he blogged in support of those candidates. Are you saying that blogging in support of candidates is really working for a candidate??? Really??? When I read you’re post I was ready to apologize, but based upon his article, I still stand by my previous comments. He’s never worked for a candidate (to me, that means making phone calls, holding signs, etc) that he didn’t get paid for. Saying Greg Reibman for Mayor on the blog isn’t the same as me working for you.
Also, I’ll have beer with anyone. I have tried to communicate with this man, he’s the one with the “fake” invitation he can call me or email at anytime. I’m in the book.
Tom: My job is not to explain or defend Gerry Chervinsky. So I’ll say this and then I’m moving on: There are many ways to help candidates beyond holding signs or saying they’re swell folks on the blog. If you were in his circle, you’d know that he freely offers strategic advice to many. He also was/is very good at schmoozing with editors and reporters and others who can be useful during a campaign (and when soliciting endorsements). And while I think he’s a little out of touch these days, if I was running for office in Newton, I’d be very interested in his pro bono advice and suggestions
@Jerry– Yes, “flawed,” because from the minute someone pulls papers unbeknownst to the person who’s the alleged candidate, that person then becomes the subject of unrequested and unwarranted media attention… as evidenced by this thread.
@Mike
Yes, I guess have to agree with that part.
And that’s my problem with it, Jerry. The moment the “candidate” tag is affixed, it becomes open-season on that person. If someone pulled papers in my name without me knowing about it, I’d be pretty pissed at the resulting attention. I think the candidates presence and signature should be required to pull papers.
… or better yet, anybody can take the forms but no one has to leave their name.
That works too.
re: Gerry’s comments on school activity fees -there is quite a bit of data and research to support the case for lowering if not eliminating fees. Activities do not exist to generate income they are there to build important skills in our students.
From the study, “The Widening Income Achievement Gap”
A trend during the last 20 years is the growing social-class gap in important measures of adolescents’ “soft skills” and behaviors related to civic engagement, such as participating in extracurricular activities, sports, and academic clubs; volunteering and participating in community life…
From the research of Scott Smith at Central Michigan University:
A concern expressed about pay-to-play initiatives is that fees for participation will spell the end for smaller programs, sports and clubs. These tenuous groups, which already depend on a small number of students for sustainability, fall by the wayside if students who cannot or will not pay decide not to participate. Smith has done some limited research in tracking pay-to-play nationally, and has found that as long as fees are relatively low ($50-$100), participation rates do not diminish significantly. But as fees increase to upwards of $300, participation rates for all programs can drop as much as 30%.
And lastly from research done by the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital:
Overall, 61% of children playing middle or high school sports were charged a pay-to-play fee. The average fee was $93, according to the poll respondents, but 21% of children faced a pay-to-play fee of $150 or more. Researchers found that 12% of parents overall said that the cost of school sports caused a drop in participation for at least one of their children. Among families earning less than $60,000 per year, 19% said their children’s participation decreased because of costs.
Adding fees comes at a price for many students.
When Greg printed the email from Chervinsky, I assumed he had GC’s permission to do so. If he didn’t, then I agree with Mike.