At last week’s mayoral debate, Newton Mayor Setti Warren’s three challengers cited Warren’s campaign for U.S. Senate just 18 months after he was first elected in mayor in 2009, as a reason why voters shouldn’t reelect him.
As Evan Allen, points out in her recap in today’s Globe, candidate Tom Sheff even began tearing up over his feeling of being “deeply wounded” by Warren; adding that “the mayor’s opponents questioned whether he was focused on Newton or on higher political office.”
But is Setti Warren’s abandoned US Senate run — or the fear that he’s looking to ditch us for a better offer at the blink of an eye — an issue only for his three challengers and a minority of voters?
My own view is that if voters didn’t trust Setti Warren they would have never agreed to let him raise their taxes earlier this year.
I also think that the overwhelming display of “Warren for Mayor” lawn signs across all corners of our city — and his ability to raise much more money than his opponents — suggests many people believe Warren when he says he’s committed to serving another full term.
What do you think?
Not since I was able to talk to him about it.
Kim – what did he say that made you feel better about it?
It wasn’t a matter of him convincing me it was a good move. He didn’t defend his position. We talked about it. We talked about his goals for Newton and beyond. He knows he made a mistake. To me, it’s forgivable. He’s an ambitious young politician and I think he will learn from his mistakes while doing the best job he can in the meantime.
Setti Warren the candidate articulated a vision and plan for Newton and sold me on it. When he declared for Senate I was disappointed as I thought he was the best figure to execute his plan.
Then he settled back in and delivered in a big way, with sustainable employee contracts, with the first long range capital plan and an outline of how to pay for it, with open access to City Hall via the 311 program, and with personal access to the Mayor and his team through dozens and dozens of town hall meetings.
His success at passing an override means we can finally move ahead on fixing our school buildings, we can continue working on our firehouses and roads, and we can stay ahead of our student enrollment surge with the placement of new teachers. He continues to push the city hard on financial and energy efficiency, and it appears that municipal performance management and sustainable municipal practices will be his Act II.
The Mayor has a track record of solid achievement on matters of enduring importance to Newton. He gets many but not all things right, which is as much as I can expect of myself. The senate run is ancient news.
As Kim said once to me, unlike typically, I have to admit that I agree with him on this one. I believe Setti learned a hard lesson about politics. He had been caught up in the glow of Washington, working for Kerry and others, and was kind of puffed up about himself. A dose of reality can be good medicine.
Here we are 24 hours later and not one person (other than the three candidates) says they’re still upset.
BTW @Steve, excellent answer.
Right, Greg, I couldn’t have said what Steve said any better myself.
One item Steve didn’t mention, something I believe is important, is that Setti changed the dialogue in Newton. He is as open as the prior administration was not, even as he discovered why being open can carry its own set of headaches.
I was upset at the time and told him so in no uncertain terms; but I can’t see that the Senate race did anything to diminish the accomplishments of his first term in office and these accomplishments are more substantial than I ever thought they would be. I knew he would:
1. Try and forge a reasonable settlement with city workers on future pay and benefits.
2. Only seek an override when it was necessary and reasonable, and when it had a good shot at winning public support.
3. Radically streamline the way the City responds to citizen needs and complaints via an efficient and responsive 311 system.
4. Significantly reduce the deep level of acrimony and divisiveness that paralyzed the previous administration.
5. Make progress in reducing the structural deficit and in making the process of budgeting more transparent and realistic.
All of these are, to one degree or another, still works in progress, but I feel satisfied that real progress has been made; much more than I thought likely made when he was sworn into office almost 4 years ago.
Now, the Senate race is essentially seen as a downer, but one or two positive things occurred that reflect his personal leadership qualities with his peers in government. All are significant for what he can do inside Newton and outside our City during the next four years. One was the early endorsement his candidacy received from 9 or 10 influential and innovative mayors from large and medium sized cities in all parts of the state. Since then, he has also been asked to assume a major leadership position with the National Council of Mayors and as Chairman of the Platform Committee at this year’s State Democratic Convention in Lowell.
In short, Setti Warren makes a favorable impression on people where ever he goes in Massachusetts or in the Nation. He knows how to persuade, cajole, and influence people as well as key public and private organizations, and he’s not afraid to mix it up. Some may see this as good for his future ambitions, but it’s also good for Newton in many, many ways.
I still find it upsetting because he was willing to break a promise to the people of Newton to satisfy his own ambitions.
Thanks Kim and Steve. While I was unhappy with him at the time, at this point it’s water under the bridge as far as I’m concerned. As others have said more eloquently than I can, he’s had some major accomplishments. And the one time I had a major problem that needed resolution right away and was not handled properly by a call to City Hall, I sent an email and he answered ASAP plus cc’d me when he emailed the people who could resolve it to say the situation was completely unacceptable and had better be taken care of right away – and it was.
I wasn’t upset with him then and I’m not now.
I learned from Jeff Seideman that if one spends enough time in this political arena one learns to follow Michael Corleone’s lead. It’s not personal, it’s business.
I’d also add that one should learn not to fall in love with political candidates, lest they be heartbroken when the guy they enthusiastically supported pursues higher office and raises taxes in order to give himself a 28% pay raise as well as increase annual compensation spending by $30M in his first term.
Joshua,
Pursuing higher office was a mistake on Setti’s part. I think, or at least hope that he realizes this. But, you know, Obama was like a 2 year, one term Senator when he ran for President.
The pay was voted on long ago. David Cohen was ashamed to take it because of all the flak about NNHS. In fact, Setti’s salary is not high for what he’s doing. The Superintendent of Schools? That something we could discuss.
The $30 million increase in compensation over the term is about 10% total. This is not huge and is not his fault. It’s in my opinion the fault of allowing civil service unions.
Joshua, pick your fights where they make sense. There are a lot of things to deal with, and Setti is in my opinion trying. Ted Hess-Mahan on the other hand is a bleeding-heart liberal who will give away the store to anyone he feels an ounce of empathy for, regardless of whether or not it is warranted. And he’ll take from anyone he resents, like the “wealthy” Newtonites, in order to help the homeless and the poor.
Barry, I have no love for Obama. You should be worried that Setti Warren almost always agrees with President Obama.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150842198121224&set=a.10150264881751224.368991.77637921223&type=1&theater
I agree with you that administrator spending in the Newton Public Schools needs to be addressed as it is well ahead of what well-managed Bay State Communities (that get comparable or better academic results) spend on their administrators.
As for the $30M in annual compensation growth during his first term, we were sold an $11.4M tax increase for “infrastructure needs” yet Newton’s FY 2014 budget increases compensation spending by $11.4M versus FY 2013 and $30M versus FY 2010. I have to disagree with Bob Burke’s reference to the “structural deficit”. Newton has a structural spending problem due to lavish compensation packages for its unionized bureaucrats and a city government that puts its 3,000+ employees ahead of its taxpayers.
For all the rhetoric about “Mayor Warren saving $200M”, Setti did not save any money for Newton. Newton’s annual spending increased from $287M in 2010 to $331M in FY 2014.
We were sold a tax increase based on thoughtful planning for school building projects in partnership with the MSBA, not missing the sprinkler law and using placeholder estimates.
I’m not worried that evaluating Setti’s record on a Newton related blog that is frequented by staunch Setti supporters will swing the election in any way. You’re evaluating Ted Hess-Mahan’s record as Alderman and I’m providing an independent evaluation of Setti’s record as Mayor. Hopefully, whoever wins the 2013 mayoral election will realize that they will need to implement real reforms in their term of office rather than merely tinkering with the rate of spending growth.