According to this article by Joshua Miller from the Boston Globe about 2014 gubernatorial candidate Joe Avellone and the 2018 election, Mayor Warren’s name is coming up at Democratic water cooler conversations.
Miller writes:
Three plugged-in state Democratic operatives who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Mayor Setti Warren of Newton has been having early, quiet conversations about a potential 2018 bid.
Predictably, Warren told Miller that he’s focused on Newton and he loves his job.
I believe the mayor is telling the truth, but the truth doesn’t mean he’s not considering a run.
Hey 2026 is coming up, let’s ask the Mayor if he’s going to run??
Setti is not gubernatorial timber. I remembered his presentation at the 2013 override forums, the man is incapable of original thought, just regurgitating left-wing talking points.
If left-wing Democrat policies were working so well for Newton, Newton wouldn’t have any debt, but under David Cohen and Setti Warren, that number is now $1.15 Billion.
If left-wing Democrat policies were working so well for Newton, Newton’s school building costs wouldn’t have overruns, but under Setti Warren, the cost of Carr increased from $8 Million to $12.7 Million, Angier went from $30 Million to $37.5 Million and lets not forget about Newton North.
Setti Warren has raised taxes by over $66 Million annually to fund $56 Million in new compensation spending for the unions.
Setti may be a charming fellow, but he is a lightweight, and he can’t bring Maureen Lemieux into the gubernatorial debates to help him.
There isn’t a dimes worth of difference between Setti Warren’s and David Cohen. Both are left-wing Democrats who have a track record of raising taxes, wasteful government spending and incurring more debt.
I have no love for the RINO Charlie Baker after he and his minions screwed Mark Fisher at last year’s convention, but there is no way I’d vote for Setti for Governor (or Mayor for that matter).
Maybe that is why his Annual fund raiser was held in BOSTON instead of Newton 3 weeks ago.
Nice to see the Mayor supporting local business!
The Mayor just mailed out an invite to his annual Newton Fundraiser …. it is on June 25th at West St. Tavern, a great local business!
I guess I didn’t get my invitation, lol
Two fundraisers ? What for ? Isnt he building his housing portfolio for Hilary and his HUD appointment ?
Then , ( like Andrew Cuomo ) he’ll be looking for the governors seat .
Blueprintbill and Simon – Take a deep breath.
Since he didn’t say, I’m guessing that he event that Simon is referring to was the Mayors Community Prayer Breakfast at Boston College about three weeks ago. First off it actually was in Newton (McElroy Hall). Second, it’s not a political fundraiser, the proceeds go to Newton Food Pantries and arts organizations, Third, it was the 41 Annual Prayer Breakfast so this event is a long tradition that predates our current mayor by many many years.
I just happen to know a bit about this because my daughter’s 7th grade choir from Brown Middle School was part of the entertainment for this year’s event.
@Jerry
Um, you’re completely wrong.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1485012651773862/
It took less time to Google for the answer than for you to write a post that blindly assumed someone else was wrong.
@Paul ( and blueprintill & simon). I stand corrected. Mea culpa
@Paul and Jerry. Yes, but the Brown Middle School chorus was one of the big hits of the Mayor’s breakfast at BC and Jerry’s daughter is a proud member of that group.
I’d be surprised if Mayor Warren wasn’t “thinking” about running for Governor. Warren has made no secret that he aspires to higher office, and now that he’s in his second term he’s entitled to give it a shot.
The problem is that sometimes Setti’s political interest does not align with the city’s best interest. The tip of that iceberg is Austin Street, where the Mayor settled for an awful deal that will allow him to claim he created affordable housing. Looming beneath the surface is a much larger issue, and that’s the city’s claim of immunity from 40B. Frankly, I’ve come to believe that Setti is playing a political game to placate 40B opponents. On the one hand claiming immunity from 40B, but on the other hand not supporting that claim with any veracity. The Mayor’s position on 40B reeks of political calculation, which smells very similar to bullsh!t.
@Mike
I totally agree with you.
I believe he wants to surpass the 40b threshold that will then give him more control over 40b and demand a higher percentage of affordable units in the future.
It’s a smart strategy
@Simon– First, I’d encourage you to use your full name on this blog, so we can continue conversing. Secondly, you’ve missed my point. I don’t believe Mayor Warren is making a serious effort to support the City’s claim of immunity from 40B. It’s nothing but a sham intended to placate 40B opponents, while the Mayor privately lends support to 40B developers.
Mike, you just broke your own pledge. People are free not to use their last name on this blog. If you seek private communication, might I suggest e-mail or the telephone.
Some people have a legitimate need for anonymity. I totally understand that, and I would bow to Greg’s judgment if he vetted them. But this blog has been overrun with fake names and hidden agendas. In my opinion, deliberate deception does not serve the purpose of positive public discourse. Particularly when public officials can post under an assumed name. I’d like to see everyone using their real first and last name. For those who choose to not, I reserve my right to not respond at my own discretion.
@Mike
I kind of like a little internet anonymity.
Probably because I watched too many horror movies as a kid!
Simon – A word of caution: the truly Anonymous Bloggers have to be really careful not to get into personal attacks. It’s a way of maintaining a cordial dialogue and, frankly, your credibility and cover. There was a blogger named Hoss who used to post all the time, had some pretty interesting thoughts and questions, and no one had much interest in finding out who s/he was because s/he was always pretty respectful. But once an AB becomes nasty, people want to know who that person is. Then it’s only a matter of time…
Jane, just curious. What exactly did Simon say that was nasty.
A fundraiser was held in Boston. Check
The Mayor wanting to have more control over 40B and be able to require more affordable units would be a good thing in my opinion.
It’s Mike Striar who is accusing the Mayor of not working in the city’s best interest and of using a sham suit to placate 40B opponents. With no proof. That’s a tad nasty.
And just what does “it’s only a matter of time … ” mean?
Mike, I appreciate that you feel this way, but please respect that this is the V14 policy. People don’t need to justify their use of pseudonyms. There are many reasons why people may wish to limit personal information. This is the Internet, you know. Respond or don’t respond as you see fit, but please stop pressuring people to reveal personal information.
You’re also free to set up and manage your own blog with authenticated, fully-identifiable participants and see how it goes. It might be a huge success, but I imagine it would attract a different audience.
Adam– I understand the policy, and respect other people’s right to blog under a “Bozo the Clown” pseudonym if they choose. But fake names are a burgeoning problem here on V14. I’m just pointing it out, because I think it degrades the quality of the dialogue.
So noted. Unfortunately, I don’t always see a correlation between identification and quality posts.
@Mike,@Jane
It’s beyond me why it’s so important to know who you are communicating with here. People are entitled to their opinion. Who knows – I could be the mayor! But what difference would it really make?
Credibility – if I end up talking to a jerk I tend to try a be respectful and move on.
At the end of the day it’s only a debate .
This credibility discussion needs to move on. It certainly feels like bullying to me.
As for pseudonyms etc, I am not using one and anybody who is really interested in what goes on a city hall – you’ll find me up there listening and occasionally joining the discussion too!
Simon – I have no need to know who you are. However, as I explained on another thread, just as you have issues of importance to you, having some boundaries for what one can say about another individual in the community is important to me. That’s all.
Instead of requiring people to use their real names, why not just post a sign on the blog that says “Don’t Feed The Trolls”?
Did someone call me?
There are more posters who use their real names who are “nasty” than there are anonymous ones. (Not referring to you Tom.)
And Jane, “having some boundaries for what one can say about another individual in the community is important to me. That’s all.” Saying the Mayor, a politician, did something you don’t like is not being “nasty.” And you are the one talking about hyperbole. I don’t see you obsessing about the name using posters who fit that description.
@Ted
By the very nature of your position, you surely have to admit you breed trolls 😉
Calling anyone a liar is crossing a line. I’ve been called a liar here, so it’s a touchy subject for me. Sorry ’bout that.
If a person I know is nasty, then I’m able to judge the level of safety when responding to him/her and can dismiss it. With an anonymous blogger, it’s impossible to assess safety. That’s why there are so few women who post on this blog.
OK, now that we’ve covered that…. I hear that according to a Boston Globe story about gubernatorial candidates, Mayor Warren’s name is coming up at Democratic water cooler conversations as a possible 2018 contender.
Anyone care to discuss. Or is it time to close this thread?
Setti is a talented politician, a mediocre leader, and he puts his own political interest ahead of the interests of the electorate. In other words, he’s just like most politicians who view elective office as a career. Does he have a shot at the Governor’s office? Absolutely! Especially if that water cooler Greg referred to is dispensing Setti Kool-Aid. A couple of sips of that stuff and his people will be touting him for President.
I don’t think he has a shot in beating Baker. Second, his whole existence is to work in Washington, thats why he considered running for Senate and he didn’t run in last year’s election. I don’t believe he would consider it. When we were friends, I tried to convince him to run for governor, but he ignored me.
Tom: It’s possible a younger Setti Waren’s “whole existence” revolved arround Washington. But don’t underestimate what having kids can do to one’s “whole existence.” Parenthood is pretty powerful.
Why is talking about someone else’s career aspirations of interest to anyone in Newton? Where is there no thread about the forthcoming elementary school redistricting while the City of Newton is touting walkable villages and being GREEN while advocating for mega-elementary schools that will require more driving and busing? Sheesh!
Greg,
agreed.
If we are going to request issues, I have an issue I’d like to take up: Why doesn’t the city settle the union contracts? We are about to be taken for a ride again with an override that could have been prevented and everybody seems to be too complacent.
What Janet said.
Why nothing about redistricting? Remember vast majority of people move to Newton for its much touted school system.
@ Sam S.
Indeed the “vast majority of people move to Newton for it’s much touted school system”.
And our political leaders are making this more and more certain by advocating and building any number of 40b housing projects that they will be able to move into. I suspect that fewer and fewer folks are moving here for aesthetic and environmental reasons as our roads get more crowed, village centers become more difficult to access, and our trees and green space are more and more compromised with asphalt.
PS are you watching Mr Mayor ?
@BluePrint – Exactly the reason why I am not a fan of Mayor forcing the 40R or other high density housing down my throat. I would have NOT moved to Newton, if i knew the place was going to have crowded schools with crowded streets.
There are many other burbs around that offer what Newton currently does, with much better school systems.
@Sam S and @Blueprintbill
Somehow we need to be able to discuss these issues, such as housing, 40B, who is moving to Newton and why, from some basis grounded in data or a set of facts we can agree upon. Not that any of that is directly related to what this thread is supposed to be about, which is Setti Warren’s political ambitions. But it comes up so often and folks would be well served to at least try and start from a reasonable picture of what is actually happening on the ground.
Let’s start with this:
“Remember the vast majority of people move to Newton for its much touted school system.”
You’re going to have to cite your sources for that statement. Do you know how many people move in to Newton in a given year, and how many school age children those inbound folks might have in their family unit? Since the amount of new construction in a fully developed community like Newton is limited pretty much to infill and demolition/replacement, it usually means that someone is moving out if a new family is moving in. Take a guess, read the demographic studies, learn some facts and you will find for example that part of what is happening in Newton is the ‘aging out’ of baby boomers and so-called empty nesters whose kids went to Newton schools but are now gone, while the parents either attempt to figure out how to ‘age in place’ or want to downsize and find smaller quarters. You will also find there are other dynamics at work that make it difficult to make direct connections between housing ‘events’ like building an apartment complex, and actual elementary school enrollment this fall. Folks who want to live in Newton may like it for one set of reasons when newly married or having had their first child, in year 1 or 2 of a period, and then once here, have a second child, but the first one at that point has not even entered first grade. Down the line, what may have looked like a young childless couple moving into Newton in year one, generates (if that is quite the correct term – sorry) two additional students in the elementary school population. There’s a time delay and other decision factors that influence how it plays out into school population.
That said I would be the first to agree that the Newton School System has over time done a rather lousy job of forecasting what our needs are, and making sure we build and maintain what is required to service our school age population. What continues to amaze me is how some folks want to whack the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen on these issues when the School Committee, served by an incredibly highly paid set of administrators (with the Superintendent only the tip of the iceberg, at the top so to speak) is the crew that owns it lock stock and barrel from policy right through to spending and budgets.
You will also have to come to terms with the fact that in the last few years there have been almost no multi-unit construction permits issued in Newton. Oh sure, Avalon Bay and Riverside – that was then, this is now. Riverside has not even started construction. Avalon Bay (is that the correct name?) up on Needham St is old news. In the last few years, new construction and sales of existing units in Newton are overwhelmingly single unit homes, with what are now astronomical selling prices.
Next up: 40B is a state law and claiming that ‘local politicians’ are advocating, promoting, or otherwise participating in 40B projects is preposterous. The entire intent and purpose of 40B is to remove local zoning and political officials and bodies from the process. And even then, when a developer decides to use 40B to try and move a project forward in the face of local opposition, there are legal roadblocks and appeals that can still be pursued by communities that just don’t want it to be built in my back yard.
Please take a little time to learn some of the basics. I’m not asking you to explain a ground rule double, but you ought to know the difference between a double play and a bunt. You do not enhance the credibility or convincing power of your arguments by fabricating completely imaginary scenarios about local officials and how the laws work.
@HL
You appear to have a lot of information regarding these issues.
Perhaps you can supply these figures to debunk these myths?
@Dewey – With all due respect, sounds like you are at the football game questioning about baseball rules.
I honestly I cannot believe I am responding to your ask for data to support my statement “Vast majority of people move to Newton for its schools”. But since you are questioning my credibility here you go …
1. http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2008/08/the-best-schools-2008/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton,_Massachusetts
3. http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/newton/2011/04/newton_school_committee_passes.html [quote from SC committee member]
4. People approved overrides for its school system.
5. Maybe you should try googling a term before you question someone.
Second, I said I am opposed to 40R (R as in Robert, NOT B as in Barry). 40R is not mandated. Its a choice made by communities. Just like our mayor is going to follow a process, and in the end going to do exactly what he wants. He will hold meeting to claim he heard people’s voice (already got an email on sunday following the open house).
So before you fire up another essay, and question credibility. Please take a moment to read the post properly.
Finally, I did not see any data source about your claims – people aging in place etc. Not that I dispute it, but find it ironic that you are not backing your own statement with any data while attacking others.
Wow, HL Dewey. Great explanation. Well said.
Now, can you explain the infield fly rule to me? 😉
@Sam S – sources on Newton having good schools are not the same as sources on people choosing Newton because of the schools. Many people with school aged kids may limit their choices to suburbs with reputations for good schools, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to choose Newton over Wellesley or Weston because of the schools – there are a lot of local suburbs with excellent school systems. And there are also many people moving to Newton who are not choosing for schools – whether because they don’t expect to have school-aged kids while they live here, plan to send their kids to private/parochial schools (which many Newtonites do), etc.
I think this thread is pretty well done but wanted to thank @SamS for taking the trouble to post some sources, a genuine engagement in friendly dialogue. Likewise thanks to @mgwa for pointing out that having good schools, though clearly related to decisionmaking on moving to Newton, does not necessarily prove causation – the old ‘correlation is not causation’ fallacy. I would not encourage folks to believe a word I say anyway, since internet posters and bloggers are notoriously wrong and ill-informed about basic facts. Always check things out for yourself. I’m really trying to raise issues and encourage folks to question assumptions, and get discussion going. Some sources below, however.
That said, I’l try to clarify a little. My reference to 40B was an attempt to respond to @blueprintbill on the following:
“And our political leaders are making this more and more certain by advocating and building any number of 40b housing projects that they will be able to move into. ”
Later in the thread, @SamS raised the question of 40R:
“@BluePrint – Exactly the reason why I am not a fan of Mayor forcing the 40R or other high density housing down my throat. ”
I didn’t manage to get that far in my long-winded overly convoluted post, but I would just say that I would love to have @SamS explain to me exactly how you think the Mayor can force 40R down your throat given the process I read in the legislative record – it requires things like changes to zoning ordinances which the Mayor is totally not able to accomplish on his own. Maybe my comment about learning the rules might apply here. Note to Alderman Ted H-M: I had a very hard time even understanding the concept of tagging up, when you had to do it and why, so if you think I’m going to help you with the infield fly rule, good luck.
Sources and data. I’m always looking for good information on these issues, but I think we’re really lucky to have some very good resources here in Boston. The Boston Foundation is certainly one, http://www.tbf.org, as is the Metropolitan Area Council http://www.mapc.org. Specifically Prof. Barry Bluestone at Northeastern has been doing research and writing about these topics for 15 or 20 years. Try this page http://www.mapc.org/smart-growth/housing or the annual Greater Boston Housing Report Card reports, especially 2013 :
http://www.northeastern.edu/dukakiscenter/housing/gbhousingreportcard/
If you can’t find relevant information in that cluster of material, I really don’t know how to help you. If you know some other, or better sources, I would love to know about them.