Following passage of the Welcoming City ordinance, two Newtonites are offering signs to proclaim a strong welcome message. Councilor Emily Norton created these bumper stickers and is making them available for free. If you would like one or more, contact her at [email protected] and she will mail them to you.
Ellen Meyers is spearheading an effort to distribute 1000 lawn signs as shown here. If you’d like one or more, email her at [email protected]. She’s asking for donations of $8 per sign to keep the project going and get more signs, for distribution in Newton and beyond. Any funds that remain after purchase of signs will be donated to the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The message is clear: “Welcome to Newton, but we don’t want you to live here because we are never going to build any middle class to low income housing”
Great projects and signs. Getting both. Thank you to all involved.
Fabulous. Thanks to Emily and Ellen.
Hash tags, bumper stickers, signs, ribbons, and other compulsive Virtue sharing devices may help to allieviate
guilty consciences, but they don’t do a darn thing to help make Newton more “welcoming”.
Who exactly is the audience for these signs?
Lets unpack this “Newton is Welcoming” notion and dig into the details and facts;
Exactly how welcoming is Newton?
What percentage of Newton’s residency is latino?
What percentage of Newton’s residency is African American?
What percentage of Newton’s residency is represented by all other world cultures?
Live-in domestic help, nannies, and property maintenance
employees don’t count.
What percentage of our school committee is represented by persons of color?
What percentage of our school committee is represented by persons who identify as latino and other world cultures?
What percentage of our City council, local boards and committees, school PTO hierarchy, education center employees, curriculum coordinators, City of Newton employees and the Newton Teachers Association are represented by persons of color, latino or all other world cultures?
What percentage of each of Newton’s 8 Wards are populated by:
Persons of latino heritage?
Persons of African American heritage?
Persons of all other world cultures?
What percentage of the Newton City Democratic committee, our state legislators and senators,
and the Newton League Of Women Voters identifies as latino, african american or all other world cultures?
What percentage of our local media- print, digital etc is represented by people of color,
latino heritage and all other world cultures?
If/when we are able to determine or insure that a substantial number of Newton is represented
by all of the above identfied groups, and THEY, not people who identify as caucasian or white
are displaying these lawn signs and bumper stickers, only then will Newton be “welcoming”.
Paul,
The phrase you are looking for is “limousine liberal”. I would argue Newton is not welcoming these folks to “live here” because of race, its simply “cost”.
Newton will fight tooth and nail to oppose any new housing (this include apartments) to be built.
If Newton were forced to build housing for every “welcoming” proposal (since you cannot welcome people if there is no affordable place for them to live).. you would see their “true colors”
@Paul Green We do have undocumented people living and working in Newton. I take your point that we have no latinos, to my knowledge, as elected officials but if even 1% of our population is at risk we are now supporting them. And, if ICE comes calling looking for detainer beds in Newton as deportees are waiting for a flight to wherever – our police will say no. Perhaps you heard about Matahari which is an organization supporting domestic workers? They have formed a group in Newton and you would be surprised at the size of the group who have gone to the meetings looking for support.
@bugek – Totally agree that it is really tough to create any housing in Newton if it is not single family housing in the $million+ range. The list of people looking for a home in Newton includes seniors wanting to move out of a big house but stay close to friends , a young person looking for a start, a teacher or fireman looking to live closer to one’s work, young people who can’t afford an apartment downtown, and people in need of affordable housing – people of all races, creeds, nationalities, religions and income levels. The Welcoming City Ordinance caught the attention and support of many. I hope they won’t go back to doing what they were doing before – but rather let the City Councilors know that they do want to create homes for everyone here.
@Susan Albright-
You are completely missing my point, avoiding my questions, and your answer is a cop-out. Its a very simple question. Exactly how diverse and”welcoming” is Newton? What are the numbers? Who is this audience for these signs?
Is it the 1% that is at risk the signs are meant to address?
I suspect, and i think you already know that Newton is not at all “welcoming”. I’m sent e-mails from the school superintendent about how welcoming Newton is, but he’s sits at school committee meetings at a table headed by mostly white men and women, with one african american school committee member (Angela PW) & an African American mayor Setti W. After the next election cycle that table will be entirely white, as both Setti & Angela will be gone.
Has there ever been a latino on the city council/board of alderman? What about the school committee? Rather than deflect and dismiss the issue i raised, you should answer may questions and make an attempt to provide these numbers so that we can determine if Newton is as Progressive and “welcoming” as many people believe it is.
This issue i am raising is beyond any 1% that may be at risk, and you and i both know that
there would be an army of lawyers from the ACLU, Laraza, Seiu etc that would mobilize in an instant were there be any deportation actions.
Paul,
There is no ‘conspiracy’ to keep the diversity low on the councils. The representation is simply reflective of the overall demographics of the city. Although I’m surprised at the lack of Asians since Asian make up double digit percentage in Newton
The restriction on middle class to low housing is causing it, the opposition to housing is simple economics “less supply, higher prices”. Its not to keep certain races out, it to done to protect peoples housing investment. Its misguided… but Newton is a “limousine liberal” town
Yesterday I received this email from ACLU Massachusetts:
https://aclum.org/our-work/aclum-issues/immigrants-rights/residents-greater-boston-area-tell-police-chief-not-support-president-trumps-deportation-machine/#letter
According to news sources, an unknown number of police departments in the Greater Boston area received this message last week:
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Port of Boston is currently in the process of securing overnight bed space in detention facilities operated by local police departments…
They want local police to rent out jail cells to hold immigrants until CBP can kick them out of the country.
This is part of the Trump administration’s plan to ramp up deportations. The leaked letter confirms a strategy of increasing the kind of fast deportations that don’t give the person an opportunity to make their case in front of an immigration judge.
I don’t presume to understand why someone would support a welcoming city ordinance but not a development that includes affordable housing or accessory apartments. I do know that I support both and my sign is going up to let anyone who needs to know that the Newton Police Dept will not cooperate in the above. If it gives one immigrant peace, it’s worth it.
I’d like to see that on a bumper sticker! Perhaps Councilor Norton could make some of those.
Marti,
It is my understanding that the deportations are for illegal immigrants with criminal convictions such as DUI, theft, assault, murder. Correct me if I’m wrong? The only difference between Obama and Trump’s policy is that they have now included DUI which is NOT a victimless crime
The statement of the day: “I don’t presume to understand why someone would support a welcoming city ordinance but not a development that includes affordable housing or accessory apartments.”
Paul raises important and uncomfortable issues for Newton residents. Until Ms. Norton supports projects that include affordable housing, her bumper sticker basically says that we’ll support the people who live elsewhere and travel to Newton to make our lives more comfortable.
As Susan Albright points out, we support all immigrants who live in Newton. As for being part of the power structure, as Paul points out, that’s been more of a struggle.
@ Greg – Your Bumper Sticker “I don’t presume to understand why someone would support a welcoming city ordinance but not a development that includes affordable housing or accessory apartments” is TOO many words!
You can easily get your point across with a one word Bumper Sticker – HYPOCRITE
@bugek – you wrote “Although I’m surprised at the lack of Asians since Asian make up double digit percentage in Newton”. There is currently one Asian on the City Council, Amy Mah Sangiolo, and have been others in the past. I know this is tangential to the discussion, but it’s good to get one’s facts straight.
Thank you Greg. I agree. Exactly my sentiment.
@Joanne-
Say that good and loud, they ARE Hypocrites. Many of them wouldn’t pour a bucket of water on you if you were on fire, never mind support affordable housing.
@mgwa-
Agreed. Amy and Greer TS are the only
Asians represented on the city council
in recent memory.
The asians i know here in Newton
don’t bother wasting their time in local politics- they are too busy working
their butts off and their kids are too busy cleaning the clocks of their american brethren academically instead of playing with their Iphones. The academic success of the offspring of the various world cultures that ARE represented here in Newton has no doubt helped raise test scores, improve school ratings and increased property values
for us all. We should be kissing their bottoms everyday.
Frankly we should be thanking the Russians also.
There were many Newton school
children that sought refuge academically at the Russian school for mathematics when the misguided and idiotic Chicago/everyday math system was in place- is it still? Kids derisively
called it math/English and in order to understand it and teach it to their students, even
teachers had to be tutored to unlock its idiocy. More evidence of “Smart”, “Educated” people doing very dumb things. The school department and curriculum coordinators own that one.
@Paul: You say you agree with me but I don’t agree with you (or Joanne)
By and large our city councilors are decent, dedicated public servants who commit an extraordinary amount of time and patience to these part time jobs. I don’t always agree with them but they deserve our respect and they have mine.
I do believe that our Ward 2 City Councilor has never satisfactorily explained how she can champion making Newton a welcoming city, smart growth and virtually every other progressive cause under the sun, while opposing smart growth and affordable housing projects in her back yard. So yes, I see some hypocrisy there. But I don’t question her dedication or commitment to her job.
Mgwah
There are 24 Councilors in Newton, Asians make up 13% so there should technically be 3.14 Asians if we expect demographic representation. There is one, it is “lacking”
@Marti and Susan Albright-
If the goal is to provide safe shelter and protect “at risk” population from being detained or deported by ICE, why on earth would Newton announce a “Welcoming Ordinance” at a time when these very people are being sought by the federal government? This type of Virtue sharing does more to put these people at risk by putting up a very large red flag and announcing where these people are. From what i have seen since the election, THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN TARGETED ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BRAZENLY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY ARE SANCTUARY CITIES. It doesn’t seem to me that you have done these people any favors by providing the government with a
map.
@ Paul – many of the same Newton Councilor Hypocrites that supported the Sanctuary City, DONT want new low income development ( NIMBY)are also the same councilors that tried to Ban Leafblowers and have now put on restrictions that will make IMMIGRANTS work harder! And they pretend they want to help the Immigrant,
I think a Better sign which would still say it all is
NEWTON COUNCILORS ARE HYPOCRITES!
@Joanne Time for you to put your money where your mouth is. Run for City Council and make a change rather than complaining.
Lots of unfounded generalizations about the city council here. There’s not a lot of homogeneous councilors.
Paul, President Trump substantially broadened the scope of who the Department of Homeland Security can target to include those with minor offenses or no convictions at all, in a departure from the Obama administration. Immigration officials acknowledged that authorities have cast a wider net than they would have last year. DHS officials confirmed that, given the broader range defined by Trump they also were sweeping up noncriminals in the vicinity who were found to be lacking documentation.
In February there were sweeping raids at homes, workplaces and checkpoints in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, the Los Angeles area, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Kansas, Texas and Northern Virginia. These included law abiding mothers and contributors to their communities.
Edit: homogeneity among city councilors.
Paul, Denver city attorney dropping 4 domestic violence cases because witnesses won’t testify for fear of deportation.
http://www.9news.com/news/local/politics/city-attorney-deportation-fears-impacting-criminal-cases/415790173
@Greg-
I don’t believe i have ever said that our city councilors aren’t decent, dedicated people. Unless
you can specifically show me in black and white or color where i have said that, lets quit that game right off the bat.
Thats not how i roll. I have supported Emily Norton from day 1 , and i will continue to support her, even if i don’t agree with her views. She knows it, and if i need to say it here i will. Few people understand what Emily and various other people who she has supported over the years, whether they got elected or not, had to deal with in order to get elected. I supported all of them also and got blowback from teachers, PTO moms, and some very narrow minded, well educated people who are usually very rational. Emily and her candidates dealt with vicious opposition from so many different fronts. It is a wonder they hung in there.
There is more than “some” hypocrisy here, and frankly it started way before Emily was elected. The level of hypocrisy is breathtaking. I’ve dealt with Susan Albright before, i know her views and i respect them even if i don’t always agree with them. She’s earned her meager pay. Here’s the real issue Greg. The majority of declared voters in Newton are Democrats. A good deal of these Democrats, including just about all of our elected officials consider themselves “Progressive”.
The signs, emails, letters,speeches and various other proclamations from these people wave that flag high. Its very important for these people to be seen as Progressive for whatever reason, EVEN IF THEIR POLITICAL VIEWS AND POSITIONS ARE NOT PROGRESSIVE.
When did opposing affordable housing become a “Progressive” Value?
Surely I’m not the only person with functioning eyes that traverses our city and notices that
the city is anything but inclusive to other cultures. Am i? How diverse is your neighborhood?
I’m in a part of the city that has historically been diverse and i rarely see people of color or
world cultures.
The local and national media has done an awful thorough job of dissecting anyone not considered to be a Progressive Democrat. You are a journalist. Gail is a journalist. Journalists afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. You guys are letting an awful lot of people off the hook real easy by not calling them out and making them take ownership of their views
in the same fashion that everyone is calling out Trump. Thats what non partisan, balanced journalists do. Thanks for the forum to express my views, which i will take ownership of.
Paul, I’m not even looking for these; they are in the news.
Jose Escobar, a 31 yo father with no criminal record and married to an American citizen, was just deported to El Salvador, a country he hasn’t seen in 16 years. He lost his legal status because his mother thought her teen would be automatically included in her own renewal application.
“It comes just days after the president told Congress that he was removing gang members and drug dealers just as he had promised.
“Bad ones are going out as I speak,” Trump said.”
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Immigration-agents-deport-Houston-father-of-two-10973728.php?t=e842b1a3cc438d9cbb&cmpid=twitter-premium#photo-12439165
@Marti-
Remember the little boy Elian Gonzalez who was pulled from a closet in order to be deported?
Who was the president? Thats right, Bill Clinton. Where was the outrage? Why now?
“Progressive” Barack Obama deported over 3 million immigrants. Where was the outrage?
Why now?
Here’s a question. Why do “Progressives”(and conservatives) treat these “at risk” people like toss away kleenex until they are about to be deported? Anytime i see immigrants in Newton, they are cleaning yards, watching children or doing construction. Whats up with that?
Marti
Trump has been hinting at permanent legal status for children brought here illegally, it could cover cases like you describe.
Personally I shed no tears whatsoever for illegals who commit crimes and are deported , this includes DUI. I don’t believe in the BS victimless label. If an illegal immigrant broke into my home or stole my wallet, I would have no problem reporting them to ICE **IF** i knew for sure they were in the country illegally
@Paul Green – The cities that have been targeted are the cities with a lot of undocumented residents. Many of them have granted safe harbor to these people. So how does that help your argument?. If I were the feds and I wanted to find undocumented people to deport I’d go where I could easily find some. There is a reason why these very cites have sought to protect their undocumented residents. Would you like me to go over all the reasons for creating a safe harbor? If so, let me know and I will.
Right now, it is important for as many cities and towns as possible stand together. Acton, Boxborough, Arlington, Concord, Easthampton are all working on their own laws/acts/resolutions and for this very reason (and these are just the towns I know about)- not because their cities and towns are full of undocumented people but because they want to stand together with the larger cities and towns.
Again @ Susan Albright,
If we are to assume that Newton is not
full of undocumented residents and we are “standing together with other communities to show support”, isnt the ordinance largely symbolic and therefore futile?
Is this the best that Progressive Democrats can offer these “at risk” immigrants? Seriously?
Why bother? Save the trees. Thank you for helping me to make my point. Other than Easthampton, every single community you mentioned – Acton,
Boxborough, Arlington, and Concord(now there is expensive place to live) are extremely white and populated primarily by Progressive Democrats who care deeply enough about “at risk” immigrants to put up a lot of signs telling them they are welcome, instead of actually making their communities
affordable AND welcoming for them.
They all might stand in solidarity for immigrants and proudly display their guilt relieving Virtue Symbols, but they will fight like dogs to keep affordable housing out. Kind of like Newton. If I were an immigrant, i would hide in everyone of the communities you
mentioned, including Newton because there would never be anyone looking for me, until i went to my day job cleaning the grounds of the homes.
And no, thanks for the offer, I’m well aware of what a safe harbor is.
I’m an adopted child. I’ve actually lived in affordable housing in another life
in a mixed race, fully diverse and integrated housing project that people today would consider a ghetto. Imagine, someone part of the conversation about affordable housing that actually lived in affordable housing. Please don’t tell ICE, I like it here.
I have quite enjoyed over many years being lectured by deeply concerned
Democrats over the need for affordable housing, just not in their
backyard.
Ok, now I’ve got it. Nothing at all will satisfy either Paul or Bugek. Bugek I realize now that you would rather deal in Trump’s hints instead of the reality right now – not one person I linked had a criminal record or was suspected of a crime.
Paul, I see now you are just angry and will stay that way regardless. Yes there was outrage over Elian Gonzalez and he was returned to his father anyway even though a lot of people wanted him to stay. You support counselor Norton who does not support any affordable housing I’ve seen but supported the Welcoming ordinance and is giving out the bumper stickers you’re going on about but you call the city councilors hypocrites.
I’m done here.
@Paul Green You make so many assumptions about other people. I’m not lecturing you, I actually thought we were having a conversation. We all have our stories. We all have Newton in common. There are very few of us who had life handed to us on a silver spoon. If you want to talk instead of lecturing me -I’ll be happy to start again.
@Marti & Susan Albright-
I’m quite confident that there is
a lot of truth in what i have written and I’ll bet there are more than a few people that agree with me. Some/many wont. That’s fine with me, i can tolerate differing views. It makes people very uncomfortable to realize they don’t actually have the views or values that they thought they did. I’m more than willing to look at and consider any evidence to the contrary. I’ve made my points.
@Marti-if
“Speaking truth to power” makes me an angry person, then I’m an angry
person. I’ve been called a lot worse.
Marti wrote: “You support counselor [sic] Norton who does not support any affordable housing I’ve seen”
I’d love to hear your evidence for that claim Marti. I assume you’ve compiled all the instances over the past three years in which I had an opportunity to vote or take action related to affordable housing, and can demonstrate that I chose to oppose it. Would love you to share that, here, publicly, with everyone. Thanks!
Emily Norton wrote:
@Marti, as you’ve probably figured out, that’s trick question.
By the very nature of 40B City Councilors don’t typically vote on affordable housing projects….and Newton has had so few of any sort anyway.
We do know that Councilor Norton opposed Austin Street, the best known affordable housing project before the Council in years. She also opposed Wells Ave., an affordable project that went before the aldermen in 2014 because of a deed restriction. And both supporters and opponents of Washington Place believed she was one of the most dependable seven or so no votes on that project.
@Councilor Norton: I think the more appropriate question would be for you to show us when you have taken a leadership role on affordable housing in Ward 2? Please share that, here, publicly, with everyone. Thanks!
Did someone mention “Asians” on the City Council? Did you guys know that I am the longest serving Asian American elected official in the Commonwealth? And to Paul – yes – it is very sad that I am the only one on the Newton City Council and yes, for a while we had my friend and colleague – Greer Swiston, serving on the Board of Aldermen too. Greer and I are examples of differing political ideology but have always and will continue to have enormous respect for each other and our commitment to this City. Hopefully, many more Asian Americans will become more politically active – maybe even run for School Committee, City Council or even higher local offices !!!
But, most importantly I do want to point out – Asian Americans should not be lumped together as a a single group. We all come from very different backgrounds and cultures, as do all ethnicities, and I do hope people realize, embrace, and take time to understand and accept those differences.
@Amy/
Yes it’s sad. Thank you for
hanging in there for so many years.
The city continues to benefit from your
institutional knowledge and experience.
@Marti(and Emily)-
I continue to support Emily and feel
not at all hypocritical about it, even if we may differ about the housing issue,
because one issue does not a candidate make. I believe her tenure has been an asset to the city.
Thank you Paul
@Greg: In all fairness, didn’t all of the City Councilors – with the exception of Ted and myself (we recused ourselves)- and the few City Councilors who decided to walk outside the rail and not have their vote counted on the project – vote against the Wells Avenue project?
@Greg: Actually – the City’s Planning Department recommended against approval of the project (Wells Ave) back in 2015 and I don’t remember whether or not the City’s Economic Development Commission opined on this project (Wells Ave).
“I think the more appropriate question would be for you to show us when you have taken a leadership role on affordable housing in Ward 2? Please share that, here, publicly, with everyone. Thanks!”
@Greg
Accessory apartments. Next question.
Not ALL affordable housing has to benefit the people paying for your salary, does it?