This press release was just received from Scott Lennon’s campaign, it is shared verbatim.
City Council President Scott Lennon announced Thursday that Amy Mah Sangiolo, a veteran City Councilor, environmental attorney, and a former Mayoral candidate, has endorsed him as the next Mayor of Newton. Sangiolo’s endorsement is the most significant development in the mayoral race since the preliminary election took place on September 12th.
“I am so grateful for Amy’s support of my candidacy because I so deeply respect her decades of bold advocacy for community-based planning and affordable housing, improved services and transportation for seniors, strong environmental policies, and deep commitment to our public schools,” said Lennon. “I look forward to working with Amy and all her supporters as we work together to make our city the very best it can be.”
Lennon and Sangiolo have worked together on the City Council and both pride themselves as strong advocates for city services and transparency in government. The two city leaders said they bonded over their shared vision for the city and having both raised children through the Newton Public Schools system.
“I have worked closely with Scott for all of his 16 years on the Council and admire his diplomacy, honesty, and firm grasp of the issues facing our city, and our mutual commitment to transparency in all government activities,” said Sangiolo. Amy went on to say, “I have full confidence that Scott will lead this City forward, keep Newton resident’s interests first and get the job done.”
Sangiolo is the fifth city councilor to endorse Lennon since the preliminary election. She cited Lennon’s decades of professional financial and management expertise as well as his “congenial yet strong leadership as President of the City Council” as additional reasons for endorsing the lifelong Newtonian.
Lennon and Sangiolo were rivals during the preliminary, and have differed on issues such as changes to the city charter and development. Lennon said those differences makes Sangiolo “an invaluable partner because we trust each other to be honest about our positions and then get to work on the issues.”
The endorsement is expected to shake up the mayoral race just weeks before the November 7th election.
Setti’s shadow endorsement to follow? RF needs a Hail Moses. But then again, what/who has been driving the machine bus?
Endorsements aside… I just want to take this opportunity to thank Amy again for her years of service to Newton. Like Scott and Ruthanne, Amy voluntarily gave up a safe seat on the City Council to run for Mayor. She got a late start in the Mayor’s race, but ran a campaign she should be proud of. Thank you Amy, for your years of advocacy and hard work. I hope [after a well deserved break] to see you on the ballot again soon.
Speaking of a “late start,” kudos to Amy for having the clearest voice in the race when it came to high school start times. Thanks for running and thanks for sticking up for the health and well-being of our children.
Hello Mayor Lennon
Primary Results:
Ruthanne Fuller – 5,240
Scott Lennon – 4,692
Amy Sangiolo – 3,504
Scott only needs about 16% of Amy’s votes to take the lead, based on the primary results. Obviously November 7th is a different animal, but this is a big deal!
@Randy: You could be right but don’t forget that turnout on Nov. 7 is likely to much higher.
@Randy: More accurately, he needs to get 16% more than Ruthanne from Amy’s pool of votes, or a 58-42 split. This is assuming that the rest of the primary voters stick to their initial choice. Also, there’s Al Cecchinelli’s 4% of the votes, which I predict will gravitate towards Fuller. Looks like a very tight race.
This is a major boost for the Lennon campaign. Scott now has the momentum going into the final.
He has been running a phenomenal campaign.
Odd that Mass. does not have a Governor’s Mansion – perhaps we could have one in Newton? Things do not always turn out as expected – machine politics bring with it unanticipated bed fellows or do they?
@ Newtoner – Why do you think that Al Cecchinelli’s votes would gravitate towards Fuller? Is it because Fuller donated LOTS of money to Republicans? Including a $10,000 donation to the Republican Committee?? Or do you think it might be because Fuller used to be a Republican until she decided to run for BOA in Newton and realized that she had better pretend she was a Democrat?? Or do you think it would be because Fuller’s family members are Republicans and donate LOTS of Money to Republicans. Just wondering if you think those are the reasons or are there other reasons?
@Joanne: Yes, for the exact reasons you mention (minus the hysterical language).
Fuller’s Republican history has given me pause for a while now. I’m a fan of both Lennon and Sangiolo and I’m happy to see this endorsement. Go Scott!
@Mary: It is giving me pause too, especially her donation while Sarah Palin was on the ticket. However, I’m having a hard time deciding whether this should matter in a Newton mayoral race.
For me, the thing that matters the most about her donation history in respect to this race is that I feel like she hasn’t been honest. If she was upfront and said something like, “Yes, I was a Republican in the past but over the years my views have changed and progressed” I could respect that. But the time she addressed this here on V14, I felt like her explanation was flippant. She continually makes claims about being historically progressive, but that’s not the case. So, I’m not sure how we could trust her.
I voted for Amy and am really not sure who to pick. Her endorsement for Scott comes at a surprise (but then I am fairly new to local politics). I only heard him talk once, and I didn’t hear a lot from him about his positions. He seemed like a typical politician – shy to take a stand, and the only things I remember about him from that evening was that his family is in Newton for generations, that he is a life long democrat and that he manages the budget for the Middlesex Sheriff’s department.
I know it’s not totally relevant for this race, but I really didn’t like his joke that evening about being the thorn between two roses, having been seated between Amy and Ruthanne (Amy’s opening marks were very “prickly” in return lol), and his take on why there is poverty (https://progressivenewton.com/2017/08/28/newton-candidates-questionnaires-2017/). It totally misses the fact that there exists systemic racism. His world view seems to center around his experience and that of his family.
I am reading a lot on “why not Ruthanne” here, which focuses mostly on her Republican past. So is Scott the “not Ruthanne” choice, or is there much more reason to vote for him?
@Patricia: Thanks for your support! Here’s what I posted on my FB page last night.
Dear Friends and Supporters,
An announcement went out this evening from the Lennon campaign to the press that I have endorsed Scott Lennon for Mayor. I want you all to know that I am grateful for your support throughout my campaign but the time had come for me to decide who I thought, of the remaining candidates, would most likely move our shared vision for the City forward. My pick is Scott Lennon.
Scott and I still differ on the proposed new Charter. However, there are many other issues where we agree.
Scott is committed to the resident-based planning that I believe is essential and for me, most likely to ensure the City – not developers – control of the planning and development process.
He is committed to adopting our aggressive and bold environmental platform to make our city a zero-waste and 100% renewable energy community (we still differ on dates) but he agrees that targets and goals are necessary to move this City forward on important environmental initiatives.
Scott also shares my vision to do better for our business community – become the partner that they need in order to thrive as well as build up our commercial tax base to bring in the revenue this City needs to fund our much needed programs and services.
As a parent of a child in the Newton Public Schools, Scott is committed to ensuring excellence in public education and has first hand knowledge of the importance of providing our teachers and our students with the resources they need and will put our children’s health and well-being first.
In the next week or so, Scott will announce some exciting initiatives which I hope will help you understand why he’s my choice to be our next Mayor.
Please feel free to contact me for more information, and please continue to hold both candidates feet to the fire. We know, the next four years are critical to the future of our community and our planet.
Amy
Here is why I endorse Ruthanne Fuller for Mayor:
I think that having been associated with the Republican party will actually make Ruthanne a BETTER Mayor of Newton for a number of reasons:
1. Ruthanne has inside knowledge of both parties which makes her better able to lead ALL people of Newton.
2. Ruthanne has shown that she is willing to change parties which is a courageous thing to do. Some say that Ruthanne’s party change was political, but, I don’t agree. I think Ruthanne changed parties because she listened and learned about the Democratic party and decided that the Democratic party suited her better. Many Democrats (myself included) simply followed our parents and joined the party that our families handed us. We followed. Ruthanne shows leadership. To change parties requires the ability to take a risk. I have seen this quality in Ruthanne manifested in the leaf blower issue. Ruthanne started out against any new regulations on leaf blowers. She listened to the landscapers and heard their argument that they would not be able to do their job without 77 decibels. But, after years of listening to public testimonies, reading our letters, and speaking with other residents, Ruthanne has changed her mind and believes wholeheartedly that landscapers can do their jobs with 65 or less and she believes that decreased noise and dust for Newton residents is more important. Many politicians are lead by their egos and would never, on principal, never change their minds after receiving more information. Being run by one’s ego is a dangerous way to run a country or a City. Can you imagine our current President actually saying, “Ah, yes, I think you’re right after all. Now I understand your position. Let’s do that.” Never would he ever. But Ruthanne has a sharp mind and clear vision and is willing to evolve her position when she receives new information. The ability to evolve is very necessary and the sign of an extraordinary leader.
All candidates say they will lead all the people. Ruthanne has demonstrated that she is open-minded and willing to take risks and, I believe, Ruthanne Fuller will be an extraordinary Mayor for the entire City of Newton.
Karen Bray, MSPT, MFA
Newton CALM Citizens Against Leaf-blower Mania)
Board member Green Newton
Newton Centre resident for 28 years
@Patricia – There are a lot of reasons why I choose Scott for being Scott vs. being not Ruthanne.
1) I think he is strongly committed to Newton and the future of Newton. He is invested in the children of Newton, including the public schools and his history with Boys and Girls Club.
2) He is strongly committed to environmental initiatives.
3) He shows up at rallies and events, e.g. the event held at 4 Corners after Charlottesville. And he doesn’t do this to campaign and he doesn’t even promote the fact that he attends, he’s just there, which makes me feel like it’s not a political move that he attends but it’s out of honest support.
4) He understands some of the challenges that some of us non-wealthy residents deal with in Newton since he lives in Nonantum.
5) He’s not pushy in person. I don’t like politician-type personalities which was why I was drawn to Scott and Amy. They’re down-to-earth, friendly, and I relate with them.
6) The teachers union endorsement of Scott is a biggie to me. As someone with young kids who will be going through NPS for the next decade, I want a mayor who sits on the school committee to be someone with a passion for public schools and the support of our educators.
7) I actually liked his answers on the Progressive Newton survey, as I thought they were genuine.
Also, Amy, I wish you could BOTH be our mayors! Nothing but support and love for you!! Your candor is exactly what we need in this City and we’re lucky to have you!
To all those supporting Scott or Ruthanne for their environmental initiatives – tell me what they are. Transportation is the #1 cause of pollution (according to the U.S Energy Information Administration). I heard all the candidates say they were more biking/walking than car people at the environmental forum. But, as Janet Sterman pointed out, they all drove a car to the forum (some attendees used alternate modes of transportation).
I biked my kid’s route to South with her today. The intersections at Beacon & Centre and Parker & Rte 9 are insane. A biker and then a walking student were almost hit by cars turning right on red off Parker onto Route 9. When they get to South, they have to bike/walk through 2 parking lots with huge intersections and multiple curb cuts for cars. Cars all over, going in all directions is not safe for bikes or pedestrians.
Has either candidate committed to funding safe walking and bike routes to the high schools? Have they committed to keeping walkable neighborhood schools? To reducing curb cuts, narrowing intersections and not surrounding schools or businesses with parking lots to limit the amount of time people and cars share the same space?
The benefit of solar panels in South’s parking lot does not outweigh the pollution caused by all the cars parked underneath.
@ AmySangiolo and @Mary
Thank you both so much for taking the time to highlight Scott more. You are giving this undecided Newton resident some new insights to consider.
Other than Lucia and Joanne, I am miffed by first-name supporters of Lennon who have popped-up on the this blog over the last month. I can’t help but to think that their is one rabid Lennon supporter with a lot of free time and multiple email addresses.
I am supporting Ruthanne. It is an easy decision. Ruthanne is a Democrat, and I have never heard her support anything other than Democrat causes. This is being used as ploy to deflect attention from what really matters. We are electing a mayor. If you owned a business, and were hiring a manager, a sales person, or an engineer, you would rightfully base your decision on their ability, NOT their political party.
As a finance professor who has talked to many councilors, I can say that no one understands the city’s finances like Ruthanne. This is crucial. Newton will be a miserable place if we have to reduce services, over-ride, or even worse, do both. Ruthanne has the knowledge and ability to steer the city through a tough financial time.
Ruthanne has an MBA from Havard–the most selective MBA program in the world. Admittees tend to be extremely hard working and extremely bright. These characteristics fit Ruthanne to a tee. We are lucky to have such a well-qualified person run for office.
Think what you want. I’m not a rabid Lennon supporter. I only decided against Fuller in August and it came down to the wire in deciding Amy or Scott in the preliminary.
With regard to Ruthanne’s past support of Republican candidates: let us not forget that Massachusetts has regularly elected GOP governors over the past couple of decades. It would be a mistake to overlook a well-qualified candidate for an executive office because of a desire for ideological purity.
I was disheartened to see Amy Sangiolo endorsed a candidate for mayor. I was not disheartened by your choice of Scott Lennon over Ruthanne Fuller. Both are excellent candidates. But I was hoping you would let your supporters decide between Scott and Ruthanne on the merits of their views, hopes and leadership. I was hoping you would follow Mayor Warren’s lead not to endorse a mayoral candidate in 2017 to enable a new, fresh and genuine public debate. Now, I fear that Scott Lennon may feel compelled to not speak his mind freely on critical issues, such as land-use reform, the proposed Charter, and labor negotiations, for fear of alienating your supporters. Let’s hope I am wrong.
Thomas – i think you’re wrong (and I mean that in a respectful way).
First, Amy had a lot of support and supporter, but she in no way controls how people will vote in the future. In 2009, approximately the same percentage (24%) voted for the candidate who came in third. People decided on their own who their second choice was and it will happen again this year.
If you think Scott’s not going to speak his mind freely in the next four weeks, you might want to attend one of his Meet and Greets. Mr. Nice Guy is by no means a pushover. You can count on him to say and act on what he believes.
Most people will make up their own minds, but if there’s a fringe group who think they’re going to control either Ruthanne or Scott, my sense is that they will be sorely disappointed.
I had the honor of moderating the debate last night between Lennon and Fuller (which took place hours after the Sangiolo announcement). I can assure everyone that Lennon has not suddenly turned timid and Fuller was as progressive as they come here (in fact her comments about Donald Trump were searing).
@Greg,
You don’t have to be a Democrat to make searing comments about POTUS. Even die hard Republicans or those flying under a label radar are making all kinds of searing comments about him!
@Whole Truth: I’m just saying it was a moment.
First, I don’t think it’s a surprise that Amy is endorsing Scott.
Second, as someone who ran for Mayor and had the same rumor about me being a republican spread around town, I hope the rumor stops here. Do you have any proof??
I had this very same rumor said about me, while I have never been a member of the Republican party. I can’t imagine ever being a republican, but the rumor was broadcast. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear about it until after the election. To this day some people think I am a Republican (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I hope this rumor stops here and we look at each candidate on the issues as the charter intends us to do when the authors of the charter made municipal elections non-partisan. Peace.
There are all sorts of Republicans: There are Charlie Baker Republicans for example. There are Bill Weld Republicans. My husband is a Republican and comes from a long family history in Nebraska of being Republican. There is no one more adamantly against Trump than my husband. And, no one more tolerant and progressive than my Republican husband.
I find it discouraging that some voices are saying that because Ruthanne has an affiliation with the Republican party we shouldn’t vote for her. We Democrats are about tolerance and listening to different ideas. Ruthanne’s experience will make her an excellent leader and Mayor of Newton. Ruthanne gets my vote!
I’m not saying YOU shouldn’t vote for her. I’m saying *I* won’t vote for her. It wasn’t just occasionally voting Republican or donating small amounts of money to Republican candidates. She donated large sums of money to them AND hasn’t been fully honest about it. It’s a deal breaker for me. Amy and Scott are far more transparent so now Scott has my vote.
I voted for Baker and Scott Brown (before he turned hard right), but I take issue with Fuller’s GOP ties. Fuller positions herself as a Democrat (she’s listed on the Newton Dems website as a Democrat). These donations suggest otherwise, and make it seem like she’s lying to voters. I find that concerning.
Additionally, there’s a big difference between supporting Charlie Baker Republicans and supporting Sarah Palin.
I’d love to hear Fuller’s thoughts, but her saying one thing and doing another is concerning to me.
I’m more interested in the candidates’ time spent on Newton’s City Council than what they did in the past. While both would make great mayors, Ruthanne’s expertise shown during budget deliberations and understanding of other city financial data make her a great choice.
She’s certainly exhibited her progressive bonafides during her years on the council.
Newton would benefit greatly from a bit of ideological diversity in its government. Not the kind of diversity though that progressives favor. Sad.
@ Marti Bowen
I agree. As someone who has come to Newton politics only this past spring, I am woefully uninformed what the record of both of these candidates are and I turn to these threads to help me find out about it in bits and pieces. Google searches don’t really yield much.
Ruthanne seems to have a thorough understanding when it comes to Newton’s budget/finances, which I realize to be crucially important for our city. I also read that was instrumental in fixing Newton’s sub-surface water infrastructure. That said, I too find it disconcerting that she donated money to Sarah Palin – that’s not that long ago – and I would love to hear from more politically experienced Newtonites concrete examples about her progressive track record on the council (as opposed to what she says she would do in the future).
I’ve searched other blogs and seemed to find some info – like Scott having lead the charge for the controversial Newtonville storage facility and Ruthanne cosponsoring a request about the feasibility on establishing Summer Food Service Program, but then someone else chimed in that they tried to verify those and couldn’t.
So – is there information out there on how either of these candidates voted on the council in the past? I really don’t care what they promise to do in the future. I’d like to form my opinion on what they actually did up until now, here in Newton. And I don’t have the time to look at each committee and pull up the voting information.
Patricia. Here are two examples of how Ruthanne goes beyond the call of duty. I am on a citizen’s committee that is exploring investment ideas for the City’s rainy day fund. Ruthanne comes to each and every meeting. She does not have to come, but she does, every time. She asks all the right questions. Whenever we have a question about the city’s finances, she is the person to ask.
Second, I am a director of an organization that advocates for late high school start times. We put forward a petition for the city council to voice their support for change. The first step was consideration by the Program and Services Committee. P&S voted 5-0 in support of our petition (please hold the applause). Ruthanne is not on the P&S committee, but she sat through the meeting and listened to a pediatrician who studies sleep summarize the medical evidence of how disastrous our current policy is to our children’s health. She was the only councilor in attendance other than those on the P&S committee.
@Andy Levin (if you’re reading this thread) – the Tab would be doing a great public service if it could publish a side-by-side comparison of the two candidates’ voting records, even if only going back a few years. Even better would be if it could also include a list of what they sponsored.
@Meredith
Great idea. I just sent Laura Lovett, who covers questions of news coverage for the Tab, an email requesting just that.
Thanks, Patricia!
Patricia and Meredith, good idea, but I would be very surprised if that happened. WickedLocal seems stretched. I asked about something like this last year and got a negative response. Maybe you could do it and submit to the Tab as an op-ed. Off the top of my head, the last vote where they differed was the Trump petition. Ruthanne voted against Trump. Lennon voted for Trump.
“Ruthanne voted against Trump. Lennon voted for Trump.”
Just to clarify, neither of them actually voted for Trump! That vote was about a resolution calling on Congress to start the process toward impeachment. Ruthanne voted for the resolution, Scott voted against it.
@ JeffreyPontiff
We’ll see. In the meantime Laura got back to me, said she thought it was a good idea and that she was going to run it by Andy Levine, her editor.
FWIW – I don’t think that Lennon’s vote on that petition is very telling about what kind of mayor he’ll be. He voted no because he believes that the petition was outside the scope of the city council’s responsibilities.
Jeffrey, what a ridiculous rumor to spread. Shame on you.
@Jeffrey Pontiff: Actually, Ruthanne was at the beginning of the public hearing on the late start high school times and then left early. I don’t believe she was there for the entirety of the presentation by Dr. Landrigan.
Ruthanne brings a lot of knowledge and expertise in finance for sure, but during her 8 years of service on the Council, she did not offer a solution to the OPEB liability and at least during the Mayoral debates that I was lucky to participate in, did not offer concrete solutions – despite her 80 page treatise on the subject matter. In addition, during this past year’s budget debate, Ruthanne was not aware of the “C” accounts, where the City sets aside moneys to fund approved projects that have not gone forward. She serves on the Finance Committee and that’s something that she should have known.
Jeffrey – Scott Lennon did not vote for Trump and I think you know that. It is not like you to say something that’s totally inaccurate.
The vote was on a resolution about whether the Newton City Council thinks that Trump should be impeached. I have been opposed to every city council resolution that does not pertain to their responsibilities to the city (and there have been many) and have been vocal about that. I emailed a number of city councilors to express my displeasure that they were, once again, not attending to the business of the city as they were elected to do.
No one could be more opposed to the current president than I am. The thought of him makes my heart pound and ties my stomach in knots. That’s why I drove 2 hours from a vacation to attend an event that Congressman Joe Kennedy held in Newton. Impeachment is a Congressional responsibility. By the way, Scott Lennon attended that event.
Over the years city council has taken up many resolutions that do not pertain to city business. One was about the famine in Darfur. Do you or anyone in their right minds think that people don’t think any famine anywhere is disgraceful and horrible? Of course not. Some councilors and residents like that the council passes these resolutions and others do not. I do not.
To imply that someone supports the current president (or any of these resolutions that do not pertain to city business) because s/he doesn’t think the council should be spending their time on them is just plain wrong.
I’m getting really concerned about the direction this campaign is starting to take. We’re trying to decide who to elect as the mayor of Newton.
* We’ve got people on this thread claiming that Ruthanne Fuller supported Sarah Palin with no details of what they base that on. I just did a quick search of the FEC database and there is no record of any donation to Sarah Palin. Among lots of donations to Democratic candidates there IS a ten year old donation to John McCain, long before he ever drafted Sarah Palin as his VP. So where is this claim coming from?
* We’ve got people on this thread claiming that Scott Lennon voted for Donald Trump. As further comments clarified he didn’t vote for Donald Trump. He voted against a resolution saying that Newton City Council wanted to urge Congress to impeach Trump.
Come on people. Stop the whispering campaigns. We have plenty of issues to talk about here in Newton. Trying to discredit Newton mayoral candidate based on specious. misleading claims about national politics is just a cheap cynical ploy. If we’re going down that path to decide our election no good can come out of it no matter who ends up being elected.
Nasty business
What Jerry said.
# what Peter says about Paul tells one more about Peter than it does about Paul> desperate folks bring forward many times desperate words..
What Jerry said.
After turning off my computer last night, I realized that I had not pointed out what Jerry mentioned about Ruthanne. The statement that she contributed to a campaign involving Sarah Palin is completely inaccurate. The contribution was made months before Palin was in the picture.
We have one month left until Election Day. I hope we can, at the very least, stick to the facts about the candidates. This applies to candidates running for School Committee as well.
Mea Culpa. I apologize for being sloppy. To my defense, everyone can see that I was referring to the question of how they voted differently on the council. I clearly said “petition” before the sloppy sentence. I guess I should have said “impeachment petition.” Emily immediately and succinctly, clarified in 74 words. Thank you, Emily! If anyone is confused, please read Emily’s post. It is hard for me to believe that anyone reading this blog did not know exactly what I was talking about.
For the record, I would have voted on the petition the exact same way Scott would have. I don’t really care about this vote per se, but I brought it up because but this is an issue others might care about.
I would also add that this really shouldn’t be about who’s capable of being the next Mayor of Newton. I would like to think that we can all agree that either candidate is capable of doing the job. Each bring a different skill set to the table, and each have their own “flavor” for what they would like to focus on should they be elected. The folks that have made up their minds won’t likely change. For the undecided, they will have a tough choice between two very similar candidates. I would also guess that we will see little in the way of candidates separating themselves from each other in the next four weeks. Amy’s endorsement of Scott all but ties the Mayoral races up. If there was a clear underdog, we would likely see a more clear push from that candidate to set themselves apart from the other. The Tab and others can try and distinguish the difference, but I think they will find two candidates that want the same end result 99% of the time, but tend to vary on either the process or path to get there.
Thanks, Jeffrey. Truth be told, we’ve all written too quickly and sent posts that weren’t clear. It’s over and done with.
@Jane Frantz:
“The statement that she contributed to a campaign involving Sarah Palin is completely inaccurate”
Is it? She donated $2100 to “MCCAIN-PALIN COMPLIANCE FUND INC.” on July 25, 2008.
This should or should not be an issue in this race, but it did happen.
Looking again at her filings, indeed Fuller donated to McCain before Palin hopped on board. She did however, donate to the McCain campaign as close as a month to the VP selection. Additionally, she also donated $5,000 to the Commonwealth PAC, which supported GOP candidates such as Michele Bachmann, John Thune, and Rick Santorum among others.
Fuller has every right to make these donations, and I honestly care less about the fact that she supports/supported GOP candidates than the fact that she says one thing and does another.
I can’t imagine Scott Lennon voting for Trump or Ruth Anne Fuller becoming a fan of Sarah Palin. Enough said.
I too agree with Jerry. Nasty is how I’ve described this mayoral election many times. I thank Jerry for pointing it out. In addition to what he mentioned I find Amy Sangiolo’s joining in on the nastiness to be the ramblings of a sore looser. If we start getting lost in critiquing the candidates by who left what meeting early or other minute details, we won’t be making an informed choice for our next mayor. O
@Marti: My comments were not nasty. They were truthful statements and an observation.
Both Scott and Ruthanne have been reliable Democratic allies and supporters as long as I have known them.
I’m as hardcore of a Democratic activist as they come, and personally I believe both candidates are sincere advocates for Democratic values. Let’s judge them on their votes, their policies, their backgrounds, and their values, not innuendo and implied motives.
@Bryan
But that is exactly it – how can you judge them on their votes when they are not easily accessible? I don’t have the time to pick through all the committees in search of voting history. Is there anywhere where past votes and co-sponsored initiatives are listed or written about? Or can you tell us major ones for either candidate? I know what both promise, but that’s not good enough for me to make my pick.
I really hope the Tab is going to publish something on this very issue in the next couple of weeks.
It might be useful to see side by side voting, but I’m doubtful. By the time most issues come to the council floor all the hard work and shaping of the item has usually been completed. I suspect Lennon’s and Fuller’s voting records look pretty similar.
But a great way to judge our mayoral candidates is to attend one or more of the many debates and forums they’re participating in between now and election day (typically several each week). Both candidates are quite accessible too. Reach out through their campaigns, run into them at virtually every big event (Harvest Fair next Sunday, for example).
Following up on Amy and Marti. We have 24 councilors. 6 are on the P&S committee. 5 out of 6 members attended the meeting. Ruthanne was the only councilor from the remaining 18 that attended. I used this as an example of her going beyond the call of duty. Amy countered by pointing out that she left early. This struck me as being unfair. What does it say about the other 17 councilors who did not show up at all?
I mentioned that Ruthanne attends all the rainy-day fund meetings. Lenny Gentile heads the committee. So, Ruthanne is attending when 22 other councillors are not.
When it comes our pension liability, my money is still on Ruthanne (although Auchincloss is a close second–give him a couple years to catch up). I have yet see a plan from any councilor that solves our OPEB liability without an override. Until that councilor appears, I will stick with Ruthanne.
@Greg – when I’m judging between two candidates, I’m at least as interested in what they’ve done as in what they say they will do. Once elected, they may or may not do as they said they would (sometimes for valid reasons, not an accusation of dishonesty), but they can’t change what they did in the past. If their records really look the same, then I’ll give more weight to what they’re currently saying.
Meredith: I totally understand where you see coming from. My point is that final votes before the council only tell a small story about where a councilor is coming from: it’s the early drafting, negotiating, public comments and the rest of the process that’s behind nearly every vote where you can really draw distinctions.
Unfortunately with 24 councilors that’s hard to track.
Meredith, perhaps you could select a few issues important to you and follow them through the legislative process including who docketed them, what happened in the committees and public hearings if there were any and the following discussions in the full council leading up to a vote. That might give you a clearer picture than the votes alone.
@Marti – I can do that going forward. I don’t have time to do it retroactively.
@Greg – just because we can’t achieve perfect doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to get what info we can. It’s not like no one’s ever looked at candidates’ voting records before.
@ Marti Bowen
How do you access a particular issue on the Newton City website? If you have done this, can you help us with a starter link? I’d like to do this at least for one issue and see what I can learn.
Thanks,
Patricia
For the future, I would suggest signing up to receive both the city council newsletter http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/aldermen/default.asp
and the Friday Packet http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/aldermen/fridaypack.asp. The first is to keep up on what the council is working on and the second tells what the agenda will be and what is docketed for the next meetings, including for various committees. This is the best way to see which issues are being docketed, including their date and docket number. This is key because the docket number can be followed throughout the process.
After the fact, check the Friday Packet archives for the issues of interest. From the newsletter page, there are several items on the left. Click the Electronic Posting Board Archives to find when an issue was posted.
If interested in special permits, http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/aldermen/special_permits/default.asp click Current Special Permits or Special Permit Archives to find the one being searched. Their in alphabetical order.
Hope this helps.
@ Marti Bowen
Yes, very much so. Thank you for taking the time to post this.