Last week was the last issue of the Newton TAB to contain letters-to-the-editor related to next Tuesday’s election, since none will appear in this week’s issue. After last week’s issue, the TAB reportedly still had a backlog of over 130 letters not yet published. If your letter endorsing a candidate — or a vote on a ballot issue — didn’t make it to publication, here’s an opportunity to get it out there. Maybe you missed the TAB’s deadline, maybe your letter was not selected, maybe you’re just now composing it. In the comments below, please explain your endorsement as succinctly as possible. Extra points for brevity and for novelty. What hasn’t yet been said that you think people need to hear — in just a few words? Comments on this thread will close at midnight this Friday, to give everyone a chance to pause, reflect, and make a plan to vote on Tuesday.
Your Letters-to-the-Editor that did not make it into the TAB
by Bruce Henderson | Oct 31, 2017 | Charter, City Council elections, Elections, School Committee | 27 comments
WE ARE CREATURES OF NEWTON, NOT WARDS
While speaking with my neighbors, I am starting to realize that very few people in my Ward view themselves as residents of the Ward. Few know the boundaries of their Ward or which one of three ward representatives is the official Ward Councilor. Most find it quicker to use the Newton 311 help app on their phone or computer than call a Councilor.
Because of my own City of Newton “identity”, I favor an all-inclusive vote by all Newton voters for 12 Councilors as proposed by the Charter Commission. Why? A majority of my life involves crisscrossing Newton. Until recently, my typical day included waking up (Ward 8), going to work (Ward 5), eating lunch (Ward 6), visiting a client (Ward 3), grocery shopping (Ward 2), returning home (Ward 8), going back to work (Ward 5), picking up my child at school (Ward 8), taking my child to soccer practice (Ward 3), playing tennis at the Newton Centre Playground (Ward 6), picking up my child at soccer practice (Ward 3), returning home (Ward 8), going to a book group (Ward 6) and returning home (Ward 8).
A typical City of Newton family spends at least part of every day in more than one Ward – or in my case 5 wards. I drive on Newton streets (encountering delays and detours due to city road maintenance); work in a Newton office building (regulated by city zoning and building regulations); frequent Newton restaurants and stores (parking in spaces according to city parking laws and eat food regulated by city health laws); pick up my child at a Newton school (studying under teachers hired by the city) and drop off my child at a soccer field (maintained by the city).
In assessing the “No” rallying cry for more “local representation”, I feel this does not represent the Newton that I live in. Our lives in the City of Newton are a larger footprint than our Wards. My own footprint requires representation for all of my daily activities. I would suggest to the “No” group that they examine their daily travels and obligations. I am positive they will realize they are primarily creatures of the City of Newton.
Thanks Bruce. Gail Spector for School Committee. The temperament, perspective, and maturity that aligns best with the requirements of the position. Eight-year School Committee member Mayor Setti Warren agrees too and gives Gail his wholehearted endorsement!
Oh, and sorry that I forgot about the “novelty” request: There is no evidence that Gail has colluded with the Russians during her campaign.
Bruce, I have known you for years (we go back to the days when Bill Brandel first ran for Ward 5 Councilor (then called Alderman) – I still have my awesome FOB (Friend of Bill’s) t-shirt! I think you should take this blog thread down. There has been so much angst and vitriol on the blog in the last few weeks. I think that it’s unfortunate that over a hundred letters to the Editor got backlogged, but this is the time to take a step back and let people breathe and decompress and get ready for next week’s election. If you were able to get a file from Andy Levin of the 130 letters that didn’t make it to press and upload that link, I think that would be a smart idea. However, you included a big opening in your posting ” maybe you’re just now composing it” – why should anyone who is just now composing it get an audience here in a new thread? There are plenty of existing threads for people to add their two cents in. The first two posts, I would guess, are not in the 130 backlogged letters to the Editor. Thank you for your consideration and your stewardship of this blog.
So well said Steve. I concur completely. Gail would be a wonderful Committee member! Setti Warren and the Newton TAB agree.
Gail Spector is my choice for School Committee, Ward 8. I join many others in endorsing Gail, including Mayor Setti Warren, and several current School Committee members. Gail has garnered the respect and approval, not just in this abbreviated 3 month campaign, but over a career in Newton from her volunteering in the schools to her work as a journalist at the Boston Globe and as the Editor of the Newton Tab. The combination of gratitude for what the schools gave to her two children coupled with her review and analysis of more than a decade of school budgets and issues has given Gail the passion and knowledge to be a compassionate and effective steward of our schools and our children.
As you know, more than a year ago Amy Masters Ribner decided to run for School Committee, Ward 8. Amy and I grew up together our entire lives and based on my knowledge of her abilities, intellect and journalistic background I, and others, thought that she would be a terrific member of the School Committee. She decided to run and I signed on to Chair her campaign. Shockingly, 3 months ago Amy had a medical incident that took her out of the race. At that time, one of Amy’s friends and admirers, Gail Spector was inspired by her fellow journalist’s desire to serve and spoke to me about picking up the torch and running for School Committee. She spoke of the gratitude she had for her children’s education and the time she now has, as they are grown, to fully engage in giving back to the schools and the city she loves. With a few months to go, Gail’s friends, family and several elected officials have rallied around her and it has been inspiring. On the campaign trail Gail’s quiet elegance and thoughtfulness has connected with many who now support her endeavor to serve.
As an effective member of the School Committee working closely through program and contract negotiations, one must have a keen intellect, patience and good judgment to weigh choices that will affect our children and our employees. Gail’s vast experience with the schools and her journalistic approach to investigating and solving problems makes her the perfect addition to the School Committee.
To everyone who voted to create the Charter Commission or plans to vote yes: The Newton charter was last revised in 1971. The State Student Advisory Council (SSAC), which elects the student representative to the Massachusetts Board of Education, was also established in 1971. In its recommendations, the Charter Commission did not propose any major changes to the School Committee. Yet if we’re going to revisit the charter, why not also revisit the School Committee? To quote Governor Francis Sargent, who oversaw the creation of the SSAC, “youth must be invited in, not shut out. We have … a climate where young and old can sit together, talk, and listen.” It is time for Newton to catch up to the statewide Board of Education and add a full voting student representative to the School Committee. That’s why I’ll be voting for Cyrus Vaghar, NNHS ’15, on Tuesday.
I first heard Bridget Ray-Canada speak at the Mayor’s Forum on Diversity in the spring of 2016. The event was intended to begin a dialogue in the community about how we should address anti-Semitic, racial, and homophobic incidents in the schools. Unfortunately, the meeting was dominated by a group of religious radicals who wanted to focus only on their concerns. As a result, few people chose to speak out about the broader range of issues related to diversity in the schools.
At a certain point during the question and answer segment, a woman I’d never seen before stepped forward to make a statement and ask a question. In a clear, confident voice, she said that it was essential that Newton address the concerns of all racial, ethnic, and religious groups.
The religious radicals began to shout her down and pushed forward, surrounding her as she stood at the microphone in the middle of the room. At a certain point, five police officers came from the back of the room and surrounded Bridget and the mayor because the situation had become so threatening.
During this whole unnerving incident, Bridget continued to make her points with clarity and composure. I was in awe as she spoke about how Newton should be welcoming for all people, despite the hostility being directed at her. I was frankly terrified for her, but she didn’t waver one bit. I left that meeting knowing that I had heard an incredibly courageous woman speak.
Bridget Ray-Canada is a woman who is confident in her views and at the same time an excellent listener. She has the ability to include people from different backgrounds and perspectives in a dialogue about uncomfortable topics.
Bridget will be a tremendous asset to the School Committee in these unsettled times. Her perspective, thoughtfulness, and courage will be an asset to the school system and the entire community. In addition to her growing support, she has been endorsed by Mayor Setti Warren and Newton Teachers Association. All of Newton can vote for school committee candidates in all wards and I invite you to join me in voting for Bridget Ray-Canada on November 7th.
Jo-Louise, I’m sorry that you are feeling this way about what I have posted. I agree that there’s been way too much (as you say) “angst and vitriol” in public discourse recently about this election. I am hoping that this thread can take a higher road. I asked people to be succinct and novel in their comments in part to get away from the over-done comments we’ve all be reading. So far, the tenor of comments on this thread has shown that people can “go high,” and I hope it continues. If it goes off the rails, I’ll check in with V14 moderators about possibly taking it down, as you have requested. But for now, let’s see how it goes.
Currently Steve Siegel is winning on brevity and novelty. Let’s see who else can be poetically terse yet persuasive, while aiming high.
Thanks again Bruce. You’re just encouraging me. So here we go again (and don’t hold this preamble against my word count):
Kathy Marchi for School Committee. Kathy and Bridget are both excellent and committed. But Kathy has a lifetime of active work in service of students and their families. She’s remarkably ready, now. And…no evidence of collusion.
@Jo-Louise Allen -I’m totally with Bruce on this one, especially for the reasons that you mention – all the recent angst and vitriol.
This thread is ONLY for making the case FOR your candidate of choice. Don’t worry, all the other threads are still available for comments for those who’d rather dump on opponents.
We’ve got a lot of good candidates running in these races. Go ahead, let it rip, tell us about why your candidate should be elected.
He may be running unopposed but vote for Steve Siegel because he let’s our theater perform in his living room. THAT’s public service.
In 1776, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John Adams, urging him and the Continental Congress not to forget about the nation’s women when fighting for America’s independence. “Remember the Ladies,” she said. “Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could.”
Presently, Newton has a unique opportunity to elect an exceptional group of strong, progressive women for Mayor and City Council, all running in contested races for offices they haven’t previously held.
Ruthanne Fuller, who would be Newton’s first female Mayor, has the passion, commitment, vision, leadership skills, and experience, as well as a depth of understanding of its finances, to keep Newton moving on a sustainable path toward excellence.
I’m not running for re-election, and Andrea Kelley has earned my vote for Councilor-at-Large, Ward 3. She’s been a longtime community activist and organizer, housing advocate, member of various advisory committees, and a leader in the League of Women Voters in Newton.
Andreae Downs, candidate for Councilor-at-Large, Ward 5, is another community activist, organizer and former LWVN leader, who’s advised the city on many transportation related issues.
Alison Leary, who has been an outstanding Ward Councilor, is running at large in Ward 1. Alison has been an effective leader and advocate for envirnonmental issues, smart growth, zoning reform and sustainable energy.
Nicole Castillo, candidate for Councilor-at-Large, Ward 1, has spent her career advocating on behalf of vulnerable and at-risk populations, been a leader on boards of various nonprofits, and is active in statewide and national politics.
Maria Scibelli Greenberg, candidate for Ward 1 Councilor, is a medical professional who’s also been an active leader in the Nontanum Neighborhood Association and PTOs.
Allison Sharma, write-in candidate for Ward 4 Councilor, is a business consultant who works on solving complex problems, who’s been an active leader and organizer in her church, PTOs and humanitarian organizations.
On November 8, I urge YOU to remember to vote for these outstanding women.
Just adding an addendum to Ted’s awesome list, Brenda Noel is also amazing and Ward 6 would be lucky to have her. She works as hard as anyone I know and is willing to be bold, grab the wheel and steer the ship of state in the right direction for Newton Centre.
I am voting for Matt Miller for School Committee. He has run a great campaign, and I have spoken to him numerous times. I feel that he listens to all sides and is able to make a smart and informed decision, and more importantly those decisions would most likely reflect my opinions. He wants the high schools to have a later start time sooner rather than later, and we need people on the school committee who are committed to the children of the
I second NewtonMom on Matthew Miller for the very same reasons.
How’s that for brevity, Greg?
Thank you Ted and Bryan! I appreciate your support.
Does it seem the government is debating important issues from the perspective of only half of the population? How well represented are you in local government? Women, it is time for us to stand and be heard.
As the mother of two small children, I understand that many of you give every ounce of energy to your family, making sure everyone is thriving. In addition, you might also be working, changing careers or working part-time. I understand you are busy and exhausted, but please take a moment to make your voice heard by backing a candidate and voting in next week’s elections.
As soon as I met Ruthanne Fuller I knew that I wanted her to be my voice in government. After deciding to back her campaign, I invited her to my home to speak with our friends and neighbors and I was even more convinced. She welcomed all of my neighbors and their kids, gave a thoughtful speech about the real issues facing our city, and answered questions – all while the kids played in the background. From talking with her, I know she understands the struggle between balancing work and family life – she’s done it. From her experience, she understands both our needs as mothers and the needs of our community. Ruthanne Fuller not only understands me – she embodies my ideals.
Bruce, it’s Haiku Wednesday:
Ruthanne Schwartz Fuller
Smart, Engaged, Honest, Informed
Mayor For Newton
I’ll be voting for Matthew Miller for the Ward 8 School Committee seat. A reminder: all of Newton can vote for Matt).
Matt brings a wealth of knowledge about the issues facing Newton in 2017. These relate to how we deal with homophobic, racist, and anti-Semitic incidents as a school system. His information about the schools stems from the many hours he’s spent in leadership roles for years. He has forged relationships deeply into the school community at large, as president of two PTO’s, as a member of the board of his Temple, and as president of the Oak Hill Park Association.
He has canvassed tirelessly, listening to the perspective of a wide range of Newton voters. If you want to hear Matt speak for himself, watch this video of the LWV debate at this URL: https://vimeo.com/238959669
Jane Frantz
Thank you for the kind opportunity.
Janet Sterman’s message to “Change the Conversation” strikes a deep chord in me, and is vitally important to the City. I advocate voting for her to be Ward 1 City Councilor.
Newton has overspent its revenue and the ability for residents to pay constantly increasing taxes for over 20 years. We MUST start talking about spending more wisely and MUST STOP assuming we can constantly raise taxes. We need a change of direction; Janet understands this.
Janet demonstrates great courage. She promotes values, fiscal prudence, the beauty of Farlow Park, citizen safety and an end to the indifference (or sometimes hostility) of the Newton political establishment..
Janet is tireless. She is passionate about good governance and argues for it convincingly. Whatever your city issue, you want Janet on your side. She works relentlessly for citizens’ best interests, yet still always communicates with warmth and humor. .
Janet is an open-minded thinker. She listens to different points of view and genuinely considers issues, not personalities. She truly cares for the best interests of her friends and neighbors.
Based upon years of working with Janet, I know that Ward 1, and the City at-large, will improve when Councilor Sterman changes the conversation.
Scott Lennon is absolutely the best candidate for mayor. He knows how to lead and manage. He knows the truth of what creates and sustains great public schools firsthand. He understands the challenges of income inequality and class divisiveness facing our city. I am a lifelong feminist and a working mother. While I would love a woman mayor for Newton, I am frankly insulted by the sexist suggestion that any woman is sufficient. Ruthanne has a documented track record of supporting misogynistic male politicians and embracing hostile policies towards working families. The progressive women and men of Newton can do a hell of a lot better than that… and will do so by electing Scott on November 7th..
I made a video at Scott Lennon’s headquarters this past Sunday, and will share it when the campaign releases it.
Keeping with the brevity requirement set out by Bruce on this thread, I have 3 words and 1 acronym for the values I admire in Scott: Honesty, Integrity, Leadership and WYSIWYG (pronounced whizzy wig) – What You See Is What You Get.
Scott is an honest hard working person poised to give back to this community and lead this City moving forward. No false pretenses or airs on him. His public relations team made a faux pas on a choice of words used in an ad. Scott takes the high road, is appreciative and respectful of his opponent, and is a considerate colleague. When they go low, we go high, some of my favorite words spoken by Michelle Obama.
The proposed charter gives each voter stronger and fairer representation.
Under the new charter, everyone votes for 100% of the councilors.
With an 8 ward, 8 at-large council, you vote for 9 of 16 positions, only 56% of the full council.
A legislator responds best to constituents, as we have experienced when writing on important issues. With the Charter, every Councilor will be accountable to every voter.
Since 2001, ward councilors have won with as few as 450 votes; fewer than 1% of registered voters could elect someone holding 6% of the voting power on a 16-member council, a startling inequality. One ward-only councilor, chairing a committee, could block highly-popular proposals and ordinances, but most residents would have no redress.
By contrast, electing an at-large councilor requires six to 10 times as many votes, and every voter counts.
These numbers should concern Newton residents worried about outside interests. It would be cheaper, and require far fewer actual votes on election day, for a developer to support the election of multiple ward-only candidates than to effect the same influence on an all at-large Council.
Election-day turnout is important to avoid undue influence by special interests, with the fewest votes required to win in low-turnout years. Only 17% of eligible Newton residents voted in one recent election, with similar low turnout in many others. Historically, contested races draw more voters, and at-large seats have been contested more often than ward-only seats.
Turnover on the council is another way to counter entrenched interests. With the dearth of challengers to incumbents in Newton, this happens most often by filling vacant seats. The new charter acknowledges this reality by adding term limits for council and mayoral positions.
Vote Yes for a Stronger Voice and Better Representation.
Dear Editor:
I am excited to endorse the election of Bridget Ray-Canada as a member of the Newton School Committee representing Ward 1. Bridget has been a constant and consistent advocate for a first class public education system throughout her life. Her educational, professional and personal experiences make her an ideal candidate to be your choice to continue the excellence of the NPS as it faces the challenge of maintaining excellent educational opportunities for all children.
In addition, her management and business knowledge align perfectly with the major issues facing the school system: increasing student enrollment and rebuilding our old and out of date school buildings.
As a mother of a Newton student, she is acutely aware of issues related to diversity in the classroom, staff and administration. She will work diligently to promote a high level of respect in the entire school community.
As a life long resident of Newton and a graduate of a fantastic school system, I believe that Bridget Ray-Canada has the skills, wisdom and education that are consistent with the high level of public service we are accustomed to in our great City. So on November 7th, I urge you to join me in casting your vote for Bridget. She will represent you well and always have the academic and civic growth of our children as her number one priority.
Bruce, I’m pretty sure I have won all the “brevity and novelty” chips with earlier posts on this thread. Well, I’d like to cash them in for one glorious, humorless 487-word tome for why I’m voting for Ruthanne Fuller. The basic concept is: “I’m doing this for me”:
I’m not voting for Ruthanne because I like her (which I do), I’m voting for her for purely selfish reasons – I believe she will lead our city to a place more in line with my personal objectives. Look at what she’s done, for me, in the past decade:
Ruthanne has served with me over the past 6 years on two of our last three new school building working groups. She has been a steady, key contributor to the terrific process that has made our school building projects remarkably successful. Our best outreach, to citizens, the City Council, and the Mayors followed Ruthanne’s planning and vision. I appreciate your work Ruthanne, as you have helped to make my personal efforts lead to great results.
We were in financial chaos until the CAG, co-led by Ruthanne, did their deep financial analysis followed by recommendations of how we could get our fiscal house in order. Setti deserves a ton of credit for executing, but he has closely followed Ruthanne and the CAG’s strategic fiscal blueprint to get us here. Newton has been able to build new schools, maintain our AAA bond rating that’s allowed us to spend less to pay for the schools, we been able to restart fixing our roads, sidewalks, and firestations, and we’ve been able to hire more teachers and keep our class sizes down. Ruthanne’s fingerprints are all over these accomplishments. Thank you Ruthanne, for advancing stuff that matters to me.
Ruthanne did a deep dive, along with her colleague Deb Crossley, on what was wrong with our sewer and water pipes and how we could fix them. This is remarkably unglamorous stuff but it’s the critical stuff that good cities do. Newton is now following the financing and repair approach that Ruthanne and Deb developed. Forget fingerprints – Ruthanne rolled up her sleeves and her handprints are all over this. Thanks for doing this for me Ruthanne – I expect I’ll save money over the long run, and maybe my water pressure will improve!
Our obligations to our retirees via OPEB, “Other Post-Employment Benefits”, are unfunded to the tune of $1 billion+. Ruthanne assembled a team of financial specialists and they did another deep dive, producing a seminal 80-page white paper on the issues and solutions we must take on over the next generation. Thank you Ruthanne – I feel an obligation to our retirees who have worked for me and my neighbors, and your work will help me to fulfill it.
I want Ruthanne “in the corner office”, because her work has defined what the best local governments do for their citizens. While I’ve been paying attention, Ruthanne has improved our schools, responded to our employee needs, tackled major infrastructure issues, and strategized on how to keep Newton fiscally strong. Wow. I want to elect Ruthanne, not because I like her (which I do), but because it is in my best interest for her to my mayor.
Brenda Noel for City Councilor.
We are so fortunate to live in a community where so many smart qualified candidates are willing to run for school committee, city councilor, and mayor. In this election cycle, I have been particularly struck and VERY excited about the candidacy of Brenda Noel for Ward 6 City Councilor.
Brenda, who is a social worker by training, has worked in the public and non profit sector over 20 years. Currently, she serves as the development director for Newton Wellesley Weston Committee for community living, which is an organization that facilitates and provides housing for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is not just a line on Brenda’s resume, this is an AMAZING and needed public service. Through this organization, countless individuals have had an increase in their self esteem and confidence by being empowered to live independently in our community. AMAZING !!!
Through this experience, Brenda has also come to understand the need for the more diverse housing needs in our community. My wife and I have aging parents, and we have recently struggled in finding them living situations locally where they can live on a single floor in a walkable neighborhood with access to a grocery store and public transportation. The housing needs of our seniors are simply not being met at this time. These are citizens of our community, who may have lived here and raised their families here, but are now unable to live in and afford housing in Newton. Brenda has eloquently spoken about the need for more senior and low income housing, and is a strong advocate for smart development in our city.
Smart development does not just address issues of housing. It addresses issues of public health by supporting more walkability and promoting bicycle use. It addresses issues of climate change by encouraging more green space and the reduction of traffic and congestion. It promotes commercial diversity, and most importantly it enhances and strengthens the sense of community that we already feel in our city. As Brenda has said, “Smart development is smart.”
I think we all share a fear of the future and like to resist change when possible. We live in exciting times. We will soon see driverless cars on our streets. Our children are building robots in school. Technology is exploding. Things are changing and will continue to change. Brenda is not afraid of this change. She is excited by this change and she is excited by our future. She loves Newton so much !!!
I encourage all my fellow Ward 6 residents to vote for Brenda Noel for City councilor on November 7th. She will be an AWESOME role model for our son’s and daughters !!!