Dear Village 14,
By way of introduction, my name is David Micley and I am running for City Council from Ward 2 in the upcoming special election. To learn more about my background and priorities, check out my website. While I was born and raised in Newton, this is my first time getting involved in Newton politics, so please accept my views and ideas as a starting point that will continue to evolve as I engage in the process.
I want to recognize all the other candidates running and in particular the other two candidates from Ward 2, Bryan Barash and Tarik Lucas, along with the people supporting them. They have been running exceptional campaigns and I am grateful for the chance to run alongside them.
While I hope to earn your support and the privilege to represent you, if nothing else, I wanted to use this campaign as an opportunity to bring attention to areas of need in our community. In that spirit, rather than soliciting political donations, I ask you to join me in donating to the Centre Street Food Pantry which has been doing heroic work providing food to families in need in Newton and the neighboring communities. Please consider donating through my Facebook Fundraiser here or if you prefer you can make a donation to the food pantry directly. If you want to be in touch, please don’t hesitate to reach out – [email protected].
Best,
David
Thanks for running.
I love that you’re using your campaign announcement to help fund-raise for the Food Pantry. As you say, they have been doing “heroic work” this past year and could use all the help they can get.
Reading Micley’s position statements on his website, it seems he would draw more votes away from Barash than Lucas which is fine with me
David, where do you stand on the full reopening of schools in the fall?
Hi Craig – schools should be fully reopened in the fall and we should have a clear, concrete, and comprehensive plan well in advance of then to ensure that happens.
David,
First, thank you for running. It’s always impressive to me when people put themselves out there for public office. But I wonder, how do you plan to run a city-wide campaign without doing any fundraising whatsoever? That seems like an enormous undertaking in a short period of time that is just made more difficult without funds. I’m curious as to what your strategy is to get your message to voters.
David, I appreciate your clear and forthright positions on schools, both on your website and in your reply above. This is not the time to be vague. I am sure many other residents feel (or will feel) the same way.
Hi Chuck – thanks for your note. I enjoy getting the chance to engage with people on local issues so it’s a privilege to run.
You are absolutely correct – it’s a big challenge to run without campaign financing and winning will be hard. But I wanted to try running a different kind of campaign which would 1) raise funds for a cause beyond my candidacy and 2) rely on word-of-mouth and grassroots organizing as the sole strategy in getting the message out.
I admit it’s an experiment, and while I want to win, regardless how it turns out, I think there will be what to learn from the results.
thoughts on the Mayor’s update on Riverside development? This issue prob deserves its own post
– scrap the hotel and build life-science lab center
– reduce housing units by 27
– eliminate 17k sqft of ground-floor commercial space
isn’t this what many residents wanted in the first place? more office buildings to bring in more tax revenue?
@David Micley – I have no idea if that strategy will work either but I would love it if it does. Anything that could take a fraction of the donated money for the 1000’s of glossy political cards that fill our recycling bins and re-direct it to the groups helping our community would be a great thing.
You’ve now got my attention. Good luck!
A very nice gesture. Just want to mention that Newton is fortunate to have 3 food pantries that work to fight food insecurity–Arabic Baptist Church, Centre Street Food Pantry and the Newton Food Pantry.
… and the American Legion Post 440 Food Bank too.
Oops, thanks, Jerry!
Seeing that you have just entered the race for City Council made me wonder about a number of things regarding your decision to join the race and your plans for the race.
• It has been clear for quite some time that there would be a special election for Ward 2 Councilor at Large, why did you enter the race so late? What is your motivation for running?
• Given that you just recently got an MBA, I would assume that you have a strategic plan for winning the race. Do you have a clear strategy or is this as you say “an experiment”?
• I saw that you signed a letter with the MA Office of Campaign and Political Finance stating, “I do not intend to accept contributions, make expenditures, including expenditures of my own funds, or incur liabilities for any campaign related purpose.” How do you propose to run a campaign without spending any money even your own?
• It is great that you are trying to raise money for a local food bank there is clearly a great need now. However, given your background in development, are there other ways that you could raise money for the food bank without a run for City Council?
• Given that you recently moved back to Newton and you say you are new to Newton politics, did you consider other ways that you could get involved to help the City besides beginning with a run for City Council?
• You say your views are just ideas at this point and that we should allow you to “evolve as you engage in the process.” Have there already been ways that you have been engaged in the types of issues going on in Newton that would have helped you develop your ideas about what should or what could happen here?
• If we had ranked choice voting, you could enter the race, become more well-known and get your views heard, but we don’t. By running you will be taking away votes from the other candidates. Do you care which of the other two candidates wins? Would one of them advance your ideas more than the other? Does your entering the race help that person win?
• You basically admit that you don’t think that you could win and that you are just trying to “bring attention to areas of need”. Why are you running and why are you playing with Newton politics if you don’t’ think you could actually succeed in the race?
Seems like an interesting candidate. How do you differ from Bryan Barash on the issues?
Also, do we still not have any mayoral contenders?
MMQC, my read of his website is that he has very similar positions to Barash. Seems we have candidates coming forward in all direction for CC and SB.
Surely someone will challenge Fuller. I hope!
Kathy Pillsbury, sounds like you are concerned Chris will drain votes from Barash.
“What is your motivation for running?”
Why question his motives?
I appreciate everyone who runs for office. We need more competitive races. I like candidates who have successfully worked outside of government. In this respect, Micley is closer to Lucas. My recollection is that both Micley and Lucas support the January 26 letter from some councilors to the School Committee asking for schools to be open, and the Barash did not support the letter. Schools are the number one issue in this election. Micley is closer to Lucas, but there are many differences between the three.
Jeffrey, if you are judging just on the voices here on V14, you could argue that schools are the # 1 issue, but the majority of residents do not have children in Newton public schools.
Zoning reform is the # 1 issue as it touches a much wider swath of residents . In that respect Micley seems to align more with Barash
Claire, I think that he could take votes away from both. Mostly I appreciate well organized, well thought out campaigns. So, I question why enter the race at this point with no plans to raise funds to actually run a campaign. There are other ways to have your voice heard.
Kathy Pillsbury, I ask again? Why question his motives?
“Mostly I appreciate well organized, well thought out campaigns”
And well financed also is suspect. You are quite transparent.
We should care more about the quality of the candidate and her/his ideas, versus their approach to their campaign. If they have a poorly organized campaign they will likely lose so why so worried?
If I prefer David Micley to Bryan Barash or Tarik Lucas, my vote has not been “taken.”
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Words to live by. Yes, David Micley has the right to run. However Kathy P. raises fair questions. If you think the other guys are running exceptional campaigns, why are you running? Why is it urgent that voters who have already vetted the other candidates and probably have made up their minds reconsider and vote for you? The positions on his website aren’t bad, but I don’t know if he’s in it to win it, and don’t want to waste my vote.
Adam, I think it is absurd to say “Why is it urgent voters who have already vetted the other candidates and probably have made up their minds reconsider and vote for you?”
The average voter hasn’t even tuned in yet, never mind made up their mind. The only voters who have made up their minds are those hanging out here on Village 14. The average voter is just beginning to see yard signs and those who are perceptive have noticed that there are clearly alliances, Barash/Ranalli vs. Lucas/Oliver
Claire, you can disagree with my statement – fair game here – but it’s not absurd. David is coming into this late in the game, and many of the people who will bother to vote in a Special Election on a Tuesday in a pandemic are in fact probably those who follow Newton politics and have already formed opinions on the candidates. My questions to David were reasonable, and he should have good answers. Let him reply. If he wins, he’ll be asked tougher questions than those by his constituents.
I would hope that more than the inside Newton political junkies, of which I consider myself one, are not the only ones who will “bother” to vote. We should all be working to maximize engagement and turnout. It shouldn’t be considered a “bother” to vote.
Thanks for all the questions. Here are my responses:
In response to Bugek in regards to the “Mayor’s update on Riverside development”: I cannot comment on this due to the quasi-judicial role of City Councilors.
In response to Kathy Pillsbury:
Why did I enter so late? Mainly personal reasons. My wife and I welcomed our second daughter to the world at the end of September and I just wasn’t ready to jump into the race during the first few months of my child’s life.
What are my motivations for running? My overarching motivation is to participate in the work of making the city a better place to live for current residents and people that want to move here.
Do I have a clear strategy or is this as I say an experiment? It’s an experiment (no campaign financing) with a strategy that depends on cost-free channels to spread the word.
How do I propose to run a campaign without spending any money even your own? There are plenty of free digital channels to communicate with voters – such as this one.
Are there other ways you could raise money for the food bank without a run for City Council? Absolutely – but I thought this approach would be effective at raising money for an important cause. Similar to doing bikes or walks for charity – it’s a way to bring attention to a cause in a broader context.
Did I consider other ways I could get involved to help the City besides beginning with a run for City Council? Yes, I did but this is the path I chose because I thought it would be effective.
Have there already been ways that I could have been engaged in the types of issues going on in Newton that would have helped develop my ideas about what should or what could happen here? Yes – I’ve been attending meetings and talking to people that understand the issues better than me so I’m coming into this with some ideas but a recognition that I still have a lot to learn – which is an attitude I will work to maintain even once I have more experience.
Do you care which of the other two candidates wins? Would one of them advance my ideas more than the other? Does entering the race help that person win? I don’t have a view on this – both of the other candidates bring unique and valuable ideas and experiences to the table.
Why I am a running and why am I playing with Newton politics if I don’t think I could actually succeed in the race? I answered why I’m running and I don’t think I’m playing – this is real work. But it’s work that I enjoy and find meaningful and important so that’s why I’m doing it.
In response to Mary Mary Quite Contrary:
How do I differ from Bryan Barash on the issues? That’s a difficult question to answer because it implies that I can speak on behalf of another candidate, which I can’t and won’t. I think the best way to see where I differ from either candidate is to read through our materials and stay tuned to the various forums where we’ll all have a chance to talk through the issues and each candidate can appropriately share their perspectives in more detail.
In response to Adam B.
If I think the other guys are running exceptional campaigns, why am I running? Because I think I have some ideas/focus areas that can add value to the way our city government works.
Why is it urgent that voters who have already vetted the other candidates and probably have made up their minds reconsider and vote for you? I think it’s almost always a good idea to re-evaluate things when new opportunities/options come up. That being said, I’m not counting on people who are committed to either campaign changing their minds – there are great reasons to support either of the other candidates and there are still plenty of votes to win beyond those already decided and beyond those that regularly vote in city elections. In the 2019 Newton municipal election, only 25% of registered voters came out to vote. 15k out of 60k voters. In contrast, in presidential elections the average turnout is close to 80%. That leaves plenty of voters to engage that care about how government runs but for whatever reason have not yet taken the steps to vote in local elections where arguably your vote can have an even bigger impact.
Dear David,
I’ve noticed that there’s always a tendency (whether in local, state, or national elections) on the part of people who support one of the two “major” candidates to question the motives of someone who runs as an underdog third candidate. Why? Because they worry that you will draw votes from their favored candidate. While a third candidate might do that, it’s also possible that a third candidate can engage people who are otherwise disengaged and thereby increase voter turnout and not really affect the relative strength of the two other candidates.
My reaction to your candidacy is simply this: Thank you for putting yourself out there to be judged by the electorate. It is not an easy time to do that given the political environment; and it is a tribute to your sense of public service that you are willing to take the time and make the effort to run.
“How do I differ from Bryan Barash on the issues? That’s a difficult question to answer because it implies that I can speak on behalf of another candidate, which I can’t and won’t.”
This is an absurd position from a person running for office. This is not a serious campaign.
John White you are on record here on Village 14 as supporting Bryan Barash. It seems Barash supporters are getting very worked up about Micley’s decison to run.
John, please continue with the rest of his answer: “I think the best way to see where I differ from either candidate is to read through our materials and stay tuned to the various forums where we’ll all have a chance to talk through the issues and each candidate can appropriately share their perspectives in more detail.” I don’t see that as absurd. It’s pretty thoughtful.
More generally, it’s not clear to me why people feel it necessary to tear down this fellow (whom I don’t know) versus building up their preferred candidate.
David Micley is not being attacked by Barash supporters for his platform. He is being attacked because he is running for office and eschewing campaign fundraising.
This contradicts what Bryan Barash has said in the past. When Barash was selling the charter proposal, he touted, “It is going to increase competition. We are going to have more people running. People are going to have more of a choice.” In his November 10th V14 blog, Barash wrote “..it is more important than ever to run a campaign of, by, and for the people of Newton. I commit to running a clean, positive, grassroots campaign. To that end, and because I am so concerned about the pernicious influence of money in politics at all levels, I am refusing contributions to my campaign from municipal lobbyists and developers.”
Has Bryan changed his positions? If not he should remind his supporters about his beliefs.
David Micley has every right to run, and I’m interested to see how this turns out for him.
(As for the posts above, I note that some of the same people who are thrilled with having a 3 party race here didn’t seem so happy with the Bill Humphrey 3 way race the last time around…)
With that said, let’s all be be honest, shall we? There is a pragmatic view of elections and an idealistic view of elections. More than one view can be right at the same time…
The Idealistic View is that more folks running brings more ideas, more discussions, and is long term better for our community. David Micley seems pretty well invested in the idealistic view of running for office. No campaign fundraising, taking donations for a food pantry, no political experience.
The Pragmatic View is that in a 3 way race with two folks who have already run before, with established city-wide support from opposite sides of the development issue, David has very little chance to win. His ideas sounds like a bit of mix of the two candidates, but not enough to be middle of the road between them. The folks supporting him on this thread thus far have no intention on voting for him, just like the folks upset with him on this thread have no intention of voting for him. That is because both sets of folks are voting for one of the other two candidates, and both sets are making assumptions as to how David’s entry into the race will affect the race.
So here is a prediction. David seems like a really nice, really smart guy. But idealism only gets you so far. He is going up against two candidates that have spent a lot of hours volunteering for Newton (charter commission for one, Newtonville Area Council for the other), and spent many many hours walking Ward 2 meeting people, and likely now walking all the other wards. I think Bryan stopped by my house 3 times last election. I met Tarik at least once as well, and lots of folks know him from the NAC as well. It is a very short election season.
David is running a quixotic campaign. It is unlikely to garner more than a few hundred votes in my view. I’m sure there will be other opportunities for David to serve in the future, and I hope the additional name recognition from running encourages him to run for those races.
As for who will win the race between Tarik and Bryan, no idea. But I note that I may be wrong, but with the recent change to development issues on the State level (supermajority is not longer required for development approval on the local level), I’m hoping that some of the focus on development will be lessened, and other issues will become more important.
I’m planning on voting for Bryan I think, but if Bryan dropped out of the race, I would happily vote for Tarik, who I think is great, and who I think would make a excellent city councilor.