U-Chan recently hosted on-line debates focused on housing issues with the candidates for both the upcoming Ward 1 and Ward 2 special elections.
John Oliver and Madeline Ranalli are running for the Ward 1 seat. Here’s the video
Bryan Barash, Tarik Lucas, David Micley who are running for the Ward 2 seat. Here’s the video
Micley, not Michley
Thank you for posting. Are debates consolidated in a list on a city hosted site? It would be helpful to know in advance if there is going to be a live debate.
@Lisa – Oops, thanks, fixed
Not sure if this is redundant:
There is a debate this Sunday, Feb 21, 2-4:30; moderated by Marjorie Arons-Barron.
Please go the Waban Area Council site (wabanareacouncil.org) to register in advance.
At 15:28 min. Bryan Barash supports raising CPA fees in Newton to support affordable housing. How do we know raising more CPA money will increase spending on affordable housing and not historical preservation to prevent buildings being turned into housing?
Anecdotally, this is the #1 reason people give me for supporting CPA spending on private buildings like Allan House and Grace Church.
Do we want to be raising our property taxes to increase CPA funding?
Cannot recommend the Ward 2 video highly enough. The questions from Emily Cagwin (developed by U-CHAN collaboratively according to Marcia Johnson) were the best I’ve heard in a candidate forum.
Hi Lucia – I specifically said that I support raising the CPA to fund an affordable housing trust fund. I’m the only person in this race who supports putting really funding behind a trust fund, and if you’re not willing to do that, having a trust fund won’t be very effective at creating affordable housing.
@Isabelle – No not redundant at all. The U-Chan debate was just about housing issues. I’ll bet that Sunday’s Area Council debate will cover more and different issues.
I just checked the wabanareacouncil.org site and it doesn’t look like there’s any way yet to sign up for Sunday’s debate … unless I missed it.
After watching, developers (without pending permits, which is the majority of developers) should be sending $$ to both Bryan and David
Newton should already be in compliance with the new MA state law because riverside should be considered “reasonable” size from MBTA. It seems they want to use this as cover to allow developers to build much much more.
Follow the $
Public housing doesn’t work for tenants.
In addition to the capital for the land and buildings, Newton will need to expand its bureaucracy similar to the Boston Housing Authority.
To me, Bryan’s assertion is like to a parent generously giving their 16 year old a new car as a graduation gift by paying a $500 for a down payment, then handing the kid the financing payment book along with the message “this is yours too .. figure it out on your own”. Who is really being helped in that?
From the Upper Falls News.
Register in advance for this debate:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpf-mrqT0tG9ZvrnYqyo-BULJAS3sf1zVX
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
It will also be on Facebook Live at the Waban Area Council Page. You do not have to have a Facebook account to watch.
Why do CPA fees need to be raised for an affordable housing trust fund? 80% of CPA funds could currently be spent on housing, if Newton chose to do it.
With a day off from work, got a chance to view both recordings (thanks Jerry)!
Some observations….
1. Affordable housing is supposed to, “reverse decades of segregation and racist housing policy” as well as “encourage and provide opportunity for people of color to move to Newton.” Any irony here that when a person of color runs for a leadership position in Newton, he challenged by two white guys?
2. “People of color” was throw around a lot, yet no mention of Asians. Even “U-Chan” is pronounced “U-Can”? Chinatown once had a large number of naturally affordable apartments, a first place to land for new immigrants. Yet they too fell for the lure of Developers’ promise of affordable units beside luxury ones, only to find out the “affordable” apartments aren’t so affordable and are now left without a life raft. There are more colors in the rainbow than just black and brown. What is U-Chan and Newton willing to do to help Asians?
https://bostonrealestatetimes.com/bostons-chinatown-80-percent-of-chinatown-residents-report-housing-insecurity/
3. Condo opportunities were mentioned a number of times. It could have been a drinking game! Yet at Austin St, Trio, Riverside and Northland, any one want to take a guess how many condos were negotiated for? Zero. Not one. Nada. Can the City Council majority that publicity campaigned for Northland really claim success with bringing any home ownership opportunities into the equation? Which brings this final point.
4. While Newton is overwhelmingly democratic, there is a clear divide in the City Councilors – two distinct sub parties. There’s the sub party that rubber stamps developers’ request just to get a few affordable units on the books; the same sub party that supports Defund NPD; the same sub party who’s names are noticeably absent from the City Council letter asking for schools to be re-opened.
Who is this sub party and which of these candidates do they support? Look no further than each candidate’s donors from the City Council and the amounts donated by each. Alliances have already been formed. Hell,
with the exception of David, who joined the race late, Bryan/Maddie and Tarik/John have essentially been running as (2) joint tickets!
https://m.ocpf.us/Reports/SearchItems
I will be watching the upcoming debates, but the special election is going to come down to which side of “progressive” you believe is best for Newton.
If you agree with the direction Newton is heading regarding housing, schools and police, vote for Bryan/Maddie as their votes on the Council will likely bolster the current majority. But if you think the City Council should have more than one voice, an alternative voice, a more moderate voice, consider a vote for Tarik/John.
(Still internally debating where David sits in this equation)
@Matt Lai, opinions on increasing the supply of housing are clearly the dividing line in Newton politics, I guess because that is the issue that animates folks the most. But I don’t think the multiple divisions are as clear as you suggest. Brenda Noel signed the letter promoting more in-person instruction. Emily Norton is pretty “woke” (which I mean as a compliment). Jake Auchincloss, whose former seat is now up for grabs, has always struck me as a very pragmatic guy who believes that more housing and better transit will improve our lives.