Note: Village 14 has invited each candidate in next week’s special election to post another guest column about their candidacy. This one is from Madeline Ranalli, who is running for City Council from Ward 1.
Hi everyone! This is Madeline Ranalli, candidate for Ward One City Councilor-at-Large. Thank you to the Village 14 Team for this opportunity to make a guest post.
I am a political advocate, a lifelong Newton resident, and Newton Public Schools graduate. I’ve grown up around public and community service in Newton and my political background is primarily in legislative advocacy, where I have served as the Political Director at March For Our Lives: Massachusetts and on the board of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence. I have also worked in the Boston Office of Senator Ed Markey, in Iowa for Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Presidential campaign, and at the Department of Energy in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
I’m running for Newton City Council because my parents moved to Newton for our city’s schools and public amenities, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for working-class families to do the same. I will work to ensure that every family has access to the resources — from housing and education to employment opportunities and a vibrant community life — that make Newton so special. I’m also running to give a voice to the underserved people in our city, including people of color, elderly residents, young people, and students. I would love to set an example for other young leaders, so they can step up and bring a new perspective to local government, but also become the building blocks for the next generation of political and social leadership. Finally, I am running because my generation has the most to lose from continued inaction on issues like the climate crisis, housing shortages, and racial and gender inequities, and we really have had no choice but to step up with brave leadership. Newton has always been a leader among the Commonwealth’s municipalities, and it has the power to set an example of bold action on a multitude of issues, which you can read about https://www.ranallifornewton.com/priorities.
First, we must ensure an equitable recovery from COVID-19 rooted in evidence-based solutions and broad community engagement. This includes aiding our local businesses, continuing to enforce common-sense precautions, strengthening our resources for mental and emotional wellbeing, and continuing to protect our seniors and other vulnerable populations. And as a recent graduate of our public schools and a sister of two current NPS students, I also understand the importance of getting our students back to in person learning safely, utilizing the guidance of the remarkable public health professionals we have in Newton, while making sure that we are also keeping teachers, staff, and families safe as well.
Next, we need to act diligently to combat our current housing shortage, using every tool at our disposal to increase both the diversity and supply of housing in Newton, to restructure our zoning code and fill in our ‘missing middle,’ to allow our city’s employees and business owners to live in the city where they work, and to build deeply-affordable housing to support low-income households. We also must leverage public funding through mechanisms like an affordable housing trust fund, and approach housing in a holistic way that complements our sustainability and accessibility goals.
I also believe we need to work more aggressively to combat the climate crisis and pursue environmental sustainability in Newton, because cities like ours with the capacity to make necessary investments in green energy and infrastructure need to lead the way and achieve carbon neutrality before our target of 2050. In addition to net-zero buildings and electrification, we also need to expand access to public transportation across our city, as well as extend and connect walkways and protected bike lanes to make our streets safer for all residents.
It is also crucial that we answer the call to racial justice in Newton by ensuring that we implement and enforce protocols for incidents of hate and bias in our schools, pursuing more equitable hiring processes for municipal contractors and city staff, making it easier for residents of color to establish and run businesses in our city, and to reimagine how we administer public safety by implementing the recommendations of our Police Reform Task Force.
But I’m not the only one with a commitment to being part of the solution. There is broad public support in Newton for action on affordable housing, climate action, and racial justice — these are not radical or hyper-ideological views, they’re popular. But it’s up to us to step up in delivering the leadership to achieve tangible benefits for all residents of Newton.
I’ve also been disappointed that this election cycle has been marred by attacks, disinformation, and falsehoods, which have damaged our city’s civic discourse and distracted from the issues at hand. But I remain committed to running a positive, issues-based campaign and talking about the urgent problems we face and how we will tackle them together. Let’s work together to ensure that Newton is a welcoming, generous, and livable city for all of us. I humbly ask for your vote on or before Tuesday, March 16. You can reach me at [email protected] or @ranallifornewton to ask questions, share concerns, or just to talk. Thank you so much.
“I also understand the importance of getting our students back to in person learning safely, utilizing the guidance of the remarkable public health professionals we have in Newton, while making sure that we are also keeping teachers, staff, and families safe as well. ”
Perhaps you can explain this to me in plain English. Do you support the return to full-time, in-person instruction at all grade levels in April? Thanks.
Can you comment on the tweets you put out regarding the protest at NPD?
I am specifically interested in this comment…
“can’t believe I’m writing this one either but lastly do NOT talk with police who are there, ESPECIALLY not to say “stay safe” or “have a good night”. if you are even thinking of doing this I suggest you stay the f*** home and think about your place in this fight”.
Is this really how you feel about the Police in Newton? And is this really in line with you running a “positive” campaign?
Some have suggested that this was taken out of context….but the fact remains it was on your Twitter feed.
Would you take the time to learn what police work is really like and how the NPD functions before placing a blanket backing for the Task Force recommendations?
I would like to support a young, forward thinking candidate. Fresh ideas and views are a welcomed idea.
I struggle with finding the ability to support someone on any platform that can comment publicly the way you did.
It makes me wonder how you REALLY feel about issues….
@TheWholeTruth, I think how she really feels is pretty obvious.
See, the problem is, you don’t quite understand what “positive” means. Positive does not mean going to a rally, thanking the institution that you are protesting against and having a good time. Rallying for change isn’t like sitting in the stands of a Sunday softball league.
Helping organize a rally against longstanding discrimination towards those based on their skin color and disability is pretty darn commendable and a big positive in my book.
That’s the difference here: One candidate has never mentioned the word racism on their website, and another has proven that they want to change things. Maybe you are right, perhaps most people support the NPD and other longstanding institutions in Newton. But maybe Ranalli will win. And if she does, what does that say? It says you are in the minority, and maybe you need to get your head out of the sand.
James misses the point. Ranalli did not tweet, “Don’t thank the institution.” Rather, her advice was to not treat police officers with courtesy. Police officers are not institutions they are human beings. My goal in life is to treat everyone with courtesy, even people with whom I disagree. I don’t always succeed, but I try.
@James,
Thanks so much for your positive response to me.
But honestly, I’m not interested in what you have to say. I am interested in what Madeline has to say.
So I will go put my head back in the sand and occasionally poke it back out to check and see if she has the ability to speak for herself when asked.
Have a great day.
The WholeTruth
Just to be fair, I don’t think any of the candidates are responding directly to folks on this forum. I don’t see Tarik, Bryan or John doing so either, and I don’t expect them to do so.
@Fig:
But we encourage them to do so!
@Fig,
Fair comment. But the difference is the other candidates did not make statements that are that derogatory or disturbing.
If they had, I would have asked the same response from them.
And truthfully, Madeline does not need to respond to me or my comments here. But she should come out and make some statement about the Tweets. It’s been a hot button topic and should be addressed directly by her.
I would like some transparency from Madeline on the event that she hosted at the NPD. I’d like to know what her goal was with that.
It absolutely wasn’t to bring people together in a positive way. That was very clear in her posts.
If anything it pulled our community further apart.
Madeline, please explain yourself.
Ms. Ranalli,
Are you planning to run for Congress when you become eligible at 25? If so that would explain:
1. Your Defund Newton Police Rally
2. Why you won’t give full throated support for opening Newton schools right away – need those teachers unions support
3. All those other union endorsements
4. “The single family zoning is racist” agitprop – need future campaign contributions from
all the money those developers will make building million dollar townhouses
TWT, where did you get the impression that those tweets were aimed at NPD? Was it from John Oliver’s campaign email? I notice that the date on that tweet snapshot was June 2, 2020, which coincided with Boston protests, not Newton. The protests and police reaction was much different. Context matters.
https://twitter.com/greg_doucette/status/1340079107074383873
@Adam,
The timing of the Tweet is not the issue….it’s the content.
I’d like to ask the 11 City Councilors who endorsed candidate Ranalli: were you not aware of her “hate-filled, expletive-laced tweets” or you just think they don’t matter?
Maybe my ward City Councilor Maria Scibelli Greenberg can offer an answer.
Or maybe they are in agreement with her tweets…
@TheWholeTruth, I’m talking about the context, not just the timing. You’re accusing Maddie of saying these things about the NPD, but she was at the Boston protests at the time she tweeted. I think we should get the facts straight. Please follow the twitter link, scroll down to the bottom and watch the bodycam recording.
Madeline,
This is your post. I believe we deserve answers from you.
We’re waiting…
Dear Ms. Ranalli:
I’m really glad that you chose to use the opportunity to raise a few issues and you now have a great forum to respond and provide more detail to your platform and address key questions from your voting public. s you can imagine, education in our city is of foremost importance.
A couple of questions/requests:
1. Please clarify. Given where we are now with respect to managing Covid, should all the kids and teachers be back in school. Again, now!?
2. Do you have any criticisms of how the mayor, the superintendent, the school committee, the NTA or anyone who had influence on our city’s education handled this school year , particularly as it relates to in school attendance? What would you have done differently?
3. Throw in question: Do you have any criticism of our city’s leaders for the utter lack of failure to support our city’s restaurants? What would you have done differently?
Thanks. We are all anxious to see your response.
@adam where are the tweets? I don’t see the tweets after I scrolled down?
Aren’t the tweets on Twitter? The context and dates should be on Twitter.
@a I’m referring to the link I posted above, with BPD bodycam footage from the Boston protests.
Maddie’s tweets were deleted, but have been circulated on social media and, most recently, by John Oliver’s negative campaign email. I felt his presentation of it was deliberately misleading. That doesn’t show integrity IMO. The date on Maddie’s controversial tweet clearly read June 2, 2020. It was positioned immediately after a January 5 tweet promoting a rally in response to the incident in Newton Highlands where a
@adam. Thank you for clarification- are they actually her tweets?
@Adam, why does it matter which City’s police those tweets were referring to? Or whether the statements were made in January or June? If they were on point then why delete them in the runup to the election?
The tweets are fair game. If they were meant for another time and place, that’s fine, but that’s something I’d like to know in a little more detail.
Agreed LDS. I don’t think an officer from Newton PD would look at the tweet time stamps and say “oh no worries, she didn’t mean us”. If someone believes that language is an acceptable form of protest, come out and say it. I would strongly disagree but at least it’s an honest statement. Trying to sparse the timing is dancing on the head of a pin.
There was a BLM rally in Franklin Park in June 2, and I know because I attended it. It is my guess that Ms. Ranalli is referring to that event in her tweet. Kudos to her for attending and showing support for BLM. I think the concern about her tweet is the us vs them attitude displayed when you tell others “don’t say ‘stay safe’ or ‘have a good night'” as if the officers in attendance, who were simply doing their job, are not worthy of basic human courtesy.
One can stand up against police brutality and systemic racism while still being kind to one another as human beings. Every police officer is not the enemy. Rather, the “enemy” is a system that does not provide accountability, that does not provide transparency, that treats people differently based on the color of their skin, that has too much of a “I’ve got a hammer so every problem is a nail” approach.
Last spring during budget season I voted to reduce our police budget, not because I want to “defund” our police, but because when we were cutting the schools budget and really slashing the parks budget, during a pandemic no less when we needed outdoor space more than ever, it did not make sense to me that we were increasing our police budget. I am deeply interested, as I know many of our community members are, in looking at our overall public safety goals, and what is the best way to achieve them. This may mean moving money around. For example I have been interested for a long time at investing more in speed bumps rather than directed patrols to control speeding. We should always be looking at how we can be doing things differently, more effectively, more efficiently, in all our departments, not just our police department.
I attended the Policeman’s Ball every year until they stopped holding it, and every year I would think “I wish the residents of Newton could hear these stories of bravery” — during the awards ceremony we would hear about the everyday courage of our officers in often very different circumstances; there have been a lot of mental health challenges for years in our community.
The reason the West Newton farmers market is on a closed-off Elm Street each summer weekend is because Sgt Jay Babcock suggested it – when we city councilors were all fighting with one another about where it should go [looking at you, Ted Hess Mahan], Sgt Babcock came up with this perfect solution. Our officers improve the quality of life in our city every day, in ways that are not always visible.
The issue of police reform is a sensitive and charged one, but if we all approach it with an attitude of mutual respect, I am confident we can achieve a level of “continuous improvement”. We have a task force that just spent many hours working with a consultant to create a set of recommendations for us to consider. We know our officers have strong opinions about how things are now, and how they can improve, because they do their own surveys which they report on.
All of this is to say, that is why I, as someone who is sympathetic to the “defund” principles — if not the name — was so troubled by the tweets in question. If our officers do not feel that their city leadership respects them at a very basic human level, to even be willing to say “hi” to them (whether it was Boston or Newton police is immaterial), then how far will we be able to get in negotiating changes that both sides may very well otherwise agree on.
We are all human. We all want to be validated, and treated with dignity and respect. She hasn’t asked my advice but if she did, I would recommend that Ms. Ranalli issue an apology for her words and her tone, ask to meet with some officers to hear their experience, and pledge to do better in the future. We have all said and done things that we later came to regret. We can not change the past but every day we have an opportunity to write the future.
PS. I did not seek to write a fignewtonville-length post, my apologies…
@EmilyNorton. Great post.
Councilor Norton- I guess you are beginning your reelection campaign.
@Councilor Norton – Thank you for all you do.
We should all remember some of our City Councilors occasionally do a great job ;-), and we should all remember to thank them too. I am very much guilty of this, so I thank you again Councilor Norton!
Councilor Norton, I’m honored by the shout-out. I’ll note that you are an excellent writer, so I’d wish you’d write longer posts more often. I’d enjoy the debate. And I wish you were as active a presence here on the issues that impact our Ward as you have been on campaigning against Maddie and Bryan. I suppose this “cesspool” (shout-out to your phrasing, not mine) is only worthy of a visit for lots of folks around election day, you included.
As for Maddie, I’ve read the texts and I won’t defend them. They were unnecessary and immature. The buck stops with her, and I would have preferred her to do more than just delete the tweet. I will note that they were also not meant for this wide an audience, and I view them in the context of the time they were made. I’ll also note that for better or worse, this is some of what you get when you run for office as a 20 year old, and what we get if we elect a 20 year old. The good and the bad. Maddie seems passionate, smart, and committed to changing the world. Not everyone will want a 20 year old on the city council. Not everyone will agree with the change she is advocating for. That’s ok in my view. I’m sure, if elected, she will make other mistakes. But it is tough being a human, and it would be tough finding the perfect path as a 20 year old city councilor. But she seems like someone who would care about the job, who would care about defending the values she believes in, and she wouldn’t be hiding her positions or her viewpoints to get elected. She is, for better or worse, who she is.
John Oliver seems to be a good man, with a track record of service to the community, and I’m sure he would make a fine councilor as well. The issues he cares about, and his reasons for running for office, seem very different than Maddie’s views and issues. He seems to me to be a defender of the status quo more than a change agent. And maybe for many of us, that’s what we want right now.
I do not understand the level of focus on some immature tweets, just like I don’t understand the focus on John Oliver’s recent history as a republican. I have not made up my mind in this race, but neither issue resonates with me.
I will vote based on a candidate’s track record of showing up for racial justice and not simply one deleted tweet.
The Harvard Crimson has reported that Candidate Ranalli, if elected, would continue to live at Harvard. What kind of precedent do we have for a city councilor who most of the year neither lives nor works in Newton? Is this not a form of absenteeism?
City councilors should be eating their own cooking. By this I mean that they should pay property taxes (either directly or through rent); experience the same roads and public services that we do on a daily basis; and live under the same zoning, ordinances, and regulations that they create for us.
I would like a City Counselor who is here on the ground 12 months of the year.
I have a feeling this is going to be a @fignewtonville length reply.
Please note that Maddy’s comment thread is magnitudes longer than anyone else’s. This bothers me tremendously, but since I’m trying to reach people I feel that I need to comment here. My comments over on John Oliver’s post seem to be ignored by both the candidate and the public.
To @fig’s point about Oliver, yes, he is all about the status quo. And to me, that’s why his Republican party membership is so important. He claims, in his post on Village 14, to have “progressive values,” but that concept runs counter to his history and what appear to be his inclinations. Meaning the idea of “progressive” is just a word with no meaning.
That said, if we want to see change in areas like systemic racism, police reform, and climate resiliency, as Councilor Norton says she favors, then the status quo cannot get us there. We need someone who is going to push those boundaries.
But there is something else. With Maddy, this city is being given something special, and yes, it’s a gift. Our 24 member city council is often cited as our biggest municipal problem. Everyone knows it needs to be smaller and that the complexity of getting anything through is a serious impediment to change. But what if that can be turned into an asset? What if we look at that body as a chance to mentor someone who can be great in the future? What if we are part of giving a dynamic, intelligent, young person the mentorship and direction she needs to create a great future for our region, state, and country?
Imagine Maddy in 5 or 10 years after being mentored by the people we have here? I know that I learn from the folks on the Economic Development Commission at every meeting. Maddy will be a single vote among 24, let’s use that as an opportunity for her to learn. Isn’t this a city with a commitment to education? This isn’t Congress, this is city council. Let’s help her learn and see what we, as a city, can help build.
The future is calling us. We have a chance to make a real mark on it. Let’s take it.
Of course Maddy seems exciting and wonderful and she IS the future. So why would we want someone like Susan Albright to mentor her? Someone who writes questions for voters that are so complicated that no one in this educated city understands what a yes vote or a no vote means? Everyone agrees that the city council is too big…then in 2017 the Charter committee (Hi Bryan Barash!) came up with a plan that amounted to voter suppression. And we never saw a vote or another plan again.
Newton needs John Oliver. Someone who can speak for the people of Newton and stand up to the City Council – not learn from them. We need someone who can say that putting a senior center in the middle of an already busy field that has no parking doesn’t make any sense and then make sure it doesn’t happen. It’s not as exciting as national politics but that’s what Newton needs. Maddy can get what she needs at Harvard and I look forward to seeing what she does in the future.
Chuck@ My comments over on John Oliver’s post seem to be ignored by both the candidate and the public.
Oh was that the comment where you tried to “smear” John Oliver because he may at some point been a registered republican?? So you come over here to try again. I’m curious Chuck, if you were similarly disturbed that Ruth Ann Fuller was once also a registered republican? This little smear campaign clearly intended to paint John Oliver as some sort of Republican Trojan Horse is pathetic!!
As for the suggestion that Maddy is a “gift” and this comment “What if we look at that body as a chance to mentor someone who can be great in the future? What if we are part of giving a dynamic, intelligent, young person the mentorship and direction she needs to create a great future for our region,state, and country?”
Seriously? You basically an acknowledgment that she is not ready but can be groomed! Why should Newton voters be asked to groom the 20 year old Harvard Student?
@claire why do you believe that being a Republican is a smear? I never said it was. My question is quite specific. How do those two things align? One is a conservative value, the other progressive. Also, it wasn’t “at some point” it as a period of more than a decade. It seems significant for someone currently positioning himself as a moderate Democrat with “progressive values.”
Fascinating that you find such a thing to be a smear.
Run Emily Run! If she doesn’t I will write her in for Mayor.
@ Chuck your post is the post that just keeps on giving in regards to how out of touch you are.
Case in point:
“That said, if we want to see change in areas like systemic racism, police reform, and climate resiliency, as Councilor Norton says she favors, then the status quo cannot get us there. We need someone who is going to push those boundaries.”
Yes these are important issues. But I believe most Newton voters would put getting children back to in-person learning and implementing zoning reform that addresses and balances both constituent’s interests and city goals is a much higher priority to most voters.
Case in Point:
“Our 24 member city council is often cited as our biggest municipal problem. Everyone knows it needs to be smaller and that the complexity of getting anything through is a serious impediment to change”
I thought this was litigates with the Charter Vote.
Case in Point
“Maddy will be a single vote among 24, let’s use that as an opportunity for her to learn. Isn’t this a city with a commitment to education? This isn’t Congress, this is city council. Let’s help her learn and see what we, as a city, can help build.”
Every vote is important and commitment to education doesn’t mean on the job training for someone who essentially sounds like an intern, especially when the choice is between her and a tremendously qualified alternative
I’m beginning to think that it would be Maddy who would be the “trojan horse” for the current majority of the city council which is fighting to preserve its majority
For me, the content of the Tweets is the issue. I get that the date seems significant to some but the words she used represent a mind set, not a single moment.
Yes, Madeline is young and has and will make mistakes. But when running for public office, this kind of comment has long lasting repercussions.
When faced with voting for/against a matter involving Police on the CC, will she be able to look beyond her police bias and make a fair vote? It’s a legitimate question….
@ Chuck I put smear in quotes because I don’t think it is. But your clearly do. And for the record I have never been registered as a republican. And the closest I have come to voting for one was someone who had been an elected democrat, and an elected republican and was running as an independent. I don’t care about these labels
@Claire @Chuck Perhaps a junior or senior year college internship instead?
TWT, totally legitimate question only the candidate can answer. I’m not excusing the tweets, just pointing out that they were made in the context of emotionally charged protests that turned violent and later withdrawn. Not exactly how they were presented.
@ Lisa I think a couple of internship with the City Council is a GREAT idea as a means on mentoring bright young people who have an interest in municipal government. But maybe it should be two, one from North and one from South
Clearly I need to start writing shorter posts.
I’ll only say this. We have 24 city councilors. Individually, they have very little power. It is also a part-time job. Some of our city councilors hold very esteemed positions at non-profits that I’m sure are very time consuming. Some of our city councilors are retired. Some of our city councilors are raising kids. Some are not. Some travel consistently for business or pleasure and miss many meetings. Some never miss a meeting. Some answer calls/emails immediately. Some do not answer calls/emails at all, or very sporadically. Some are very village/ward focused, some are city wide focused, some are nationally focused. Some barely do their job after many years of service.
Let’s not act like this is the position of mayor. I like a city council with different voices. It is a legitimate question about who will add the different voice needed at this time. Reasonable folks can disagree on that. I choose not to judge a smart capable candidate with a unique voice based on a few tweets during a passionate moment. I also choose not to inflate those tweets into something they are not. The lengthy lectures and the browbeating over this exceed the offense. Sometimes we need to step back from the political and see the person.
I’ve attended the online events of all of the candidates except David (sorry David). They are all terrific people. I think folks would be surprised at what Maddie would bring to the table.
@Fig “I’ll only say this. We have 24 city councilors. Individually, they have very little power. Let’s not act like this is the position of mayor.”
So now the argument is that a city council seat is inconsequential? If that were true we wouldn’t be seeing outside money backing in this race and so much energy behind this.
It may be true that individually they have little power, but in a block they have tremendous power, more power than a Mayor who I think has functioned mostly as a figure head and has shown very little leadership.
They are the ones who get to vote on issues that impact our lives
Claire, I understand that. And it is certainly a valid point that on certain issues, as a block, they can make changes that impact the city. My point was in response to some folks stating that a city councilor can’t be a student, or live in a dorm in few miles away, or that more experience is needed. A city councilor alone doesn’t run our city. Individually they have little power. The mayor is a full time job. This is a part time job.
I’m as much to blame here as anyone, but I’m beginning to question the amount of angst and conflict over these positions. After going through a number of these election cycles, I’m sometimes jaded regarding what will actually change, and what power the city council actually has.
And I disagree that the city council has more power than the mayor in our system.
I am a strong Maddy supporter. I very much admire her intelligence, thoughtfulness, advocacy and commitment to public service. Her detailed platform on the issues is what separates her from her opponent who speaks in broad generalities but has few specifics. Maddie has a solid understanding of key issues including the connection between sustainability and housing and the intricacies involved in creating more affordable housing in a wealthy community with skyrocketing housing costs. She understands we need to use all the tools in the toolbox. This includes allowing multi-family by right in some areas of the City such as village centers and transit nodes. She understands how dimensional controls can incentivize the creation of smaller units which are by definition more affordable. I am interested in examining floor area ratio (FAR) and see how it can meld with a form based code (which looks at the relationship between building facades and the public realm rather than the separation of uses in traditional zoning code). It is also important to understand how setbacks, massing, height/stories, lot size and frontage can help us encourage the housing we want and preserve what we like in our existing neighborhoods. Maddie’s platform is similarly detailed on the issues climate action, public safety, transportation, supporting seniors and more.
Maddie has a solid grasp of the issues and the zeal to succeed. I will very much enjoy working with her on the City Council.
@Casey – I’m not aware of a single city councilor who was in favor of placing New CAL on any City parkland or greenspace including Albermarle Park. The current location in Newtonville has since been chosen as the location, so no need to worry.
@Councilor Leary
Just wondering if you would be comfortable making those statements if you were still the ward councilor? Save Nonantum obviously disagrees with you. I forget which position you held on the charter and eliminating local representation.
I’m sorry, but someone who’s never supported themselves financially is not an adult and does not belong on the City Council.
Hi Simon, Ward 1 and the village of Nonantum is a diverse community and not everyone agrees with the Save Nonantum PAC platform. My fundamental outlook has not changed that much since I was first elected and then re-elected as the Ward 1,Ward Councilor for two terms in contested elections. The SN crowd, which has a very conservative bent, including quite a few Trump supporters have never voted for me. But they are part of a larger whole including precincts 2 and 3 (roughly Newton Corner) and Newton is overall a deep blue City. Yes, I understand they’ve been frustrated with votes and decisions that haven’t gone their way. This includes, the removal of the Fireman’s Flag (which I disagreed with) the name change to Indigenous People’s Day (which I voted for and enjoys broad support citywide) and then the sudden passing of Councilor Ciccone which was a shock to all of us. The idea of young, progressive, activists taking over that seat is hard for some folks to swallow.
I did not support the removal of ward only representation, though I did end up supporting the Charter Commission’s recommendations overall. It wasn’t just about reducing the size of the city council.
Is that your litmus test for everybody?
Then don’t vote for her Deborah. But Ms. Ranalli is over 18 years old, got the required signatures and is eligible to run for public office.
@Alison Leary, I’m sure this wasn’t your intent, but as I read your post it sounds as if you are saying that you don’t feel any obligation to listen to or represent the interests of people who didn’t and who you don’t think will ever vote for you.
Your post got me wondering so I research it and I Trump didn’t get much support in Newton (16.7%) and in both 2016 and 2020 he got the most votes in Ward 8, precinct 1 which is Oak Hill not Nonantum.
So I guess you can write them off as Trump supporters but it would seem that the vast majority of Newton residents (83.3) overall, including Ward One residents specifically, are true blue, maybe just many different shades of blue.
@Claire, I am all for finding consensus and areas of agreement. Afterall, that is what politics is all about. There is always an effort to find compromise. But there are some people who we just have to agree to disagree. I think I did make that point that most Newton voters are Democrats (or Independents). I was speaking specifically to the make up of the SN PAC. You can’t win them all.
@Allison — I don’t know them personally, but based on voter files, it looks like the SN steering committee is ~1D, 6U, and 1R. Does one have to be registered as a D to not count as an R?
Allison. “ That’s what politics is all about. “. You write off a group because you incorrectly believe they are ( gasp. Wait for it. TRUMP SUPPORTERS Aaaaahh. The horror. ) You realize this is the same mindset of the knuckleheads who mounted a failed insurrection in Jan. ? Them. Libitards not worth listening too. You. Republican Trump supporters not worth listening too. BUT, your a elected official. Do you really feel the need to look down your nose at the common, non affluent, no inside connection Citizens you are suppose to be representing ?
Hi Alison – I wasn’t saying that Madeline Ranalli was legally ineligible to be a City Councilor. I was saying that that she was not adult enough to serve competently because she has never earned a living. Without having to face this difficult adult responsibility, she wouldn’t have any understanding of how most people live their day-to-day lives. Being 25 and having supported yourself for a few years is fine for a City Council candidate. Being 20 and never having supported yourself is not fine.
This lack of an understanding of day-to-day adult life is already a problem on the current City Council. Many City Councilors and the Mayor seem to think that Newton residents possess more time, money, and power than they do. In reality, many Newton residents spend decades of their time in Newton dealing with work deadlines and parenting commitments that leave little time for walking to their jobs, if jobs existed in Newton, which they don’t. They also care about public safety and public education and the stability of their neighborhoods. This is because most are middleclass and can’t afford private schools and large investment portfolios to cushion them if things go wrong.
Newton does not need the very rich nor the very young to run the government.
@DL I agree. There is no place to work in Newton. Many small businesses are now closed and there has been little discussion about how to attract businesses to Newton and revitalize the villages.
When we dont support our most ardent supporters, the local businesses that hire teens, give part time jobs to single parents, and employ our retired elderly … then they can not support us. As mentioned above, we already know the track record of what happens when people only speculate what real life is like. We need more Councilors who are experiencing that life right now. Very few have the time to run and serve, so when we have one (or two) in the running, it seems the most advantageous for us to elect them.
Thanks Madeline, to you and all the others who chose to run. It has been a vibrant and informative campaign, and you’ve all given us clear choices. Thank you all for your contributions to our community.