All five candidates have contributed posts (below) explaining why they are running for City Council, what issues they are most focused on and why they hope to earn your vote. They are all worth reading.
What’s striking is how few of the candidates supporters are doing the same in comments below those posts. The vast majority of comments are people taking shots at their candidate’s opponents or folks on the other side responding to those shots.
It’s the closing days of this campaign now. All the issues that people are carping back and forth about in the comments have been discussed here and elsewhere endlessly over the course of the campaign.
Here’s an exercise, try it if you can – write a comment below the post of the candidate you are planning to vote for. Tell us what you like about them, why you plan to vote for them, and what you think they can contribute to the City Council and the city. Extra credit if you don’t even mention their opponent.
Thank you, Jerry!
I met Tarik while he was campaigning in Newtonville and he was pleasant, talkative and insightful. That is why I am supporting him. I also met Bryan and I didn’t get the knowledge and insight about local issues that I felt Tarik had a real grasp on-
I felt that perhaps Bryan was running as a stepping off point maybe not as much for Newton but for himself.
That was my impression. I just really enjoyed my conversation with Tarik.
I failed your exercise. Just read: I met Tarik and liked him!
@Amy – :-)
Bryan took an hour of his time and talked to me over the phone about the future of Newton from Schools to streets to police to developments. I was impressed with his answers.
For those who sometimes focus a bit more on the arguing in the comments than the posts themselves, take two minutes and watch just a bit of Tarik’s interview with his dad.
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/lzuUgHM1fkb9Uu1M3Qgdi1alc-O82ImhmrvlMCnoZYBD-2lmHq5pYyVng91CVp_vna7jmgzJa2jBzSBt.DeRRTiByFfBsddmT?autoplay=true
Great idea Jerry! I think we should all consider ourselves lucky to have five great candidates, it’s a shame that there are but two seats to share amongst them.
Though I am more ideologically aligned with Barash & Ranalli, I have decided to support Lucas & Oliver. It seems to me that Tarik & John are informed by progressive ideology, but not driven by it. They are willing to serve as “listeners” who will support the wishes of their constituents. In Ward 1 in particular, Oliver is more aligned with the people of Nonantum, who risk finding themselves without a voice after the loss of two great champions in Jay Ciccone and Scott Lennon.
I will definitely take cues from the candidates, i will:
– strongly support climate change and encourage others to use public transportation. However, i will drive to work even though public transportation is available to me
– i will stand against racism but will not speak up about the city council being all white
– i will campaign against ward representation… but I’ll also run that position. Excuse me, what?!
– i won’t accept money from developers. Sorry i meant i’ll only take money from 90% of all developers
Am i wrong?
Jerry – as a self-appointed spokesperson for your readership, I think we are extremely well behaved and thoughtful in our comments. People say “thanks” and “fair point” even when vehemently disagreeing. Have you been on the internet? This site is like an episode of Mr. Rogers in comparison. I write that as compliment. Thank you and your colleagues for running a useful place to exchange ideas.
I support John Oliver because he is the only candidate with a child in NPS, and even though the City Council is not directly involved in managing the schools, he brings the perspective of a parent raising a child in Newton to decisions regarding budgeting, development, and public safety. To be clear I am not saying being a parent is a pre-req to holding public office, however the past year has been an especially trying one for those involved with NPS, and I value someone who instinctively will consider issues like student/teacher ratios and the importance of quality public education when helping chart Newton’s future.
LOL. Bugek is apparently still working on his reading skills. Or he has nothing nice to say about any candidate.
But I’m laughing because as I clicked on his comment in the recent comment section, I already knew it would be a comment trolling one of the candidates. Staying on brand for sure!
Adam B.: That’s what I always say too! Folks who think this forum is tough should really experience the internet more often, unfiltered. I mean, have you seen some the newton facebook pages these days. People are throwing verbal tridents at each other, and it is escalating quickly. LOL.
As for my post, I’m a fan of Bryan. He’s taken the time to talk me through his positions, he has knocked on my door so many times over the years my kids now recognize him, and I think he truly cares about the city. I’m a fan of Tarik as well, but Bryan has put in a huge effort over the years, and I believe I know where Bryan stands on all of the issues, even when I disagree with him. He’s also an incredibly nice person, something that gets lost in these posts back and forth.
@Adam B
No I think you may need a modem and my computer didn’t come with that
“Thanks” and “fair point” both to you
Come on Bugek. I know you can do it. Give it a whirl. Your head won’t explode.
@fig there’s some stuff out there on the Newton pages that would make a sailor blush. And even though we disagree on candidates, have a great weekend and enjoy the sunshine.
I’m voting for Tarik because a believe a healthy democracy requires consenting voices and opinions. More importantly he has a long history of civics in Newton and is more than qualified
The issue of housing is so great that having 80% of the council in love with developers will not yield the best results for residents. We need a balance of opinions
On the issue of diversity, representation matters. Currently the council is so out of representation to the racial demographics of the city as a whole its embarassing. Newton is 76% white, 14% asian, 3% black… is not even close
If liberals support race diversity on public company boards then government positions should be strongly advocated also
Nicely done sir
Huzzah Bugek!
Btw, do you have a story behind your name? I’ve always meant to ask. Is that your actual name, initials, something else. Just curious.
I’m voting for Jerry Reilly in Wards 3,4,5,6,7,8 and 14
@Greg Rebiman – Don’t throw you vote away. “We are not ants. We are human” – go with Fredrica Smith in Ward 5
Fignewton,
Its totally random. I hope whomever is elected, we all come together and trust the council to do its job. Ie this is what Newton voted for and we will live with it
Government work is pretty thankless and everyone running should be commended
I’ve said pretty much everything I can think of about both Tarik and John and it’s been entirely positive. Nothing to add here.Their own words and actions are far better advocates than anything I could possibly add. I’ve also never said anything disparaging about any candidate I wasn’t backing in a Newton election because I’ve always admired anyone who will take the plunge.
Several years back, some of my friends and neighbors approached me to run for the Ward 5 Council seat, but I politely turned them down without a second thought. I had already spent too many evenings at insufferably long committee meetings of the Board of Aldermen when I was an adjunct member of the Solid Waste Commission. Doing this twice a month was penance enough, but the thought of spending two or three nights a week in committee meetings and then dealing with reports and angry citizens was beyond my tolerance. I do several things for the City, but this is just not my cup of tea. So I really admire anyone who will throw their hat into the ring and stick it out for three or four terms, or longer. They are good citizens.
I first met Bryan shortly after I was first elected in 2013, He has asked to meet with me and I was immediately impressed with his intensity, intelligence and drive. He is a tireless advocate for the environment, for improving housing choices and as an advocate for our small businesses. I trust Bryan and admire his energy and commitment and I am confident he will be a great addition to the city council as we tackle the complex task of zoning reform.
I just met up with a friend who works in the ER at one of the major hospitals in the area. He says by far the largest case load right now is teenagers suffering mental breakdowns. It’s gotten so out of hand that they had to expand the psych ward.
I am voting for Tarik and John because they are full throated in their push to open the schools right away. They are not worried about offending the teachers unions and jeopardizing their future political careers.
I’m voting for Bryan and Maddy because I think Newton needs change more than it needs to remain the same.
I am voting for Tarik because he’s never once been caught lying. He’s never had to give back a campaign contribution. He asks the people he represents how they want government to perform instead of telling them he knows what’s best for them. He’s also a Black man who deserves a seat at the table as opposed to a Black man who would like his story told by a white man who can explain in a way that makes more sense to other white people.
I’m voting for John Oliver because he has experience listening and building consensus. He’ll be able to start working for the people of Newton from every ward from the first day and won’t need mentoring from more experienced councilors who have their own agendas. He has a student in the public schools and won’t need to rely solely on school committee updates to understand what’s happening in the schools. And he lives in Newton full time.
I am voting for John Oliver because he has graduated from college and knows what it takes to hold a full time paying job to pay his rent or meet a mortgage.