A call to action: 2023 is an election year in Cambridge
We live in a noisy, fractious, polarized world. By “world” I mean our fair city … Cambridge. The discourse about important issues being debated and decided by our City Council has taken on coarse and hostile tones. Rather than true discourse or debate, we have entered the territory of verbal smackdowns, snide characterization and outright intimidation, making for a factionalized city.
The election Nov. 7 is a referendum on the track record and values of current City Council members. As a reader of Cambridge Day, chances are you are engaged, but too few of our fellow citizens are: Fewer than 22,000 of those eligible to vote in the past council election did so – out of a population of nearly 120,000. Our democracy will be stronger if we all are educated on issues being decided by our council, if we understand the likely impacts and the interrelationship of policies and if we know how current councillors vote on key issues.
Keep abreast of what happens in Cambridge by watching council meetings at 5:30 p.m. Mondays on local cable Channel 22 or via livestream. Find the agenda on the city’s open meeting portal and you can sign up to speak.
For the first time in 80 years Cambridge’s city charter is under review. Learn how this process is shaping the future of city government.
Read widely. We all must get out of our echo chambers and seek to understand people with different views. Read Cambridge Day and send a donation to keep local journalism going. For a digest of local commentary and issues, check out the Cambridge Civic Journal.
We must not sit out this next election. We must work actively to ensure robust democracy and elect councillors who are more responsible, transparent and committed to democratic government in the city.
Make your voice count. Vote Nov. 7 and ensure that your friends and neighbors do as well. Register if you haven’t already.
Mary Jane Kornacki, Avon Hill Street
Over 60% of Cambridge voters don’t bother to vote in our city elections. Stop the current “councilors” from claiming that their pet projects are what the populous want – not true until we all vote.
How do we get more people to vote in Cambridge’s local elections? How about holding those elections at the same time as the congressional elections every two years? Turnout could double — and then our Councillors might be able to claim to represent us. . .
This is the crux of the problem with Cambridge as stated. Special interest groups are well organized and many are funded by outside interests including developers. We need a council that talks to each other, can compromise, has the patience to continue committees so the public and experts can debate more fully, delaying 2 weeks to a month will not help big buildings get built any faster. Nor will stream-lining without accountability or design review. ON display are councilors who complain about public comments and disrespects those citizens who make them. As it stands now, not many people seem willing to throw their hats into the snake pit that is the city council at this moment.
The developer funded tag line is the biggest crock. The biggest problem in cambridge politics are the solo-issue defense-fund-esque groups who elect their unqualified pals to office. If there is an issue in cambridge it’s the quality of candidates. If only a handful of adults run we will always have issues.
are you saying that developers like Alexandria don’t contribute to anyone? Not sure about that. But solo-issues fighting against each other is rampant and we need more responsible and less competitive councilors when it comes to bigger issues and greater good.
@ PatrickWBarrett
The solo issue… elect unqualified pals to office,
is a big problem.
One of the ways to temper this is to not have nine at large councilors, who essentially are responsible to only their small cliques. This is now being taken up by the charter commission. My bet is that it is not changed because it would upset the current inbred, one issue, unqualified city councillors.
As I see it, the only thing that is going to change what is happening in Cambridge i.e.” progressive dreaming” is a financial problem. So many people think this city is rich. As they are going to find out in five years, it is not rich. New lab space, which has supported this city’s coffers in the last 15 years, is slowing down. The city continues to spend large amount of money on non essential items. But, the biggest expense is going to become the city’s biggest problem. Post retirement pension and health care benefits, now barely fully funded, are going to substantially change the financial situation of the city.
It’s really puzzling that no matter how many times I’ve written to the councillors, or mentioned the problem in Cambridge Day, not one of them has ever responded that they’ve taken a look at the off balance sheet liability that the city has. It will be our downfall.
And then all the progressives, who only know how to spend money, and so much of it on non essential items, will be yelling and screaming that someone should have told them about these liabilities.
Pete what I’m saying is $500-$1000 from anybody buys nothing and going around saying that it does doesn’t make it so. All it really does is provide a sound bite that sounds nice but lacks any substance.
Concerned I completely agree though I’m not sure unraveling our current system is the greatest idea either. For the most part we do not elect serious people but that isn’t a new condition. I like most of the councilors personally but I cannot count anymore how many times they’ve said they’re voting for this or that because they “have to.” If all one can make is political decisions then we have no trajectory. It’s just a race to the bottom. I’m not sure even if we had a dire financial crisis they’d believe it or change their votes. We desperately need serious people to run and serve. Without a backbone on the council our liabilities grow, businesses will move, and 80% of our budget is at risk.