With
the insistent focus on political controversy in Washington, it is easy to
forget Cantabrigian Tip O’Neill’s observation that “all politics is local.” Yet
if the 22 candidates for Cambridge City Council this year are any indication,
civic engagement may be making a comeback. Although 2017 saw an even greater
number of candidates, 26, which might be partially attributable to frustration
with the polarization in national politics, another explanation is the popular
strength behind progressive causes in this city, and continued efforts to make
government more responsive to the community.
On
November 5th voters will decide how well the current council is
addressing their needs and concerns, and which of the new candidates are best
suited to fill the gap. Of the nine current councilors, only Vice Mayor Jan
Devereux will not be seeking re-election, for reasons “personal, not political”
according to jandevereux.org. The
councilwoman states, “I am very proud of my policy work and my record, and of
the positive contributions I’ve made to civic engagement and civil discourse.”
Of the remaining eight incumbents, three are currently serving their first term,
having won their seats in part due to the call for change that is behind many
of this year’s new candidates.
Perhaps the biggest concern on the
agenda, and the one that will have a tremendous impact on who continues to live
and vote in the city, is housing. Although of the City Council’s Stated Goals,
Goal 1 is to “increase access to affordable housing for all income groups”,
many residents, and many of the new candidates, seem to feel that we could, and
indeed should, be doing better. Some
are long-time Cambridge residents. Others have seen the effects of
gentrification elsewhere and are part of a growing national consciousness of
the need for social reform, which they seek to bring to the city legislature.
Nicola Williams, a new candidate for the council, is specific about the discrepancy
between the city’s stated values and actions. “When I say housing that is affordable for all, it is intentional”,
Williams told me. “We don’t have
a comprehensive housing plan that takes into consideration the range and needs
of low and middle income residents.”
Candidate Ben Simon experienced
displacement as a child when his family was forced to move out of Cambridge as
a consequence of the end of rent control in the 90’s. This has shaped his
determination to be an advocate for the families and communities that are
affected by the rising cost of living in Cambridge, which he says is rooted in
the profit motive of real estate developers and the cozy relationship they
enjoy with some current councilmembers. “Development isn’t just about housing,”
Simon told me. When commercial
rent-increases drive out local businesses, community space evaporates. Even
those whose rent may be subsidized don’t have an affordable grocery store in
their neighborhood. “We lose services. Many people are unaware of the social
cost.”
Yet developers are a critical source
of revenue for the city, and some who criticize the council’s eagerness to work
with developers may not have a concrete agenda for reducing this dependency.
Both Simon and Williams, however, told us that Harvard and MIT, along with big
tech companies like Microsoft and Google, are not contributing their fair share,
while they continue to make tremendous profits in Cambridge. “Harvard and MIT
should be contributing $20 million dollars each for housing over the next 5
years”, Williams says, and “Corporations like Google, Phillips, Novartis,
Microsoft and Takeda” collectively “should be contributing at least $20 million
a year”. This is one of Williams’ proposals to draw revenue, along with a transfer
tax for real estate sales over $2 million, a tax on vacant property, and “an
option for residents to contribute through a municipal bond that would be
invested in housing”.
While not always stated explicitly
in their campaign literature, part of the appeal for some of the candidates is
the growing concern for representative diversity. Only three out of nine
councilors are persons of color, two of which are serving their first term. While
Cambridge is two-thirds white, a binary view of diversity fails to address the
fact that many ethnic and religious communities are not reflected on the
Council. There have been few Hispanic or Asian councilors in recent years. The
only Muslim councilor, Sumbul Siddiqui, is currently serving her first term.
Williams,
a Cambridge resident and activist for the past 30 years, was born in Jamaica
and tells how “the lack of
affordable housing, the rampant unaffordability of our city, and the lack of
representation and pathways to economic empowerment are negatively impacting
communities of color in Cambridge. The African American community has been
displaced by 17% within the past decade. Having people in positions of
leadership and authority who have and value the lived experiences of people
facing racism, sexism, homophobia, and other such oppressive realities,
absolutely makes a difference in the way that the city is governed. In
Cambridge, there is a leadership vacuum of black, Caribbean and Latinx
residents.”
E. Denise Simmons, currently serving
her ninth term on the council, became the nation’s first openly lesbian
African-American mayor in 2008. A lifelong Cambridge resident, Simmons has been
an advocate for LGBTQ issues, including early advocacy for marriage equality
that was well ahead of the trend.
Other issues that do get some
mention are traffic safety, which is a growing concern due to the general
congestion, dramatic increase in bicycle use and ongoing implementation of new
protected or raised bicycle lanes; preservation of small businesses and
employment opportunities for residents; environmental impact and a growing
concern towards protecting the city’s trees; and municipal or competitive
broadband services for residents in a market in which Comcast has a monopoly.
Voters will decide on the 5th
whose vision will best represent their own needs values, and in another two
years we will see who has put their words into legislative results.
Good luck
to the candidates.
