Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

October 2, 2015

Cambridge Municipal Election Candidates – 2015

Filed under: 2015 Election,Cambridge,City Council,elections,School Committee — Tags: , , , , — Robert Winters @ 9:10 am

Cambridge City Council Candidates - 2015 (updated Aug 19) - FINAL

LastFirstaddresszipbirthdateoccuppapersvalid signatures
BenzanDennis1 Pine St.021391/25/1972AttorneyJuly 186
CarloneDennis9 Washington Ave. #6021405/7/1947ArchitectJuly 263
CheungLeland157 Garden St.021382/11/1978July 176
ConnollyMike20 Harding St. #3021416/3/1980July 2467
CourtneyKim2 Ware St. #4010213812/6/1973AttorneyJuly 161
DavidsonMariko2 Ware St. #4110213811/20/1981July 171
DegoesPlinio99 Garden St.021382/10/1981TeacherJuly 184
DevereuxJan255 Lakeview Ave.021385/13/1959Writer/CommunicationsJuly 191
DietrichXavier2 Ware St. #4010213812/2/1961July 1354
KelleyCraig6 Saint Gerard Ter. #2021409/18/1962PoliticianJuly 191
LevyIlan148 Spring St.0214111/1/1967Software EngineerJuly 1364
MaherDavid120 Appleton St. #2021388/8/1958Non-profit Mgr.July 196
MahoneyPaul F.23 Lawn St.021385/8/1950July 257
MazenNadeem720 Mass. Ave. #4021399/20/1983EntrepreneurJuly 281
McGovernMarc15 Pleasant St. #20213912/21/1968Social WorkerJuly 192
MelloGary324 Franklin St. #2021395/24/1953ClerkJuly 164
MoreeGregg25 Fairfield St. #4021406/16/1957CarpenterJuly 175
SanzoneJohn540 Memorial Dr. #3040213910/16/1988July 257
SimmonsE. Denise188 Harvard St. #4B0213910/2/1951Public OfficeJuly 184
ToomeyTimothy88 6th St.021416/7/1953CouncillorJuly 199
vanBeuzekomMinka20 Essex St. #1021397/24/1960GovernmentJuly 187
WaiteRomaine60 Lawn St. #5021386/7/1991July 273
WilliamsonJames1000 Jackson Pl. #45021401/13/1951July 162

50 valid signatures are needed to have candidate’s name placed on the municipal ballot.

Cambridge School Committee Candidates - 2015 (updated Aug 19) - FINAL

LastFirstaddresszipbirthdateoccuppapersvalid signatures
BowmanManikka134 Reed St.0214011/27/1979July 189
CisterninoPia62 Holworthy St. #1021388/28/1974speech-language pathologistJuly 267
CroninFran1 Kimball Ln.021402/14/1952School CommitteeJuly 184
CrutchfieldJake281 River St.021393/31/1987TeacherJuly 153
DexterEmily9 Fenno St.021383/16/1957Educational ResearcherJuly 1398
FantiniAlfred B.4 Canal Pk. #203021416/8/1949RetiredJuly 198
HardingRichard189 Windsor St. #10213910/16/1972AdministratorJuly 181
KadeteElechi10 Laurel St. #4021399/30/1989AccountantJuly 157
KellyKathleen17 Marie Ave. #1021393/8/1960Social WorkerJuly 192
NolanPatricia184 Huron Ave.021388/28/1957School CommitteeJuly 160
WeinsteinDavid45 S. Normandy Ave.0213812/10/1972Writer/CommunicationsJuly 164

50 valid signatures are needed to have candidate’s name placed on the municipal ballot.

Vote!Cambridge Candidate Pages – 2015
(candidates are encouraged to send additional information)

2015 Calendar of Election-related Events
[ submit your events ]

Campaign Finance – 2015 Cambridge City Council Candidates

July 29, 2015

Work at the Polls on Election Day!

Filed under: 2015 Election,Cambridge,elections — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 7:36 pm

Work at the Polls on Election Day!

Red Line

Election Workers

The City of Cambridge Board of Election Commissioners is seeking applications from individuals who are registered to vote in Massachusetts to work at polling locations throughout the city. On Election Day 200+ election workers are on hand to assist our citizens with a positive voting experience. Dedication, efficiency, patience and friendliness are assets.

  • Election workers are compensated at an hourly rate of $14.95- $16.95 depending the position assigned on Election Day.
  • All election workers will receive paid training. Training is mandatory!
  • Election workers should have reliable transportation, and be available to work on Election Day from 6:30am to 9:00pm.

To apply, go to http://www.cambridgema.gov/election or visit the Election Commission office at 51 Inman Street, Cambridge, MA.

Recruitment Session: Wednesday, August 5, 2015, 5:30–8:30pm.
Citywide Senior Center, Walter Milne Ballroom, 806 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA.

You must RSVP and submit your application by Monday, August 3, 2015 to attend the information session.

The recruitment session is unpaid. Attendance does not guarantee that you will be hired to work on Election Day.

City of Cambridge Election Commission

Red Line

51 Inman St
Cambridge, MA 02139
www.cambridgema.gov/election		 Phone: 617-349-4361
Fax: 617-349-4366
Email: elections@cambridgema.gov

Full Scale Flyer (with links)

 

July 9, 2015

Who Votes in Cambridge?

Filed under: 2015 Election,elections — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 6:58 pm

Who Votes in Cambridge?

There are 61,910 registered voters with identified birthdates (as of June 29, 2015). Their median age is 39.3. Here’s how their ages as of Election Day (Nov 3, 2015) are distributed:

Registered Voters 2015
Registered Voters – 2015

Of these currently registered voters, 31,789 voted in last year’s state election. Their median age is 50.7. Here’s how their ages are distributed:

Registered Voters 2015
Registered Voters Who Voted in the 2014 State Election

Of these currently registered voters, 16,773 voted in the 2013 municipal election. Their median age is 58.7. Here’s how their ages are distributed:

Registered Voters 2015
Registered Voters Who Voted in the 2013 Municipal Election

June 30, 2015

Official 2015 Cambridge Municipal Election Calendar (w/advice)

Filed under: 2015 Election,Cambridge,City Council,elections,School Committee — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 7:05 pm

2015 Municipal Election: Nomination Papers

Vote!Nomination papers for City Council and School Committee will be available beginning Wednesday, July 1st at the Election Commission office, 51 Inman Street, Cambridge. The office will be open on Wednesday, July 1st from 8:30am until 5pm. The deadline to file nomination papers is Friday, July 31st at 5pm. The 2015 Municipal Election Calendar is posted on the Commission’s website: www.cambridgema.gov/election.

The requirements to run for City Council or School Committee are:

  1. The person must be a registered voter in Cambridge. To register, one must be 18 years of age by Election Day, a U.S. citizen and a resident in the City of Cambridge.
  2. The person must file no fewer than fifty (50) and no more than one hundred (100) certifiable signatures of registered voters in the City of Cambridge.

The Commission has prepared an information kit for candidates containing important dates, Commission policies, services and publications. The kits will be available with the nomination papers on July 1st.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2015.

Wed, July 1:

Municipal Election Nomination Papers available at Election Commission office.

Nomination papers will be available through the July 31 submission deadline, but it is advisable that a candidate pick up papers early and get started collecting signatures. The process is an excellent way for a new candidates to "get their feet wet" and acclimate to the process of asking for support. ALL pages of your nomination papers must be notarized and there are a total of three sheets. You will also want to get a current database of registered voters. This is available from the Election Commission free of charge to any candidate who has pulled nomination papers. Voter history files and the street listing are also available.
Fri, July 31:

5:00pm deadline to submit nomination papers & statements of financial interest for candidates.

A minimum of 50 valid signatures must be filed and a candidate may submit up to 100 signatures. Once a voter’s signature has been recorded for a particular candidate, it cannot be used for another candidate in the same race. That is, a voter should sign for exactly one candidate for City Council and one candidate for School Committee. Candidates should submit as many signatures as possible over the minimum of 50 because it is very likely that some signatures will not be certified. It is advisable that all signatures be checked against the voter registration list before submitting them. Candidates do not have to submit all their signatures at one time, and it is advisable that signatures be submitted as each sheet becomes full. The Election Commission staff traditionally checks signatures soon after they are submitted, so it is possible to know how many signatures have been tentatively certified in case it is necessary to obtain more signatures to reach the minimum of 50 certified signatures. Actual certification is only official when the Election Commission votes to approve them.
Fri, Aug 14: 5:00pm deadline for Election Commission to certify signatures on nomination papers.
Tues, Aug 18: 5:00pm deadline for municipal candidates to file withdrawal of nomination.
Wed, Oct 14: 8:00pm deadline to register to vote in municipal election. In person registration hours are 8:30am to 8:00pm at Election Commission office only. (Mail in registration must be postmarked by Oct 14).
Mon, Oct 26:

Deadline for School Committee candidates and Political Committees to file Municipal Campaign & Political Finance Reports. (City Council candidates should consult their OCPF packets regarding depository-filing requirements).

City Council candidates are required under state law to set up a depository account at a bank. The bank will report all deposits and expenditures directly to the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF). School Committee candidates are not required to set up a depository account, but they must file a campaign finance report in mid-October and at the end of the year.
Fri, Oct 30: Election Commission will be open 8:30am to 5:00pm for over-the-counter absentee voting.
Sat, Oct 31: Election Commission office will be open 9:00am to 5:00pm for over-the-counter absentee voting.
Mon, Nov 2: Noontime (12:00pm) deadline to apply for absentee ballot, either for mail-in or over-the-counter voting.
Tues, Nov 3:

Municipal Election. Polls are open 7:00am until 8:00pm.
All absentee ballots (except Overseas Absentee Ballots) must arrive at the Election Commission office by 8:00pm to be counted. Ballot count begins at Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square after the polls close. Overseas Absentee Ballots are due by 5:00pm on Friday, Nov 13, but must be postmarked by Nov 3.

Overseas Absentee Ballots and Provisional Ballots will be counted on Fri, Nov 13 at 5:00pm.

It is expected that the Election Commission will report preliminary election results Tuesday evening (Nov 3), but this tally does not include auxiliary ballots (write-in ballots and other ballots not yet counted for a variety of reasons). These will be scanned and tabulated on Wednesday. Unofficial election results are expected to be announced on Wednesday when all of the auxiliary ballots have been included. The official election results will not be complete until any overseas absentee ballots and provisional ballots have been included on Fri, Nov 13.
Wed, Nov 4: 9:00am-5:00pm. Ballot count resumes at Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square.
Fri, Nov 13: Overseas Absentee Ballots and Provisional Ballots will be counted at 5:00pm.

Printable copy of 2015 Municipal Election Calendar

Cambridge Candidate Pages – 2015
(candidates are encouraged to send additional information)

2015 Calendar of Election-related Events
[ submit your events ]

Campaign Finance – 2015 Cambridge City Council Candidates

March 15, 2015

Cambridge School Committee 2013-2014 Campaign Finance Summaries

Filed under: 2013 Election,Cambridge,campaign finance,elections,School Committee — Tags: , , — Robert Winters @ 10:40 pm

Cambridge School Committee 2013-2014 Campaign Finance Summaries (updated March 15, 2015)

CandidateStartReceiptsExpendituresBalanceIn-Kind#1 Votes$/voteNotes
Fran Cronin$0.00$17,004.00$15,443.97$1,560.03$1,000.001832$8.43$0 liabilities
Fred Fantini$4,501.93$5,788.00$6,503.66$3,786.27$0.002859$2.27$14,396 liab. to candidate
Joyce Gerber$105.20$6,669.94$6,775.14$0.00$450.001126$6.02Dissolution; $333.66 balance donated to RAUC
Richard Harding$8.06 $10,764.73$10,772.79$0.00$0.00 2359$4.57$6,595.54 liab. to candidate
John Holland$15.78$3,504.00$3,506.91$12.87$0.00589$5.95$0 liabilities
Elechi Kadete$0.00$870.00$870.00$0.00$0.00494$1.76$0 liabilities
Kathleen Kelly$0.00$16,830.00$15,075.15$1,754.85$100.002102$7.17$3,000 liab. to candidate
Patricia Nolan$48.44$9,370.00$8,337.04$1,081.40$0.003921$2.13$8,850 liab. to candidate
Mervan Osborne$1,025.58$18,039.34$18,529.20$535.72$325.001238$14.97$0 liabilities

School Committee Receipts 2013-2014

School Committee Expenditures 2013-2014

Number One Votes (2013 School Committee Election)

Cost per Number One Vote (2013 School Committee Election)

January 4, 2015

Age Distribution of Voters in Cambridge Elections: 2007-2014

Filed under: Cambridge,elections — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 2:30 pm

Age Distribution of Voters in Cambridge Elections: 2007-2014

  Nov 2007
municipal		 Nov 2008
federal		 Nov 2009
municipal		 Nov 2010
state		 Nov 2011
municipal		 Nov 2012
federal		 Nov 2013
municipal		 Nov 2014
state
Cambridge voters 13703 43482 16001 33840 15907 49835 17800 32569
Median Age 55.9 41.3 55.2 47.4 56.5 40.1 56.4 49.3
Average Age 55.6 44.8 56.1 48.4 55.3 44.5 54.6 49.8
November 2014 November 2013
November 2012 November 2011
November 2010 November 2009
November 2008 November 2007

Note: Data used for this analysis comes from the Cambridge registered voter database and voter history files for the respective years. Voters without specified birthdates have been excluded (very small number). In addition, a small number of public safety officials are also not included in the publicly available registered database.

January 3, 2015

Cambridge City Council Campaign Receipts: 2013 – 2014

Filed under: 2013 Election,Cambridge,campaign finance,City Council,elections — Tags: , , , — Robert Winters @ 11:58 pm

Cambridge City Council Campaign Receipts: 2013 – 2014
(candidates exceeding 500 #1 votes in Nov 2013 election)

Ranked by Percent Receipts from Cambridge

Candidate Receipts Cambridge Percent
Kelley, Craig $11,441.00 $10,591.00 92.6%
Leslie, Logan $26,232.53 $22,745.00 86.7%
Carlone, Dennis $45,410.00 $37,506.00 82.6%
vanBeuzekom, Minka $31,757.70 $22,762.00 71.7%
Seidel, Sam $22,245.82 $15,362.00 69.1%
Cheung, Leland $344,288.91 $189,654.92 55.1%
Smith, Jefferson $39,940.00 $20,140.00 50.4%
McGovern, Marc $60,438.13 $29,294.00 48.5%
Simmons, Denise $41,809.92 $19,763.28 47.3%
Maher, David $85,918.30 $40,454.00 47.1%
Benzan, Dennis $67,096.00 $31,471.00 46.9%
Toomey, Tim $65,152.14 $25,507.80 39.2%
Mazen, Nadeem $61,962.14 $18,157.96 29.3%
Reeves, Ken $54,464.03 $15,493.88 28.4%

Ranked by Percent Receipts from Real Estate Interests

Candidate Receipts Real Estate Percent
Maher, David $85,918.30 $27,300.00 31.8%
Reeves, Ken $54,464.03 $16,875.00 31.0%
McGovern, Marc $60,438.13 $16,942.61 28.0%
Simmons, Denise $41,809.92 $9,650.00 23.1%
Toomey, Tim $65,152.14 $11,350.00 17.4%
Cheung, Leland $344,288.91 $30,350.00 8.8%
Kelley, Craig $11,441.00 $400.00 3.5%
vanBeuzekom, Minka $31,757.70 $850.00 2.7%
Seidel, Sam $22,245.82 $200.00 0.9%
Benzan, Dennis $67,096.00 $500.00 0.7%
Carlone, Dennis $45,410.00 $200.00 0.4%
Mazen, Nadeem $61,962.14 $0.00 0.0%
Smith, Jefferson $39,940.00 $0.00 0.0%
Leslie, Logan $26,232.53 $0.00 0.0%

Note 1: The totals for Leland Cheung include all money raised for his campaign for Lt. Governor, including $118,981.92 from the candidate.

Note 2: The reports for Nadeem Mazen contain many errors – wrong dates, many missing addresses, etc. The data has been corrected to the best of this writer’s ability and patience.

Note 3: The totals above include money loaned or given by the candidates. Since they are all Cambridge residents this greatly affects the totals and the percentages coming from Cambridge addresses.

Note 4: In some cases, candidate loans have since been repaid. The data shown has not been adjusted for this.

Note 5: Some additional receipts for 2014 may still be recorded. The tables may be updated to reflect this.

Note 6: The individual campaign contribution limit of $500 per year has been raised to $1000 per year starting in 2015.

Candidates listed alphabetically including total receipts, receipts from Cambridge addresses,
receipts from political action committees (PAC), receipts from identifiable real estate interests (RE),
percent from candidate (loan or donated), percent receipts from Cambridge,
percent receipts from PACs, percent receipts from identifiable real estate interests

Candidate Total Receipts Cambridge PAC RE Loan % Cambridge % PAC % RE
Benzan, Dennis $67,096.00 $31,471.00 $2,450.00 $500.00 $4,100.00 46.9% 3.7% 0.7%
Carlone, Dennis $45,410.00 $37,506.00 $480.00 $200.00 $16,000.00 82.6% 1.1% 0.4%
Cheung, Leland $344,288.91 $189,654.92 $7,850.00 $30,350.00 $118,981.92 55.1% 2.3% 8.8%
Kelley, Craig $11,441.00 $10,591.00 $0.00 $400.00 $25.00 92.6% 0.0% 3.5%
Leslie, Logan $26,232.53 $22,745.00 $1,000.00 $0.00 $15,325.00 86.7% 3.8% 0.0%
Maher, David $85,918.30 $40,454.00 $6,100.00 $27,300.00 $0.00 47.1% 7.1% 31.8%
Mazen, Nadeem $61,962.14 $18,157.96 $1,100.00 $0.00 $7,750.00 29.3% 1.8% 0.0%
McGovern, Marc $60,438.13 $29,294.00 $6,100.00 $16,942.61 $2,949.80 48.5% 10.1% 28.0%
Reeves, Ken $54,464.03 $15,493.88 $6,950.00 $16,875.00 $0.00 28.4% 12.8% 31.0%
Seidel, Sam $22,245.82 $15,362.00 $250.00 $200.00 $2,001.00 69.1% 1.1% 0.9%
Simmons, Denise $41,809.92 $19,763.28 $5,550.00 $9,650.00 $0.00 47.3% 13.3% 23.1%
Smith, Jefferson $39,940.00 $20,140.00 $3,475.00 $0.00 $17,220.00 50.4% 8.7% 0.0%
Toomey, Tim $65,152.14 $25,507.80 $9,225.00 $11,350.00 $0.00 39.2% 14.2% 17.4%
vanBeuzekom, Minka $31,757.70 $22,762.00 $500.00 $850.00 $7,500.00 71.7% 1.6% 2.7%

December 30, 2014

Another Pause Button for the Plastic Bag Bill

Filed under: Cambridge,City Council,elections,planning — Sharanya Srinivasan @ 3:39 pm

It seems that the fate of plastic bags in the City of Cambridge is suspended in limbo. Multiple iterations of a Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance have been ferried in and out of City Council hearings since 2007, but without a resounding “Aye!” After successive rounds of discussion and drafting, then-councilor Marjorie Decker introduced her “Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance” in July 2013. This required retail establishments to distribute either recyclable paper bags or reusable checkout bags to customers. The law was never called to vote because of Decker’s departure to the state legislature, and the arrival of four newly elected councilors. So Decker’s ordinance went back on the revision merry-go-round, resulting in an amended version of the 2013 bill titled the “Checkout Bag Ordinance of the City of Cambridge”. The revised amendment package, proposed on October 27, was placed before the council in December 2014. However, a scattered consensus and interpolation of additional amendments has resulted in the postponement of a vote to February 2015.

In its conception, the plastic bag bill functions to counteract the “single use, throwaway” culture of city life, which contributes to global climate change, and degradation of the natural environment through littering and waste production. Both versions of the ordinance promote the distribution of recyclable or reusable bags by retail establishments in Cambridge. So, why does the plastic bag issue keep getting recycled in hearings? One reason is the discordant opinions on the severity of the bill. Decker’s original version was undoubtedly more stringent in its enforcement. It defined “recyclable paper bag” as a 100% recyclable bag that contains at least 40% post-consumer recycled content; the amended version simply defined it as a 100% recyclable bag, and also permitted the usage of compostable plastic bags. The revised Checkout Bag Ordinance also permits the city’s Public Works Commissioner exemption powers under circumstances of “undue hardship” to retailers, for up to 2 years. In contrast, Decker’s 2013 ordinance only granted 6 month exemptions. Given that the plastic bag restrictions are broadly imposed upon retail establishments, including restaurants, pharmacies and grocery stores, thus extending the regulatory reach of the bill, dissent on the bill’s severity is unsurprising. Additionally, new amendments continue to facilitate debate, and by extension, indecision! New addenda proposed in the December 2014 hearing include an amendment to exempt church events from the regulations and to establish an oversight committee for businesses to directly appeal restrictions.

The newer Checkout Bag Ordinance is more balanced, and more likely to appeal to the greater Cambridge community. More importantly, tweaks and revisions can be identified in a more targeted and effective manner once the ordinance has been passed by the council. The plastic bag ordinance has been tethered in legislative limbo for long enough. Hopefully, it will be brought to reality in 2015.

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