It’s Mayor Simmons – and I couldn’t be happier
January 1, 2024 – E. Denise Simmons was elected Mayor at today’s Inaugural Meeting of the 2024-2025 Cambridge City Council. The vote was (eventually) unanimous. Marc McGovern was then elected Vice-Chair by an 8-1 majority.
For what it’s worth, control freaks should never be chosen as Mayor, so this was a good outcome.
| Councillor | Vote for Mayor (1st Ballot) | Vote for Mayor (2nd Ballot) | Vote for Vice-Chair |
| Burhan Azeem | McGovern → Azeem (2) | Simmons | Azeem → McGovern (3) |
| Marc McGovern | McGovern → Simmons (1) | Simmons | McGovern |
| Patricia Nolan | Nolan | Nolan → Simmons | Nolan |
| Joan Pickett | Simmons | Simmons | Nolan → McGovern (1) |
| Sumbul Siddiqui | Siddiqui | Simmons | Wilson → McGovern (6) |
| E. Denise Simmons | Simmons | Simmons | McGovern |
| Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler | Siddiqui | Simmons | Wilson → McGovern (4) |
| Paul Toner | Simmons | Simmons | Nolan → McGovern (2) |
| Ayesha Wilson | Siddiqui | Simmons | Wilson → McGovern (5) |
| Result: | Simmons 4, Siddiqui 3, Nolan 1, Azeem 1 | Simmons unanimous | McGovern 8, Nolan 1 |
The meeting was disrupted by the morons from the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and their allies chanting tired refrains such as “Justice for Faisal”, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, and accusations that most of the Cambridge City Council support genocide. Methinks PSL would be more appropriately named “Petulant Socialist Lunatics”. They also defaced the front stairs of City Hall with their various predictable catchphrases. Unless steps are taken to regulate the “time, place, and manner” of what they feel are their free speech rights, these lunatics will be back again and again and again, and Cambridge will be seen broadly as a sanctuary city for idiots. – Robert Winters
That ship about Faisal has sailed, shooting was justified. Now these fool are hamas supporters, violence and death is there creed and destroying property. Go fight for your country leave ours alone! Cowards!
Comment by Pat — January 2, 2024 @ 11:10 am
What people need to understand, in my opinion, is that these demonstrations, unlike many demonstrations historically, are primarily about political organizing and “building the brand” of the PSL kids. The fact that the Faisal death and the situation in Gaza are seamlessly blended together in a meeting where neither of these matters in relevant to the call of the meeting is proof enough of what this is really all about.
My question now is whether the City Council and the City Manager and the Cambridge Police Department are going to do anything at all to regulate these political organizing rallies that are, in fact, obstructing the rights of other people in exercising their free speech and the ability of our elected representatives to act on our behalf. If this is going to be nothing but political theater by one petulant group, then we all lose.
Tolerance is generally a good thing – until it becomes intolerable.
Comment by Robert Winters — January 2, 2024 @ 2:37 pm