This episode was recorded on Apr 16, 2024 at 6:00pm. Topics: Tax Day, StuffSwap, compost giveaway, community meetings, C-Port Neighbors Assn. meeting w/CARE and the Cent. Sq. BID; CSBID background, actions, reauthorization, coming attractions, World’s Fair, Dance Party, resident survey; Eclipse; Multivariable Calculus at CRLS; mathematics in Cambridge schools; the $6100 April Fool; Crimson article on Supt. Greer being asked to resign – true? violation of Executive Session?; the importance of not violating confidence; Graham & Parks principal controversy; ward committees and notion of wards as a better alternative to proposed “citizen assemblies” in charter reform. Host: Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]
Episode 614 – Cambridge InsideOut: Mar 19, 2024 (Part 2)
This episode was recorded on Apr 16, 2024 at 6:30pm. Topics: Repairing the Cycling Safety Ordinance – original and 2020 revised, problematic implementations, impact of local businesses, political third rail, PTDM and alternate parking arrangements; Cambridge political and civic life should not be dominated by bike lanes; upcoming Budget Hearings in era of fiscal limitations; paradox of tenant protections – need not be warfare; payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) legislation; Ronayne Petition, simplifying ADUs, allowing multi-family buildings in all zones, reasonably adjusting FAR; crossing the RR tracks and then some; supervoters down to 77. Host: Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]
Episode 607 – Cambridge InsideOut: Feb 6, 2024 (Part 1)
This episode was recorded on Feb 6, 2024 at 6:00pm. Topics: Charles Fried and a Capitol tale; Peter Valentine archive; Mapping Black Cambridge; campaign finance wrap-up; Gaza capitulation and activist misbehavior; the long history of foreign policy at the Cambridge City Council; City gobbling up Central Square; what’s in store for ’24. Host: Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]
Episode 608 – Cambridge InsideOut: Feb 6, 2024 (Part 2)
This episode was recorded on Feb 6, 2024 at 6:30pm. Topics: Foreign policy; Charter Review Final Report – manager vs. mayor, voting age, non-citizen voting, even-year elections, citizen assemblies – a critique; dysfunction in how we involve residents in decision-making; City Council “finding itself”, coming to terms with prioritization; City Council committee appointments; fending off the socialists; smart ideas vs. unreasonable mandates; better ways to manage public meetings with less Zoom and more interaction. Host: Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]
Episode 605 – Cambridge InsideOut: Jan 16, 2024 (Part 1)
This episode was recorded on Jan 16, 2024 at 6:00pm. Topics: Shout out to DPW; OCPF reports due Jan 20; Council committees pending; Clean Slate at Jan 8 Council meeting; Jerry’s Pond; dealing with the nonresident protesters and bad political theater. Host: Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]
Episode 606 – Cambridge InsideOut: Jan 16, 2024 (Part 2)
This episode was recorded on Jan 16, 2024 at 6:30pm. Topics: Looking back at the 2022-23 City Council term and ahead to the 2024-25 term; single-issue advocacy at the root of the problem, need for cost/benefit analysis – examples with transportation, housing, energy; Charter considerations; phantom Traffic Board; confounded analysis of slate voting; and a Big Wish for better Squares and more fun. Host: Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]
Episode 601 – Cambridge InsideOut: Nov 21, 2023 (Part 1)
This episode was recorded on Nov 21, 2023 at 6:00pm. Topics: Notable Passings: Teresa Neighbor, Gregg Moree, Kevin Glynn; a personal tale of candidacy, the politics of personal destruction, the lack of a viable local press, and “taking one for the team”; Gaza takes center stage; municipal election results – City Council and School Committee; election mechanics, configuration files, ballot data files; the problem of ballot order dependence and how to fix it. Host: Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]
Episode 602 – Cambridge InsideOut: Nov 21, 2023 (Part 2)
This episode was recorded on Nov 21, 2023 at 6:30pm. Topics: Replacements in the event of a vacancy; The Comedy of Voting Errors; Ward/Precinct #1 Vote distribution; neighborhood bases of support; great disparity in voter turnout among precincts and disproportional representation; #2 Vote Distribution from the ballot data; Cost per #1 Vote; some history of proportional representation historically and in the United States and in Massachusetts; Question: Proportional to what? Host: Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]
Each municipal election will have new challengers who may be lesser known to our residents. It is important to have our neighbors organize meet and greet events for the candidates to learn from our neighbors and for the neighbors to learn from the candidates.
This year, a resident in Cambridge for over 40 years, Mr. Young Kim carefully studies each candidate’s platform and personally picked five candidates for our residents to meet this coming Sunday October 8th, 2023.
Please stop by if you can and meet with them to let them know what you think and learn about their experience and platform. We welcome more neighbors organize similar events for us to meet.
Here’s the final tally of campaign receipts for candidates for City Council in the 2021 municipal election as well as Political Action Committees who backed candidates in the municipal election. Only late reported data and error corrections will be made after this point.
I have always found the pattern of campaign receipts to be a strong indicator of which candidates are likely to seek reelection and which candidates are pursuing this goal most aggressively. It must be emphasized that aggressive fundraising should never be misinterpreted as quality of any given candidate.
Here’s the latest account of the (a) total receipts, (b) Cambridge contributions, (c) contributions by candidate to own campaign, (d) union contributions, (e) real estate contributions (as best as I could discern), and (f) total of union and real estate money contributed over this election cycle starting from Feb 1, 2020 through Jan 31, 2022 (a full two-year election cycle) for all City Council candidates (notes: – receipts include loans from candidates to their campaigns; refunds deducted if clearly a refund): Note to candidates and campaigns: If you feel that anything in these tables is not correct, please contact me at election2021@cambridgecivic.com to make your case. Reasonable requests only.
You can sort on any field by clicking on the field name – in increasing order on the 1st click and in decreasing order on the 2nd click.
Total Receipts
Table of reported City Council campaign receipts (Feb 1, 2020 - Jan 31, 2022 - a full two-year election cycle)
Total Receipts, Cambridge Receipts, Self-funding, Unions, Real Estate
Last updated Apr 27, 5:35pm.
[Note: The figures shown for Nicola Williams required some correction due to very poor record-keeping, duplicate entries, etc. by the campaign Treasurer. There are likely still errors to be corrected.]
ABC-PAC: “A Better Cambridge Political Action Committee” [dissolved 4/14/21 in favor of ABC-IEPAC]
ABC-IEPAC: “A Better Cambridge Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee”
BikeSafety-IEPAC: “Cambridge Bicycle Safety Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee”
CCC-PAC: “Cambridge Citizens Coalition Political Action Committee” [dissolved 11/5/21 in favor of CCC-IEPAC]
CCC-IEPAC: “Cambridge Citizens Coalition Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee”
CResA-PAC: “Democracy for Cambridge Political Action Committee” – Cambridge Residents Alliance
ORC-PAC: “Our Revolution Cambridge Political Action Committee”
Note: Late support from two additional Independent Expenditure PACs (IEPAC) associated with Liam Kerr has been reported for two candidates:
Priorities for Progress IEPAC – $3000 toward Paul Toner (Novus Group, digital advertisements)
Democrats for Education Reform IEPAC – $2500 toward Patricia Nolan (Novus Group, digital advertisements)
Bank Reports and $ per #1 Vote
Bank Reports 2021 - Cambridge City Council Candidates and PACs
Last updated Feb 4, 1:00pm
Episode 529 – Cambridge InsideOut: Dec 21, 2021 (Part 1)
This episode was recorded on Dec 21, 2021 at 6:00pm. Topics: Obscurity of Zoom; parting resolutions (esp. Tim Toomey); alarming increase in Covid positive tests and potential new restrictions; City Manager search status with City Clerk search coming; hazardous political environment; clearing out the dead wood at the end of a City Council term. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters
[On YouTube] [audio]
Episode 530 – Cambridge InsideOut: Dec 21, 2021 (Part 2)
This episode was recorded on Dec 21, 2021 at 6:30pm. Topics: Mayoral prospects and the coming inaugurations; transition and some truth about election results; need for cooperation and de-poisoning of the political waters; the consequences of initiatives passed under the cover of darkness (Zoom); the “OK, Boomer” dynamic of playing to one lobby over all other concerns; “processing to death” vs. “running over all opposing views”; campaign finance limits ordained, changing traditions, and running on purity. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]
Episode 527 – Cambridge InsideOut: Dec 7, 2021 (Part 1)
This episode was recorded on Dec 7, 2021 at 6:00pm. Topics: Covid-19 updates; Bike Lane Battles, confirmation bias of studies, and some history of bicycle advocacy; campaign finance limitations and City Council contorted rhetoric. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters
[On YouTube] [audio]
Episode 528 – Cambridge InsideOut: Dec 7, 2021 (Part 2)
This episode was recorded on Dec 7, 2021 at 6:30pm. Topics: Zoom reflections; campaign finance facts & fallacies; Battles of Righteousness – virtue signalling and hypocrisy; policy orders as policies and not mandates; strong mayor vs. city manager systems; Awaiting Report Forever; tribunals for board appointments coming soon. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]
Here’s the final tally of campaign receipts for candidates for City Council in the 2021 municipal election as well as Political Action Committees who backed candidates in the municipal election. Only late reported data and error corrections will be made after this point.