Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

October 30, 2023

Seeking Six Lame Ducks – Oct 30, 2023 Cambridge City Council meeting

Seeking Six Lame Ducks – Oct 30, 2023 Cambridge City Council meeting

The circus that is this year’s municipal election will soon be over and we’ll know in a couple of weeks whether Cambridge will step back from the brink or careen over the edge. Hopefully events at the national and international scale will be enough to convince people locally of the dangers of the democratic socialists, the “intersectional left”, and others (like DSA, Our Revolution, and even the little old ladies of the Cambridge Residents Alliance) who casually embrace antisemitism hidden behind Halloween masks of liberation as they celebrate murder, rape, and kidnapping.City Hall

Speaking of elections, I was able to skip some City Council candidate events this week in order to focus on more important things like the School Committee election and, in particular, an event in East Cambridge entitled, “What’s Algebra Got to Do with It? – a School Committee Forum on Math and Academic Challenge.” I may write about this elsewhere, but the bottom line is that the participating incumbents had virtually nothing of substance to say other than the usual School Committee jargon, and several of the new candidates really shone – particularly Elizabeth Hudson, Alborz Bejnood, and Eugenia Schraa Huh. Bobby Travers also showed great promise as a candidate who has seen it all over the years working within the Cambridge Schools. Honestly, the only incumbents I see as worth retaining are José Luis Rojas Villarreal and Caroline Hunter. That’s an even 6. All too often the School Committee election is the forgotten stepchild of Cambridge elections – but their $245 million budget and the fact that the education and future prospects of so many Cambridge children is largely dependent on having good schools suggests that maybe voters should pay a little more attention.

Meanwhile, back at City Hall, here are some of the more notable items on this week’s agenda:

Manager’s Agenda #5. Transmitting Communication from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appropriation of $2,091,000 from Free Cash to the Mitigation Revenue Stabilization Fund. During FY23, the City received mitigation revenues from various developers as a result of commitments related to zoning ordinance amendments and special permit conditions. By law, all mitigation revenues must be deposited into the General Fund and can only be appropriated after the Free Cash Certification is complete.
Order Adopted 9-0

Manager’s Agenda #6. A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the appointment of Claire Spinner as Assistant City Manager for Fiscal Affairs.
pulled by Carlone; comments by Nolan, City Manager Huang (over 50 applicants); Placed on File 9-0

152 Communications – many either in favor or opposed to the policy order from the previous meeting regarding proposed changes to Linear Park in North Cambridge.

Order #5. That the City Manager is requested to direct the Community Development Department and the City Solicitor to look at possible base zoning changes for a new residential use that has a first-floor mixed-use option or other zoning alternative, to review the city’s permit policy for extending construction hours/days & propose changes that more significantly protect residents’ quality of life, and to work with the Department of Public Health to look at ways the City’s board of health, under the Nuisance Law, might further restrict undue noise.   Councillor Carlone, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan
pulled by Carlone; comments by Carlone, Toner, McGovern; Order Adopted 9-0

None of the current city councillors live in a mixed-use district. I have – for over 45 years. I’m happy to tell you about the pros and cons.

Order #6. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant departments and the consultant team and deliver an update on Municipal Broadband and Digital Equity by December 2023.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Zondervan
pulled by Nolan; comments by Nolan; Zondervan added as sponsor; Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

My assumption is that even if all relevant indicators suggest that Municipal Broadband won’t provide a fraction of the benefits its proponents have suggested, and even if it’s cost-prohibitive, a majority of councillors will signal Full Speed Ahead.

Order #7. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant departments to engage with various stakeholders including recycling advocates, package store owners, and business associations, and report back to the city council with a list of recommendations to reduce the use of miniature liquor bottles.   Councillor Nolan
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #8. That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant departments to report back to the City Council with an update to the Mar 23, 2021 report on the process of banning various single-use plastics in line with the discussion during the Health and Environment Committee meeting and actions by the state and by various municipalities.   Councillor Nolan, Councillor Zondervan
pulled by Toner; comments by Nolan, Toner, Carlone, Zondervan, McGovern, Azeem; add Zondervan as sponsor; Order Adopted 9-0

Order #10. City Council support of letter to State Lawmakers on the Mass Clean Heat Platform.   Councillor Nolan, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Carlone, Councillor Zondervan
Order Adopted 9-0

Order #13. City Council support of H. 872 An Act establishing a climate change superfund and promoting polluter responsibility, and the companion bill S. 481.   Councillor Zondervan, Councillor Carlone, Mayor Siddiqui, Councillor Nolan
pulled by Zondervan; add Siddiqui, Nolan; comments by Zondervan, Nolan; Order Adopted as Amended 9-0

Order #14. That the City Manager is requested to work with the Law Department and other relevant City departments and prepare a report regarding the efficacy of establishing a dual reporting system for the Director of Public Health, the process by which the City could establish by ordinance a Commissioner of Public Health who would report directly to the City Manager, and the reestablishment of a Health Policy Board.   Councillor Nolan, Vice Mayor Mallon
pulled by Simmons; comments by Nolan, Simmons; Charter Right – Simmons

It’s also worth noting the following two items on the Hearing Schedule:

Wed, Nov 8
3:00pm   The Public Safety Committee will hold a public hearing from 3:00pm-5:00pm to discuss the results of the inquest regarding the Police shooting of Arif Sayed Faisal. [CANCELLED]

This is not a local legislative matter. An inquest was conducted and the officer(s) involved were found to have acted in a reasonable and proper manner consistent with their training and responsibilities. A Zondervan hearing on this matter would be nothing more than a political show, and I’m glad the meeting was cancelled.

Wed, Nov 15
3:00pm   The Public Safety Committee will hold a public hearing from 3:00pm-5:00pm to discuss and receive updates from the Community Safety Department and HEART.

As I have said many times, the new Community Safety Department – as a mechanism for handling matters not necessarily requiring Cambridge Police – has the potential to relieve Cambridge Police officers of some of the responsibilities that can be safely managed by others. Cambridge HEART, in contrast, is little more than political patronage for a group of people who have consistently shown nothing but hostility toward Cambridge Police and law enforcement in general. – Robert Winters

October 10, 2023

Rally at City Hall – Oct 9, 2023

Rally at City Hall – Oct 9, 2023

From The Dispatch, Oct 10: In a statement Monday, President Joe Biden announced that 11 American citizens had been among those killed in the attacks on Israel over the weekend, with more likely held hostage by Hamas. “In this moment of heartbreak, the American people stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israelis,” the president said, likening the attack to those America suffered on September 11, 2001. “We remember the pain of being attacked by terrorists at home, and Americans across the country stand united against these evil acts that have once more claimed innocent American lives. It is an outrage. And we will continue to show the world that the American people are unwavering in our resolve to oppose terrorism in all forms.”

Meanwhile, in Cambridge, MA, hundreds rallied in front of Cambridge City Hall shouting Intifada! Intifada! in what can best be described as a celebration of the recent atrocities committed by Hamas. There were some familiar faces in the crowd, including people politically active in Cambridge. Now I know that this was not a representative sample of the people of Cambridge, and I certainly don’t believe that antisemitism and the celebration of murder, rape, and kidnapping is tolerated by any more than a small minority of deranged residents. I also got the sense that many of the celebrants were not actually Cambridge residents and included plenty of area college students. That said, they chose Cambridge City Hall as the site for their rally. “No Place for Hate” – except when it is. When fires grow, consider who is providing the oxygen.

I stood with the Israel supporters across the street, and I stand with Israel now. I hope this war is resolved quickly with minimal loss of life. I now look forward to some classic “bothsidesism” from our Cambridge elected officials and candidates. – Robert Winters

Oct 9, 2023 City Hall Rally  Oct 9, 2023 City Hall Rally

Oct 9, 2023 City Hall Rally  Oct 9, 2023 City Hall Rally

Oct 9, 2023 City Hall Rally  Oct 9, 2023 City Hall Rally

When People Tell You Who They Are, Believe Them (Bari Weiss, The Free Press, Oct 10, 2023)
This is what ‘decolonization’ really looks like. Look carefully at who is cheering it on.

This Is What ‘Decolonization’ Looks Like (Peter Savodnik, The Free Press, Oct 9, 2023)
Fancy-sounding academic jargon is not a curious intellectual exercise. Words make worlds. Words make nightmares.

“And as you might have seen, there was some sort of rave or desert party where they were having a great time until the resistance came in electrified hang gliders and took at least several dozen hipsters,” a speaker at a Democratic Socialists of America rally in New York proclaimed to whoops and laughter. (DSA members include representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar.)

You can learn more about Eugene Puryear, the person who said these words on Wikipedia. Puryear writes regularly for Liberation News, the newspaper of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. In 2008, Puryear ran on the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s ticket alongside presidential nominee Gloria La Riva. The La Riva/Puryear slate was on the ballot in six states and received 6,818 total votes. In July 2015, Puryear was announced as the running mate of Gloria La Riva, the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s 2016 presidential nominee. However, he was not eligible to hold the office, as he would not have been at least 35 years old by Inauguration Day. He was critical of the Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Many of you may recall that the “Party for Socialism and Liberation” was the primary organizer of the series of anti-police rallies and Cambridge City Council meeting disruptions earlier this year. Those rallies and the demands associated with those rallies were enthusiastically supported by some sitting City Councillors as well as some of the current crop of City Council candidates.

October 7, 2023

What is the main message of The Crucible?

Filed under: 2023 election,Cambridge — Tags: , , , , , , — Robert Winters @ 10:00 am

What is the main message of The Crucible?

“One of the main messages of the play is to show that trying to preserve one’s reputation can end up harming others. But, in keeping one’s honor and integrity, a person can stay true to themselves, and can put an end to fear that might cause hysteria.”Robert Winters

Over this last week or so, I have been subjected to more accusations, innuendo, and suggestions of “inappropriate comments” than I have ever known, and some individuals and political organizations have even gone so far as to do harm to the reputations of other municipal election candidates with whom I have some affiliation or even candidates about whom I have said positive things. I am astonished that this kind of feeding frenzy has come to Cambridge, but I have little doubt that it is politically motivated by candidates concerned about their own electability (or their reelection) as well as by at least one political organization fearful of losing ground in the upcoming municipal election.

Some people have suggested that I issue some sort of public apology for things I have written and even for “liking” things I found humorous. I make no apologies for things that I may find funny – and I don’t think that anyone should ever apologize for their personal sense of humor. I consider Dave Chappelle to be perhaps the most brilliant comedian of the last several decades – even though I am aware that some people are offended by some of what he says.

I am certain that some people are offended by some of my commentary about elected officials, activists, and others. If you feel that I have been unfair at times, you might even be correct, but that’s the nature of personal expression, and I certainly hope that free speech does not become a casualty of this current hysteria. Indeed, some of the people hurling criticism at me, including one of the current candidates, have “tweeted” views far more offensive than anything I have ever written. I will leave it others to provide details.

One particular “tweet” that has been used to do harm to my reputation was one relating to a blogger who uses (or used at one time) the handle “LibsofTikTok”. That blogger posted something on Twitter about something taking place in a library somewhere else in the country, and my great “offense” was to rather naively note (based on a published update from the Cambridge Public Library that arrived around that time) that there was a similar event in Cambridge. I simply made that purely informational note. That’s it. No agenda, no endorsement, nothing. I did not “retweet” anything – at least not that I am aware of, yet this otherwise forgettable note has now been used by politically motivated people to brand me in ways that are unfair and untrue. So… if anyone was actually offended by my naive act, you have my unequivocal and sincere apology.

Now, will there be any apologies forthcoming from “A Better Cambridge” or their endorsed candidates who have been unfairly exploiting this kerfuffle for their own purely political reasons? Will the other City Council candidate who expressed actual anti-Catholic bigotry (and lots more) be issuing apologies? – Robert Winters

October 6, 2023

Meeting with the neighbors is important for City Council Candidates

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.

Time: 3-5 p.m., on October 8th, Sunday

Place: 17 Norris Street, Cambridge, MA

Signup sheet is here –

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1PlfAuYpENZmlBE7nu4s0Vt6Hqo1YjntqTp5F-G907OU/htmlview#

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.

October 6th, 2023 by Hao Wang for Cambridge

Hao for Cambridge

October 2, 2023

Now It’s My Turn To Speak – by Robert Winters

Filed under: 2023 election,Cambridge,elections — Tags: , , , — Robert Winters @ 2:47 pm

It has been an interesting week – to say the least. What began as a coordinated ambush at a candidate event at Harvard has now turned into a full-fledged campaign of harassment and intimidation by an otherwise forgettable political candidate seeking attention. I have been accused of being just about every “ism” that there is – and then some. I suppose that the old adage applies here that if you throw enough mud at a wall surely some of it will stick.Robert Winters, 2022

I have never shied away from expressing myself either publicly or privately and I don’t intend to censor myself in the future. I usually pause before making comments, but not always – especially in a supercharged atmosphere such as when people are falsely accused or physically attacked or intimidated. I also maintain a very iconoclastic sense of humor – no doubt influenced by the National Lampoon Magazine and its successor Saturday Night Live as well as its predecessor the Harvard Lampoon. Unfortunately, Lenny Bruce died a long time ago and “The Left” couldn’t recognize humor, irony, or satire today if they were hit over the head with a wet fish or graced with a pie in their faces. They also fully subscribe to the politics of personal destruction – which is even more troubling and even potentially dangerous.

I now have legitimate concerns about my personal safety and the safety of those who choose to support me, and I worry that this harassment may cross over into areas having nothing whatsoever to do with my roles as either a political candidate or as the editor of the online Cambridge Civic Journal.

That said, now that I have been labeled a racist, a transphobe, a bigot, an Islamophobe, a right-winger, an anti-abortion crusader, and even an anti-vaxxer by these humorless and clueless petulant individuals (and other candidates more concerned about their electability than the truth), I suppose I have to say a few words in response – and let the chips fall where they may.

I have not viewed the tweets and accusations that have been hurled at me, but others have alerted me to some of it, and for that I am grateful. I do not follow any individuals on social media who engage in attacking me personally, and I “unfriend” or “unfollow” anyone who misbehaves in this way. I will add that when I watch TV I’ll sometimes toggle between CNN and FoxNews because I want to see what people on both sides of our current political chasm have to say, but we actually watch BBC more than both of them combined because they’re one of the few outlets that at least tries to be objective in their reporting.

Now, on to the good stuff:

I apparently have commented with words to the effect of “Islam and government don’t mix well” – and for this I have been called an Islamophobe.
Fact: Islam and government do not mix well – at least for those of us who grew up in a country that believes in democracy and freedom of religion. Islamic governments actually believe that all laws are derived from God, and that democracy is blasphemy because it maintains the belief of “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” You may feel free to disagree with me about this, but my point of view aligns pretty well with most Americans – even if some Cambridge residents of the Far Left see things differently.

I once expressed outrage on social media in response to a Sudanese woman who was to be executed soon after she gave birth because she had converted to Christianity – and for this I was called both an Islamophobe and a racist. This was especially memorable because the individual shouting this at me was then-City Councillor Nadeem Mazen, and he did so in the Sullivan Chamber in City Hall. I have not spoken with him since.
Fact: Any government or judicial system that would sentence a woman to death for choosing to leave a religion is barbaric. I make no excuses for the fact that I believe in freedom of religion. This is what most Americans believe – even though I have my doubts these days about some on the Far Right. Fortunately, the condemned woman was eventually allowed to leave the country.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/sudanese-woman-sentenced-death-be-freed-government-official-n119361

I was surprised to learn that in some public libraries there were “drag time story hour” events taking place that were publicly funded. On that same day I saw that one was taking place in Cambridge and simply made a note of this fact – and for this I was called a transphobe.
Fact: I really had never heard of such a thing – even though people apparently argue about this all the time now. In case you actually care what I think, I don’t believe it is age appropriate to subject young children to things that are either sexually provocative or overtly political. I understand that some people in Cambridge have a different point of view on such matters, but I daresay that my point of view is quite mainstream and I don’t even see it as either conservative or controversial. I don’t care what adults or even adolescents choose to see or do, but I do think that young children should be shielded from most of this. I have been especially attacked on this by Dan Totten (city council candidate) as well as a rather egotistical fellow named Loren Crowe who has chosen to malign me endlessly. This is the same Loren Crowe, by the way, who once expressed the point of view that Mount Auburn Cemetery was a waste of good real estate. For the record, I fully embrace the American ideal of “pursuit of happiness” – and that means that if a person old enough to make responsible decisions wants to declare a different gender and take whatever steps they feel are necessary to achieve that, this is their inalienable right as an American to do so.
[Addendum: Though the initial example of the above referenced events was quite alarming, several friends whose opinions I trust and respect have assured me that these events are generally quite benign, kid-friendly, and that their children really like them. Live and learn.]

I am not sure where anyone got this one from, but I have apparently been called an anti-vaxxer.
Fact: This one is downright comical in its distortion of reality, but I suppose that when innuendo is your thing then all facts go right out your window. I am fully vaccinated and I am planning to get the latest Covid vaccine in the next week or so, and I may even get the flu shot at the same time. That said, I feel no animus whatsoever toward people who have chosen to not be vaccinated – though I do worry about them sometimes. Both of my living brothers and some of my dearest friends have chosen to not be vaccinated, and I have friends who have died from Covid. I continue to post Covid-related information on the Cambridge Civic Journal – at this point mainly to reassure people that there are far fewer reasons to be fearful now than when we were all neurotic with fear in early 2020 – including me. I actually find statistics reassuring because it takes away a lot of the mystery and replaces it with facts.

As for the accusation that I am anti-abortion, the truth is that I have always been pro-choice. I hope that my more conservative friends won’t hold that against me.

I have expressed disdain for some Far Left political figures – and for this I have been labeled a racist and a right-wing conservative.
Fact: I have little use for the so-called “Justice Democrats” – and that includes people like Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and their whole “Squad”. I voted for Hillary Clinton and not Bernie Sanders. I voted for Mike Capuano and not Ayanna Pressley. This makes me a Moderate Democrat – not a conservative and certain not “right-wing” or racist. In the 2020 election I was an enthusiastic supporter of Joe Biden because he was the closest thing to a centrist in the Democratic field of candidates. My point of view was and is aligned with most Democrats across America. I would never vote for an amoral narcissist and insurrectionist like Donald Trump.

I will add that I generally dislike socialists – except for those friends of mine who are socialists, and there are a few. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and their various chapters, in particular, strike me more like fascists than anything else, and they rarely disappoint when they go out of their way to shout down others and actively work to suppress free speech – which they clearly feel only applies to them. The various “Our Revolution” chapters are indistinguishable from their DSA counterparts – and I suspect that their shared membership would make for a very darkened Venn diagram.

I also am an unapologetic defender of free speech and the right to conduct peaceful protests. This apparently offended at least one person when I expressed the point of view that even a white-supremacist and/or straight-pride group that wants to have a parade on the Boston Common or elsewhere has every right to do so (as long as they are not inciting violence) – even though I have nothing but disdain for the people who feel the need to make such statements. You either believe in free speech or you don’t, and if you think it doesn’t apply to those with abhorrent opinions then you don’t understand the whole idea of free speech, and the U.S. Supreme Court has fully confirmed this interpretation for many decades.

Someone apparently took great exception to the fact that I have a positive view of Charlie Baker, a Republican.
Fact: There are good reasons why there are now more unenrolled voters in Massachusetts than Democrats – even if many of them vote generally for Democrats. I am a registered Democrat, but I have on more than a few occasions voted for Republicans in Massachusetts elections. One reason is that I think we need to move away from being effectively a one-party state, and I wish Massachusetts Republicans would shed some of their association with religious themes and rediscover their “good government” roots from the days when they had a dominant presence in Massachusetts and all of New England. We would all be better for this, including life-long Democrats. I do have a positive view of Charlie Baker. I would even consider voting for him for President if he were one day to choose to run – though that seems impossible with the current horrorshow that is the national Republican Party – and national politics in general.

I believe someone was offended by my being offended about protesters who chain themselves to barrels and/or epoxy themselves to the asphalt in order to obstruct roadways in the name of “climate justice”.
Fact: Guilty as charged. I have never seen any merit in this brand of narcissistic protest. If somebody needs to get to work or if an emergency vehicle needs to get to a destination, there is no way on earth I will ever take the side of some protester who is trying to make some (incredibly ineffective) political statement. The right to peaceful protest ends where you deny the rights of others.

I don’t know if anyone has yet lashed out me for this, but I am generally supportive of the Cambridge Police Department as one of the best-trained and most empathetic departments in the entire country. That, of course, is not a statement that every single Cambridge Police Officer is auditioning for sainthood, but pretty much all whom I have met in recent years impress me as the kind of people who I would like to know as personal friends. I believe the Cambridge Police as well as the City Administration have acted very responsibly in all that they have done after the unfortunate tragedy that took place early this year. This won’t make me any friends among the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) nitwits who continued to shout down City Council meetings this year, but I don’t really like any of those people anyway and I always thought they were more interested in building their brand than actually pursuing justice. Vigilante justice, by the way, is not justice.

Speaking of police and public safety, I think the City made a great move in creating the new Community Safety Department. On the other hand, I have never supported the so-called H.E.A.R.T proposal and I have generally viewed it as a political patronage scheme from people who have never disguised their overt hostility toward police in general and their ultimate goal of abolishing police entirely. For this I am quite sure that the proponents view me as an evil racist for speaking against their quest for funding with little or no accountability. I still cannot fathom why the City Administration continues to entertain their proposals – except as a purely political concession to some city councillors. In contrast, the Community Safety Department seems to be making all the right moves recently as they try to get established.

Have I missed anything? I’m sure I have, and I’m sorry if anyone failed to appreciate my sense of humor (actually, I’m not really sorry) or failed to see either the irony or the absurdity of something I said over the last quarter-century.

Finally…..
To all those candidates who have chosen political ass-covering and association with the Orwellian tactics of one angry candidate (who I happen to know that few, if any, of you actually like), rest assured that I won’t be ranking any of you on my ballot this year or ever again, and I will encourage others who value actual leadership in candidates (as opposed to the BS in your campaign literature and on your yard signs) to do the same. Shall I name names? That sounds so McCarthyesque, but you know who you are.

And to those who think it’s perfectly OK to disparage other candidates through guilt by association simply because they have some affiliation with me or who choose to remain friendly with me despite all the libel and slander that you are are directing at me, have a nice life. These are the tactics of Joseph McCarthy who I am sure is now looking down upon you and holding you in full embrace.

And One Last Note – to “The Press” and anyone either aspiring to be journalists or “social media influencers” or, for that matter, claiming to be actual journalists: Try doing your homework first and learn to stop jumping on opportunities to get more “hits” by stoking the flames of manufactured controversy. You are probably better than that – if you actually make an effort.

Robert Winters

Learn about all the candidates at the Cambridge Candidate Pages: http://vote.cambridgecivic.com

Robert Winters Candidate Website: http://vote.rwinters.com

Cambridge Civic Journal:  http://rwinters.com     CCJ Forum:  http://cambridgecivic.com

September 20, 2023

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 599-600: September 19, 2023

Episode 599 – Cambridge InsideOut: Sept 19, 2023 (Part 1)

This episode was recorded on Sept 19, 2023 at 6:00pm. Topics: Candidate’s Eye View of municipal election, candidate forums; national focus ? local competence; some observations on endorsing organizations; AHO restricting housing growth; “100% affordable” vs. mixed-income housing; Special Permit alternative with good criteria; false dichotomy of affordable housing vs. commercial/lab; actual cost of deed-restricted units. Hosts: Robert Winters, Patrick Barrett [On YouTube] [audio]


Episode 600 – Cambridge InsideOut: Sept 19, 2023 (Part 2)

This episode was recorded on Sept 19, 2023 at 6:30pm. Topics: The Never-Ending Study of Central Square and City Council Policy Order; Zoning Reform; C2 Study recommendations now ready for prime time; Arts & Entertainment + Housing; the short-sightedness of only “100% affordable”, deed-restricted housing; infeasible housing policies; let planners actually plan; in support of big audacious plans and reimagination; getting past anti-capitalism and decommodification; quoting Envision while ignoring it. Hosts: Robert Winters, Patrick Barrett [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

September 6, 2023

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 597-598: September 5, 2023

Episode 597 – Cambridge InsideOut: Sept 5, 2023 (Part 1)

This episode was recorded on Aug 1, 2023 at 6:00pm. Topics: Municipal election updates; changing hats; Candidate Pages – many good new candidates; endorsing organizations; the problematic “Bike Pledge” and the fallacy of perfection of the Cycling Safety Ordinance; misinterpretation of election results and slates; feeders vs. preferred candidates; the purpose of proportional representation – and the need for a strong executive; bringing ideas rather than beliefs; representation vs. advocacy; perverse candidate questionnaires; deviation from party line may lead to job loss or non-appointment – a problem in democracy; tax troubles on the horizon. Hosts: Robert Winters, Patrick Barrett [On YouTube] [audio]


Episode 598 – Cambridge InsideOut: Sept 5, 2023 (Part 2)

This episode was recorded on Sept 5, 2023 at 6:30pm. Topics: Taxes, tax classification, and Prop 2½; fiction and promise of candidate handcards; taking wrong roads toward housing affordability; the problem of earmarking housing for specific groups; driving vs. “The T” and delusional thinking; looking at housing and transportation holistically, unilateral “solutions” are not solutions; Cambridge is better because of its diversity of housing styles and densities; solving problems or just taking down “the aristocracy”; the need to walk and observe; CDD undoing decades of better planning; lefties need to find more joy in life. Hosts: Robert Winters, Patrick Barrett [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

August 29, 2023

List of all CCJ Forum posts (2009 – present) – reverse chronologically with author’s name

Filed under: Cambridge — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 9:30 am
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