Councilor Simmons is one of several public officials, joining the Governor and the President, who abused her power to "make this [arrest of tenured multi millionaire Harvard professor] go away." Why have they been silent about the thousands of wrongful arrests (and convictions) of ordinary citizens? Has Councilor Simmons become a part of the upper classes that rule Cambridge?
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/11/1/denise-simmons-council-election/
Candidate Profile: E. Denise Simmons
By Lydia Chen, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Harvard Crimson
Published: Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Showing posts with label Denise Simmons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Denise Simmons. Show all posts
November 1, 2011
March 12, 2011
Foreign Flags Fly in Cambridge
Todd Hyde is concerned about tattered flags flying in Cambridge. Before she became Mayor, Councilor Denise Simmons displayed the flag of Zimbabwe on her desk during City Council meetings, a violation of US law. Complaints to the City Council, city veteran's office and state veteran's offices were ignored. Cambridge is the Politician's Republic, not the Peoples'.
http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view/2011_0312flags_fly_in_face_of_cantabrigians_patriotism/srvc=home&position=3
By Joe Fitzgerald
Boston Herald
Saturday, March 12, 2011
http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view/2011_0312flags_fly_in_face_of_cantabrigians_patriotism/srvc=home&position=3
Flags fly in face of Cantabrigian’s patriotism
By Joe FitzgeraldBoston Herald
Saturday, March 12, 2011
July 22, 2009
Smart People?
Henry Louis Mencken said "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people."
If there was ever living proof of the accuracy of Mencken's observations I copy below some of the comments from the web pages of the Cambridge Chronicle a local weakly newspaper run by young homosexuals who have little perspective, little history and little common sense. The comments are about several reports of an arrest for disorderly conduct of a Harvard professor who is an international expert on black studies. You might have guessed that the professor is black. They are followed by comments from the Boston herald. But you can read the same sort of comments on most sites that allow them. The Boston Globe does not.
Cambridge MA is one of the most liberal and politically correct cities in the world. The police threaten white males if they talk to women, and if they are accused of discriminating against illegal aliens. Cambridge is home to MIT and Harvard University. The residents think of themselves as superior to others. They are the most conformist group of humans I ever lived amongst. The city government and the state government are the most corrupt government I ever lived under.
The Mayor of Cambridge is a proud black lesbian single mother of two. The Governor of MA is a black Harvard corporate lawyer, and the President is a black Harvard lawyer as well. If after you read these comments you are unable to understand why a man as deceptive as Barack Obama was elected President of this country you need at least as much help as the citizens of Cambridge who commented on this event. Are we approaching a race war in this country? If I cry racism will the police stop harassing me?
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Tell the Truth
20 hours ago
This is so Totally awful if it is true. Why are we giving into this person, no matter who he is or thinks he is. I'm a black man and charges wouldn't just be dropped for no reason for me. This will just anger more people and perpetuates thing. We have a court system, let it go to court like everyone else. I have been in the same exact situation in Cambridge and went through my front window. I had no problem identifying myself when the Cambridge Police showed up. And I was quite frankly please that first, a neighbor called and second that Cambridge Police responded so quickly. If a neighbor had called and police responded to Mr. Gates home the first time, maybe his door never would have been broken. It is a crime if they just drop this case. It will destroy the Cambridge Police image as well as the District Attorney's Office. What a Shame!
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dhump33
19 hours ago
You're missing the point. Although I am in agreement that it is great that the police department was doing its job by promptly responding to a 911 (?) call, the police officer certainly overstepped his jurisdiction by arresting Mr. Gates and taking him in handcuffs after ID was shown and evidence all around the home demonstrated that this, in fact, was his home.
It is obvious to me that the officer/s in question realized that they had overstepped their authority when he/they refused to give their ID # and name to Mr. Gates. This 'attitude' is beyond the realm of being fixed by training or seminars, but it is arrogant, discriminatory, and illegal. He/they should loose their badges and find other career paths because it is obvious that they are not in it to 'serve and protect'.
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nancy_gifford
19 hours ago
In that mug shot photo, he looks guilty.
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Mr Smith
19 hours ago
dhump, You miss the point. Try reading the police report. The officer said he believed he lived there. The arrest was made outsdide the home for disorderly conduct. Fortunately, you don't run the city or the PD.
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cambridge resident
18 hours ago
Where is the formal apology from the police department to Prof Gates?
Sgt. James Crowley should be suspened without pay. He is an embarrassment to the Police Department and the City of Cambridge.
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DSB
18 hours ago
dhump totally missed the point - and also can't read. The officer identified himself even though Prof. Gates refused to. They're required to follow up on these calls. Anyone else would be glad the police were doing their jobs, this guy just wants any excuse to validate his career - I think this is some sort of record for how quickly someone threw in the race card.
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Army_Soldier
18 hours ago
It is apparent that once again the minority (read African American Male) in this incident is the victim no matter that he was being disorderly and verbally abusive towards a uniformed police officer. The officer states in the report that he identified himself and the other officer confirms the behaviour of Mr. Gates as being loud and disorderly. The police officer followed procedure whereas Mr Gates continued to pursue the officer and continued to threaten him with retaliation for 'messing' with him. This incident is a crying shame and Mr Gates should indeed be ashamed for his behaviour towards the police officer and his attempt to make this out to be racially motivated. It is a crime against those who are minorities and who have legitimate complaints but who cannot get their charges dropped because they are not a high profile loud, abusive and obnoxious college professor. This is a crime also to those white male uniformed police officers who when attempting to do their job must wonder if someone they arrest will play the race card when in fact nothing of the sort happened. This is what happens when we allow the minority voices to speak louder than the majority who know the facts but would rather hide from them.
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Army_Soldier
18 hours ago
Oh and just in case anyone missed it I was being very sarcastic with the 'victim' statement. Mr Gates is no more a victim than the police officer was wrong for doing his job.
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cambridge resident
18 hours ago
In the statement, the spokesperson for Commissioner Haas, stated there was probable cause for the arrest....Gates showed ID and was on his property. He can say WHATEVER he wants on his property!
Also, no one invited the police inside the house, Crowley should have NEVER walked in the house.
Commissioner Haas should have spoken at the press conference-no backbone.
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Many****e
17 hours ago
What's amazing and shameful is Police actually think 'a bad attitude, signs of annoyance, anger and questioning of them is a crime. Now, that's amazing. Many people are arrested because they have talked back to police, looked at them the wrong way, and other trivial matters. Some people don't realize or won't admit that some of our police officers don't use good judgment or common sense. In this case, the officers were wrong to arrest after ID and proof was presented. Again, police have proven they can do anything they want because their the police.
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theboss210
17 hours ago
this city is a joke he a well known professor so what he get what everyone else that was in this type of matter would get but know let my cry the race card and i will get off this world will never change do the crime pay your time i am going to try that next time i get caught by the police
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Mike-
15 hours ago
In the police report, Sgt. Crowley didn't identify himself until asked, which was after he wanted info from Mr. Gates. I wouldn't give ID to someone who appeared at my door wouldn't identify himself first. After finding out Sgt. Crowley was with Cambridge Police, Gates did identify himself, as it says in the police report. He says he *initially* didn't identify himself, which may have been because the officer hadn't first. The officer after getting two forms of proper identification didn't apologize and say it was a misunderstanding, he called for Harvard Univ. Police back-up!! Outside the house were a number of police officers attracting attention as if Mr. Gates had done something wrong that needed a several officers. I'd be livid, too. The guy just got home from China and was treated like a common criminal. Cut him some slack for reacting to police mistreatment in his own home, and yes, I consider the porch part of his home.
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nancy_gifford
15 hours ago
A big question is, 'is the police report accurate'? If it is not, then the police may have behaved improperly and covered it up w/ a non-accurate report. If it is accurate, then the police are not going to charge w/ disorderly w/o disorderly in the report. Disorderly is not a big item. It is not a felony. If the report is accurate, then I think Mr. Gates is guilty of disorderly.
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jameel
14 hours ago
Problem is that blacks are almost never given the 'benefit of doubt' in situations like these, whereas whites most often are. This frustrates blacks and sometimes causes them to react pre-emptively. This is something whites just do not understand.
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onlycommonsense
13 hours ago
AS police do not exercise a right in the official performance of their duties, they cannot determine 'disorderly conduct'.
Only a citizen can claim the violation of this right.
This is a subjective call by a citizen whose rights are being violated by someone.
If no one complains, there is no disorderly conduct.
As the law is unlawfully applied, a 'ham sandwich''could be arrested for 'disorderly'.
How many people being 'frightened' is needed to assert 'disorderly'?
How tumultuous must a person be to be 'disorderly'?
A cop cannot make these determinations.
Only a citizen can claim the violation of a right, not a cop.
Once identified, Gates should have been given the name of the cop and the cop should have left as the cop was now a trespasser as his lawful business was no longer authorized at the house.
Gates will have an eternal arrest record on CORI, CRIMINAL OFFENDER database, unless Gov. Patrick expunges it.
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nancy_gifford
12 hours ago
I wonder if Mr. Gates benefits in any way from this incident; and if so, how, and to what extent, does he benefit. If he is looking for int'l attention, then he got it. Will he write a book about the incident?
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Victory2008
12 hours ago
Jameel - what blacks don't understand is these incidents happen to white people too. I have had a police officer point a gun at me on 3 seperate times while I was in my car and I didn't do a damn thing.
Once because there was a robbery nearby and I had the same color car. Another time because I drove around looking for a spot and the officer thought I was buying drugs. The 3rd time was in Europe when I was in a rental on vacation and apparantly I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This time the police had pointed machine guns on each side of the car at me and a friend. I didn't speak the language and one false move and I would have been a goner.
If I could have claimed racism and sue for $1M I would be a rich person. When it comes to racism we need to do a better job picking our battles. This incident is absolutely ridiculas. National news for this ? Did someone get murdered ? Did Michael Jackson come back to life ?
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ShirleyJ
9 hours ago
The police report does not justify the police officer's conduct. Calling the Harvard police AFTER seeing Professor Gates' identification only escalated the incident. Why didn't he simply leave when he saw the ID? Why didnt the officer give his name and badge number if he were doing the right thing? Obviously Prof. Gates was agitated being confronted in his own home. I am sure he thought that being a Harvard professor insulated him from the usual indignities that blacks encounter every day. What upset him was learning that he was not immune, even at the highest pinnacle of academia. This was shocking to him, as shocking as my having a law degree and attempting to shop in a New York department store, with my briefcase, while being followed around the store... or being called the 'N' word in Harvard Square by envious locals from Somerville. You do everything the majority tells you to do to improve your situation and it is never enough. That is what Professor Gates probably felt. We simply cannot escape the racial indignities. I hope the professor will use this as a teachable moment about race in America. We are by no means near a post racial society, even with an African-American president.
Now, I understand why the colonials needed a Fourth Amendment.
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latina40
9 hours ago
This was a clear case of racial profiling at its best!! Cambridge PD is very known for this type of tactics!! Now they look like fools licking there wounds!! kudos to you Pro.Gates for standing up to the police and finally putting this issue in the
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forefront!!
Victory2008
5 hours ago
Gates is a racist and makes a living off being one. He has clealy showed how to play the race card and play the system. Crime in this city is out of control. The police did their job and responded to a 911 call for a house break-in which there have been many. Gates disrepected them and acted like a child and made a big scene.
With the economy like it is and Obama being the president, Gates saw the opportunity to bolster his career and keep the race card alive and well. This is called job security. Gates and Sharpton need to justify their roles because they fear being outsourced.
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CommonFolk
2 hours ago
Who's crying Now?
The Knoxville Horror
The crime and the media blackout.
by Nicholas Stix
On Saturday, January 6, 2007 Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23, of Knoxville, Tennessee, went on a date from which they would never return. Outside the home of another couple they were visiting, they were carjacked and kidnapped. Over the next 24 hours they were beaten, gang-raped, tortured and murdered.
There can be little doubt that if Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom had been black and their killers white, everyone in America would know their names. Because they were white and their killers are black, their fate has been shrouded in a thick silence that has given rise to a host of lurid rumors. Their story highlights the strange and twisted nature of race relations in America, which makes it nearly impossible for the authorities or the media to deal honestly with events that violate official assumptions about race. It also represents both a strength and weakness of the Internet: Mischief-makers of various political persuasions spread falsehoods rather than correct them, but they built up a demand for facts that became so great the authorities eventually had to come clean.
The men who kidnapped and killed Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom have not yet gone to trial, so they are theoretically innocent. This account as accurate as possible under what sometimes amounted to a news blackout is based on documents filed in federal and state courts, and on sometimes vague and contradictory press reports
Sometime after midnight, Miss Christian and Mr. Newsom were in the parking lot of Knoxvilles Washington Ridge apartment complex, where they were visiting friends. Letalvis Cobbins, 24, along with his brother Lemaricus Davidson, 25, and George Thomas, 24, kidnapped them at gunpoint, and carjacked Miss Christians 2005 Toyota 4-Runner. Mr. Davidson had already been convicted of carjacking and aggravated robbery in Tennessee in 2001, but despite conviction for a death penalty-eligible offense and a bad record as an inmate, had served no more than five years in West Tennessee State Penitentiary. Recently released, he had been a member of the Black Gangster Disciples at least since prison.
The three men tied up their captives and took them in the 4-Runner to a rundown rental house at 2316 Chipman Street in black East Knoxville, where Mr. Cobbins and Mr. Davidson lived. Mr. Cobbinss 18-year-old girlfriend, Vanessa Coleman, met them there.
Their story highlights the strange and twisted nature of race relations in America.
All four, including Miss Coleman, then engaged in an orgy of rape and violence. They anally gang-raped Mr. Newsom, and orally, anally, and vaginally gang-raped Channon Christian. They brutally beat both victims and poured cleaning fluid down Miss Christians throat. They killed Mr. Newsom, leaving him with multiple gunshot wounds, and set his corpse on fire. Knoxville police refuse to say how Miss Christian was murdered, but an assistant U.S. attorney suggests she may have been choked.
On January 8, the day after the carjacking-gang-rape-murder, Lemaricus Davidson robbed an employee of a Knoxville Pizza Hut at gunpoint, and tried to rob a customer. Likewise on January 8, Miss Christians father, Gary, found her Toyota 4-Runner abandoned near railroad tracks, not far from where a railroad employee found Mr. Newsoms desecrated corpse that same day. There was a fingerprint from Lemaricus Davidson inside the vehicle, which led to a search of his apartment on January 10. There police found Miss Christians corpse in a garbage can in the kitchen.
A fourth man, Eric Boyd, has been charged as an accessory in the carjacking case for having helped Mr. Davidson try to escape justice, but not in the rapes and murders.
Knoxville authorities have promoted the view that the rapists poured cleaning fluid down Miss Christians throat to destroy DNA evidence. They and the media have also insisted that the torture/murders were a crime of opportunity, a carjacking that somehow got out of hand, and that the criminals had no racial motivation.
This picture appears to be wrong on all counts, and is an insult to the publics intelligence. The defendants are charged with premeditated murder and, according to court documents, had already decided to kill Miss Christian before they made her swallow cleaning fluid. They also did not bother to clean her vagina and anus, which were stuffed with DNA evidence.
The carjacking-gone-wrong theory is not plausible either. Carjacking is armed robbery of a vehicle, in order to possess or sell it, but these assailants had no interest in the 4-Runner. They dumped it after only a few hours.
Nor was there any reason for things to go wrong; the victims cooperated, and Lemaricus Davidson was an experienced carjacker. While carjackers sometimes rape their victims, anal gang-rape is very rare, especially of male victims. On the other hand, black jail and prison inmates often target white prisoners for anal gang-rape as a method of racial terrorism (see Hard Time, AR, April 2002). And while carjackers sometimes murder their victims, it is hard to imagine black carjackers treating black victims in such a loathsome manner.
Finally, a hate crime is one committed wholly or in part for reasons of racial animus, and use of racial epithets is considered strong evidence of racial animus. Do the authorities expect us to believe that these black killers raped, tortured, and murdered white victims, without ever using racially insulting language? This reporter believes the carjacking was just a way to kidnap, gang-rape, torture and murder whites, and that the killers used the cleaning fluid for the sole purpose of further torturing Miss Christian.
Until mid-May, this story was strictly local news, but it assumed a certain notoriety on the Internet where, not long after the first newspaper reports, a story with the following headline began circulating:
White Couple Abducted; Both Man and Woman Were Raped, Beaten, Cut Apart and Killed. Five Blacks Arrested In Case. No Media Frenzy Over Racist Attack.
The report, with photographs of the victims and the suspects, continued as follows:
The animals pictured below raped Christopher Newsom, cut off his penis, then set him on fire and fatally shot him several times while they forced his girlfriend, Channon Christian, to watch. An even more cruel fate awaited her!
Channon Christian, was beaten and gang-raped in many ways for four days by all of them, while they took turns urinating on her. Then they cut off her breast and put chemicals in her mouth and then murdered her.
The earliest version of this story seems to have appeared around February 21 on the web page of New Jersey radio host Hal Turner. Many of the details, including the amputations and urination, have not been in other reports, nor are they mentioned in court documents.
I asked the Knoxville police to confirm or deny Mr. Turners claims. Public Information Officer Darrell Debusk was unfailingly polite, but would tell me nothing. Were the victims mutilated? Were they alive or dead when this happened? That is something that we have not discussed in public, and is information that will come to light during the trial Right now, were not discussing the details of the investigation. Officer Debusk would not even give a cause of death: Again, thats evidence in a trial that will be presented during the trial. (Only later did I learn from court documents that federal authorities had already reported that Mr. Newsom had been shot.)
The claim that the investigation is ongoing, was plainly untrue. The suspects had been arrested, indicted, and bound over for trial. Prosecutors bind over defendants only after the police have finished their investigation. When I asked for a copy of the Knoxville police preliminary report, which had been released to local reporters, Officer Debusk was happy to oblige so long as I dropped by in person at department headquarters in Knoxville. If that wasnt convenient for someone living in New York State, I could have a local person pick one up for me, or a Tennessee resident could pay for a copy and ask that it be sent to an in-state address. Clearly, Officer Debusk just didnt want me to see the report.
Other Knoxville officials at the county medical examiners office, sheriffs department, and criminal court all referred me back to the Knoxville Police Department. Chief Sterling Owen, IV himself established this stonewalling policy, and the information has been so tightly sealed we cannot even assume the trial transcript will be available to the public.
The refusal by police to release the autopsy reports has left even the mainstream media dueling over how Miss Christian died and what was done to her corpse. The Knoxville News Sentinel claimed Lemaricus Davidson strangled her but left her corpse intact. ABCs and CBSs Knoxville affiliates reported she was dismembered, though neither was clear whether this was how she was killed or whether her corpse was cut apart after she was murdered. CNN claimed Miss Christian asphyxiated after she was forced into an airtight garbage can.
When it suits them, the Knoxville police can be very forthcoming with information. On May 22, just-released black career criminal Dwayne Hill, 39, celebrated his third day of freedom with an attempted carjacking in East Knoxville. When police stepped in, he fought them, was tasered, and died. Within 24 hours, the department produced a report showing that Hill had an illegal substance in his system, and had died of a condition unrelated to the tasering. When a back man dies at the hands of officers, and there is a chance the community might be unhappy, the police are quick with the facts. Whites do not merit the same treatment.
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onlycommonsense
54 minutes ago
Here is the leading court ruling on 'disorderly'.
Why did Cambridge police call Harvard police after
GATES showed his ID?
What constitutional function was performed by the Cambridge cops doing this?
The world wants to know..............................
If the below action of a citizen is not 'disorderly', does everyone see how 'disorderly' is abused by cops in Massachusetts!
U.S. Supreme Court
HESS v. INDIANA, 414 U.S. 105 (1973)
414 U.S. 105
HESS v. INDIANA
APPEAL FROM THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIANA
No. 73-5290.
Decided November 19, 1973
Appellant, who was arrested during an antiwar demonstration on a college campus for loudly stating, 'We'll take the ****ing street later (or again),' was subsequently convicted for violating the Indiana disorderly conduct statute. The State Supreme Court affirmed, relying primarily on the trial court's finding that the statement 'was intended to incite further lawless action on the part of the crowd in the vicinity of appellant and was likely to produce such action.'
Held: Appellant's language did not fall within any of the 'narrowly limited classes of speech' that the States may punish without violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and since the evidence showed that the words he used were not directed to any person or group and there was no evidence that they were intended and likely to produce imminent disorder, application of the statute to appellant violated his rights of free speech. Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444 . See also Terminiello v. Chicago, 337 U.S. 1, 4 .
___ Ind. ___, 297 N. E. 2d 413, reversed.
=============================================
Below are comments from the Boston Herald. There are now over 1000 comments on related stories. Huffington Post has over 6000 comments on one story June 20, 2009.
[Posted regarding opinion column by staff writer Peter Gelzinis]
Hey Pete,not very politically correct on your part. Did you forget the liberal mantra ..."Everything's whitey's fault".
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Posted 8 hours ago
bostonshamrock
? +12 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
* * *
Sad to see that this will only fuel more hatred. Opportunists like Gates, Sharpton and Jackson only continue to perpetuate racism. They offer nothing but a gasoline can to pour on the fire. Divide and conquer.
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Posted 8 hours ago
PBKingman
? +7 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
I think that perhaps Prof. Gates has a mental problem, perhaps only temporary. If one reads the police report this guy seems to be not right.
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Posted 8 hours ago
uttahcee
? +6 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
The typical Mo of most elite folks, Cry racism and then go to the Media. This Professor is a joke, did he really think Al sharpton would give him any crediblity? Let me guess if it wasn't for him crying to the Media, his problems more than likely stop after the first court apperence at worst. But now he opened a can of worms that he and the Governor and the Mayor of cambridge will regret.
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Posted 8 hours ago
KenPateraBest
? +9 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
Gates' actions and not the police caused this incident. He's an angry, arrogant, and mean-spirited black man. I'm glad this windbag is not my neighbor, friend, or teacher.
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Posted 7 hours ago
aretharespect replying to PBKingman
? +5 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
I agree PBK i thought that (mental illness/brain misfire or maybe even early dementia) as I read the article....or perhaps he intentionally did this to elicit the desired response so he could exploit the situation. After all, we have a black president so there aren't really too many causes any more to aim for...Affirmative action has done it's job. Now let's end it.
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Posted 7 hours ago
jacked11
? +7 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
Gates was interviewed while on the Vineyard, how PC. Of course his house is now off limits to Police so go ahead and hit it druggies. Your safe the cops will never show up.
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Posted 6 hours ago
cambridgeone
? +2 Good Comment -10 Poor Comment
Wow. Every single one of the comments posted here exhibits a close mindedness beyond belief. No wonder America has not made the progress it needs to get beyond racial strife. You all seem to be the proud carriers of a torch filled with hate.
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Posted 6 hours ago
Kennedy2211
? +7 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
I was sickened when I read that a Police Sergeant in the performance of his responsibilities to his community and fellow police officers is being treated in this manner. Conversely, if the Police Sergeant did not take the steps he did in making sure everyone on scene produced identification, he would be derelict in his duties. Mr. Gates has the moral and legal responsibility to be respectful and courteous to the police, especially when they are acting in their official capacities as police officers. Instead of Mr. Gates cooperating with the police, which would be consistent with a well known educator, he has and continues to use circumstances where his actions are at least suspect, for his own self-promotion (PBS Documentary) and grandiose martyrdom.
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Posted 5 hours ago
Patches
? +8 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
Gates is exploting this now for the Money & his inflated ego.. He will now charge thousands for speaking fees and be on Larry King & Oprah...Not much better than a Carnival Barker as Sharpton is involved. He should show some Class but only is showing the last 3 letters of the word.
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This is a link to comments about this on Craigs list.
http://boston.craigslist.org/rnr/
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Some more from the Boston Herald and another article
enuff
? +7 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
It wouldn't surprise me if he set this whole thing up. He sure wants to capitalize on it.
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Posted 9 hours ago
speakeasy
? +7 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
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What a giant baby. Heaven help us all.
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Posted 9 hours ago
victimnation
? +8 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
Welcome to victimnation. It's all you have to cling to. Take away your mantle of victimhood and you are a drowning man clinging to nothing.
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Posted 9 hours ago
speakeasy replying to victimnation
? +5 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
Put an end to all victimization. That's what this is, that's what bringing us all down in this country. Freak out on police officers? Just claim you are disabled when they try to put cuffs on you. Buy a house you can't afford? Blame the feds and the mortgage companies for tricking you into signing. Victimnation sucks victimnation. lol.
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Posted 9 hours ago
bostonshamrock
? +6 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
“I’m outraged. I can’t believe that an individual policeman on the Cambridge police force would treat any African-American male this way, and I am astonished that this happened to me,” What a racist statement. Also shows his elitism. Liberal scum who is just another opportunist looking for their payday.
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Posted 9 hours ago
RememberFan
? +4 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
Now his has experienced the prison system. What prison was he sent to. And his claim of claustrophobia....was the Cambridge police station or cars more claustrophobic than the aircraft he regularly travels on? He is laying the ground rules for a lawsuit.
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Posted 8 hours ago
RememberFan
? +5 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
While interviewed on the Vineyard he was quoted as saying he was shaken. But not too shaken to travel to the Vineyard. Did he fly there on one of those very small planes? If so how did he so quickly overcome his claustrophobia? He is a Vineyard regular. How does he get there with is disability? The ferry isn't very large and spacious. Does he swim there? Enough of the lies.
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Posted 8 hours ago
CambSection8
? +5 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
How could Harvard University hire such a unprofessional loser ? This punk clearly has an agenda. The police officer should not apologize because he did nothing wrong.
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Posted 7 hours ago
TyroneShoelaces
? +4 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
All this does is open up the gates for every crack dealer in the cambridge projects.Bad economy?What bad economy,nice job gates old boy,overdoses,shootings& stabbings on the house.Cops don't want to get indicted for doing their job.
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Posted 7 hours ago
uttahcee
? +4 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
Typical Elitist Liberal Dirt bag, I hope you don't need the police anytime soon. The notion that Deval and the Mayor of Cambridge openly questioned the Police motives are shocking. I hope decval isn't counting the Police Votes in his up and coming election I doubt if any police officer will vote for that Cop Hating turd that is our Governor.
* * *
Henry Louis Mencken said "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people."
If there was ever living proof of the accuracy of Mencken's observations I copy below some of the comments from the web pages of the Cambridge Chronicle a local weakly newspaper run by young homosexuals who have little perspective, little history and little common sense. The comments are about several reports of an arrest for disorderly conduct of a Harvard professor who is an international expert on black studies. You might have guessed that the professor is black. They are followed by comments from the Boston herald. But you can read the same sort of comments on most sites that allow them. The Boston Globe does not.
Cambridge MA is one of the most liberal and politically correct cities in the world. The police threaten white males if they talk to women, and if they are accused of discriminating against illegal aliens. Cambridge is home to MIT and Harvard University. The residents think of themselves as superior to others. They are the most conformist group of humans I ever lived amongst. The city government and the state government are the most corrupt government I ever lived under.
The Mayor of Cambridge is a proud black lesbian single mother of two. The Governor of MA is a black Harvard corporate lawyer, and the President is a black Harvard lawyer as well. If after you read these comments you are unable to understand why a man as deceptive as Barack Obama was elected President of this country you need at least as much help as the citizens of Cambridge who commented on this event. Are we approaching a race war in this country? If I cry racism will the police stop harassing me?
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Tell the Truth
20 hours ago
This is so Totally awful if it is true. Why are we giving into this person, no matter who he is or thinks he is. I'm a black man and charges wouldn't just be dropped for no reason for me. This will just anger more people and perpetuates thing. We have a court system, let it go to court like everyone else. I have been in the same exact situation in Cambridge and went through my front window. I had no problem identifying myself when the Cambridge Police showed up. And I was quite frankly please that first, a neighbor called and second that Cambridge Police responded so quickly. If a neighbor had called and police responded to Mr. Gates home the first time, maybe his door never would have been broken. It is a crime if they just drop this case. It will destroy the Cambridge Police image as well as the District Attorney's Office. What a Shame!
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dhump33
19 hours ago
You're missing the point. Although I am in agreement that it is great that the police department was doing its job by promptly responding to a 911 (?) call, the police officer certainly overstepped his jurisdiction by arresting Mr. Gates and taking him in handcuffs after ID was shown and evidence all around the home demonstrated that this, in fact, was his home.
It is obvious to me that the officer/s in question realized that they had overstepped their authority when he/they refused to give their ID # and name to Mr. Gates. This 'attitude' is beyond the realm of being fixed by training or seminars, but it is arrogant, discriminatory, and illegal. He/they should loose their badges and find other career paths because it is obvious that they are not in it to 'serve and protect'.
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nancy_gifford
19 hours ago
In that mug shot photo, he looks guilty.
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Mr Smith
19 hours ago
dhump, You miss the point. Try reading the police report. The officer said he believed he lived there. The arrest was made outsdide the home for disorderly conduct. Fortunately, you don't run the city or the PD.
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cambridge resident
18 hours ago
Where is the formal apology from the police department to Prof Gates?
Sgt. James Crowley should be suspened without pay. He is an embarrassment to the Police Department and the City of Cambridge.
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DSB
18 hours ago
dhump totally missed the point - and also can't read. The officer identified himself even though Prof. Gates refused to. They're required to follow up on these calls. Anyone else would be glad the police were doing their jobs, this guy just wants any excuse to validate his career - I think this is some sort of record for how quickly someone threw in the race card.
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Army_Soldier
18 hours ago
It is apparent that once again the minority (read African American Male) in this incident is the victim no matter that he was being disorderly and verbally abusive towards a uniformed police officer. The officer states in the report that he identified himself and the other officer confirms the behaviour of Mr. Gates as being loud and disorderly. The police officer followed procedure whereas Mr Gates continued to pursue the officer and continued to threaten him with retaliation for 'messing' with him. This incident is a crying shame and Mr Gates should indeed be ashamed for his behaviour towards the police officer and his attempt to make this out to be racially motivated. It is a crime against those who are minorities and who have legitimate complaints but who cannot get their charges dropped because they are not a high profile loud, abusive and obnoxious college professor. This is a crime also to those white male uniformed police officers who when attempting to do their job must wonder if someone they arrest will play the race card when in fact nothing of the sort happened. This is what happens when we allow the minority voices to speak louder than the majority who know the facts but would rather hide from them.
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Army_Soldier
18 hours ago
Oh and just in case anyone missed it I was being very sarcastic with the 'victim' statement. Mr Gates is no more a victim than the police officer was wrong for doing his job.
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cambridge resident
18 hours ago
In the statement, the spokesperson for Commissioner Haas, stated there was probable cause for the arrest....Gates showed ID and was on his property. He can say WHATEVER he wants on his property!
Also, no one invited the police inside the house, Crowley should have NEVER walked in the house.
Commissioner Haas should have spoken at the press conference-no backbone.
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Many****e
17 hours ago
What's amazing and shameful is Police actually think 'a bad attitude, signs of annoyance, anger and questioning of them is a crime. Now, that's amazing. Many people are arrested because they have talked back to police, looked at them the wrong way, and other trivial matters. Some people don't realize or won't admit that some of our police officers don't use good judgment or common sense. In this case, the officers were wrong to arrest after ID and proof was presented. Again, police have proven they can do anything they want because their the police.
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theboss210
17 hours ago
this city is a joke he a well known professor so what he get what everyone else that was in this type of matter would get but know let my cry the race card and i will get off this world will never change do the crime pay your time i am going to try that next time i get caught by the police
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Mike-
15 hours ago
In the police report, Sgt. Crowley didn't identify himself until asked, which was after he wanted info from Mr. Gates. I wouldn't give ID to someone who appeared at my door wouldn't identify himself first. After finding out Sgt. Crowley was with Cambridge Police, Gates did identify himself, as it says in the police report. He says he *initially* didn't identify himself, which may have been because the officer hadn't first. The officer after getting two forms of proper identification didn't apologize and say it was a misunderstanding, he called for Harvard Univ. Police back-up!! Outside the house were a number of police officers attracting attention as if Mr. Gates had done something wrong that needed a several officers. I'd be livid, too. The guy just got home from China and was treated like a common criminal. Cut him some slack for reacting to police mistreatment in his own home, and yes, I consider the porch part of his home.
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nancy_gifford
15 hours ago
A big question is, 'is the police report accurate'? If it is not, then the police may have behaved improperly and covered it up w/ a non-accurate report. If it is accurate, then the police are not going to charge w/ disorderly w/o disorderly in the report. Disorderly is not a big item. It is not a felony. If the report is accurate, then I think Mr. Gates is guilty of disorderly.
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jameel
14 hours ago
Problem is that blacks are almost never given the 'benefit of doubt' in situations like these, whereas whites most often are. This frustrates blacks and sometimes causes them to react pre-emptively. This is something whites just do not understand.
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onlycommonsense
13 hours ago
AS police do not exercise a right in the official performance of their duties, they cannot determine 'disorderly conduct'.
Only a citizen can claim the violation of this right.
This is a subjective call by a citizen whose rights are being violated by someone.
If no one complains, there is no disorderly conduct.
As the law is unlawfully applied, a 'ham sandwich''could be arrested for 'disorderly'.
How many people being 'frightened' is needed to assert 'disorderly'?
How tumultuous must a person be to be 'disorderly'?
A cop cannot make these determinations.
Only a citizen can claim the violation of a right, not a cop.
Once identified, Gates should have been given the name of the cop and the cop should have left as the cop was now a trespasser as his lawful business was no longer authorized at the house.
Gates will have an eternal arrest record on CORI, CRIMINAL OFFENDER database, unless Gov. Patrick expunges it.
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nancy_gifford
12 hours ago
I wonder if Mr. Gates benefits in any way from this incident; and if so, how, and to what extent, does he benefit. If he is looking for int'l attention, then he got it. Will he write a book about the incident?
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Victory2008
12 hours ago
Jameel - what blacks don't understand is these incidents happen to white people too. I have had a police officer point a gun at me on 3 seperate times while I was in my car and I didn't do a damn thing.
Once because there was a robbery nearby and I had the same color car. Another time because I drove around looking for a spot and the officer thought I was buying drugs. The 3rd time was in Europe when I was in a rental on vacation and apparantly I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This time the police had pointed machine guns on each side of the car at me and a friend. I didn't speak the language and one false move and I would have been a goner.
If I could have claimed racism and sue for $1M I would be a rich person. When it comes to racism we need to do a better job picking our battles. This incident is absolutely ridiculas. National news for this ? Did someone get murdered ? Did Michael Jackson come back to life ?
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ShirleyJ
9 hours ago
The police report does not justify the police officer's conduct. Calling the Harvard police AFTER seeing Professor Gates' identification only escalated the incident. Why didn't he simply leave when he saw the ID? Why didnt the officer give his name and badge number if he were doing the right thing? Obviously Prof. Gates was agitated being confronted in his own home. I am sure he thought that being a Harvard professor insulated him from the usual indignities that blacks encounter every day. What upset him was learning that he was not immune, even at the highest pinnacle of academia. This was shocking to him, as shocking as my having a law degree and attempting to shop in a New York department store, with my briefcase, while being followed around the store... or being called the 'N' word in Harvard Square by envious locals from Somerville. You do everything the majority tells you to do to improve your situation and it is never enough. That is what Professor Gates probably felt. We simply cannot escape the racial indignities. I hope the professor will use this as a teachable moment about race in America. We are by no means near a post racial society, even with an African-American president.
Now, I understand why the colonials needed a Fourth Amendment.
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latina40
9 hours ago
This was a clear case of racial profiling at its best!! Cambridge PD is very known for this type of tactics!! Now they look like fools licking there wounds!! kudos to you Pro.Gates for standing up to the police and finally putting this issue in the
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forefront!!
Victory2008
5 hours ago
Gates is a racist and makes a living off being one. He has clealy showed how to play the race card and play the system. Crime in this city is out of control. The police did their job and responded to a 911 call for a house break-in which there have been many. Gates disrepected them and acted like a child and made a big scene.
With the economy like it is and Obama being the president, Gates saw the opportunity to bolster his career and keep the race card alive and well. This is called job security. Gates and Sharpton need to justify their roles because they fear being outsourced.
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CommonFolk
2 hours ago
Who's crying Now?
The Knoxville Horror
The crime and the media blackout.
by Nicholas Stix
On Saturday, January 6, 2007 Channon Christian, 21, and Christopher Newsom, 23, of Knoxville, Tennessee, went on a date from which they would never return. Outside the home of another couple they were visiting, they were carjacked and kidnapped. Over the next 24 hours they were beaten, gang-raped, tortured and murdered.
There can be little doubt that if Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom had been black and their killers white, everyone in America would know their names. Because they were white and their killers are black, their fate has been shrouded in a thick silence that has given rise to a host of lurid rumors. Their story highlights the strange and twisted nature of race relations in America, which makes it nearly impossible for the authorities or the media to deal honestly with events that violate official assumptions about race. It also represents both a strength and weakness of the Internet: Mischief-makers of various political persuasions spread falsehoods rather than correct them, but they built up a demand for facts that became so great the authorities eventually had to come clean.
The men who kidnapped and killed Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom have not yet gone to trial, so they are theoretically innocent. This account as accurate as possible under what sometimes amounted to a news blackout is based on documents filed in federal and state courts, and on sometimes vague and contradictory press reports
Sometime after midnight, Miss Christian and Mr. Newsom were in the parking lot of Knoxvilles Washington Ridge apartment complex, where they were visiting friends. Letalvis Cobbins, 24, along with his brother Lemaricus Davidson, 25, and George Thomas, 24, kidnapped them at gunpoint, and carjacked Miss Christians 2005 Toyota 4-Runner. Mr. Davidson had already been convicted of carjacking and aggravated robbery in Tennessee in 2001, but despite conviction for a death penalty-eligible offense and a bad record as an inmate, had served no more than five years in West Tennessee State Penitentiary. Recently released, he had been a member of the Black Gangster Disciples at least since prison.
The three men tied up their captives and took them in the 4-Runner to a rundown rental house at 2316 Chipman Street in black East Knoxville, where Mr. Cobbins and Mr. Davidson lived. Mr. Cobbinss 18-year-old girlfriend, Vanessa Coleman, met them there.
Their story highlights the strange and twisted nature of race relations in America.
All four, including Miss Coleman, then engaged in an orgy of rape and violence. They anally gang-raped Mr. Newsom, and orally, anally, and vaginally gang-raped Channon Christian. They brutally beat both victims and poured cleaning fluid down Miss Christians throat. They killed Mr. Newsom, leaving him with multiple gunshot wounds, and set his corpse on fire. Knoxville police refuse to say how Miss Christian was murdered, but an assistant U.S. attorney suggests she may have been choked.
On January 8, the day after the carjacking-gang-rape-murder, Lemaricus Davidson robbed an employee of a Knoxville Pizza Hut at gunpoint, and tried to rob a customer. Likewise on January 8, Miss Christians father, Gary, found her Toyota 4-Runner abandoned near railroad tracks, not far from where a railroad employee found Mr. Newsoms desecrated corpse that same day. There was a fingerprint from Lemaricus Davidson inside the vehicle, which led to a search of his apartment on January 10. There police found Miss Christians corpse in a garbage can in the kitchen.
A fourth man, Eric Boyd, has been charged as an accessory in the carjacking case for having helped Mr. Davidson try to escape justice, but not in the rapes and murders.
Knoxville authorities have promoted the view that the rapists poured cleaning fluid down Miss Christians throat to destroy DNA evidence. They and the media have also insisted that the torture/murders were a crime of opportunity, a carjacking that somehow got out of hand, and that the criminals had no racial motivation.
This picture appears to be wrong on all counts, and is an insult to the publics intelligence. The defendants are charged with premeditated murder and, according to court documents, had already decided to kill Miss Christian before they made her swallow cleaning fluid. They also did not bother to clean her vagina and anus, which were stuffed with DNA evidence.
The carjacking-gone-wrong theory is not plausible either. Carjacking is armed robbery of a vehicle, in order to possess or sell it, but these assailants had no interest in the 4-Runner. They dumped it after only a few hours.
Nor was there any reason for things to go wrong; the victims cooperated, and Lemaricus Davidson was an experienced carjacker. While carjackers sometimes rape their victims, anal gang-rape is very rare, especially of male victims. On the other hand, black jail and prison inmates often target white prisoners for anal gang-rape as a method of racial terrorism (see Hard Time, AR, April 2002). And while carjackers sometimes murder their victims, it is hard to imagine black carjackers treating black victims in such a loathsome manner.
Finally, a hate crime is one committed wholly or in part for reasons of racial animus, and use of racial epithets is considered strong evidence of racial animus. Do the authorities expect us to believe that these black killers raped, tortured, and murdered white victims, without ever using racially insulting language? This reporter believes the carjacking was just a way to kidnap, gang-rape, torture and murder whites, and that the killers used the cleaning fluid for the sole purpose of further torturing Miss Christian.
Until mid-May, this story was strictly local news, but it assumed a certain notoriety on the Internet where, not long after the first newspaper reports, a story with the following headline began circulating:
White Couple Abducted; Both Man and Woman Were Raped, Beaten, Cut Apart and Killed. Five Blacks Arrested In Case. No Media Frenzy Over Racist Attack.
The report, with photographs of the victims and the suspects, continued as follows:
The animals pictured below raped Christopher Newsom, cut off his penis, then set him on fire and fatally shot him several times while they forced his girlfriend, Channon Christian, to watch. An even more cruel fate awaited her!
Channon Christian, was beaten and gang-raped in many ways for four days by all of them, while they took turns urinating on her. Then they cut off her breast and put chemicals in her mouth and then murdered her.
The earliest version of this story seems to have appeared around February 21 on the web page of New Jersey radio host Hal Turner. Many of the details, including the amputations and urination, have not been in other reports, nor are they mentioned in court documents.
I asked the Knoxville police to confirm or deny Mr. Turners claims. Public Information Officer Darrell Debusk was unfailingly polite, but would tell me nothing. Were the victims mutilated? Were they alive or dead when this happened? That is something that we have not discussed in public, and is information that will come to light during the trial Right now, were not discussing the details of the investigation. Officer Debusk would not even give a cause of death: Again, thats evidence in a trial that will be presented during the trial. (Only later did I learn from court documents that federal authorities had already reported that Mr. Newsom had been shot.)
The claim that the investigation is ongoing, was plainly untrue. The suspects had been arrested, indicted, and bound over for trial. Prosecutors bind over defendants only after the police have finished their investigation. When I asked for a copy of the Knoxville police preliminary report, which had been released to local reporters, Officer Debusk was happy to oblige so long as I dropped by in person at department headquarters in Knoxville. If that wasnt convenient for someone living in New York State, I could have a local person pick one up for me, or a Tennessee resident could pay for a copy and ask that it be sent to an in-state address. Clearly, Officer Debusk just didnt want me to see the report.
Other Knoxville officials at the county medical examiners office, sheriffs department, and criminal court all referred me back to the Knoxville Police Department. Chief Sterling Owen, IV himself established this stonewalling policy, and the information has been so tightly sealed we cannot even assume the trial transcript will be available to the public.
The refusal by police to release the autopsy reports has left even the mainstream media dueling over how Miss Christian died and what was done to her corpse. The Knoxville News Sentinel claimed Lemaricus Davidson strangled her but left her corpse intact. ABCs and CBSs Knoxville affiliates reported she was dismembered, though neither was clear whether this was how she was killed or whether her corpse was cut apart after she was murdered. CNN claimed Miss Christian asphyxiated after she was forced into an airtight garbage can.
When it suits them, the Knoxville police can be very forthcoming with information. On May 22, just-released black career criminal Dwayne Hill, 39, celebrated his third day of freedom with an attempted carjacking in East Knoxville. When police stepped in, he fought them, was tasered, and died. Within 24 hours, the department produced a report showing that Hill had an illegal substance in his system, and had died of a condition unrelated to the tasering. When a back man dies at the hands of officers, and there is a chance the community might be unhappy, the police are quick with the facts. Whites do not merit the same treatment.
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onlycommonsense
54 minutes ago
Here is the leading court ruling on 'disorderly'.
Why did Cambridge police call Harvard police after
GATES showed his ID?
What constitutional function was performed by the Cambridge cops doing this?
The world wants to know..............................
If the below action of a citizen is not 'disorderly', does everyone see how 'disorderly' is abused by cops in Massachusetts!
U.S. Supreme Court
HESS v. INDIANA, 414 U.S. 105 (1973)
414 U.S. 105
HESS v. INDIANA
APPEAL FROM THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIANA
No. 73-5290.
Decided November 19, 1973
Appellant, who was arrested during an antiwar demonstration on a college campus for loudly stating, 'We'll take the ****ing street later (or again),' was subsequently convicted for violating the Indiana disorderly conduct statute. The State Supreme Court affirmed, relying primarily on the trial court's finding that the statement 'was intended to incite further lawless action on the part of the crowd in the vicinity of appellant and was likely to produce such action.'
Held: Appellant's language did not fall within any of the 'narrowly limited classes of speech' that the States may punish without violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and since the evidence showed that the words he used were not directed to any person or group and there was no evidence that they were intended and likely to produce imminent disorder, application of the statute to appellant violated his rights of free speech. Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444 . See also Terminiello v. Chicago, 337 U.S. 1, 4 .
___ Ind. ___, 297 N. E. 2d 413, reversed.
=============================================
Below are comments from the Boston Herald. There are now over 1000 comments on related stories. Huffington Post has over 6000 comments on one story June 20, 2009.
[Posted regarding opinion column by staff writer Peter Gelzinis]
Hey Pete,not very politically correct on your part. Did you forget the liberal mantra ..."Everything's whitey's fault".
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Posted 8 hours ago
bostonshamrock
? +12 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
* * *
Sad to see that this will only fuel more hatred. Opportunists like Gates, Sharpton and Jackson only continue to perpetuate racism. They offer nothing but a gasoline can to pour on the fire. Divide and conquer.
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Posted 8 hours ago
PBKingman
? +7 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
I think that perhaps Prof. Gates has a mental problem, perhaps only temporary. If one reads the police report this guy seems to be not right.
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Posted 8 hours ago
uttahcee
? +6 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
The typical Mo of most elite folks, Cry racism and then go to the Media. This Professor is a joke, did he really think Al sharpton would give him any crediblity? Let me guess if it wasn't for him crying to the Media, his problems more than likely stop after the first court apperence at worst. But now he opened a can of worms that he and the Governor and the Mayor of cambridge will regret.
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Posted 8 hours ago
KenPateraBest
? +9 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
Gates' actions and not the police caused this incident. He's an angry, arrogant, and mean-spirited black man. I'm glad this windbag is not my neighbor, friend, or teacher.
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Posted 7 hours ago
aretharespect replying to PBKingman
? +5 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
I agree PBK i thought that (mental illness/brain misfire or maybe even early dementia) as I read the article....or perhaps he intentionally did this to elicit the desired response so he could exploit the situation. After all, we have a black president so there aren't really too many causes any more to aim for...Affirmative action has done it's job. Now let's end it.
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Posted 7 hours ago
jacked11
? +7 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
Gates was interviewed while on the Vineyard, how PC. Of course his house is now off limits to Police so go ahead and hit it druggies. Your safe the cops will never show up.
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Posted 6 hours ago
cambridgeone
? +2 Good Comment -10 Poor Comment
Wow. Every single one of the comments posted here exhibits a close mindedness beyond belief. No wonder America has not made the progress it needs to get beyond racial strife. You all seem to be the proud carriers of a torch filled with hate.
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Posted 6 hours ago
Kennedy2211
? +7 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
I was sickened when I read that a Police Sergeant in the performance of his responsibilities to his community and fellow police officers is being treated in this manner. Conversely, if the Police Sergeant did not take the steps he did in making sure everyone on scene produced identification, he would be derelict in his duties. Mr. Gates has the moral and legal responsibility to be respectful and courteous to the police, especially when they are acting in their official capacities as police officers. Instead of Mr. Gates cooperating with the police, which would be consistent with a well known educator, he has and continues to use circumstances where his actions are at least suspect, for his own self-promotion (PBS Documentary) and grandiose martyrdom.
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Posted 5 hours ago
Patches
? +8 Good Comment -1 Poor Comment
Gates is exploting this now for the Money & his inflated ego.. He will now charge thousands for speaking fees and be on Larry King & Oprah...Not much better than a Carnival Barker as Sharpton is involved. He should show some Class but only is showing the last 3 letters of the word.
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This is a link to comments about this on Craigs list.
http://boston.craigslist.org/rnr/
* * *
Some more from the Boston Herald and another article
enuff
? +7 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
It wouldn't surprise me if he set this whole thing up. He sure wants to capitalize on it.
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Posted 9 hours ago
speakeasy
? +7 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
* * *
What a giant baby. Heaven help us all.
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Posted 9 hours ago
victimnation
? +8 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
Welcome to victimnation. It's all you have to cling to. Take away your mantle of victimhood and you are a drowning man clinging to nothing.
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Posted 9 hours ago
speakeasy replying to victimnation
? +5 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
Put an end to all victimization. That's what this is, that's what bringing us all down in this country. Freak out on police officers? Just claim you are disabled when they try to put cuffs on you. Buy a house you can't afford? Blame the feds and the mortgage companies for tricking you into signing. Victimnation sucks victimnation. lol.
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Posted 9 hours ago
bostonshamrock
? +6 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
“I’m outraged. I can’t believe that an individual policeman on the Cambridge police force would treat any African-American male this way, and I am astonished that this happened to me,” What a racist statement. Also shows his elitism. Liberal scum who is just another opportunist looking for their payday.
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Posted 9 hours ago
RememberFan
? +4 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
Now his has experienced the prison system. What prison was he sent to. And his claim of claustrophobia....was the Cambridge police station or cars more claustrophobic than the aircraft he regularly travels on? He is laying the ground rules for a lawsuit.
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Posted 8 hours ago
RememberFan
? +5 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
While interviewed on the Vineyard he was quoted as saying he was shaken. But not too shaken to travel to the Vineyard. Did he fly there on one of those very small planes? If so how did he so quickly overcome his claustrophobia? He is a Vineyard regular. How does he get there with is disability? The ferry isn't very large and spacious. Does he swim there? Enough of the lies.
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Posted 8 hours ago
CambSection8
? +5 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
How could Harvard University hire such a unprofessional loser ? This punk clearly has an agenda. The police officer should not apologize because he did nothing wrong.
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Posted 7 hours ago
TyroneShoelaces
? +4 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
All this does is open up the gates for every crack dealer in the cambridge projects.Bad economy?What bad economy,nice job gates old boy,overdoses,shootings& stabbings on the house.Cops don't want to get indicted for doing their job.
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Posted 7 hours ago
uttahcee
? +4 Good Comment 0 Poor Comment
Typical Elitist Liberal Dirt bag, I hope you don't need the police anytime soon. The notion that Deval and the Mayor of Cambridge openly questioned the Police motives are shocking. I hope decval isn't counting the Police Votes in his up and coming election I doubt if any police officer will vote for that Cop Hating turd that is our Governor.
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March 26, 2009
State of the City (Cambridge MA) Address 2009
Mayor Denise Simmons' delivers state of the city address
Thu Mar 26, 2009, 12:55 PM EDT
Cambridge Chronicle
- The full text of Mayor Denise Simmons' state of the city address, delivered Wednesday night:
Good evening! Thank you all for coming to City Hall for tonight’s State of the City address. One year ago, I stood before you and delivered my inaugural address as the new legislative leader of Cambridge. On that night, I told you about how proud I’ve been to live my entire life in Cambridge, a city that has cultivated a reputation as a national hub of education, tolerance, and inclusion. I pointed to the greatness of living in a city where a person is judged upon their merits, and not upon aesthetics like one’s skin color, one’s gender, or one’s orientation. There was a time when being an openly-lesbian person of color would have precluded one from winning elective office, or from even running for elective office; indeed, there are still many areas in the country where this is true. As my own story proves, though, Cambridge is not one of those places, and we are proud to serve as a beacon of enlightenment and illumination to our countrymen. Since the night of that inaugural address, we have had an eventful year; we all watched excitedly as the presidential season unfolded, we struggled with the worsening economy, we debated about the different paths that our City might take moving forward, and we welcomed a new colleague to the City Council. Every day has brought with it new challenges and opportunities for our city, and I have felt so privileged to serve as your Mayor throughout it all. As we stand at the mid-point of my administration, the hard work and challenges are only just beginning.
Before going any further, I would like to acknowledge two changes in the City Council: with our friend and colleague, Brian Murphy, having left for a new role with the Commonwealth, we welcome our new friend and colleague, Councilor Larry Ward. I am also very pleased that Councilor Seidel has taken on the role of Vice Mayor – thank you, Councilor Seidel. And in addition to thanking the rest of my colleagues on the City Council for their presence this evening, there are also several local officials I’d like to recognize:
Tonight, I wish to touch upon some of what we have accomplished over the past twelve months, and on what we hope to accomplish in the year ahead. We shall be facing many challenges in 2009, a year that has already been marred by one of the greatest recessions in decades. While there are no easy answers on how to best survive this downturn, we can take comfort in knowing that Cambridge has many strengths to draw upon. We remain an international hub of the biotech sector; we are home to two of the most renowned educational institutions in the world; we have excellent stewards guiding our city’s finances. And perhaps most important, we are a community full of resilient people. I have every confidence that we shall weather this storm. But in order to do so, we are going to need to pull together as a community, to lean on each other, and to be charitable towards one another.
TIGHTENING THE BELT
A sense of stability and prosperity will ultimately return – but until that time, we have our work cut out for us. The ripple effects of the downturn impact everyone, to one extent or another, and these trying times may demand some difficult decisions from us all. The municipal government, the schools, the local businesses, and the households of Cambridge are all going to have to do some strategic belt-tightening in the months ahead. We’re all going to have to get creative in finding ways to pair down our budgets. For households, it may mean more carpooling, being vigilant about spending only on the bare necessities, or keeping the air conditioners off this summer. For businesses, it may mean freezing wages, cutting bonuses and overtime, and scaling back hours of operation. And for City Hall, it has meant taking measures like shutting down all of the City’s computers at the end of each work day, which can save upwards of $350,000 in electricity cost per year. It has also meant rolling back on the size and scope – if not the spirit – of various celebrations such as Italian Heritage Month, the Senior Picnics, and St. Patrick’s Day. My office has also scaled back the amount we spend on the various receptions we host, and these moves alone have collectively saved us tens of thousands of dollars. My office shall continue seeking areas where we can lower our costs, recognizing that if we are to preach fiscal discipline to our constituents, we must practice it ourselves, as well.
FISCAL HEALTH OF THE CITY
For all the economic turbulence, Cambridge remains in healthy fiscal shape – especially when compared to other cities across the state and the nation. In 2008, Cambridge was one of only twenty cities in the country to earn a prestigious “Triple A” rating by the nation's three major credit rating agencies. This is because our excellent financial stewards continued to engage in sound fiscal practices and the prudent use of our funds. In a time when many cities and towns in Massachusetts are struggling with administrative cuts and disruptions of service, and they have been forced to lay off police officers and firefighters, Cambridge has been able to preserve our current level of essential services.
However, we do face some harsh realities. Just last month, Governor Patrick reduced our financial aid by $2.6 million; while this is only ten percent less than we had expected from the State, and while this is only a fraction of our $434 million dollar budget, the impact is real. Scores of City vacancies must now remain unfilled for the time being, and we expect a further reduction – of approximately $6.6 million – from the Commonwealth for Fiscal Year 2010. That loss is going to have to be absorbed somewhere, and our financial team is working hard to soften the blow. The City Manager also reports the following:
During the last 12 months, Cambridge saw an increase in the amount of revenue raised through property taxes, and an increase in our free cash. Our actual revenues for the City exceeded our projections, and we also saw increased total assessed values. Along with our Triple A credit rating, these strong financial indicators provide the City with enormous fiscal flexibility and stability.
These factors are important as we navigate through the difficult economic times. We are going to need to continue expanding non-property tax revenue. We need to encourage expansion of the tax base, to exercise restraint on expenditures, and to use our reserve funds wisely. We are not insulated from current economic realities, but we have positioned ourselves well to respond to these challenges.
When we prepare the FY10 Budget process, the following issues must be recognized and factored into our calculations:
1. The depth and scope of the current economic downturn suggests that we may not see a significant improvement until calendar year 2010. It also appears that the economy will get worse before we are able to turn the corner.
2. Unemployment rates, which continue to increase, will invariably impact the revenue and cash flow generated by our property owners, residents, and those who would pump money into the local economy.
3. Two of our major employers & taxpayers, Harvard and MIT, are projecting budget and construction cut-backs, which shall continue to have ripple effects on our economy.
4. We expect a further reduction in State aid next year – likely $4 – $8 million below what we received this year. We shall also see a reduction of revenue from the hotel/motel tax, excise tax, building permit fees, and water & sewer service fees.
5. It is unlikely that we will be able to replenish the entire $17 million used in Free Cash in FY09, as we were able to do in previous fiscal years, due to the economic downturn.
Based on the above dynamics, we cannot assume that we can develop a FY10 Budget that can absorb state aid reductions, flat non-property tax growth, operating and debt cost increases without SOME offsetting operating, capital, and position reductions.
OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & JOBS PROGRAMS
I speak for the entire City when I thank Mr. Healy, Louie DePasquale, David Kale, and the entire Financial Team for expertly guiding Cambridge through this economic downturn. Their diligence and expertise has ensured that we can continue the flow of government services, in spite of the inhospitable financial climate.
As difficult as it is for the City government to navigate these choppy waters, it is perhaps even more so for the individual families and residents. President Truman once said, “It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose your own.” And my office has been seeing too many people experiencing that depression. We are regularly visited by people on the cusp of unemployment, or who are already unemployed. You can see the stress and the strain in their eyes, as these folks wonder how they’re going to feed their children, how they’re going to afford their medications, and how they’re going to afford their rent. More often than not, we will refer these people to our Office of Workforce Development. With services such as the Cambridge Employment Program, the dedicated staff at the OWD seeks to match over 350 active job seekers with local businesses every year. As you can imagine, the number of job seekers has increased in 2008, and this task has become significantly more daunting in light of the hiring freezes and layoffs in many companies.
GREEN JOBS TASK FORCE
One of the critical goals before us is to help thaw that hiring freeze – and to identify where the jobs of tomorrow are going to come from. That is the reason why, last year, I pushed for the launch the Green Jobs Task Force. “Green collar” jobs are defined as “family supporting, middle-skill jobs that contribute significantly to preserving or enhancing environmental quality,” and they can be integrated into already existing industries. We have seen studies suggesting that the Green Economy is a $341 billion dollar industry which shall create 5.3 million jobs nationwide, and we are working to ensure that many of those new jobs are created here. Our task force contains a cross section of city employees, environmental experts, business leaders, and interested citizens, and it is charged with developing a policy that will link training and employment to emerging jobs in the green economy.
Since we want to ensure that no one is left out of the jobs created in this field, I have also helped launch the Urban Mass Green Alliance. The Alliance is dedicated to educating minority communities about the benefits of the green economy, and to helping minorities get in on the ground floor of the new career paths being created. Minority communities were largely left out of the internet boom of the early 1990’s, leading to a digital gap, and the effects are palpable in our city’s classrooms today. When the next train of economic prosperity is leaving the station, we want to see everybody on board!
EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SVC – LUMINARY AWARDS
So far this evening, we have discussed some of the harsh economic realities that we face. We have recognized that we are all under enormous stress and financial strain. And we appreciate that all the pressures of the daily grind are going to be taking their toll on everyone’s nerves. While a municipal government does not have the power to wipe all these factors away, I firmly believe that we should bend over backwards to avoid unnecessarily contributing to all the stress. Those of us who work for the City can sometimes forget that seeking assistance or answers from one’s local government can feel intimidating in the best of the times. During times of economic distress, however, it can feel downright overwhelming.
This is why it is absolutely essential that City officials and employees renew our commitment to providing excellent service to our constituents. I have reiterated to my staff that we must work extra hard to treat everyone with courtesy and respect. We should always be mindful of the pressures and burdens that may be afflicting our constituents, and then we must avoid adding to those burdens. Ultimately, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are public servants. I sincerely hope that this message resonates loud and clear across the City.
Of course, there are some people in our City for whom excellent service is already second nature. These are people who are empathetic to a fault, they perform their jobs with unwavering efficiency, and they are quick to lend a hand or offer a smile. These people think nothing of going above and beyond the call of duty, and while they do not ask for our recognition – they unquestionably deserve it. That is why I have established the Mayor’s Luminary Awards Program. Those who are selected are people who manage to brighten the lives of others, and whose kindheartedness warms our community. We have chosen to honor people who work for the City, as well as those who reside here. As you will learn, all of these folks regularly manage to go that extra step. We have most of the awardees for the first quarter of 2009 in attendance tonight, and I would like to take a moment to briefly recognize each of these extraordinary people:
Our January City Luminary is Stacia Joyce from the Emergency Management Department. She was one of the first people on the scene of the Prince Street Fire in December. There was a cold wet rain that night, but at 3:30 am, Stacia was already on the scene. She instinctively started doing triage, collecting the names of all the victims, finding out what their immediate needs were, and then coordinating with the different City agencies to make certain everyone had the information they needed to start the humanitarian efforts. By 7 that morning, when most people would be going home to get some rest, she was just getting started, making sure no one fell through the cracks, and she truly was a guardian angel for all the families that day.
Our February City Luminary is the ENTIRE Public Works Department. I wanted to single out several people from the DPW for their wonderful dedication, efficiency, and friendliness – until I realized that there were simply TOO MANY people that fit that description. Department Head Lisa Peterson is here to accept the award on behalf of the department, and ALL Public Works employees deserve our praise for keeping City Hall tidy, cleaning our streets and our various messes, setting up and breaking down our celebrations, decorating our festivals, and tirelessly helping to make every event possible. And this is without mentioning their Herculean task of keeping our streets and sidewalks passable during the snowy winter months. Those who do not work for the City will sadly never fully appreciate all the important roles the DPW workers fill, nor will they appreciate the truly fantastic personalities within the department. Needless to say, we are all in your debt.
Our March City Luminary is Duane Brown, Affirmative Action Officer for the HR Department – Duane has long been a sunny, friendly, and knowledgeable presence in City Hall. He has patiently shepherded countless job-seekers through the frustrating process of applications, interviews, anticipation, and acceptance. Duane approaches his roll by serving as a tireless cheerleader, patient life coach, friendly advisor, and well-informed appraiser. In a position that some may assume with cool detachment to guard against burning out, Duane has always put one hundred percent of himself into the job. He always tells it like he sees it, goes out of his way to assist his colleagues, and makes everyone feel like a valued friend. All that, and he’s got a megawatt smile that could give President Obama a run for his money.
Our January Luminary Citizens are Adam Travis & Akshata Kadagathur – These Harvard undergrads, both products of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, have long volunteered at the student-run Harvard Square Homeless Shelter. There, they met shelter resident Maximilien Yelbi. Mr. Yelbi moved here from France four years ago to attend a prep school in Fitchburg. He had no place to stay, so he bounced from one homeless shelter to another while balancing a full course load and working three jobs to pay his school tuition. He ended up at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, dreaming of attending a four year college. Adam and Akshata quickly became his support system, assisting him with researching schools, completing financial aid forms, and purchasing a suit for his interviews. The partnership between Mr. Yelbi, Adam, and Akshata paid off when he received a full academic scholarship from Hamilton College, which included the costs of room and board. Adam and Akshata could not be here with us tonight, but I wanted to share their amazing story with you.
Our February Luminary Citizen is Ardeene Goodrich – Ardeene is currently the Area 4 Coalition Coordinator, but the truth is, she has ALWAYS been working to improve her community as a tireless community organizer. Ardeene’s life is all about bringing neighbors together, always finding new ways to make the city a warmer place for all. She has spent time as a Youth Advocate, a Peace Commissioner, and a crusader against gun violence. Ardeene has helped organize neighborhood meetings to make certain that people have the most current information on how to stay safe, and she has worked to connect children and families to the city resources they might otherwise not know about. Due to her natural warmth and ability to instantly put people at ease, this exceptional woman brings to mind that old phrase: “She never meets a stranger.” Additionally, a more interesting and versatile conversationalist you will not find. Cambridge is extraordinarily lucky to have her!
Finally, our March Luminary Citizens are Robert Bridgeman & His Staff – Robert is a Director of Programs at Harvard University’s Phillips Brooks House Association, and he and his staff have been key players in helping us launch the Boys to Men Program and the Mayor’s Girls Leadership Program. Planning and executing such programs are often a complicated process of locating resources, working up budgets, drumming up enthusiasm, and devoting long hours of hard work – but Robert and his staff were just SO amiable and enjoyable to collaborate with. Robert won us the use of the Phillips Brooks House for the Boys to Men program, and helped recruit Harvard Undergrad students to work on both the boys’ and the girls’ groups. This sort of activity comes naturally to Robert, though, as he has spent his entire adult life working with Cambridge youth as a mentor, an advisor, and an inspiration. Thank you, once again, to Robert, his staff, and to all of our Luminary Awardees!
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT – TOWN MEETINGS
Our Luminary Awardees exemplify one of the principals that has guided me throughout my life: the fact that each and every one of us has a duty to be engaged in the world around us. Many people find it easy to grumble and complain about their community, but not enough people are prepared to roll up their sleeves and pitch in to make it better. Now, that’s just a quality that was instilled in me when I was growing up, and since winning a seat on the City Council several years ago, I have been looking for ways to pull more and more people into the process. Whether it’s through volunteering, or joining City boards and committees, or attending City Council meetings – everyone has an obligation to get involved in their community!
As Mayor, I have looked for ways to make it easier for residents to get involved, to get people excited about being involved. One way of accomplishing this goal has been through inviting people to join the Mayor’s Senior Advisory Committee and the GLBT Commission. Both of these groups have been invaluable in giving voice to the issues and concerns that are raised within these communities, and in working with me to find constructive solutions. I know some of the members of these committees are with us tonight, so I do wish to thank them all for giving back to their City.
Another, broader way to get increase civic engagement has been through holding Town Meetings that focus upon a specific theme and are open to the public at large. Last year’s GLBT Town Meeting, for example, was held right here in the Sullivan Chamber, and the room was filled energized participants. That night, City Councilors and other officials were able to mix, mingle, and hear directly from their GLBT constituents about what aspects of the City are responsive to their needs, and what areas have room for improvement. The meeting highlighted the fact that we greatly value and encourage the participation of all our constituents, and that their continued participation can only improve our community. Weeks later, we held a more somber Town Meeting that focused upon the rise of homophobia in the local Haitian community. We have reason to believe that this intolerance contributed to the death of a young man, and this meeting created an opportunity to bring people together; it also created an opportunity to explore the roots of where this homophobia might be coming from, and to figure out how to stamp it out. For many in the local Haitian community, the healing process truly began that night, and while the circumstances that led to this meeting were tragic, we received so much positive feedback from people who said it gave them a good outlet to channel their grief, and a way to plug in to the greater community around them.
Raising awareness about community concerns has also been a key component of my ongoing meetings with the local spiritual leaders of Cambridge. These monthly “Clergy Breakfasts” are always open to representatives from the City’s many churches, mosques, and temples, and the focus is upon how they can work best with the municipal government in the offering of various social services. Whether Cambridge residents are suffering from homelessness, joblessness, addiction to drugs and alcohol, mental illness, or simply a sense of being overwhelmed by their lives, they will often ultimately make their way to MY office, or to the front door of a house of worship. We can offer them our sympathies and our solace, but ultimately our job is to figure out where to direct these people for some real assistance. Thus, we’ll often invite representatives from Just-A-Start, CASPAR, Transition House, the Guidance Center, and the Multi-Service Center – all places that are filled with dedicated, knowledgeable, caring professionals – to explain who they are, what they do, and how we can all coordinate our efforts to best assist people. The response to these meetings has been fantastic, and I think we have all benefitted from the chance to share information with each other.
Civic engagement, information sharing, and social services have also intersected in the realm of our City that is overseen by our outstanding police department. Commissioner Haas has done an excellent job of reaching out to the community, working to engage the different neighborhoods in the process, and establishing strong relationships with residents to help deter criminal activity. The police have also been generous with attending neighborhood meetings to debrief folks on ways to increase their safety. This was the case last summer, when there was a wave of violence in Area 4. Commissioner Haas and several of his deputies attended a meeting organized by the Area 4 residents, to answer their questions, calm their fears, and dispense some useful information. This marked a turning point in the amount of criminal activity in the area, and the professionalism and accessibility displayed by our police department deserves recognition. I include the excellent work of the Auxiliary Police Force in this praise, and I was so pleased to host the Auxiliary Police Dinner in their honor last year.
DIFFERENT MAYOR’S INITIATIVES & EDUCATION
Hosting the Town Meetings and the Clergy Meetings have been excellent ways of bringing the community together, and I look forward to building upon our past successes over the coming year. Another area where we have increased community participation has been in the search for a new Superintendent of Schools. The School Committee and I have taken pains to make this an open process, and we have worked to ensure that a wide variety of voices and viewpoints are considered. We have brought in a professional search firm to help us locate the most qualified pool of candidates, and they have held informational sessions with the School Committee, teachers, central office administrators, and different community groups. Additionally, an on-line survey was created to gather input from those who did not make it out to the informational sessions, so this truly has been a collaborative effort between us all.
This process has also presented us with a fantastic opportunity to inject some fresh energy and ideas into our schools. Whomever we end up hiring is going to be taking us into a brand new era – and the new Superintendent is going to have to take into account all the new technologies, the shifting economy, and the more advanced skills that our kids will need as a solid foundation for future success. There are sure to be a great deal of challenges for the incoming Superintendent, but I am fully confident that we will pick the right person for the job.
Concurrent to this search, the School Committee and the Interim Superintendent have been hard at work to ensure that our schools remain competitive. To this end, we recently updated our goals for the 2008-2009 school year. These goals include the need to:
• Accelerate achievement for ALL students.
• Ensure that students demonstrate skills in critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving, global awareness, and communication.
• Ensure that we establish and implement a system for longitudinal assessment of student growth over time.
• Utilize strategic planning process and documents to guide our decision making for the next three-to-five year period.
• Ensure a safe, nurturing, and healthy school environment for all.
In addition, we remain committed to eliminating the gap in academic performance between sub-groups of students; we support the Interim Superintendent’s efforts to balance the budget with limited staff reductions – an amazing feat in light of the multi-million dollar deficit; and we are keeping a watchful eye over the CRLS renovation project, which is due to be completed by this Fall. Taken together, all of these points demonstrate our City’s commitment to educational excellence, and in making certain that the kids coming out of Cambridge public schools are placed on a path towards achievement and success.
At this time, I would like to ask the members of the Mayor’s Girls Leadership Group who are present to please rise.
As an official AND as a parent, I know that we can never have too many programs that invest in our children. And that’s why one of my proudest accomplishments from this past year has been the launch of the Mayor’s Girls Leadership Group, which is designed to expose our 8th grade girls to strong, successful women who will give them some insights into what they’ll need to really thrive as they become young adults. The program is held each month at City Hall, and it gives 35 girls an opportunity to participate in lively discussions with strong, successful female leaders from the business, non-profit, and political worlds. The women discuss what they were like as 8th graders, and how their hard work, good study habits, and commanding social skills opened up a world of opportunity and success for them later in life. This gives our members a glimpse of what they, too, can achieve if they work hard now and they continue to make the right decisions. In addition to the Girls Group, we have also co-sponsored a Fall & Spring “Boys to Men” program with Phillips Brooks House for 8th Grade boys at Harvard University, again focusing on academics and social skills. I would now ask that we all please give a hand to the young ladies of the Girls Leadership Group who are here tonight, and we recognize all their hard work.
The Girls Leadership Program is something that I have been interested in launching for years, so I am very pleased that it has been so successful. I am equally pleased that another project I have long been working on has made significant progress in the past year. I am referring to the movement to erect a proper memorial to civil rights pioneer Prince Hall. During the Revolutionary War era, Prince Hall was responsible for establishing the first school for African-Americans, he petitioned to allow African-Americans to fight for the country’s independence, and he advocated for the freedom and equality of all men. For whatever reason, he has largely been standing in the shadows of history – but we’re not going to let him stay there. In the past year, we have identified an appropriate spot for a monument on the Cambridge Common, we have selected an artist to create a befitting memorial, and we have broken ground. By the time I leave the Mayor’s Office, Cambridge will have a standing memorial to this trail blazer of civil rights, further cementing our City’s reputation as a bastion of liberty and inclusiveness.
By the time I leave the Mayor’s Office, I also hope I can say that our people are living healthier, happier lives. Physical and mental well-being are too often overlooked and lost in the shuffle, and that is why I have recently launched the Mayor’s Wellness Initiative. This initiative is my answer to those who mistakenly believe that you need to be wealthy and have the luxury of free time in order to take good care of yourself. You don’t need great wealth or unlimited time – you just need some creativity and determination. The great challenge behind this initiative was for community members to harness that creativity to design their own wellness programs that would incorporate physical activity, healthy eating, and mental health into their everyday routines. We received so many innovative and fun sounding proposals, and we ended up selecting twelve programs that my office then provided modest seed money for. I have been so impressed by the people of Cambridge banding together and getting serious about their personal maintenance, which is probably even more important in light of the stress and strain we’re all facing.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
As I was preparing my remarks for this evening, I realized that there is something ELSE that has impressed me about Cambridge, and this harkens back to the Girls Leadership Group – there is an abundance of strong, intelligent, inspiring women among us! From Representative (and former Mayor) Alice Wolf and Ambassador Swanee Hunt, to everyday heroes like Ms. Goodrich and Ms. Joyce, to my dedicated and phenomenal educational advisors in the Mayor’s Office, Lenora Jennings and Bridget Rodriguez, there are just so many formidable female role models in Cambridge!
I mention this because March is Women’s History Month, and our country is becoming increasingly used to seeing strong women in prominent roles. It was not that long ago when “a woman’s place was in the kitchen,” and the United States was mostly governed by wealthy white men. Those men may have had good hearts, and they may have been empathetic souls, but there is no way they could have completely grasped the American Experience from the unique perspective of a woman. And it should come as no surprise that Cambridge was one of the earlier communities to understand this. We picked our first female mayor nearly forty years ago, and we have always had strong, intelligent women actively participating in our City.
This month, Cambridge celebrated Women’s History Month with a number of different events. For example, the Cambridge Women’s Heritage Project commemorated the 1971 takeover of a Harvard-owned building by women who would go on to found the Cambridge Women’s Center. A documentary about the takeover was viewed at the celebration, and a marker from the Historical Commission was unveiled at the takeover site. My staff and I held a reception in the Mayor’s Parlor to honor the work of the Women’s Commission, and to commemorate the Report on the Status of Women and Girls in Cambridge. We also held “A Look at Women in Cambridge Now,” the Women’s Data Workshop Preliminary Findings and Recommendations, which shall be used to help shape policy in Cambridge. There were several other events this month that reflected upon and celebrated the many strong women who shaped our city, and who paved the way for all of us – myself included.
CONCLUSION
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you all for joining us this evening. As I look back upon my first year in office, I do so with a mix of pride, gratitude, and determination. There has been a wealth of experiences that I could not have imagined when I first entered elected office. Even down to the events that have taken place just inside the Mayor’s Parlor – in the past twelve months, we have opened the Parlor to visiting dignitaries from other countries and from our Sister Cities, and to those who just wanted to watch the swearing in of the new president. In that parlor, we have hosted receptions for community partners who run womens’ shelters, and for those who have literally risked their lives for their neighbors. And in that parlor, I have been visited by countless members of the community. I have laughed with you during moments of joy, and I have commiserated with you during moments of pain. And whether it has been in the Mayor’s Parlor, or meeting in my office, or walking through Central Square, I have worked with you all to figure out how your city government can be more responsive to your needs. This is the type of work I cherish, and I have great expectations for what we can accomplish – together – in the year ahead.
To conclude tonight’s address, I would like to introduce Derek Zinky, who shall play Bach Prelude and Fuge for us. Thank you all, and good night.
Thu Mar 26, 2009, 12:55 PM EDT
Cambridge Chronicle
- The full text of Mayor Denise Simmons' state of the city address, delivered Wednesday night:
Good evening! Thank you all for coming to City Hall for tonight’s State of the City address. One year ago, I stood before you and delivered my inaugural address as the new legislative leader of Cambridge. On that night, I told you about how proud I’ve been to live my entire life in Cambridge, a city that has cultivated a reputation as a national hub of education, tolerance, and inclusion. I pointed to the greatness of living in a city where a person is judged upon their merits, and not upon aesthetics like one’s skin color, one’s gender, or one’s orientation. There was a time when being an openly-lesbian person of color would have precluded one from winning elective office, or from even running for elective office; indeed, there are still many areas in the country where this is true. As my own story proves, though, Cambridge is not one of those places, and we are proud to serve as a beacon of enlightenment and illumination to our countrymen. Since the night of that inaugural address, we have had an eventful year; we all watched excitedly as the presidential season unfolded, we struggled with the worsening economy, we debated about the different paths that our City might take moving forward, and we welcomed a new colleague to the City Council. Every day has brought with it new challenges and opportunities for our city, and I have felt so privileged to serve as your Mayor throughout it all. As we stand at the mid-point of my administration, the hard work and challenges are only just beginning.
Before going any further, I would like to acknowledge two changes in the City Council: with our friend and colleague, Brian Murphy, having left for a new role with the Commonwealth, we welcome our new friend and colleague, Councilor Larry Ward. I am also very pleased that Councilor Seidel has taken on the role of Vice Mayor – thank you, Councilor Seidel. And in addition to thanking the rest of my colleagues on the City Council for their presence this evening, there are also several local officials I’d like to recognize:
Tonight, I wish to touch upon some of what we have accomplished over the past twelve months, and on what we hope to accomplish in the year ahead. We shall be facing many challenges in 2009, a year that has already been marred by one of the greatest recessions in decades. While there are no easy answers on how to best survive this downturn, we can take comfort in knowing that Cambridge has many strengths to draw upon. We remain an international hub of the biotech sector; we are home to two of the most renowned educational institutions in the world; we have excellent stewards guiding our city’s finances. And perhaps most important, we are a community full of resilient people. I have every confidence that we shall weather this storm. But in order to do so, we are going to need to pull together as a community, to lean on each other, and to be charitable towards one another.
TIGHTENING THE BELT
A sense of stability and prosperity will ultimately return – but until that time, we have our work cut out for us. The ripple effects of the downturn impact everyone, to one extent or another, and these trying times may demand some difficult decisions from us all. The municipal government, the schools, the local businesses, and the households of Cambridge are all going to have to do some strategic belt-tightening in the months ahead. We’re all going to have to get creative in finding ways to pair down our budgets. For households, it may mean more carpooling, being vigilant about spending only on the bare necessities, or keeping the air conditioners off this summer. For businesses, it may mean freezing wages, cutting bonuses and overtime, and scaling back hours of operation. And for City Hall, it has meant taking measures like shutting down all of the City’s computers at the end of each work day, which can save upwards of $350,000 in electricity cost per year. It has also meant rolling back on the size and scope – if not the spirit – of various celebrations such as Italian Heritage Month, the Senior Picnics, and St. Patrick’s Day. My office has also scaled back the amount we spend on the various receptions we host, and these moves alone have collectively saved us tens of thousands of dollars. My office shall continue seeking areas where we can lower our costs, recognizing that if we are to preach fiscal discipline to our constituents, we must practice it ourselves, as well.
FISCAL HEALTH OF THE CITY
For all the economic turbulence, Cambridge remains in healthy fiscal shape – especially when compared to other cities across the state and the nation. In 2008, Cambridge was one of only twenty cities in the country to earn a prestigious “Triple A” rating by the nation's three major credit rating agencies. This is because our excellent financial stewards continued to engage in sound fiscal practices and the prudent use of our funds. In a time when many cities and towns in Massachusetts are struggling with administrative cuts and disruptions of service, and they have been forced to lay off police officers and firefighters, Cambridge has been able to preserve our current level of essential services.
However, we do face some harsh realities. Just last month, Governor Patrick reduced our financial aid by $2.6 million; while this is only ten percent less than we had expected from the State, and while this is only a fraction of our $434 million dollar budget, the impact is real. Scores of City vacancies must now remain unfilled for the time being, and we expect a further reduction – of approximately $6.6 million – from the Commonwealth for Fiscal Year 2010. That loss is going to have to be absorbed somewhere, and our financial team is working hard to soften the blow. The City Manager also reports the following:
During the last 12 months, Cambridge saw an increase in the amount of revenue raised through property taxes, and an increase in our free cash. Our actual revenues for the City exceeded our projections, and we also saw increased total assessed values. Along with our Triple A credit rating, these strong financial indicators provide the City with enormous fiscal flexibility and stability.
These factors are important as we navigate through the difficult economic times. We are going to need to continue expanding non-property tax revenue. We need to encourage expansion of the tax base, to exercise restraint on expenditures, and to use our reserve funds wisely. We are not insulated from current economic realities, but we have positioned ourselves well to respond to these challenges.
When we prepare the FY10 Budget process, the following issues must be recognized and factored into our calculations:
1. The depth and scope of the current economic downturn suggests that we may not see a significant improvement until calendar year 2010. It also appears that the economy will get worse before we are able to turn the corner.
2. Unemployment rates, which continue to increase, will invariably impact the revenue and cash flow generated by our property owners, residents, and those who would pump money into the local economy.
3. Two of our major employers & taxpayers, Harvard and MIT, are projecting budget and construction cut-backs, which shall continue to have ripple effects on our economy.
4. We expect a further reduction in State aid next year – likely $4 – $8 million below what we received this year. We shall also see a reduction of revenue from the hotel/motel tax, excise tax, building permit fees, and water & sewer service fees.
5. It is unlikely that we will be able to replenish the entire $17 million used in Free Cash in FY09, as we were able to do in previous fiscal years, due to the economic downturn.
Based on the above dynamics, we cannot assume that we can develop a FY10 Budget that can absorb state aid reductions, flat non-property tax growth, operating and debt cost increases without SOME offsetting operating, capital, and position reductions.
OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & JOBS PROGRAMS
I speak for the entire City when I thank Mr. Healy, Louie DePasquale, David Kale, and the entire Financial Team for expertly guiding Cambridge through this economic downturn. Their diligence and expertise has ensured that we can continue the flow of government services, in spite of the inhospitable financial climate.
As difficult as it is for the City government to navigate these choppy waters, it is perhaps even more so for the individual families and residents. President Truman once said, “It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose your own.” And my office has been seeing too many people experiencing that depression. We are regularly visited by people on the cusp of unemployment, or who are already unemployed. You can see the stress and the strain in their eyes, as these folks wonder how they’re going to feed their children, how they’re going to afford their medications, and how they’re going to afford their rent. More often than not, we will refer these people to our Office of Workforce Development. With services such as the Cambridge Employment Program, the dedicated staff at the OWD seeks to match over 350 active job seekers with local businesses every year. As you can imagine, the number of job seekers has increased in 2008, and this task has become significantly more daunting in light of the hiring freezes and layoffs in many companies.
GREEN JOBS TASK FORCE
One of the critical goals before us is to help thaw that hiring freeze – and to identify where the jobs of tomorrow are going to come from. That is the reason why, last year, I pushed for the launch the Green Jobs Task Force. “Green collar” jobs are defined as “family supporting, middle-skill jobs that contribute significantly to preserving or enhancing environmental quality,” and they can be integrated into already existing industries. We have seen studies suggesting that the Green Economy is a $341 billion dollar industry which shall create 5.3 million jobs nationwide, and we are working to ensure that many of those new jobs are created here. Our task force contains a cross section of city employees, environmental experts, business leaders, and interested citizens, and it is charged with developing a policy that will link training and employment to emerging jobs in the green economy.
Since we want to ensure that no one is left out of the jobs created in this field, I have also helped launch the Urban Mass Green Alliance. The Alliance is dedicated to educating minority communities about the benefits of the green economy, and to helping minorities get in on the ground floor of the new career paths being created. Minority communities were largely left out of the internet boom of the early 1990’s, leading to a digital gap, and the effects are palpable in our city’s classrooms today. When the next train of economic prosperity is leaving the station, we want to see everybody on board!
EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SVC – LUMINARY AWARDS
So far this evening, we have discussed some of the harsh economic realities that we face. We have recognized that we are all under enormous stress and financial strain. And we appreciate that all the pressures of the daily grind are going to be taking their toll on everyone’s nerves. While a municipal government does not have the power to wipe all these factors away, I firmly believe that we should bend over backwards to avoid unnecessarily contributing to all the stress. Those of us who work for the City can sometimes forget that seeking assistance or answers from one’s local government can feel intimidating in the best of the times. During times of economic distress, however, it can feel downright overwhelming.
This is why it is absolutely essential that City officials and employees renew our commitment to providing excellent service to our constituents. I have reiterated to my staff that we must work extra hard to treat everyone with courtesy and respect. We should always be mindful of the pressures and burdens that may be afflicting our constituents, and then we must avoid adding to those burdens. Ultimately, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are public servants. I sincerely hope that this message resonates loud and clear across the City.
Of course, there are some people in our City for whom excellent service is already second nature. These are people who are empathetic to a fault, they perform their jobs with unwavering efficiency, and they are quick to lend a hand or offer a smile. These people think nothing of going above and beyond the call of duty, and while they do not ask for our recognition – they unquestionably deserve it. That is why I have established the Mayor’s Luminary Awards Program. Those who are selected are people who manage to brighten the lives of others, and whose kindheartedness warms our community. We have chosen to honor people who work for the City, as well as those who reside here. As you will learn, all of these folks regularly manage to go that extra step. We have most of the awardees for the first quarter of 2009 in attendance tonight, and I would like to take a moment to briefly recognize each of these extraordinary people:
Our January City Luminary is Stacia Joyce from the Emergency Management Department. She was one of the first people on the scene of the Prince Street Fire in December. There was a cold wet rain that night, but at 3:30 am, Stacia was already on the scene. She instinctively started doing triage, collecting the names of all the victims, finding out what their immediate needs were, and then coordinating with the different City agencies to make certain everyone had the information they needed to start the humanitarian efforts. By 7 that morning, when most people would be going home to get some rest, she was just getting started, making sure no one fell through the cracks, and she truly was a guardian angel for all the families that day.
Our February City Luminary is the ENTIRE Public Works Department. I wanted to single out several people from the DPW for their wonderful dedication, efficiency, and friendliness – until I realized that there were simply TOO MANY people that fit that description. Department Head Lisa Peterson is here to accept the award on behalf of the department, and ALL Public Works employees deserve our praise for keeping City Hall tidy, cleaning our streets and our various messes, setting up and breaking down our celebrations, decorating our festivals, and tirelessly helping to make every event possible. And this is without mentioning their Herculean task of keeping our streets and sidewalks passable during the snowy winter months. Those who do not work for the City will sadly never fully appreciate all the important roles the DPW workers fill, nor will they appreciate the truly fantastic personalities within the department. Needless to say, we are all in your debt.
Our March City Luminary is Duane Brown, Affirmative Action Officer for the HR Department – Duane has long been a sunny, friendly, and knowledgeable presence in City Hall. He has patiently shepherded countless job-seekers through the frustrating process of applications, interviews, anticipation, and acceptance. Duane approaches his roll by serving as a tireless cheerleader, patient life coach, friendly advisor, and well-informed appraiser. In a position that some may assume with cool detachment to guard against burning out, Duane has always put one hundred percent of himself into the job. He always tells it like he sees it, goes out of his way to assist his colleagues, and makes everyone feel like a valued friend. All that, and he’s got a megawatt smile that could give President Obama a run for his money.
Our January Luminary Citizens are Adam Travis & Akshata Kadagathur – These Harvard undergrads, both products of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, have long volunteered at the student-run Harvard Square Homeless Shelter. There, they met shelter resident Maximilien Yelbi. Mr. Yelbi moved here from France four years ago to attend a prep school in Fitchburg. He had no place to stay, so he bounced from one homeless shelter to another while balancing a full course load and working three jobs to pay his school tuition. He ended up at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, dreaming of attending a four year college. Adam and Akshata quickly became his support system, assisting him with researching schools, completing financial aid forms, and purchasing a suit for his interviews. The partnership between Mr. Yelbi, Adam, and Akshata paid off when he received a full academic scholarship from Hamilton College, which included the costs of room and board. Adam and Akshata could not be here with us tonight, but I wanted to share their amazing story with you.
Our February Luminary Citizen is Ardeene Goodrich – Ardeene is currently the Area 4 Coalition Coordinator, but the truth is, she has ALWAYS been working to improve her community as a tireless community organizer. Ardeene’s life is all about bringing neighbors together, always finding new ways to make the city a warmer place for all. She has spent time as a Youth Advocate, a Peace Commissioner, and a crusader against gun violence. Ardeene has helped organize neighborhood meetings to make certain that people have the most current information on how to stay safe, and she has worked to connect children and families to the city resources they might otherwise not know about. Due to her natural warmth and ability to instantly put people at ease, this exceptional woman brings to mind that old phrase: “She never meets a stranger.” Additionally, a more interesting and versatile conversationalist you will not find. Cambridge is extraordinarily lucky to have her!
Finally, our March Luminary Citizens are Robert Bridgeman & His Staff – Robert is a Director of Programs at Harvard University’s Phillips Brooks House Association, and he and his staff have been key players in helping us launch the Boys to Men Program and the Mayor’s Girls Leadership Program. Planning and executing such programs are often a complicated process of locating resources, working up budgets, drumming up enthusiasm, and devoting long hours of hard work – but Robert and his staff were just SO amiable and enjoyable to collaborate with. Robert won us the use of the Phillips Brooks House for the Boys to Men program, and helped recruit Harvard Undergrad students to work on both the boys’ and the girls’ groups. This sort of activity comes naturally to Robert, though, as he has spent his entire adult life working with Cambridge youth as a mentor, an advisor, and an inspiration. Thank you, once again, to Robert, his staff, and to all of our Luminary Awardees!
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT – TOWN MEETINGS
Our Luminary Awardees exemplify one of the principals that has guided me throughout my life: the fact that each and every one of us has a duty to be engaged in the world around us. Many people find it easy to grumble and complain about their community, but not enough people are prepared to roll up their sleeves and pitch in to make it better. Now, that’s just a quality that was instilled in me when I was growing up, and since winning a seat on the City Council several years ago, I have been looking for ways to pull more and more people into the process. Whether it’s through volunteering, or joining City boards and committees, or attending City Council meetings – everyone has an obligation to get involved in their community!
As Mayor, I have looked for ways to make it easier for residents to get involved, to get people excited about being involved. One way of accomplishing this goal has been through inviting people to join the Mayor’s Senior Advisory Committee and the GLBT Commission. Both of these groups have been invaluable in giving voice to the issues and concerns that are raised within these communities, and in working with me to find constructive solutions. I know some of the members of these committees are with us tonight, so I do wish to thank them all for giving back to their City.
Another, broader way to get increase civic engagement has been through holding Town Meetings that focus upon a specific theme and are open to the public at large. Last year’s GLBT Town Meeting, for example, was held right here in the Sullivan Chamber, and the room was filled energized participants. That night, City Councilors and other officials were able to mix, mingle, and hear directly from their GLBT constituents about what aspects of the City are responsive to their needs, and what areas have room for improvement. The meeting highlighted the fact that we greatly value and encourage the participation of all our constituents, and that their continued participation can only improve our community. Weeks later, we held a more somber Town Meeting that focused upon the rise of homophobia in the local Haitian community. We have reason to believe that this intolerance contributed to the death of a young man, and this meeting created an opportunity to bring people together; it also created an opportunity to explore the roots of where this homophobia might be coming from, and to figure out how to stamp it out. For many in the local Haitian community, the healing process truly began that night, and while the circumstances that led to this meeting were tragic, we received so much positive feedback from people who said it gave them a good outlet to channel their grief, and a way to plug in to the greater community around them.
Raising awareness about community concerns has also been a key component of my ongoing meetings with the local spiritual leaders of Cambridge. These monthly “Clergy Breakfasts” are always open to representatives from the City’s many churches, mosques, and temples, and the focus is upon how they can work best with the municipal government in the offering of various social services. Whether Cambridge residents are suffering from homelessness, joblessness, addiction to drugs and alcohol, mental illness, or simply a sense of being overwhelmed by their lives, they will often ultimately make their way to MY office, or to the front door of a house of worship. We can offer them our sympathies and our solace, but ultimately our job is to figure out where to direct these people for some real assistance. Thus, we’ll often invite representatives from Just-A-Start, CASPAR, Transition House, the Guidance Center, and the Multi-Service Center – all places that are filled with dedicated, knowledgeable, caring professionals – to explain who they are, what they do, and how we can all coordinate our efforts to best assist people. The response to these meetings has been fantastic, and I think we have all benefitted from the chance to share information with each other.
Civic engagement, information sharing, and social services have also intersected in the realm of our City that is overseen by our outstanding police department. Commissioner Haas has done an excellent job of reaching out to the community, working to engage the different neighborhoods in the process, and establishing strong relationships with residents to help deter criminal activity. The police have also been generous with attending neighborhood meetings to debrief folks on ways to increase their safety. This was the case last summer, when there was a wave of violence in Area 4. Commissioner Haas and several of his deputies attended a meeting organized by the Area 4 residents, to answer their questions, calm their fears, and dispense some useful information. This marked a turning point in the amount of criminal activity in the area, and the professionalism and accessibility displayed by our police department deserves recognition. I include the excellent work of the Auxiliary Police Force in this praise, and I was so pleased to host the Auxiliary Police Dinner in their honor last year.
DIFFERENT MAYOR’S INITIATIVES & EDUCATION
Hosting the Town Meetings and the Clergy Meetings have been excellent ways of bringing the community together, and I look forward to building upon our past successes over the coming year. Another area where we have increased community participation has been in the search for a new Superintendent of Schools. The School Committee and I have taken pains to make this an open process, and we have worked to ensure that a wide variety of voices and viewpoints are considered. We have brought in a professional search firm to help us locate the most qualified pool of candidates, and they have held informational sessions with the School Committee, teachers, central office administrators, and different community groups. Additionally, an on-line survey was created to gather input from those who did not make it out to the informational sessions, so this truly has been a collaborative effort between us all.
This process has also presented us with a fantastic opportunity to inject some fresh energy and ideas into our schools. Whomever we end up hiring is going to be taking us into a brand new era – and the new Superintendent is going to have to take into account all the new technologies, the shifting economy, and the more advanced skills that our kids will need as a solid foundation for future success. There are sure to be a great deal of challenges for the incoming Superintendent, but I am fully confident that we will pick the right person for the job.
Concurrent to this search, the School Committee and the Interim Superintendent have been hard at work to ensure that our schools remain competitive. To this end, we recently updated our goals for the 2008-2009 school year. These goals include the need to:
• Accelerate achievement for ALL students.
• Ensure that students demonstrate skills in critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving, global awareness, and communication.
• Ensure that we establish and implement a system for longitudinal assessment of student growth over time.
• Utilize strategic planning process and documents to guide our decision making for the next three-to-five year period.
• Ensure a safe, nurturing, and healthy school environment for all.
In addition, we remain committed to eliminating the gap in academic performance between sub-groups of students; we support the Interim Superintendent’s efforts to balance the budget with limited staff reductions – an amazing feat in light of the multi-million dollar deficit; and we are keeping a watchful eye over the CRLS renovation project, which is due to be completed by this Fall. Taken together, all of these points demonstrate our City’s commitment to educational excellence, and in making certain that the kids coming out of Cambridge public schools are placed on a path towards achievement and success.
At this time, I would like to ask the members of the Mayor’s Girls Leadership Group who are present to please rise.
As an official AND as a parent, I know that we can never have too many programs that invest in our children. And that’s why one of my proudest accomplishments from this past year has been the launch of the Mayor’s Girls Leadership Group, which is designed to expose our 8th grade girls to strong, successful women who will give them some insights into what they’ll need to really thrive as they become young adults. The program is held each month at City Hall, and it gives 35 girls an opportunity to participate in lively discussions with strong, successful female leaders from the business, non-profit, and political worlds. The women discuss what they were like as 8th graders, and how their hard work, good study habits, and commanding social skills opened up a world of opportunity and success for them later in life. This gives our members a glimpse of what they, too, can achieve if they work hard now and they continue to make the right decisions. In addition to the Girls Group, we have also co-sponsored a Fall & Spring “Boys to Men” program with Phillips Brooks House for 8th Grade boys at Harvard University, again focusing on academics and social skills. I would now ask that we all please give a hand to the young ladies of the Girls Leadership Group who are here tonight, and we recognize all their hard work.
The Girls Leadership Program is something that I have been interested in launching for years, so I am very pleased that it has been so successful. I am equally pleased that another project I have long been working on has made significant progress in the past year. I am referring to the movement to erect a proper memorial to civil rights pioneer Prince Hall. During the Revolutionary War era, Prince Hall was responsible for establishing the first school for African-Americans, he petitioned to allow African-Americans to fight for the country’s independence, and he advocated for the freedom and equality of all men. For whatever reason, he has largely been standing in the shadows of history – but we’re not going to let him stay there. In the past year, we have identified an appropriate spot for a monument on the Cambridge Common, we have selected an artist to create a befitting memorial, and we have broken ground. By the time I leave the Mayor’s Office, Cambridge will have a standing memorial to this trail blazer of civil rights, further cementing our City’s reputation as a bastion of liberty and inclusiveness.
By the time I leave the Mayor’s Office, I also hope I can say that our people are living healthier, happier lives. Physical and mental well-being are too often overlooked and lost in the shuffle, and that is why I have recently launched the Mayor’s Wellness Initiative. This initiative is my answer to those who mistakenly believe that you need to be wealthy and have the luxury of free time in order to take good care of yourself. You don’t need great wealth or unlimited time – you just need some creativity and determination. The great challenge behind this initiative was for community members to harness that creativity to design their own wellness programs that would incorporate physical activity, healthy eating, and mental health into their everyday routines. We received so many innovative and fun sounding proposals, and we ended up selecting twelve programs that my office then provided modest seed money for. I have been so impressed by the people of Cambridge banding together and getting serious about their personal maintenance, which is probably even more important in light of the stress and strain we’re all facing.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
As I was preparing my remarks for this evening, I realized that there is something ELSE that has impressed me about Cambridge, and this harkens back to the Girls Leadership Group – there is an abundance of strong, intelligent, inspiring women among us! From Representative (and former Mayor) Alice Wolf and Ambassador Swanee Hunt, to everyday heroes like Ms. Goodrich and Ms. Joyce, to my dedicated and phenomenal educational advisors in the Mayor’s Office, Lenora Jennings and Bridget Rodriguez, there are just so many formidable female role models in Cambridge!
I mention this because March is Women’s History Month, and our country is becoming increasingly used to seeing strong women in prominent roles. It was not that long ago when “a woman’s place was in the kitchen,” and the United States was mostly governed by wealthy white men. Those men may have had good hearts, and they may have been empathetic souls, but there is no way they could have completely grasped the American Experience from the unique perspective of a woman. And it should come as no surprise that Cambridge was one of the earlier communities to understand this. We picked our first female mayor nearly forty years ago, and we have always had strong, intelligent women actively participating in our City.
This month, Cambridge celebrated Women’s History Month with a number of different events. For example, the Cambridge Women’s Heritage Project commemorated the 1971 takeover of a Harvard-owned building by women who would go on to found the Cambridge Women’s Center. A documentary about the takeover was viewed at the celebration, and a marker from the Historical Commission was unveiled at the takeover site. My staff and I held a reception in the Mayor’s Parlor to honor the work of the Women’s Commission, and to commemorate the Report on the Status of Women and Girls in Cambridge. We also held “A Look at Women in Cambridge Now,” the Women’s Data Workshop Preliminary Findings and Recommendations, which shall be used to help shape policy in Cambridge. There were several other events this month that reflected upon and celebrated the many strong women who shaped our city, and who paved the way for all of us – myself included.
CONCLUSION
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you all for joining us this evening. As I look back upon my first year in office, I do so with a mix of pride, gratitude, and determination. There has been a wealth of experiences that I could not have imagined when I first entered elected office. Even down to the events that have taken place just inside the Mayor’s Parlor – in the past twelve months, we have opened the Parlor to visiting dignitaries from other countries and from our Sister Cities, and to those who just wanted to watch the swearing in of the new president. In that parlor, we have hosted receptions for community partners who run womens’ shelters, and for those who have literally risked their lives for their neighbors. And in that parlor, I have been visited by countless members of the community. I have laughed with you during moments of joy, and I have commiserated with you during moments of pain. And whether it has been in the Mayor’s Parlor, or meeting in my office, or walking through Central Square, I have worked with you all to figure out how your city government can be more responsive to your needs. This is the type of work I cherish, and I have great expectations for what we can accomplish – together – in the year ahead.
To conclude tonight’s address, I would like to introduce Derek Zinky, who shall play Bach Prelude and Fuge for us. Thank you all, and good night.
March 14, 2009
Intolerance in the Name of Tolerance
http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x679797527/Cambridge-counters-anti-gay-church-protest
Cantabrigians counter anti-gay church protest
By Jillian Fennimore/
Cambridge Chronicle staff
Fri Mar 13, 2009, 02:30 PM EDT
Great civics lesson here. The Mayor of all the people said "we are all here to stand up against ignorance and evil. . . so we can show them what . . . tolerance looks like." Let's see, the paradigm in Cambridge is - "If someone disagrees with you they are ignorant, and evil." I might add they usually add racist and mentally ill. Instead of having a dialogue the Mayor uses personal insults. That shows she has no rational arguments. What a great lesson to teach high school students. That is what Cambridge looks like. Don't dare disagree with the homosexual lobby which runs the state or you will be sorry. This is how a minority of thugs censor free speech. Dictatorship, you rear your head in Cambridge teaching young people intolerance in the name of tolerance. Just what was predicted. The minister named Christians but not Jews as an interest group. Shame forgetting the most vocal supporter of the homosexual lobby. Eric Holder laments cowardice of white people to talk about racism? Here's why.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x679797527/Cambridge-counters-anti-gay-church-protest
Cantabrigians counter anti-gay church protest
By Jillian Fennimore/
Cambridge Chronicle staff
Fri Mar 13, 2009, 02:30 PM EDT
Great civics lesson here. The Mayor of all the people said "we are all here to stand up against ignorance and evil. . . so we can show them what . . . tolerance looks like." Let's see, the paradigm in Cambridge is - "If someone disagrees with you they are ignorant, and evil." I might add they usually add racist and mentally ill. Instead of having a dialogue the Mayor uses personal insults. That shows she has no rational arguments. What a great lesson to teach high school students. That is what Cambridge looks like. Don't dare disagree with the homosexual lobby which runs the state or you will be sorry. This is how a minority of thugs censor free speech. Dictatorship, you rear your head in Cambridge teaching young people intolerance in the name of tolerance. Just what was predicted. The minister named Christians but not Jews as an interest group. Shame forgetting the most vocal supporter of the homosexual lobby. Eric Holder laments cowardice of white people to talk about racism? Here's why.
March 30, 2008
Lawless Cambridge City Council
MAR 27, 2008: Letter to Cambridge MA City Council
Cambridge City Council March 27, 2008
City Hall
795 Mass Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139 Interpreting City Council Rules
Honorable Councilors:
It was delightful to see Vice Mayor and City Councilor Brian Murphy holding the gavel at the March 24, 2008 meeting. Murphy belongs to the new breed of Harvard lawyer in the tradition of Eliot Spitzer, Barack Obama and Deval Patrick.
He is one of many typical Harvard lawyers to exercise public power. Like Obama, Patrick and Spitzer Murphy is an underprivileged member of society. Patrick has two McMansions and rides in a Cadillac at taxpayer expense to help reduce global warming.
Obama is the candidate of change who raised about $175 million to promote his image among the hoped-for voters. He spends the money on jet travel around the country helping to reduce global warming. He hires high priced PR firms with corporate connections e.g., to ATT a broadcaster of pornography. He buys advertising on TV and the internet to raise more money. Obama is reported to be a poor black man. But he earns more than $1 million per year in sales from his books alone. His income with his wife’s is about $1 million more.
There’s nothing wrong with being rich. Pretending to be poor raises the questions. Obama is a close associate of Deval Patrick who masquerades as a civil rights attorney while promoting corporate gambling interests. Patrick used his hoped-for approval of casinos to balance the budget, which he unbalanced upon taking office. Casinos prey on poor uneducated persons.
Eliot Spitzer denied abusing his office for many months. He was under scrutiny by three state agencies for abusing the police powers of the state. When his money transfers and visits with ladies of the night were revealed he resigned in disgrace.
Unlike his fellow city councilors Brian Murphy has the good sense to recuse himself when voting on appropriations for the Cambridge Health Alliance for which his wife works.
But like his fellow councilors he exercises the city council rules in an arbitrary and capricious manner focused on restricting citizen participation. That is a direct violation of the goals of the city council. Goal number 4 (page 3 of goals) states: “Improve and simplify public access to city services and provide more and better opportunities for the public to participate in governing.”
Policy guidelines for this goal states:
∑ Continue to improve and coordinate public information functions.
∑ Increased utilization of new technology both for easier access to services and information, and for encouragement and support of public input.
On March 24, 2008 Murphy chaired the Council meeting while the Mayor was attending a funeral. When I was called for public comment he cited Council Rule number 37, Section 4, which states: “Poster or placards must remain outside the Sullivan Chamber.”
He objected to my sign, which I wore for many months at many council meetings. It says,
OVERTHROW HEALY ROSSI
I never saw that rule enforced over the past ten years I’ve been attending council meetings. Many people including lawyers and citizens bring signs to show the council what they are talking about. The council doesn’t enforce its own rules among the members. I’ve complained about their lack of knowledge of the rules for four years. Twice an order was introduced to teach the council Robert’s Rules and the council’s rules. But they refuse to learn them.
The council does not enforce the following Council rules, by which the meetings are supposed to be run.
Rule 14 regarding conflicts of interest.
Rule 16 regarding reconsideration.
Rule 17 regarding special events.
Rule 23C(1)(a) regarding Public comment.
Rule 37 Section 1 regarding delay and interrupting.
Rule 37 Section 2 regarding private conversations.
Rule 37 Section 3 regarding eating and drinking.
Rule 37 Section 6 regarding remarks.
Like the other typical Harvard lawyers Councilor Murphy selectively enforced the rules on March 24, 2008 for his own benefit and to the detriment of the Council Goals and to the detriment of the few courageous citizens who come to the council meetings to participate in government.
He joins the tradition of previous Harvard affiliates who chaired the council meetings being strict and abusive with the citizens often provoking them, but ignoring the rules regarding the way that the elected officials act arrogantly disregarding the rules. That is the tradition of typical Harvard lawyers.
Murphy is an obedient servant of the homosexual lobby. Was that two of the priests of the lobby at the March 24, 2008 meeting?
The councilors are humorous to watch because they all know how to suspend the rules, which makes it unnecessary to learn any other rules. If a councilor does not know what to do and they often don’t know, the councilors just ask to suspend the rules. Simple.
On the agenda for March 24, 2008 the Mayor who usually runs the meetings for this term, sponsored an order regarding the council rules.
Order #7. That the Government Operations Committee review City Council policy on Public Comment with a view towards making any necessary amendments and report back to the City Council on this matter.
Mayor Simmons
Robert Winters, the Minister of Propaganda for the Cambridge Chapter of the Conformist Party wrote on his blog:
“I'm not sure what the mayor has in mind with this order, but we would all benefit from changes that limit the role of the narcissists that now dominate public comment at City Council meetings. There's an old phrase we used to hear a lot around Cambridge: "The bad drive out the good." When nut cases (do I really have to name them) turn the opening of every City Council meeting into a circus side show, this benefits no one and does nothing to promote democracy. Of course you don't really have to refer this to a committee for a solution. All it takes is a mayor with a firm hand and a heavy gavel. Enough already!”
Robert is a nice person. His comments on this proposed order are not bad for a chubby cheeked victim of bullies. Would that explain why Robert picks on persons with disabilities to ridicule and to humiliate? He believes that persons with disabilities should not participate in government and should not run for office. He accused some people of being narcissists. But he comments on everything on his blog and his blog is named for himself. He projects onto others his own failings.
He resorts to personal attacks on behalf of the Conformist Party to which all nine councilors belong. He attributes disabilities to those he dislikes. And uses allegations of disability to justify restrictions on their participation in civic affairs, contrary to City Council goals, and the discrimination laws. He shares the unlawful policies of the Conformist Party regarding persons with disabilities. What a guy.
He must have been abused severely by those high school bullies. This is the kind of person that Harvard and Brandeis hire as a part time instructor. He is one person from who Harvard students learn to abuse persons with disabilities.
What is most charming about the delightful Harvard instructor, who masquerades as a professor, is that he works for a police agency, the FBI or one of the many local operations in Cambridge. He abuses that police power uttering hate speech toward persons with disabilities. The Cambridge police enforce bias laws contrary to law – misfeasance. But they permit this poseur to abuse those same powers.
Winters used to come to the council meetings and bloviate on matters in his serious tone. Was it his bad comments that drove away the many persons who used to attend council meetings?
Robert is a city councilor wannabe having run and lost for that august office. He’s also an election commission wannabe. But the Manager refused to appoint him. Be nice to Robert. He is love-deprived, insecure and needs to pick on persons with disabilities to make him feel better about himself.
Call him and tell him how great he is and that you share his concern about vulnerable persons exercising their Constitutional rights. They are not worthy like academic super star Robert.
Cambridge City Council March 27, 2008
City Hall
795 Mass Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139 Interpreting City Council Rules
Honorable Councilors:
It was delightful to see Vice Mayor and City Councilor Brian Murphy holding the gavel at the March 24, 2008 meeting. Murphy belongs to the new breed of Harvard lawyer in the tradition of Eliot Spitzer, Barack Obama and Deval Patrick.
He is one of many typical Harvard lawyers to exercise public power. Like Obama, Patrick and Spitzer Murphy is an underprivileged member of society. Patrick has two McMansions and rides in a Cadillac at taxpayer expense to help reduce global warming.
Obama is the candidate of change who raised about $175 million to promote his image among the hoped-for voters. He spends the money on jet travel around the country helping to reduce global warming. He hires high priced PR firms with corporate connections e.g., to ATT a broadcaster of pornography. He buys advertising on TV and the internet to raise more money. Obama is reported to be a poor black man. But he earns more than $1 million per year in sales from his books alone. His income with his wife’s is about $1 million more.
There’s nothing wrong with being rich. Pretending to be poor raises the questions. Obama is a close associate of Deval Patrick who masquerades as a civil rights attorney while promoting corporate gambling interests. Patrick used his hoped-for approval of casinos to balance the budget, which he unbalanced upon taking office. Casinos prey on poor uneducated persons.
Eliot Spitzer denied abusing his office for many months. He was under scrutiny by three state agencies for abusing the police powers of the state. When his money transfers and visits with ladies of the night were revealed he resigned in disgrace.
Unlike his fellow city councilors Brian Murphy has the good sense to recuse himself when voting on appropriations for the Cambridge Health Alliance for which his wife works.
But like his fellow councilors he exercises the city council rules in an arbitrary and capricious manner focused on restricting citizen participation. That is a direct violation of the goals of the city council. Goal number 4 (page 3 of goals) states: “Improve and simplify public access to city services and provide more and better opportunities for the public to participate in governing.”
Policy guidelines for this goal states:
∑ Continue to improve and coordinate public information functions.
∑ Increased utilization of new technology both for easier access to services and information, and for encouragement and support of public input.
On March 24, 2008 Murphy chaired the Council meeting while the Mayor was attending a funeral. When I was called for public comment he cited Council Rule number 37, Section 4, which states: “Poster or placards must remain outside the Sullivan Chamber.”
He objected to my sign, which I wore for many months at many council meetings. It says,
OVERTHROW HEALY ROSSI
I never saw that rule enforced over the past ten years I’ve been attending council meetings. Many people including lawyers and citizens bring signs to show the council what they are talking about. The council doesn’t enforce its own rules among the members. I’ve complained about their lack of knowledge of the rules for four years. Twice an order was introduced to teach the council Robert’s Rules and the council’s rules. But they refuse to learn them.
The council does not enforce the following Council rules, by which the meetings are supposed to be run.
Rule 14 regarding conflicts of interest.
Rule 16 regarding reconsideration.
Rule 17 regarding special events.
Rule 23C(1)(a) regarding Public comment.
Rule 37 Section 1 regarding delay and interrupting.
Rule 37 Section 2 regarding private conversations.
Rule 37 Section 3 regarding eating and drinking.
Rule 37 Section 6 regarding remarks.
Like the other typical Harvard lawyers Councilor Murphy selectively enforced the rules on March 24, 2008 for his own benefit and to the detriment of the Council Goals and to the detriment of the few courageous citizens who come to the council meetings to participate in government.
He joins the tradition of previous Harvard affiliates who chaired the council meetings being strict and abusive with the citizens often provoking them, but ignoring the rules regarding the way that the elected officials act arrogantly disregarding the rules. That is the tradition of typical Harvard lawyers.
Murphy is an obedient servant of the homosexual lobby. Was that two of the priests of the lobby at the March 24, 2008 meeting?
The councilors are humorous to watch because they all know how to suspend the rules, which makes it unnecessary to learn any other rules. If a councilor does not know what to do and they often don’t know, the councilors just ask to suspend the rules. Simple.
On the agenda for March 24, 2008 the Mayor who usually runs the meetings for this term, sponsored an order regarding the council rules.
Order #7. That the Government Operations Committee review City Council policy on Public Comment with a view towards making any necessary amendments and report back to the City Council on this matter.
Mayor Simmons
Robert Winters, the Minister of Propaganda for the Cambridge Chapter of the Conformist Party wrote on his blog:
“I'm not sure what the mayor has in mind with this order, but we would all benefit from changes that limit the role of the narcissists that now dominate public comment at City Council meetings. There's an old phrase we used to hear a lot around Cambridge: "The bad drive out the good." When nut cases (do I really have to name them) turn the opening of every City Council meeting into a circus side show, this benefits no one and does nothing to promote democracy. Of course you don't really have to refer this to a committee for a solution. All it takes is a mayor with a firm hand and a heavy gavel. Enough already!”
Robert is a nice person. His comments on this proposed order are not bad for a chubby cheeked victim of bullies. Would that explain why Robert picks on persons with disabilities to ridicule and to humiliate? He believes that persons with disabilities should not participate in government and should not run for office. He accused some people of being narcissists. But he comments on everything on his blog and his blog is named for himself. He projects onto others his own failings.
He resorts to personal attacks on behalf of the Conformist Party to which all nine councilors belong. He attributes disabilities to those he dislikes. And uses allegations of disability to justify restrictions on their participation in civic affairs, contrary to City Council goals, and the discrimination laws. He shares the unlawful policies of the Conformist Party regarding persons with disabilities. What a guy.
He must have been abused severely by those high school bullies. This is the kind of person that Harvard and Brandeis hire as a part time instructor. He is one person from who Harvard students learn to abuse persons with disabilities.
What is most charming about the delightful Harvard instructor, who masquerades as a professor, is that he works for a police agency, the FBI or one of the many local operations in Cambridge. He abuses that police power uttering hate speech toward persons with disabilities. The Cambridge police enforce bias laws contrary to law – misfeasance. But they permit this poseur to abuse those same powers.
Winters used to come to the council meetings and bloviate on matters in his serious tone. Was it his bad comments that drove away the many persons who used to attend council meetings?
Robert is a city councilor wannabe having run and lost for that august office. He’s also an election commission wannabe. But the Manager refused to appoint him. Be nice to Robert. He is love-deprived, insecure and needs to pick on persons with disabilities to make him feel better about himself.
Call him and tell him how great he is and that you share his concern about vulnerable persons exercising their Constitutional rights. They are not worthy like academic super star Robert.
November 23, 2007
Neighborhood Crime Task Force Final Report November 19, 2007
Neighborhood Crime Task Force Final Report November 19, 2007
From the Executive Summary of the Crime Task Force Final Report Nov. 19,
2007. "The recommendations for action described in this report represent the
consensus opinion of the Task Force members that resulted from this intensive
and comprehensive process."
"Consensus: Collective opinion. General agreement or accord." (American
heritage Dictionary, 2nd Ed. 1982)
Task Force Membership: Co-chairs are Mayor Reeves, and City Manager Robert
Healy. Four City Councilors, Kelley, Simmons, Galluccio, and Reeves. Two School
Committee Members, Harding and Grassi.
Ellen Semenoff, a lawyer, is Assistant City Manager for Human Services, and
the supervisor of the Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator for Cambridge.
Cambridge Police Commissioner and two Deputy Superintendents. The Chief of
MIT police. 50 members total.
On page 25, Chapter 4: "Crime has a variety of causes, not least among
which are mental health . . .”
This is irrational. Studies prove that withdrawal from psychiatric drugs
cause violence. The Task Force members are clueless about that. Task Force Final
Report demonstrates irrational prejudice, which indicates unlawful denial of
rights to persons with disabilities.
Recommendations, page 30: “experts on mental health to be on call as
appropriate if the situation involves crime in which mental health might be a
factor.”
There is no causal connection between crime and disability. Task Force
again shows its irrational prejudices toward persons with disabilities. Task
Force is unable to distinguish between crime and disability.
They would never suggest that persons of color commit crimes because of
their race, that homosexuals commit crimes due to their sexual preferences, or
that women commit crime because of their gender. They openly state in a formal
city report that persons with disabilities commit crimes due to their
disability. That is an outrage.
The Task Force boasted the “distinguished group represented each segment of
the community called for in the policy order.” Once again persons with
disabilities were excluded from a city project. The City Manager and the Mayor
chose the members. How many times do these public officials need to be told that
they violate city, state and US laws regarding persons with disabilities? They
refuse to extend civic participation to persons with disabilities. They need to
be removed from office. This is a bigoted report.
A statement on each City Council agenda says "City of Cambridge does not
discriminate on the basis of disability." Huh?
Roy Bercaw, Editor ENOUGH ROOM
From the Executive Summary of the Crime Task Force Final Report Nov. 19,
2007. "The recommendations for action described in this report represent the
consensus opinion of the Task Force members that resulted from this intensive
and comprehensive process."
"Consensus: Collective opinion. General agreement or accord." (American
heritage Dictionary, 2nd Ed. 1982)
Task Force Membership: Co-chairs are Mayor Reeves, and City Manager Robert
Healy. Four City Councilors, Kelley, Simmons, Galluccio, and Reeves. Two School
Committee Members, Harding and Grassi.
Ellen Semenoff, a lawyer, is Assistant City Manager for Human Services, and
the supervisor of the Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator for Cambridge.
Cambridge Police Commissioner and two Deputy Superintendents. The Chief of
MIT police. 50 members total.
On page 25, Chapter 4: "Crime has a variety of causes, not least among
which are mental health . . .”
This is irrational. Studies prove that withdrawal from psychiatric drugs
cause violence. The Task Force members are clueless about that. Task Force Final
Report demonstrates irrational prejudice, which indicates unlawful denial of
rights to persons with disabilities.
Recommendations, page 30: “experts on mental health to be on call as
appropriate if the situation involves crime in which mental health might be a
factor.”
There is no causal connection between crime and disability. Task Force
again shows its irrational prejudices toward persons with disabilities. Task
Force is unable to distinguish between crime and disability.
They would never suggest that persons of color commit crimes because of
their race, that homosexuals commit crimes due to their sexual preferences, or
that women commit crime because of their gender. They openly state in a formal
city report that persons with disabilities commit crimes due to their
disability. That is an outrage.
The Task Force boasted the “distinguished group represented each segment of
the community called for in the policy order.” Once again persons with
disabilities were excluded from a city project. The City Manager and the Mayor
chose the members. How many times do these public officials need to be told that
they violate city, state and US laws regarding persons with disabilities? They
refuse to extend civic participation to persons with disabilities. They need to
be removed from office. This is a bigoted report.
A statement on each City Council agenda says "City of Cambridge does not
discriminate on the basis of disability." Huh?
Roy Bercaw, Editor ENOUGH ROOM
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