Please don't vote for the xenophobe Charlie Chisholm for Ward 6 Alderman

[ron_newman]

In this thread, I stated that I personally recalled Charlie Chisholm running racist and anti-immigrant campaigns against then-Ward 6 Alderman Jack Connolly in the early 1990s. At that time, Somerville's "Sanctuary City" resolution welcoming immigrants was a major political issue. People have (understandably) challenged me for hard evidence, so I spent a few hours today at the Somerville Central Library looking over Somerville Journal microfilm from 1991 and 1993. Here's what I found:

from editorial "Hitting a new low on the campaign trail", 11/7/91:

In Ward Six, Charlie Chisholm issued a pamphlet proclaiming "Somerville: It used to be your city; now, it's Jack Connolly's 'Sanctuary City'" interspersed with photographs of houses with "For Sale" signs.

from election coverage on 11/7/91:

Chisholm apparently gained a lot of ground between preliminary day and the final election by linking Connolly to the so-called "Sanctuary City" resolution and saying the resolution was responsible for drawing immigrants that pushed long-time residents out of the city.

from "New face in midst of Ward Six rematch", 9/2/93:

"I don't see myself as anti-immigrant", says Chisholm. "What is wrong is when we have all sorts of unrestricted illegal immigrants coming in here."

Many of those illegal aliens were drawn to Somerville because of the host of service agencies here, says Chisholm. And the city has borne too heavy a burden for its welcoming attitude in areas like education and housing, he argues.

Charles Chisholm answers questions from the Journal, 9/23/93:

... the "Sanctuary City" substitute "City of Hope" resolution, which was sponsored by Alderman Jack Connolly, should be repealed and those groups and agencies which encourage illegals to settle in Somerville should desist from targeting Somerville for a further increase in population. We cannot afford a further influx of illegal aliens. Already, plans are being developed by the School Department's Somerville 2000 Committee to meet the necessity of forced cross city busing to accommodate Chapter 636 of M.G.L. This law requires "racially imbalanced" schools to be integrated. Finally, we should support the passage of a law to report illegals for deportation who have committed crimes. It must be clear that Somerville will not tolerate becoming another crime infested Massachusetts city. Also, the movement to have illegals vote in city elections, which has begun in Cambridge, makes a mockery of citizenship and should be opposed.

In 1993, some people in Somerville circulated a local initiative petition to place repeal of the Sanctuary City resolution onto that year's general election ballot. The city's Election Commission disqualified the petition after finding that many of the signatures on it were forged and faked. The Journal's article on 10/7/93 said:

One signature that was valid was that of Charles Chisholm, a candidate for alderman in Ward Sox who signed the petition on a separate sheet of paper.

I can't support someone who chose to divide the community this way when campaigning for political office. Yes, these campaigns were 22 and 24 years ago --- but in his current campaign, he's claiming that his one term on the Board of Alderman 38-40 years ago (the last time he held public office) is relevant experience.

When you vote this Thursday, please choose one of the other three fine candidates for Ward 6 Alderman: Lance Davis, David Lieberman, or Elizabeth Weinbloom. Thank you for listening.

EDIT 9/16 8 pm: Just to make things completely clear: In this post I'm speaking solely for myself as a Ward 6 resident and voter, NOT as a co-moderator of Davis Square LiveJournal.

Somerville Garden Club Plant Sale This Saturday

[acechorizo.livejournal.com]

Hi all!

Make sure to stop by the Someville Garden Club's plant sale this Saturday, September 19 from 9am - 1pm (rain or shine). There's always a great selection of houseplants, as well as perennials, herbs, ground covers, trees, and shrubs (get there early for the best selection!). You can find garden tools, decorative containers, and horticultural books, and you can get expert advice from experienced gardeners.

We'll be set up in the middle of Davis Sq, in front of JP LIcks, Boston Burger, etc.

Website
http://www.somervillegardenclub.org

Facebook Event page
https://www.facebook.com/events/969088586487534/

Somerville Journal to end "Speak Out" next week

[ron_newman]

For decades, the Somerville Journal has run a feature called "Speak Out". Anyone could call the paper on the phone and rant anonymously, and the paper would transcribe your rant and print it. The feature is only in print, not online.

Last week, the Journal announced that it is discontinuing Speak Out. The last one will run in next week's edition, September 24. If you feel the urge to be part of that, call the Speak Out line at 617-776-9844, fax(!) to 617-629-3381, or send email to somerville@wickedlocal.com with "Speak Out" in the Subject line.

WMBR radio's "Subject to Change" show (Saturdays noon-1pm) will soon need to find a new source of material to read on the air. (Edit: see also this 2009 post about the show.)

Democracy is dead

[lanze108.livejournal.com]

To whomever tore down our advertisements for Charles Chisholm's party and replaced it with Lance Davis's advertising for a party last night. This is not how democracy works. There is nothing "progressive" about what you did. You deprived the elderly of pastries and coffee and the chance to hear an alternative voice in the name of your chosen candidate. I hope you feel good about yourselves.

VOTE TOMORROW (Thursday 9/17) if you live in Ward 6

[ron_newman]

If you live in Ward 6, tomorrow (THURSDAY, September 17) is preliminary election day. Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm. To find your polling place, enter your street address into this form. Street addresses of polling places are on this page.

You will find four candidates for Ward 6 Alderman on your ballot. The top two vote-getters in this preliminary election will face each other in the November 3 general election.

Learn more about the candidates by following the links in this earlier post, which I have updated. Recent posts in the local politics tag contain extensive discussion of this race.

Charles Chisholm's Response

[lanze108.livejournal.com]

Charles Chisholm sent me this response via email to Ron Newman's allegations of xenophobia.

"Hello, Live Journal: I am more than happy to respond to the selective passages of my literature from 1991 which have been researched.

  In 1991, I opposed Somerville becoming a Sanctuary City. I felt the proposal by folks in Cambridge to have us join them was one-sided.

  I suggested that they were better able to afford adding students to their system than we were to ours. Our per-pupil cost was $5,000 per student; theirs was $10,000 per student. I also asked that, were we to become a Sanctuary City, would Cambridge agree to help with the cost.

Similarly, I also said a regional approach like METCO would better help diffuse cost and public safety issues. What was not stated in the selective outtakes by Mr. Newman, was my chiding of those upset by the violence associated with MS-13 and other groups. I said, how can such violent groups be chided, while overlooking the actions of the group sporting ND hats in the high school (ND did not stand for Notre Dame).

  Further, I stated that we would have a moral obligation to educate these children of the undocumented (that term was not used back then).

  Due to the effective actions of the SPD anti-gang violence task force, the gangs that came in the 90’s left Somerville in the early 2000’s. All Somerville residents are no longer disturbed by this issue.

Today, people flock to come to Somerville, as higher rents and housing prices reflect.

Today, my thinking is this: I support the Dream Act and President Obama’s executive orders. I support the Trust Compact as it now exists and oppose the Trump position on immigration.

As for my one term on the Board of Alderman, I was defeated for re-election basically because of my vote to retain rent control in Somerville, to protect the elderly. The Real Estate interests poured much money into my opponent, Timothy Creedon, who, three years later was jailed for taking bribes.

One reason so few people run for office is the name calling, the race baiting, the gay baiting that have already started in this campaign.

I have the right to say what I believe and voters can decide what they want. What ever happened to “I may disagree with what you say, but defend, to my death, your right to say it?”"