Ward 6 alderman candidate links; Davis Action Group solicits questions for candidates

[ron_newman]

In advance of the September 17 primary, Davis Action Group plans to present a list of questions to candidates for our next Ward 6 Alderman. They are seeking your input on what those questions should be. Please fill out a survey form online to complete a ranking of proposed questions and give input on what DAG has missed. You can also e-mail DAG directly at info@davisactiongroup.com. They would like all survey responses by this Sunday, August 16.

Here's an updated list of web links for each candidate:

• Charles Chisholm: Website | Email
  (he hasn't responded to my requests to introduce himself on DSLJ, and doesn't seem to have a Facebook presence)
  Edit 9/8: Someone else finally posted to DSLJ on his behalf
• Lance Davis lancedavisward6: DSLJ post | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email
• David Lieberman dwslieberman: DSLJ post | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email
• Elizabeth Weinbloom lizforalderman: DSLJ post | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Email

Edit 9/4/15: Also, Joe Lynch interviewed all four candidates for SCATV.

The candidates have answered questions from Progressive Democrats of Somerville and questions from the Somerville Times.

Edit 9/9: Here are all four candidates' answers to the Davis Action Group's questions.

Edit 9/11:
Three of the candidates talk to the Somerville Journal

Somerville Scout profiles each candidate

Video from September 10 candidate forum: Part 1 | Part 2

September 8 "Ask Me Anything" DSLJ discussion with three of the candidates

The Somerville Journal endorses David Lieberman
The Somerville Times endorses Charlie Chisholm

Edit 9/16: Progressive Democrats of Somerville have endorsed Lance Davis.

Comments

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Charlie Chisholm did come by my front door on Sunday afternoon. A couple of the points we touched on is that the city could have handled snow removal better this past year by improving the process to hire contractors vs hiring directly, and also, he supports a piece of legislation that would increase the tax on people making more than $1M/year and use that to offset the costs of riding the T for all residents.

[ron_newman]

That would be considered a graduated income tax, and requires amending the Massachusetts constitution. Voters have repeatedly rejected that referendum over the past few decades, but a group is trying to put it on the 2016 ballot once again. I don't think a ward alderman can do much about this.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I never said it wasn't a weird conversation. :)

[lanze108.livejournal.com]

It makes sense to me. If we all had that attitude that an alderman can't do anything about issues like this, nothing would pass.

The graduated income tax has a higher chance of passing this time because it delineates that it is only up to those that make over a million.

Charles is part of Raise Up Massachusetts and is working on a petition. If we get enough signatures, and if we put it on the ballot, it will pass. A lot of issues do not look like they will pass. Just look at gay marriage a few years ago. It didn't look like it would ever be the law of the land.

[secretlyironic.livejournal.com]

Lots of people say they're in favor of making sure people at all income levels can afford to live in Somerville. What do the candidates want to do about it? Some proposals include blocking high-end developments, increasing linkage fees to make new development pay for subsidized housing, mandating more affordable/subsidized units in new developments, and increasing the overall volume of housing to keep costs from rising. Which approaches do the candidates prefer?

[dwslieberman.livejournal.com]

I'm happy to respond. We had a fairly robust discussion about this issue in my DSLJ post. (http://davis-square.livejournal.com/3577982.html?thread=37259646#t37259646) To summarize, some of the ideas I mentioned are:

- I support the City's recent decision to increase in linkage fees

- I support a revised zoning ordinance that will encourage smart development particularly near transit hubs and increase the affordable housing requirement for new development from the current 12.5% to 20%, at least in areas near transit.

- I support serious consideration of a transfer (flipping) tax.

- I would like to look at extending the residential exemption to landlords of long-term tenants. to incentivize them to do the things it takes to keep tenants for the long term.

Happy to discuss any of these further.

[secretlyironic.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I remember your posts on the issue. I'd love to see what other candidates have to say also.

(Full disclosure, I'm not actually going to be a Somerville resident until like October, so... changing my opinion isn't actually helpful to you. I'm just a busybody who lives like two blocks outside Somerville).

[ron_newman]

The last day to register for the November 3 general city election (where you choose between the September primary's top two finishers) is Wednesday, October 14 at 8 pm.

[ron_newman]

Tagging lancedavisward6, dwslieberman, lizforalderman: please visit this post and interact with all of us who are asking questions and leaving comments here.

[vonelftinhaus.livejournal.com]

Charles Chisholm website is hard to work through, too much scrolling down and a lot of jumbled information, maybe he can get a friend or associate to reorganize it; include the photos separately and have a main page which would focus on his goals. Ron the website link for Elizabeth Weinbloom goes to her facebook page, though you can get to her webpage from the link there.

[ron_newman]

Oops! I fixed the link, thanks.

[keithn.livejournal.com]

The questions in the survey seem to be entirely related to commercial development in Davis Square. Is this intentional? Are they only looking for questions along this line?

I'm not complaining if they are, but when I first read Ron's post, it came across as something a lot more general.

[ron_newman]

Please use their survey form to suggest any and all additional questions that you'd like the candidates to answer.