2022 Brookline PAX Endorsement Questionnaire
Elected/appointed gov’t & public interest group offices held, especially local, and including committees: Chapter Lead, RepresentUS Massachusetts
Do you: Own single-family Y ; Own condo __; Rent __; Other _____________ Brookline school parent? N
1a. ELECTIONS/POLITICS– In recent contested races (including out of district Congressional races, if any), what candidates or ballot questions have you actively supported, and, if not below clear, briefly how:
1b. Briefly, what else in your background is pertinent, especially a history of progressive activities besides the above? Clarkson University Business Undergrad, BU MBA graduate. I first became involved in the democratic process campaigning for Mayor Menino in Boston. I’m an advocate for government transparency. Consulting work as a project controls specialist gave me expertise in schedule and expenditure tracking.
2. WHAT/WHO INFLUENCED YOU TO RUN? What challenges do you see for Brookline? Where will you focus?
If we cannot depend on the law to be objective, even in polarizing situations, or if we cannot depend our town’s employees to be neutral, even about topics they have political feelings about, trust will break down in our institutions. My Hart St address may say a lot for me. I was influenced to run after my neighborhood directly experienced the harm that unchecked authority can cause.
3. BUDGET PRIORITES: What would you Increase, Decrease, or Leave the same: It’s unclear from the Interactive Budget tool how FTEs tie to the services being performed. Budget starvation is a blunt tool for balancing tax revenues with expenditures. Waste needs to be reduced, but before I make a recommendation I would like to discuss the details.
4. LABOR/PUBLIC EMPLOYEES: After collective bargaining, union contracts come to Town Meeting for approval. As such, what are your views on the Nov. 2020 Police contract vote? (Incumbents: explain your vote or view; others: your view based on the WA2 explanations in November 2020 Combined Reports.
I would have voted for favorable action. A 2.5% increase is in line with cost of living increases for the period. GPS, body and dash cameras are becoming standard in many departments and, despite some drawbacks, generally build public trust. This technology does subject officers to monitoring beyond that of other Town staff. An additional 0.5% increase to account for this is reasonable.
5. HOUSING –What are your views on land use policy (i.e., zoning)? How and where might you promote/support residential development, e.g., changing some (or all) single family and/or two family zones to more than that, supporting mixed use commercial/residential, and otherwise?
Brookline’s zoning is nearly incompressible to the public. The special permit and historic preservation processes lead to confusion, delays, lawsuits, extra costs to the town, and ultimately to a reduction in housing. We need clarity on what can be built and not built where. Before we rezone neighborhoods, lets start with getting more from our current zoning.
6. CLIMATE/ENVIRONMENT/OPEN SPACE – Town Meeting has passed many “green” initiatives, including restricting plastic bags & Styrofoam containers; and encouraging alternative transportation, net-zero building, and electric vehicles. What involvement, if any, have you had with environmental issues, and what are your thoughts for what we might focus on next?
The switch to electric vehicles is encouraging for many reasons. To assist this, a next step is supporting electric vehicle chargers in stand-alone parking spaces, including installation before sale of private spaces.
8. RACIAL CLIMATE: How do you perceive Brookline’s racial climate (i) in the Town workforce, (ii) in our schools, and (iii) in town, generally – especially as you perceive Brookline as compared with elsewhere in MA and USA.
Even if a person were not aware of the public cases, it would be negligent to say that there are not still those in our Town who treat certain races and protected classes as ‘other’. We must create an environment where we can have discussions about this openly, so problems are delt with quickly and decisively. It is challenging for me to understand when those who support justice for all stifle those who say that they see injustice happening; that the passion is somehow a greater ill than the issue itself.
9. POLICE DEPARTMENT: What are your views on Brookline PD, (i) in general, e.g., proposals to reimagine and/or reform, e.g., the 2021 reports of the Committee on Policing Reforms and the Task Force to Reimagine Policing; and (ii) the 2020 TM debate/vote on a then proposed 17% Police budget cut. (Incumbents: explain your vote or view; others: your view based on the pages for WA 8 – SUPPLEMENTS 6 through 10 (pp. 1-5) & 15 in June 2020’s Combined Reports?
I support the police and appreciate knowing their help is available if needed. This is not the case for many Brookliners, especially those of different income and racial backgrounds. The task force found real issues, and made several reasonable recommendations to increase trust, such as the civilian oversight board. Statistics say crime is down, both this year and the five-year trend. If that is so, we can use the funds more effectively elsewhere.
10. TOWN VS. CITY GOVERNMENT: Describe your views of town vs. city government, in particular the role of a Select Board vs. a mayor, and the role of Town Meeting Members vs. a city council.
I currently view Town government as the preferable form of democracy for Brookline. A diverse group of Town Meeting Members know what their neighborhoods need better than a small number of city counselors. A Select Board can be adapted to changing constituent focuses more easily than an individual mayor can be. In addition, the TMM roles provide an entry point into town government for those who care about their community. The debate I have seen has been about the commitment required for extended Town Meeting nights and the tone of our debate. If this is the case, appropriate ends could be achieved with improved parliamentary rules and moderator guidelines rather than by changing the form of government that has worked to make Brookline a beautiful and successful Town.