City Council Candidate Questionnaires 2019

Why are you running for City Council this year? I'm running for Cambridge City Council because to make a difference in our community. The City of Cambridge can do better, we MUST do better, the future of our city is directly in our hands. We're all aware of the most impactful issues that our community faces, its time for us to stop talking and start taking action. The environment is a perfect exa...

Why are you running for City Council this year? I was born in Multan, Pakistan. When I was four years old, my family and I won a visa lottery to the US. In a one-in-ten-thousand chance, my life was changed completely. It is due to pure luck and generosity that I am here, and I will never forget that. And I have worked to give back to my community in every way I can. I have run blood drives, voluntee...

Why are you running for City Council this year?  To help Cambridge develop and expand the governance skills and programmatic expertise we need to meet the interlocked challenges of climate change, housing affordability, traffic congestion and educational equity. I want to use my knowledge and experience in these areas to help build a Council team that can lead the City, and the region, confiden...

Why are you running for City Council this year? The goal of this campaign is to help Cambridge become a modern, efficient, sustainable city while still preserving the livability and historic character of our homes and neighborhoods. Effective municipal government must begin with an honest and transparent political system so that the decisions of our policymakers reflect the values of our citizens,...

Why are you running for City Council this year? Our Democracy is in crisis. We let corporations lead and direct the future of our City. We have big ambitions and talk a big game, but our actions are the opposite of our words. The root cause: Plan E, City Manager form of government accompanied by contract zoning. This deadly combination is not letting us address the ongoing climate crisis and turns...

Why are you running for City Council this year? As someone who experienced food insecurity growing up, I have always worked to ensure that our City has comprehensive wrap-around services, especially for kids and families. I began my civic life in Cambridge after I founded the Cambridge Weekend Backpack Program, which sends food home on the weekends to kids who may not have access to meals once th...

Why are you running for City Council this year?  As someone who grew up in Cambridge (CRLS Class of 1987), I love this city. Over the years I have seen the city change a lot. Many of those changes have been positive. Crime is down. Unemployment is low. We are spending records amount of money on education, infrastructure, and affordable housing. But not every change has been positive. Too many are bei...

Why are you running for City Council this year? To push for more responsive City government Many families are being pushed out of Cambridge due to high housing costs. How do you plan to support middle-class families in Cambridge as a city councilor? Cambridge is a perfect fit for Barry Bluestone's model partnership, a tripartite arrangement, including academic, public and private sector develop...

Why are you running for City Council this year? My family's heritage and to help make Cambridge better with more opportunities for Youth, through a Youth Apprenticeship program that is tied into new construction and to help the climate and congestion in Cambridge. Many families are being pushed out of Cambridge due to high housing costs. How do you plan to support middle-class families in Cambridge as...

Why are you running for City Council this year? After years on the School Committee, I decided to run for the Council since I think my set of skills are even more relevant to the larger set of issues the council oversees. And I have a passion for positive change and want to be involved with issues beyond the schools. Many families are being pushed out of Cambridge due to high housing costs. H...

Why are you running for City Council this year? Having been raised by a single mom and now with a young family of my own, I want to make sure that Cambridge remains a place where all families can thrive. We are a high-opportunity city with wealth and resources almost beyond measure. Yet not all families are sharing equally in our booming economy. I am committed to serving our residents and working tire...

Why are you running for City Council this year? My leadership in City Hall is informed by my experience in community advocacy, my work as a public interest attorney, and my experience as a Cambridge native. I have deep roots in this community and have benefitted from Cambridge’s public school system, public housing, and after school activities. Giving back and helping improve these services f...

Why are you running for City Council this year? I am running to continue my work to increase access to affordable housing, to ensure that the City continues to bring a rich diversity of voices and experiences to the table and to ensure that people from all walks of life continue to have a champion speaking up for them in City Hall. Many families are being pushed out of Cambridge due to high ho...

Why are you running for City Council this year? Ever since my family was displaced from Cambridge in the late 90s because of rent decontrol, I have been interested in what can be done to stop gentrification and displacement. Last year as a lead organizer of the Save EMF campaign that sought to protect an arts community from displacement by luxury development, I got a very up-close look of city hal...

Why are you running for City Council this year? I’m running because we need bold leadership to combat serious problems in Cambridge: a housing crisis, the dire threat of climate change, and the need to truly deliver on an equitable city for all residents regardless of race, gender, or class. Many families are being pushed out of Cambridge due to high housing costs. How do you plan to suppo...

Why are you running for City Council this year? I am running because I believe I have the experience and vision necessary to ensure that a rapidly changing Cambridge remains an inclusive and vibrant community where everyone can be put in a position to succeed and thrive. I will continue to fight for affordable housing, open spaces, and increased educational and vocational opportunities. I have a long tr...

Why are you running for City Council this year? There is still so much work to be done: we need to fundamentally shift our city’s business model away from profits and towards the people. Every major issue we face as a city is rooted in this model: our non-existent tenant protections, our lack of urgency around ending the fossil fuel era in Cambridge, our lack of municipal broadband infrastructure. ...