Did you know that Jim has taken his case against Proportional Representation to The Massachusetts Supreme Court?
Would you like to know where Jim stands on the issues?
When a vacancy opened up on the City Council in 1994, McSweeney, who finished in 10th place, by only 47 votes in the 1993 City Council election, questioned the method by which the vacancy was filled. McSweeney argued that the fairest way to proceed would be to recount all the ballots that were in the exhausted pile as well as those in the Walsh pile. Because McSweeney was so close to winning, nearly all of his 1861 ballots went into the exhausted pile and were not counted.
The recount, therefore, systematically ignored the ballots of ninety percent of Cambridge voters in the 1993 city council election. When the vacancy was filled only ten percent of the ballots cast in that election were counted.
McSweeney believes that every voter is guaranteed the right to have his voice heard and that every vote ought to be counted fairly and properly. McSweeney believes that the Cambridge system of PR is not only unconstitutional, it is fundamentally misleading. A voter can never be sure whether his or her ballot will be fully counted. While all ballots are considered for their first choice, not all ballots are considered for their later choices. When voters leave the polling booth they can not know whether their second, third or later choices will ever be counted. McSweeney believes that this random counting of ballots runs contrary to the voting rights guarantees clearly identified by the United States Supreme Court and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
McSweeney's challenge to Proportional Representation is an attempt to make sure that the voters of Cambridge have the same right to have their voices heard as voters in every other municipal election across the country. McSweeney is encouraged by the fact that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court took the unusual step of granting direct appellate review, thereby expediting consideration of this issue critical to all the voters of Cambridge.
McSweeney expressed his hope that the court would take favorable action on his petition. "I am pleased that the State Supreme Judicial Court has decided to hear this important case. A majority of voters are disenfranchised by the current election system in Cambridge. It is my hope that the court will put an end to proportional representation and allow Cambridge to install a system that will be easily understood by the voters and simultaneously allow for fair and equal representation for all residents of the city."
Today, as a family man and a businessman, my perspective has changed. My wife, Debbie and I are the proud parents of two young children, ages 3 and 1. The benefit consulting firm I started 7 years ago is now a thriving business that has succeeded through a great deal of hard work and dedication.
These factors have brought significant change to my life and the way I view Cambridge. As a resident and businessman, I am concerned about the economic future of our city. The Cambridge commercial tax rate is the highest in the Commonwealth. If this trend continues, we will drive business away from Cambridge and toward other cities with more favorable business climates. The result will be, the loss of jobs and increased residential taxes; thus increasing rents and reducing affordable housing in Cambridge.
I believe our city's future hangs in the balance with this election. Cambridge businesses can no longer bear the burden of paying Cambridge government's extravagant bills and salaries. If Polaroid and/or Lotus pull out of the city for less expensive communities, which is a real possibility, the tax burden will shift to the homeowners, the tenants ALL RESIDENTS.
The most important issue we are faced with is irresponsible spending. We must evaluate why Cambridge spends over $300 million per year. Do Cambridge residents really receive over $300 million worth of services?
To find some examples of our city's wasteful ways, one need look no further than the city's law department which employs nine lawyers, yet spends over $1 million on outside law firms. This does not even include money paid out on settlements.
The city's school department spends upwards of $11,000 per student - twice the state average - but produces far too many students who score well below state and national averages on standardized tests. The fact that we spend $11,000 on education proves that we are committed to funding education. This is not good enough. We must be committed to funding a QUALITY education. We are talking about our children; the future of our city.
Among the largest sources of waste are the salaries paid to our municipal administrators. On average, they are far more than that of their counterparts in other cities.
The City's waste, here and in other areas, is outrageous. This wasted money takes funds from programs that could better our city. Every dollar wasted is one dollar less for economic development, one dollar less for senior citizen programs, one dollar less for city youth, one dollar less for caring for the homeless, and one dollar less for public safety.
As an entrepreneur and one of the few city council candidates who is experienced in the private sector, I can assure you that I know the value of money and the wisdom of prudent spending. I am committed to implementing innovative ways to cut wasteful spending and run our government more efficiently and effectively.
As city councilor, I will work hard to increase the quality of services and prioritize city spending. This includes introducing Total Quality Management to city government. With this we can run our city like the customer driven service provider that it should be. It's time that we as residents, realize that we are the customers of our government. I am committed to bringing increased accountability to city government.
A #1 vote for Jim McSweeney is a vote for strong fiscal management. We need leadership that will bring Cambridge into the 21st century. I am dedicated to making Cambridge a better place to live for all of us and for future generations.
A strategy to put Cambridge people back to work
and lead our city into the 21st century.
-The Cambridge Tab- September 12, 1995
We must create an organized strategy that will increase property values and not adversely effect our environment.
We must become competitive with the surrounding communities that offer incentives which Cambridge does not.
We must stress our city's positive intangibles:
It is also conceivable that the lack of open space in Cambridge only serves to numb a child's natural instinct to run and play about freely. All this has had a hand in raising a generation of children, disrespectful of a society which they view as uncaring toward them. It has caused our children to grow up much too fast. This is a sad reminder of the legacy we are leaving behind for future Cantabridgians.
The importance of early intervention programs which involve parents and hold them more accountable for the direction their child is headed in cannot be underestimated. These same programs are valuable resources for teaching children the significance of respect for themselves and for others.
Conflict resolution courses should be introduced throughout the city that would teach youths how to deal with conflicts through non-violent means. These programs can be coordinated through youth centers and outreach workers who are able to make contact with kids who need an extra helping hand.
After-school and weekend activities are also a smart way to involve kids in productive, meaningful activities and provide a wonderful opportunity for parental involvement. To invest wisely in the future, Cambridge businesses must also become more involved in schools and education programs. They should be encourage to provide after-school training and jobs as well as scholarship opportunities to Cambridge students.
Vocational education programs which provide important skills training for students interested in manufacturing and industry, help to benefit both the individual and the well being of Americas future role as an economic superpower.
Jim McSweeney believes that as parents, friends and neighbors we owe the young people of Cambridge, a more secure and nurturing environment in which to grow up. Jim McSweeney believes that an effective way to these programs more fiscally sound is through volunteerism and a greater concern for our neighbors.
If, for example, even 100 parents, retirees, or local business people out of Cambridge's 96,000 residents volunteered three hours of their time a week to after-school programs or local boys and girls groups, kids would benefit from 15,600 extra hours of our undivided attention each year.
Who knows what potential for goodness would result from this effort. Maybe it would inspire one child to become a nurse or a doctor instead of a drug dealer. Better yet, maybe it would inspire a whole generation of kids to grow up to be caring, dedicated, and attentive adults who in turn help keep their kids off of the street and provide them with the necessary skills to become productive members of our communities.
"Our children are the future of our city. We must provide them with a strong foundation upon which they can build. The knowledge we provide our children with today, will determine the direction our city will take tomorrow. It's time we take control of our future."
Zero-Based Budgeting is a system that focuses on the total budget request for all programs. The current level of funding is not assumed to be the correct level for the program, but merely a number used in the last budgeting year. Existing programs are examined as if they were newly proposed programs. ZBB's intention is to apply public policy and societal objectives to government programs to make sure they coincide.
"It is only through innovative ideas such as Zero-Based Budgeting that we can change the way city government works."
Neighborhood responsibility, in cooperation with NYNEX, can effectively impact the safety of women in our community by identifying those isolated areas where women feel most vulnerable. Here, pay phones can be installed that would provide free, immediate, direct access to police through 911. All installation and service costs would be picked up by the phone company thus allowing a large savings which could be used to add another officer to the streets.
"As a community we can pro-actively decrease violence against women. Lets create a team with police, the business community and our neighborhood leaders to address the issue of safety."