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Japan and Haiti Relief
I want to remind everyone of the terrible tragedy occurring in Japan, as well as the ongoing devastation in Haiti. Cambridge is home to the third largest population of Haitian immigrants in the United States. After the earthquake, there was significant outreach to support Haitians here and in Haiti but there is still a need for support for those in Haiti left to pick up the pieces. A cholera outbreak and a tumultuous national election have further challenged the valiant efforts of Haitians to persevere. We're lucky to have several Cambridge Midwives who continue to donate their time and personal resources to support families in Haiti - this winter, Mary Ellen Galante and Lara Holbrook took medical supplies and spent weeks delivering babies and training Haitian providers. I am asking you to support these efforts. I know that economic times are tough but even a small donation to these women goes a long way toward helping rebuild families and communities in Haiti.
Please send checks to:
Birth Center Friends
c/o Nancy Ryan
4 Ashburton Place #2
Cambridge MA 02139
(donations are tax-deductible)
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Dear Friends,
I'm glad to join you in finally welcoming Spring and to provide you a brief update on some of the initiatives coming out of my City Council office. Please do not hesitate to call or email me for more information or to share your thoughts or concerns regarding these and other issues.
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Early Childhood Care
School Committee member Mark McGovern and I are co-chairing a Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education to examine these areas of need for Cambridge families. The mission is to provide every young child with the opportunity to attend high quality, developmentally appropriate programming, regardless of socio-economic status. For the last 8 months we have hosted a number of focus groups -- the prevailing question for all of our participants is,"what would our community look like if we truly prioritized and recognized the importance of early child care/education?" After reaching out to and meeting with providers, parents, the 0-8 council and pediatricians, we will host a briefing for the larger community to present our findings, recommendations and next steps.
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Finance Committee
As Chair of the City Council's Finance Committee, I have held a series of televised hearings to help inform and include the larger community about the budget process. Last year we invited stakeholders such as non-profit organizations, religious leaders, tenant council presidents from various housing complexes, and neighborhood associations to a special televised budget meeting where we walked the public through the entire budget process. Over the winter, I held public hearings in various settings to solicit input on the budget and how it is developed, debated and approved. I want to thank faculty at the Kennedy School of Government and the Rappaport Institute as well as Somerville Mayor Curtatone for providing me with feedback on their approaches to opening the budget process to the public. I also want to acknowledge the efforts of Louis DePasquale, Assistant City Manager for Fiscal Affairs, and Deputy Finance Director David Kale for their willingess to help me redefine some of the traditional approaches to chairing the committee. We have more recommendations on the horizon, and it is my hope to institutionalize a more community-based budgeting process, regardless of who chairs the committee. The Council will listen to the City Manager's budget recommendations for FY 2012 on the following dates:
Wednesday, May 4th at 9:00 AM
Wednesday, May 11th at 9:00 AM
Thursday, May 12th 6:00 PM
Thursday, May 19th 9:00 AM-if necessary
City Council of Cambridge Hearing Schedule
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Community Health Committee
As many of you know, I have spent the last several years focusing on the changing dynamics and services of the Cambridge Health Alliance and their impact on Cambridge residents. My family and I depend on the CHA for our care, so it's a personal and political priority for me to ensure that our residents have access to the best care possible. Health Care continues to be the center of national debate; meanwhile, states and cities are left to piece together a health care system that attempts to keep people healthy and safe without the resources to do it all. Early last Fall, I held a meeting with Mass Senior Action to discuss the needs of senior health care with the Cambridge Health Alliance. This meeting was very productive and resulted in the appointment of two seniors who now sit on the Patient Advisory Council. Lastly, as some of you may have heard or read the Cambridge Health Alliance and Tufts Health Plan are in the process of merging and forming a partnership to oversee the Alliance's managed care patient services. The article regarding the pending merger can be read, here.
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Housing
I have worked closely with the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC), the Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), and public housing residents on the massive renovations taking place in several housing developments throughout the city. I organized community meetings to help both residential abutters and tenants meet with the CHA and the contractors to work out the logistics of the projects and ensure that communication remained open. The Federal stimulus money awarded to the CHA has allowed for some of the developments to be completely razed in order to rebuild more modern and updated units. Most residents have welcomed the renovations but have also been concerned about their placement and future returns. For some, living through the construction means ensuring that noise and air quality are being well-monitored. I have begun conversations with the City and some owners about the pending "expiring use" apartments in Cambridge. These are affordable rental housing units that were built or purchased with mortgage contracts which guaranteed that they remain affordable to low-income tenants until their terms expire. We risk the potential loss of hundreds of affordable apartments in our city. Please stay tuned.
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Working Economy
The last couple of years have been very challenging economically for many in our community. Even those who have been fortunate to stay employed are affected by the stress of knowing family, friends or neighbors who are not. While the economy begins to bounce back, development in Cambridge continues to move forward. We are fortunate to live in a community that is able to support new businesses, restaurants, biotech companies, and commercial and residential development. The city continues to maintain a triple A bond rating with Moody's Investor Services. This has enabled our city to build a new police station, renovate our only public high school and the War Memorial Pool, and enjoy the completion of our new central library. I continue to advocate for companies engaged in developing in our city to meet the community standards of employment -- ensuring prevailing wages, unemployment benefits, and both health care and pension benefits. Cambridge has become a lucrative place for developers which adds vibrancy and contributes generously to our tax base. This should not come at the expense of those who do the work. I have continued to work with our local universities, encouraging them to hold tight during these tough times and not add to the unemployment rolls. Most recently, I sponsored a policy that calls for the city to protect collective bargaining for Comcast workers as we enter into our license renewal.
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We have recently changed systems, so I apologize if you have previously unsubscribed from these bulletins and are receiving them again. Thank you for supporting me, as I continue to bring the needs and desires of our community to City Hall.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Decker
Your Cambridge City Councilor |
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