Frank on the issues
ABOUT MY POLICY PRIORITIES - Newton, I believe, is well positioned for the future; yet how well we move forward is dependent upon wise budget decisions and skilled leaders to get us there. Relying simply on all the old ways of doing business may not be good enough. One of my well-developed skill-sets for performance accountability comes from wide-ranging financial experiences and training. Such skills uniquely qualify me in these challenging financial times to help provide the “Financial Leadership that Will Make a Difference.”
The Mayor has recommended a reasonable General Fund budget for fiscal year 2016 of $362 million – $16.8 million or 4.9% greater than the original current year budget. What’s needed, nevertheless, is unceasing year-round City Council “oversight”, which is essential to good government. Waiting until the end of the year is not the best practice for any Board. Moreover, having another skilled hand at fiscal discipline would certainly provide a sound safeguard. In this regard, I bring helpful financial depth as having been a public and private sector Board member and bank/hospital Trustee, with a CPA auditor and law practice background, working with all kinds of budgets within both local businesses and our national government. By so offering the fruit of a such a life’s work, I reasonably believe I can help strengthen the City treasury and its indispensible link to Newton’s future. My offer of service, if it’s accepted by the voters, will include the following “Top-Ten” policy interests (to be expanded upon in future Press Releases.) While not necessarily in the order of their importance, they point to:
1. Real Estate Taxes - e.g., as a person with extensive know-how in finance and modern government, I can serve to ensure that our city government is doing as much as it can with your hard earned dollars. My lifetime of useful financial experiences will guide me to proposing new efficiencies with ways to improve our programs and services in a more cost-effective way. The continuous challenge is to always be looking at operations, finding greater equity for all our neighbors as their “ADVOCATE AT LARGE” by providing oversight for “resource allocation” and waste avoidance ;
2. Education - e.g., assuring, protecting and prioritizing the funds so necessary for the world-class leading-edge education of our young people, like my son who went through the Newton grades and “earned” himself a university Summa Cum Laude, followed by law school and a fine career;
3. Development, Land use, house tear-downs, and zoning - e.g., “win/win” is always better than “win/lose” in settling cases and controversies by responding more empathetically to deeply-felt and divisive neighborhood concerns;
4. Facing up to unfunded liabilities with more creative solutions- I don’t know the answers here yet, but I pledge to notch-up my effort until I am confident we are on the right track, especially for securing fair and affordable City retiree health care and other post-employment benefits, while exploring the possibilities for change in any Federal statutes that deny Social Security coverage and Medicare to municipal workers; (Longer-term employees seem to be the issue in Newton, while the solution for newer employees has reportedly been resolved); etc.
5. Helping seniors, disabled persons and others, like members of the LGBT community, protect their interests - e.g., which means never being victimized, left alone or without helpful mentoring; attention to more housing for the elderly; and exploring the possibilities for a City Hall “Elder Ombudsman” or “Elder Advocate;
6. Sustainability - e.g., as more than a cost savings way to express our concern for the planet thorough actions, not just words
7. Infrastructure - e.g., making noise about “timely” repair of winter pot-holes and broken sidewalks, many of which require an elected “gadfly”; also redoing water pipes and sewer pipes, which is a City responsibility;
8. Public safety - e.g., providing our fine police and fire departments with increased 21st Century training funds, up-to-date equipment needs and a diversity of new officers;
9. Oversight of City services for residents with limited resources- e.g., all the help an altruistic community can reasonably deliver; and
10. Commitment to Rape Aggression Defense training (RAD) -e.g., within our schools and elsewhere for younger and older women; etc.
The Mayor has recommended a reasonable General Fund budget for fiscal year 2016 of $362 million – $16.8 million or 4.9% greater than the original current year budget. What’s needed, nevertheless, is unceasing year-round City Council “oversight”, which is essential to good government. Waiting until the end of the year is not the best practice for any Board. Moreover, having another skilled hand at fiscal discipline would certainly provide a sound safeguard. In this regard, I bring helpful financial depth as having been a public and private sector Board member and bank/hospital Trustee, with a CPA auditor and law practice background, working with all kinds of budgets within both local businesses and our national government. By so offering the fruit of a such a life’s work, I reasonably believe I can help strengthen the City treasury and its indispensible link to Newton’s future. My offer of service, if it’s accepted by the voters, will include the following “Top-Ten” policy interests (to be expanded upon in future Press Releases.) While not necessarily in the order of their importance, they point to:
1. Real Estate Taxes - e.g., as a person with extensive know-how in finance and modern government, I can serve to ensure that our city government is doing as much as it can with your hard earned dollars. My lifetime of useful financial experiences will guide me to proposing new efficiencies with ways to improve our programs and services in a more cost-effective way. The continuous challenge is to always be looking at operations, finding greater equity for all our neighbors as their “ADVOCATE AT LARGE” by providing oversight for “resource allocation” and waste avoidance ;
2. Education - e.g., assuring, protecting and prioritizing the funds so necessary for the world-class leading-edge education of our young people, like my son who went through the Newton grades and “earned” himself a university Summa Cum Laude, followed by law school and a fine career;
3. Development, Land use, house tear-downs, and zoning - e.g., “win/win” is always better than “win/lose” in settling cases and controversies by responding more empathetically to deeply-felt and divisive neighborhood concerns;
4. Facing up to unfunded liabilities with more creative solutions- I don’t know the answers here yet, but I pledge to notch-up my effort until I am confident we are on the right track, especially for securing fair and affordable City retiree health care and other post-employment benefits, while exploring the possibilities for change in any Federal statutes that deny Social Security coverage and Medicare to municipal workers; (Longer-term employees seem to be the issue in Newton, while the solution for newer employees has reportedly been resolved); etc.
5. Helping seniors, disabled persons and others, like members of the LGBT community, protect their interests - e.g., which means never being victimized, left alone or without helpful mentoring; attention to more housing for the elderly; and exploring the possibilities for a City Hall “Elder Ombudsman” or “Elder Advocate;
6. Sustainability - e.g., as more than a cost savings way to express our concern for the planet thorough actions, not just words
7. Infrastructure - e.g., making noise about “timely” repair of winter pot-holes and broken sidewalks, many of which require an elected “gadfly”; also redoing water pipes and sewer pipes, which is a City responsibility;
8. Public safety - e.g., providing our fine police and fire departments with increased 21st Century training funds, up-to-date equipment needs and a diversity of new officers;
9. Oversight of City services for residents with limited resources- e.g., all the help an altruistic community can reasonably deliver; and
10. Commitment to Rape Aggression Defense training (RAD) -e.g., within our schools and elsewhere for younger and older women; etc.