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© 2021 The Somerville Times. All rights reserved.
By William C. Shelton
(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)
In April, journalists Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen published Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign.One of their revelations has gotten me thinking about this year’s Somerville election.
They report that month-after-monthneither Clinton nor her top aides could articulate a vision for her candidacy. They could not put togethera cogent explanation for why Americans should vote for her in particular.
All candidacies need this, and it becomes all the more important when a candidate is challenging an incumbent. The challenger must offer a compelling reason for why voters should remove someone whom they previously put in office. Yet in several Somerville races it’s difficult for me to understand what such a reason might be. And that’s not from lack of trying.
For this column,I will focus on my own Ward 3—Prospect, Spring, and Central Hills and Union Square. Here, both candidates are progressive Democrats whose biographical differences evoke reflection onthe demographic changes that are taking place in their political party and in our city.
For over forty years the Democratic Party has increasingly abandoned working people in favor of well-educated and relatively affluent creative-class and knowledge workers. Seizing this opportunity, Republicans mobilized culture-war tactics to woo millions of White working people who voted for Trump in November, while many working people of color stayed home.
Meanwhile in Somerville, younger and educated professionals are increasingly displacing older working people and their children. Millennials now account for 44% of our population, as opposed to 21% for the nation.
Ward 3 Alderman Bob McWatters’ roots are in Old Somerville. His father worked at Somerville’s swimming pool and skating rink. His family of six shared a two-bedroom Spring Hill apartment, where he experienced episodic violence growing up, and where he still lives. His grandmother was a source of emotional stability and encouraged him to attend U Mass Boston. He subsequently earned a MPA degree at Northeastern and now works as a probation officer.
Ben Ewen-Campen, Bob’s challenger, grew up in Cambridge, where he was raised by caring and well-educated parents—his father, an economist, and his mother, a sculptor. He graduated from Swarthmore College in 2006 and earned a biology PhD from Harvard in 2014. He currently works at Harvard Medical School, where his research interests include molecular, evolutionary and cell biology. His work has been extensively published.
While they both advocate progressive policies, they took different routes to their progressivism. For Ben, it was the worldview of the home in which he grew up. From an early age he was exposed to articulate people who could talk persuasively about the need for systemic change. I’m not suggesting that he uncritically imbibed these ideas. He is too smart for that. But these modes of thought were immediately available for his consideration.
They were not for Bob. He became active at a time in which Somerville’s political culture was often dominated by personal relationships and favor trading, and he worked within the world in which he found himself. But his efforts to make a difference for constituents of all stripes began to reveal how the accepted ways of doing things were not providing the best outcomes for those constituents. And he sought out and listened carefully to those with new ideas and the evidence to back them up.
I like Ben. Like Bob, he is both a nice man and a good man. But I haven’t heard a persuasive case as to why Ben should replace Bob, who is considered by many to be the most responsive and effective alderman in delivering constituent services.
In his campaign literature, Ben states that he has been active in the politics of Union Square development. Yet I don’t recall seeing him at any of the scores of Union Square planning meetings held over the last three years. And I never heard him propose a specific planning guideline or development policy.
I did see Bob at those meetings—listening intently. And when it came time to make policy, he advocated for a requirement that 20% of units in major housing developments be affordable. He’s been a leader in instituting a development linkage fee to support local job training. He was one of only three aldermen—along with Matt McLaughlin and Katjana Ballantyne—who voted to require that 50% of new Union Square development be job- and tax-generating office and R&D uses.
Ben states that he is “Passionate about social justice, immigrant rights, and climate change…” and I believe him. But I know that Bob’s leadership was critical in hiring an arborist to defend Somerville’s green canopy and that he successfully advocated for a ban on styrofoam containers and plastic bags. I know that Bob has supported strengthening the city’s LGBTQ protections.
While I know Ben to be honest, I find that some subset of his supporters tend to substitute ideology for investigating what they are talking about. I’ve heard some say that Bob is taking campaign money from developers. He is not.
I’ve heard some say that Bob is a tool of the mayor. This would come as a surprise to Joe Curtatone.
I emphasize that it is not Ben who is saying these things. But when his canvassers include people who live in Brighton and Cambridge, and when much of his campaign contributions are from people who live in Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, Chicago, Berkeley, and New Orleans, it’s not surprising that statements made by people who substitute ideology for direct knowledge get repeated.
Somerville is in a period of rapid and challenging change that will only accelerate. I am pleased that caring and talented people like Ben want to contribute to our wisely managing these changes. I would be even more pleased if those stepping up had paid the dues required to develop a deep understanding of the community that they propose to represent.
In Shattered, Parnes and Allen report that as the Hillary Clinton campaign became increasingly stumped for a rationale, some top aides proposed, “Because it’s her turn,” as a rallying cry.
I am open to being persuaded that any incumbent alderman should be replaced. But to be persuaded, I need something more than, “Because it’s his turn.”
If you found this article of interest, please consider sharing it.
Bill:
This is a thoughtful and well-reasoned assessment of the race in Ward 3. You and I may not always agree, but I am in complete accord with your views here — including the ones about Ben Ewen-Campen being a good, honorable and well-intentioned candidate.
But Bob McWatters has been, and continues to be, an effective, pragmatic, independent and courageous embodiment of Ward 3’s progressive values. He’s a workhorse, not a showhorse. I am proud to be supporting his campaign for reelection.
Great perspective from Mr. Shelton. The Democratic party has strayed from their values and continually failed to represent the working middle class (especially recently – hence why there is a maniac in the WH now) all the while they move further to the left leaving the middle class with no representation.
Mr. Ewen-Campen’s Campaign is being funded and influenced by out-of-state money from NY and CA (see below). Is that really the sort of influence we want in our local Ward elections as community members/voters of Ward 3? I know I do not want my quality of life dictated by some CA Elitist who can afford to make a $1,000 donation to a local civic election some 3,000 miles away.
$1,000.00
5/25/2017 Bonnell, Victoria
825 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley, CA 94707 Unemployed
Unemployed
5/14/2017 Evans, Claryce
98 Orchard St. Somerville, MA 02144 Unemployed
Unemployed
Check $100.00
5/14/2017 Ewen, Paul
20 Plaza Street East Brooklyn, NY 11238 Video Editor
Self-employed
Check $50.00
5/14/2017 Ewen, Paul
20 Plaza Street East Brooklyn, NY 11238 Video Editor
Self-employed
Check $50.00
5/14/2017 Moy, Olympia
233 Prospect Pl #2b New York, ny 11238 School Director
School Director
Check $100.00
5/14/2017 Scully, Rebecca
17 Cordis St Apt 3 Charlestown, MA 02129 Physician
Partner
Check $80.00
5/14/2017 Shapiro, Larry
11 Riverside Drive Apt. 11 New York, NY 10009 Associate Director For Program Development
Rockefeller Family Fund
check $100.00
5/14/2017 Sullivan-singh, Sarah
219 Nw 41st Street Seattle, WA 98107 Psychologist Independent Practice
Sarah Sullivan-singh Inc
Check $100.00
5/14/2017 Tolentino, Ana
7503 Elgar Street Springfield, VA 22151 Unemployed
Unemployed
Check $100.00
5/25/2017 Backer, Michael
56 Leonard Street Apt 31ae New York, NY 10013 Attorney
Greenbaumrowe
6/8/2017 Backer, Stephen
211 Berkeley Place Apt 2 Brooklyn, NY 11217 Creative Director
Eko
Check $500.00
6/8/2017 Backer, Ellie
211 Berkeley 2 Brooklyn, NY 11217 Program Director
Jewish Food Society
Check $500.00
6/2/2017 Barnet, Anna
25 1/2 Boston St. Somerville, MA 02143 Editor
Museum of Fine Arts
Check $132.00
6/2/2017 Chapman, Rebecca
72 E. 93 St. New York, NY 10128 Public Defender
The Bronx Defenders
Check $66.60
6/2/2017 Crall, James
52 Vinal Ave Somerville, MA 02143 Biologist
Harvard University
Check $100.00
6/2/2017 Davies, Margery
35 William St. Cambridge, MA 02139 Retired
Retired
Check $100.00
6/8/2017 Deutchman, Jeff
2430 Kent St. Los Angeles, CA 90026 Film Distribution
Neon
Check $100.00
6/8/2017 Gerrantana, Frank
632 Massachusetts Ave. #214 Cambridge, MA 02139 Attorney
Fish & Richardson
Check $200.00
6/2/2017 Kiehling, Jennifer
266 Windsor St. #3 Somerville, MA 02144 Systems Analyst
Blackbaud
Check $100.00
6/8/2017 Kurz, Leonard
Po Box 27 Piermont, NY 10968 Producer
Forest Creatures Entertainment
Check $500.00
6/2/2017 Lavallee, Matt
58 Garrison Avenue Somerville, MA 02144 Administrator
Free Software Foundation
Check $100.00
6/2/2017 Leone, Lauren
9 Park Place Somerville, MA 02143 Art Therapist
Self Employed
Check $100.00
6/8/2017 Mohr, Stephanie
373 Cardinal Medeiros Ave. Unit 2 Cambridge, MA 02141 Biologist
Harvard Medical School
Check $100.00
6/2/2017 Moore, Athena
32 Warren Ave. #2 Somerville, MA 02143 Community Manager
Autodesk
Check $200.00
6/2/2017 Paintal, Surjeet
16 Princeton Street #2 Somerville, MA 02144 Engineer
Busek Co. Inc.
Check $100.00
6/8/2017 Patel, Nihal
512 Washington Ave. Apt 2 Brooklyn, NY 11238 Attorney
Cadwalder Wickersham & Taft Llp
Check $51.00
6/2/2017 Pudlo, David
23 Summit Ave. Somerville, MA 02143 Mechanical Engineer
Loci Controls
Check $100.00
6/8/2017 Shapiro, Will
23 East 10th Street Apt. 803 New York, NY 10003 Data Scientist
Topos
Check $100.00
6/8/2017 Shapiro, Robert
160 Riverside Drive Apt 6a New York, NY 10024 Unemployed
Unemployed
Check $100.00
6/2/2017 Tuthill, John
834 Nw 59th St. Apt. 1 Seattle, WA 98107 Biologist
University of Washington
Check $69.00
6/2/2017 Urrunaga, Cesar
45 Oxford Street Somerville, MA 02143 Avp – Product Development
J P Morgan
Check $100.00
5/25/2017 Ewen, Phyllis
17 Kelley Rd. Cambridge, MA 02139 Artist
Self Employed
Check $25.00
5/25/2017 Ewen, Phyllis
17 Kelly Rd. Cambridge, MA 02139 Artist
Self-employed
Check $500.00
5/25/2017 Gintz, Michael
9 Park Place Somerville, MA 02143 Experience Designer
Velir
Check $500.00
5/25/2017 Grunko, Michael
51 Berkeley St #1 Somerville, MA 02143 Retired
Retired
Check $200.00
5/25/2017 Horowitz, Jason
1754 W Division St. Chicago, IL 60622 Director
Anderson Economic Group
Check $100.00
5/17/2017 Palmer, Luned
893 Sterling Pl 2 Brooklyn, NY 11216 Museum Educator
Self Employed
Credit Card $101.00
5/25/2017 Perez, David
1625 W Howard St. Apt. 31 Chicago, IL 60626 Senior Enrollment Coordinator
Cvs Health
Check $69.00
5/17/2017 Redfield-jamison, Kay
2745 Brandywine St. Nw Washington, DC 20008 Professor
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Check $500.00
5/25/2017 Sanneman, Carrie
4320 Se 46th Ave. Portland, OR 97602 Program Manager
Willamette Partnership
Check $100.00
5/17/2017 Smith, Alan
475 Saint Marks Ave #10b Brooklyn, NY 11238 Organizer
Roosevelt Institute Campus Network
Credit Card $100.00
5/25/2017 Stagl, Elizabeth
20 Spring Hill Terrace Somerville, MA 02143 Self Employed
Cambridge Naturals
Check $100.00
5/25/2017 Tintori, Raymond
538 6th Street Brooklyn, NY 11215 Director
Self Employed
Check $150.00
I was honestly a skeptic of Bob McWatters when he first ran for Aldermen, but he’s won me over with his sincere and honest commitment to listening to his constituents and delivering results on their behalf. Having recently watched him in action during the lengthy Union Square zoning meetings, i can attest to his progressive values and willingness to fight for all of the residents of Ward 3. We’re lucky to have such an honest, hardworking Alderman on our side.
Thank you to Bill for this well written and thoughtful article. Bob has shown himself to be a true public servant, willing to take the time to listen to the concerns and the aspirations of his constituents and make what they care about this own priorities. From big issues like zoning to small issues such as speeding traffic, Bob has been a sincere advocate for us and our neighbors. In a political climate that can be contentious at times, Bob has been a breath of fresh air with his focus on getting things done that make life a little better for all of us. Ward 3 is indeed fortunate that Bob is willing to serve for another term, and I am excited to support him and to see what the next two years will bring.
Ben Ewen-Campen did come by my house a few weeks ago, not asking for my vote, but basically alluding to his nonsensical claims that developers in Somerville have some politicians in their pocket. Please show me some proof..!! He just didn’t have any new ideas or offer any plan to make me want to make him my Alderman.
On the other hand Bob McWatters has been a pro-active, sensible and reliable Alderman for Ward three. He not only will return your phone call that day or the next but, on many occasions, will show up at your house to try and resolve any issue you may be concerned about. I have not had a bad experience dealing with Bob nor I have heard any of my neighbors complain about him. There is no reason to change our Alderman at this critical point in our city’s history. Not one. I guess the old adage ” don’t fix it if it ain’t broken” says it all about this race.
Once again Bill thank you for another insightful and educational article..!!
In this last round of zoning, many of the most progressive changes were proposed by the aldermen of Wards 5, 6, and 7. Much of this advocacy came from long-time constituents who have been working since the beginning of US2’s development on green space and affordability. That’s not to minimize Bob’s hard work throughout the process. But the measure isn’t really how much you listen; it’s where you decide to act.
Ben Ewen-Campen is driven by facts, not ideology. He hasn’t been around for all of these fights, but he’s been in the thick of it where it counts. He is knowledgeable and honest and has pushed for more open politics around the transformative districts. He understands the precarity that many younger voters face, whether they’ve lived here for five years or thirty. His supporters are passionate and they are Somerville local. I’m proud to count myself among them.
Oh yeah. Very well written and thoughtful. Except, of course, for the obligatory sideswipe at Sec. Clinton’s candidacy. “Shattered” is a half-baked hatchet job, as every adult with their head out of that special dark place knows. Glad to know you’re enjoying the current regime so much though.
Based on what I observed at the Somerville Labor Coalition Candidate Night, there are some first-time candidates that need to up their preparation game and really differentiate themselves from their opponents. All too often I heard, “I absolutely agree” when responding to their opponent’s answer. This left observers confused and unimpressed.
Furthermore, for people who are so passionate about affordable housing, I see very little published on HOW they plan to make Somerville more affordable. I am interested to see concrete ideas that haven’t been proposed already or tip-toe around resurrecting rent control. Thankfully, I didn’t have to take a shot of Vodka every time Joe Lynch had to ask, “how” at the Candidate Night. I would have been on my face by the time the Aldermen At Large took the stage.
It’s so easy to take the role of Monday morning quarterback when you don’t have the pressures of game day, an overbearing coach and belligerent fans filling your head at the most critical moment.
I have interacted very little with Bob though I’ve lived in Ward 3 for four years. However, I did have a problem recently, and I sent him an email. Almost immediately he replied and told me to call him to sort everything out as soon as possible. And I didn’t even think the issue was that big a deal, but he made himself accessible as needed.
There are multiple roles for an Alderman/woman. Of course affecting the budget, zoning, and what not are very important, but so are constituent services. Bob seems to care about all of them. As Bill has stated in his article, this is Somerville so everyone in elected office is some form of Democrat on the progressive spectrum. So the question is what actually separates the candidates and what would make us want to try someone new.
So far most of what I have heard from Ben Ewen-Campen are ideological platitudes. His campaign literature talks primarily about housing affordability but doesn’t propose solutions. And I doubt there’s any Alderman/woman who doesn’t care about housing affordability – but I need to know an actual possible solution that doesn’t cause its own problems. Demanding 40% affordable housing mandate is not the solution.
The other issue Ben talks about is corporate money out of politics. I can’t tell if he is implying Bob takes real estate developer money, but I’m not sure how Ben is going to stop people from freely donating money to politicians as many out of State people have given to Ben’s campaign, presumably because of Indivisible, Our Revolution, or the like. Furthermore, it seems like a lot of his campaigners are from outside of Somerville anyway.
I follow Ben’s campaign’s Twitter and Facebook. Most of the Twitter is virtue signaling his progressive stances on national politics. That’s all well and good, but it does nothing for Somerville on the local level. I follow his posts on Facebook on issues in Union Square. The fact that he supported the yes vote on the poorly designed Union Square Neighborhood Council vote to ratify interim Council bylaws suggests he does not understand the subtle issues at hand to truly unite the community. The fact that he would have voted no on the Union Square zoning overlay in June is enough to scare me out of voting for him. I want development without displacement but we as a community have to stay involved with every step of the process and not just protest everything like a barricade.
Ben could still convince me to vote for him, but he’d have to actually give me a reason to. Katie stated: “Ben Ewen-Campen is driven by facts, not ideology. ” Well I need facts, and Ben needs to do a better job using them to convince me because most of what I’ve seen so far is progressive platitudes, not novel ideas for progress.
“Furthermore, for people who are so passionate about affordable housing, I see very little published on HOW they plan to make Somerville more affordable.”
Like why is Ward 1 Alderman, who made affordable housing a prime part of his candidacy opposing new apartments on Broadway, easy walk to Sullivan, that would have 6 or more affordable units?
It is in the right place for this type of density.
The same reason he wanted all office in federal realty’s building that would’ve resulted in 60 affordable units. He’s a moron.
“The same reason he wanted all office in federal realty’s building that would’ve resulted in 60 affordable units. He’s a moron.”
Basically, I know of half a dozen people he has blocked from twitter.
News flash Little Matty, that puts you in the same boat as Trump!
http://www.npr.org/2017/06/07/531945516/free-speech-legal-center-threatens-to-sue-trump-for-blocking-twitter-users
Matthew McLaughlin is no different a bully than Trump!
Agree completely Louis, Matt McLaughlin loves to dish it out but can not take even a spoonful of it himself.
He should learn to treat others the way he wants to be treated.
We need someone to step up in ward 1, and I don’t mean Elio. Can someone please, please, please convince Bill Roche to run again?? This ward has been severely underserved since his departure.
Matt has been a massive disappointment. He is standoffish, defensive and a bit rude to be honest.
He does hold developers to high standards, Which is great. Unless it’s The Somerville Community Corp. They are allowed to have stalled developments without any repercussions. They also seem to get his support regardless of size and scope of the project.
“Like why is Ward 1 Alderman, who made affordable housing a prime part of his candidacy opposing new apartments on Broadway, easy walk to Sullivan, that would have 6 or more affordable units?”
He’s just against everything. Doesn’t want anything built anywhere. Basically just trolls around for disgruntled neighbors and cozies up to them.
Sounds like everyone agrees Matt McLaughlin needs to go.
Wonder how big a rant he goes on when he loses.
I’m shocked — shocked! — that a thread that starts out endorsing Bob McWatters ends by trashing Matt McLaughlin.
Re: East End Grill: Yeah, it would be nice to get the housing right here right now, but it’s also important to think of the whole block and how that development is going to impact others down the road. (to Travis: I think maybe you need to go back and check your facts on how the Federal Realty waiver went down. That building was never going to be an office building to my knowledge, at least not in the current plan for Block 8).
Matt stuck to his guns on Union Square — everyone hated it, complained about it, thought the process was backwards, thought it was spot zoning, wanted to see a better set of plans. He’s the only one who voted against it. He’s also one of very few who voted *for* higher percentages on commercial (voting with Bob), and *for* the full 30% green and open space (which, if I’m remembering right, Bob did not support).
There were a lot of great line-item improvements, but Union Square zoning as a whole was not good. Matt made it clear that he wanted a better process. We’d all be better served, as constituents, if we insisted on that more often.
So it looks like there is some kind of concerted smear campaign here about Matt McLaughlin. Sounds like some City Hall shills and developer trolls.
Must be because he’s an effective alderman and some of his political enemies don’t like that.
Somerfall, have you actually talked to Matt or seen him at work?
I am a resident who has no ties to developers or really interest in development in general, and as for the Mayor, I disagree with him more than I agree.
Having talked to Matt I find him to one of those people who is either ignorant or a liar.
In talking to him about pending votes, he has misrepresented the bills claiming they would do things that even a cursory reading shows they do not and trying to point this out to him, in a very civil and conversational manner lead quickly to anger from him.
I have no use for the man and no wish to see him continue as Alderman.
I think you are mistaking consensus for conspiracy.
Katie and Somerfall, when Fatt Matt is on the losing end of every 11-1 or 10-2 or 9-3 vote then he is the common denominator. Unfortunately for Ward one residents he doesn’t understand city government or how to get along to get things done. His anger issues affect his effectiveness. Please name me one piece of effective legislation that Fatt Matt sponsored that passed on the board of alderman?
Hey Katie, wanna see trashing people? Read Matt’s twitter feed. Theres some trashing for you.
As someone who had awful comments made about everything from my height to my sexual orientation when I served as an Alderman, it would be nice to just refer to Matthew by his first name or his title: Alderman McLaughlin. The best time and place for body shaming is never and nowhere.
Katie, it would be nice to think of the whole block, but unless the city is thinking of using eminent domain like it did in Union Sq, the reality is that most of the rest of the development in this city is going to be piecemeal.
The Planing Dept usually tries to get adjacent lots to be cohesive when possible, but if one owner is ready for redevelopment and the others are not, what good options are there?
As for Matt, I still consider him to be a complete and total bully with no place in government.
@NMRN – “Fatt Matt,” eh? You’re a real class act aren’t you?
Matt just got endorsed by the Somerville Labor Coalition.
Do you think the SLC would endorse somebody who “doesn’t understand city government?”
Back to your cave, knuckle-dragger.
Katie, maybe Matt could get off his butt and do citywide zoning, then it wouldn’t have been spot zoning in Union Square. Yet he drags his feet on everything. Even in Union we don’t have the zoning yet that would let me do basic home improvement.
And his stance on Union was nonsensical, as is Union United’s. There’s a finite amount of space. You have to find a working balance on commercial, open space and residential. I don’t want to live in a Kendall Square knockoff that’s overly commercial. Likewise, if you cut down the housing too much, it means less affordable housing and, my issue, less diverse housing (other issue, negotiate for a high percentage of locally-owned businesses on the retail end of things).
‘Do you think the SLC would endorse somebody who “doesn’t understand city government?”’
Yes, I do. If they made the right promises.
I do agree with Courtney but Matt should speak to and about people with respect
Courtney, you are correct, I apologize. I should not stoop to his level. From this point forward I will not stoop to that level. Thanks Courtney.
“Katie, maybe Matt could get off his butt and do citywide zoning, then it wouldn’t have been spot zoning in Union Square.”
This is the whole board. Cities that asked us for advice after we started the process have already passed their new zoning based on the work our planning board did and we still haven’t.
We are not progressing. All the Aldermen have been complaining the new Zoning will cause problems, but the problems still seem to be a whole lot better than what we have now and may help make future development more cohesive instead of random patchwork, even if done separately and over time.
We could use common sense like Courtney’s on the alderman board.
Endorsing Bob to trashing Matt to endorsing Courtney…at least we ended on a happy note.
All would be better served if politics on all levels were more civil, respectful and on the up and up. But politics these days is a nasty blood sport of sorts.
These factors cause many competent and well-intentioned people to shy away from politics and public office.
I don’t know the Ward One Alderman, but he will be judged by his constituents on election day. Kudos to Courtney for being a voice of reason.
“This is the whole board. Cities that asked us for advice after we started the process have already passed their new zoning based on the work our planning board did and we still haven’t.
“We are not progressing. All the Aldermen have been complaining the new Zoning will cause problems, but the problems still seem to be a whole lot better than what we have now and may help make future development more cohesive instead of random patchwork, even if done separately and over time.”
Yep. The biggest problem is our current zoning allows the aldermen to control everything, because you can’t do much of anything by right. They like the power, but it really only benefits the people who can spend or schmooze enough to make the system work for them. It’s an ego trip for the aldermen. Matt seems like one of the worst because he’s just trolling around trying to use various projects for political advantage rather than putting in place some rules that would get us planned, targeted, sensible development.