Edward J. Sullivan
2009 Candidate for Cambridge City Council
Home address:
40 Ellery St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Contact information:
Tel:
website: www.sullivanforcambridge.com
e-mail: sullivanforcambridge@gmail.com
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Committee To Elect Edward J. Sullivan
2329 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA. 02140
I've spent most of my life in Cambridge. I grew up on Ellery Street, lived on Homer Avenue, and recently moved back to Ellery Street. I attended Longfellow grammar school, and Cambridge Rindge and Latin. In high school I played both football and basketball; playing alongside Patrick Ewing when we won the state championship in 1980. After graduating high school I accepted a scholarship to play football at the University of Iowa. After two years of playing in the Big 10, including appearances in the Rose Bowl and the Peach Bowl, I decided to return to New England and finish my football career at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where I earned a degree in Sports Management.
After college, I worked for Poland Springs as a route salesman, and worked my way up to become Northeast Regional Manager. At the same time, I served as Middlesex County Commissioner, until the seat was dissolved by the state. Currently, I work as a facility consultant for The Durkin Company. My professional work experience, along with my political background, instilled in me the importance of listening to people, whether they be customers or constituents, and to respond promptly and respectfully to their needs.
I am deeply committed to ensuring our children are given every opportunity to succeed. As the proud father of two children - Clare, 17, and Eddie, 16 - I understand the importance of youth programs like sports leagues and after-school activities as an effective way to help keep young people safe and focused, and help them build self-confidence. As Cambridge City Councilor, I will work tirelessly to establish and promote the development of youth programs throughout the city.
Simply put, I'm the City Council candidate who has it ALL:
Accountability to the residents of Cambridge and a willingness to go the extra mile to ensure their concerns are not just listened to, but are heard and addressed.
Leadership that will stand up for the issues that serve the people in our community, not political interests or strategies.
Loyalty and dedication to the City Council's responsibilities to the people of Cambridge. This position will not be a political spring board to help me achieve bigger, better goals. It is my goal. The chance to represent the people of Cambridge and help make their quality of life better is what I consider to be the best opportunity.
I am always just a phone call away to answer your questions and concerns, or to lend a hand in any way. You can reach me on my cell phone at (617) 406-8574, or at Sullivan headquarters, 2329 Mass Ave., (617) 354-0135.
We need city councilors who understand the issues that matter to the citizens they represent; who will be a voice for the people of our community to the City Council; and who are dedicated to finding the best solutions for our city.
I ask for your #1 vote for City Councilor on Tuesday, November 3.
Thank you,
Eddie Sullivan
Vote Sullivan for #1 on Tuesday, November 3
Because everyone deserves a voice
ISSUES
Every candidate has a responsibility to explain their stance on the
important issues affecting our city. Below are my thoughts and ideas about
three important issues that I believe affect all of us as Cambridge
residents.
However, a general, broad-based answer can't effectively address ALL the specific concerns of every individual citizen. Moreover, issues such as insufficient housing, senior living facilities or environmental concerns may affect each neighborhood differently. They cannot and should not be addressed with a single, generic solution but should be handled on a personal, one-to-one basis, and consider the unique impact on each neighborhood.
I'm running for City Councilor because I am eager to get out there and talk to people about the issues that matter to them and how their neighborhoods are effected, so we can get to work finding a solution together.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Cities and towns across the country and the world are tightening their
belts in these tough economic times, cutting salaries and eliminating
staff. But Cambridge city councilors continue to accept pay raises, both
for themselves and for their personal aides. In fact, our councilors are
now among the highest paid in the country among cities with
council-manager form of government and populations between 100,000 and
250,000.
If I am elected to the City Council, I plan to introduce a proposal that would promote fiscal accountability by city councilors to their constituents, and provide much-needed funding for the city of Cambridge.
Under my proposal, those elected to office this November and thereafter will be paid 10% less than current city councilors. In addition, the city budget will no longer provide for a personal aide for each councilor.
These modest efforts will save the City of Cambridge more than $350,000 per year - money that can be used for public safety and education, and allow the city to continue providing critical public services without over-burdening taxpayers.
PUBLIC SAFETY/CRIME
Community Policing:
Crime is on the rise across the nation, and across our city.
The street robbery rate in Cambridge is increasing. The only way to combat this trend and keep every area of Cambridge safe for residents and their families is by making sure that the necessary resources are provided for law enforcement.
All around the country, cities and towns are reporting overwhelmingly positive results from using dedicated community policing. By enabling law enforcement officials to get more involved with each community, dedicated community policing helps them develop relationships with residents in the neighborhoods, and become familiar with the normal daily activities of that community. But community policing is only possible if law enforcement is provided with adequate staffing.
Cambridge is currently budgeted to have 272 number of officers, but there are only 264 sworn law enforcement agents on the city roster. It is vital that the police department is provided with the resources they need to keep our streets safe, and to pursue and prosecute criminals. However, it is equally critical that all available law enforcement positions are filled, and the department is operating at maximum staff levels, if it is to effectively handle all the criminal activity taking place throughout the city.
We all want to feel safe in our own homes, and that means making intelligent, targeted investments in our security. There are new technologies to help solve crimes, such as gunshot location equipment and sophisticated surveillance equipment. In 2008, Cambridge had homeland security cameras installed in key locations around the city, which were entirely paid for by the federal government. Unfortunately, this past February the City Council voted not to participate in the program and refused to activate the cameras. Had the cameras been activated, numerous criminal investigations could have benefited from the footage taken from those cameras. We cannot afford to miss anymore opportunities to ensure the safety of our families and our neighborhoods.
Kids in Sports Stay out of Courts:
This shouldn't just be a bumper sticker - it should be an anthem for
Cambridge's youth. Another benefit of community policing is that it helps
forge cooperative relationships between law enforcement officers and young
people. I applaud the efforts of the recently formed Youth/Family Services
Unit and the strides it has made in working with kids and their families
when they start experiencing problems. Having officers interact with and
mentor teenagers gives teens a chance to learn from and gain respect for
police officers. If a police officer can make a connection with a teen on
the basketball court, they are far less likely to see that same teen in
the future sitting in a jail cell, charged with a crime.
EDUCATION
A big round of applause is due for the school administration, the school
committee and the new school superintendent. Thanks to their hard work
over the past five to six years, we're starting to see improvements in
realize some successes in our school system.
But we cannot rest here. There is still much we need to accomplish, and if we are not diligent, we could lose some of the ground we've gained over the last few years. We must stay focused on asking the tough questions about achievement gaps and enrollment numbers, identifying which programs lead to success, and which are unnecessary drains on school resources, and prioritizing infrastructure and capital improvements that are needed.
If we work together, we can ensure our school system is moving forward with renewed optimism and confidence. We must continue to strengthen the partnerships between parents, schools, human services agencies, and public health officials, to make sure we are covering every possible avenue to help our children succeed.
The suggested topics for this year also include:
4) Traffic, Parking, and Transportation:
6) Government and Elections (Plan E Charter, City Manager, staff for councillors, etc.):
7) Land Use, Planning, Zoning, Density:
8) Economic Development and Commerce:
9) Human Services Programs (including youth programs and senior programs):
10) Open Space, Parks, and Recreation:
11) Energy, the Environment, and Public Health:
12) Housing:
13) Arts and Public Celebrations:
14) University Relations:
15) Civic Participation: