Candidates Questionnaire - Lawrence Adkins

1. Many residents feel that their property taxes are too high, and that because of this they cannot afford to buy a house or rent an apartment to stay in Cambridge. How can we make sure that property taxes keep the city affordable while providing the city with the tax base it needs?

The consequences of any city budget should be exposed to the light of day. Bottom line expenditures do not represent knowledgeable understanding. Because it is on paper doesn’t tell us who or how much each person is going to pay. Another side is what happens if a resident is unable to make payment.

2. How can we make public transportation better in Cambridge and what can the City Council do to encourage residents to use public transportation?

If we are only attempting to make transportation in Cambridge better for its residents, why are our universities transporting only their own students and staff? Their buses are stopping on our streets, at public bus stops and in our neighborhoods. We should be able to ride their buses. The Urban Ring is not the answer.

3. What can the city do to make sure that future negotiations with the city’s unions are fair to workers?

Somehow I remember a program called Sensitivity Interaction that caused some hard feelings at City Hall which prevented not just the residents of Cambridge from finding out what was being complained about but also the newspaper. When the city’s redacted version was released, what was there to read? All Union negotiations should be out in the open.

4. Cambridge is one of the centers of high-tech innovation in the country. What can the City Council do to encourage innovation and take advantage of new technology while keeping the city affordable for its residents?

Can the City Council provide or ensure high-tech innovators of quality job applicants? The City Council should examine the intent of all “innovators” and continuously evaluate their commitment to the City and its inhabitances.

5. What will you do to take advantage of the unique educational resources provided by the Cambridge’s universities while preventing university development that threatens working families?

Let all of the Universities pay the same rate of taxes that all Cambridge residents pay. The time of “ in lieu of” is long past. Just have them pay the same rate all residents complain about and let the Council spend it.

6. What can City Council do to ensure that future development is not environmentally harmful?

Require that all developers invest in improving the environment by paying for additional required infrastructure. The developers should pay for reducing the total current burden and eliminating any added burden. Do not generate more pollution and waste.

Lawrence J. Adkins
mrljadkins@msn.com