Newton Residents Speak Out In Support of Ken Parker

In response to a recent TAB article about Alderman Parker's prior employer, Newton residents are speaking out at an unprecedented level in the TAB letters page in support of Ken Parker's innovative vision and comprehensive plan for the City.  They are encouraging fellow community members to bring change to Newton by voting for Ken Parker on September 15. 

The Newton TAB has created a dedicated page (click here) for the letters they received this week, and excerpts can be found below.

During the time we served together on the board, Ken and I differed on fundamental issues. But we worked together effectively and amicably, acknowledging our differences and our common ground, too. (When I was stepping off the board, Ken and I docketed together, among other things, an item seeking to create a WiFi coverage program for Newton). In all that time, Ken remained what he is: passionate, ambitious, deeply interested in the fine print (where the problems are), trustworthy and imaginative.

Robert Gerst, Former Alderman, Ward 1

Openness to diverse opinions has been at the core of the Parker campaign, and a synthesis of those opinions forms the cornerstone of Alderman Parker’s campaign platform. As one of his constituents for many years, I have always found Ken Parker to be unusually receptive, responsive and reliable.

Arthur Tischler, Newton Highlands

I grew up in Newton and still follow news from my old home town-as my sister and father still live there. I understand that Ken Parker is running for mayor of Newton, and I’m writing to recommend Ken as an excellent candidate. 

David Kagan, Spring Lane

Ken Parker is the only forward-looking candidate who knows how to run this city.

Don Quinn, Chestnut Hill

The Ken Parker I know is a leader. He has consistently impressed me and everyone around him with his cool head and his innovative spirit. He has, time and time again, demonstrated the maturity to marshal the forces of what has grown into a campaign of hundreds of volunteers and supporters and guide them towards running the best-run campaign this City has seen for a very long time. He has reached out to businesses and schools, across village centers and city corners, and impressed upon all those who will listen to him his maturity, his common sense, and his love of Newton and all those housed within its borders. He will make a great mayor.

Paul Jones, Auburndale

To read why others support Ken Parker's candidacy for Mayor of Newton, please click here.

Ken Parker Calls for Reopening of Newton's Book Swap and Electronics Recycling Center

In a column in today's NewtonTAB, Alderman Ken Parker calls on the City of Newton's Department of Public Works to reopen the Rumford Ave book swap and electronics recycling centers.

New England has a long tradition of encouraging re-use of unwanted items at town dumps. In some of our neighboring cities and towns, so-called “transfer stations” have been extremely successful and have not been limited to books and electronics.

Re-use is actually a more environmentally sound alternative than recycling. The recycling process requires energy and involves chemicals that can result in toxic waste byproducts. It is therefore better for an old computer to be re-used than for it to be broken down into its component parts and recycled. Even reusing circuits, optical drives and memory chips is a better alternative than recycling them.

Currently, only 35% of Newton's waste stream is recycled.  There's a great deal of room for improvement; sharing old books and recycling electronics are just two ways Newton residents can help reduce the City's environmental impact.  As Mayor, Ken Parker would look to dramatically boost recycling rates, and has proposed a recycling rate goal of 75% by 2015.  To learn more about his plan, please click here.

Parker, Elected Officials and Candidates Write to Mayor Cohen, Request Implemention of Critical Capital Improvements, Draw Globe Coverage

Alderman Ken Parker was joined by more than a dozen elected officials and candidates for the Board and School Committee this week in calling on Mayor David Cohen to implement critical capital improvements outlined in the FY10 Capital Impovement Plan and recommended by the Citizen Advisory Group. 

Alderman Parker wrote in the letter:

We are writing as current Newton elected officials and candidates for elected office in Newton to ask that you reconsider your recent decision not to allow additional School Department bonding during Fiscal Year 2010. While we understand your desire to limit total borrowing, we counsel against pitting the need for classroom space against the need to replace aging boilers, windows, and roofs. We believe that the return on investment in energy savings alone more than justifies the replacement work and that deferring it because of pressing space needs is short-sighted. We respectfully request that you reconsider your decision and allow bonding for both the modular classrooms and the capital items on the original school Fiscal Year 2010 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) list.

The Boston Globe covered the request and the Cohen Administration's response:

Parker said the additional borrowing could be funded through the energy savings that will result from improvements like new doors and windows.

“From the energy savings, we can pay back the bonds without negatively impacting the operating budget one iota,” Parker said.

But Solomon said an energy savings firm is studying the energy efficiency of school and city buildings and that the city should base its decisions on the results of that study.

“In time they’ll be able to provide invaluable information and guidelines for how we ought to improve the efficiencies of our public buildings,” Solomon said. “It’s far from a back-of-the-envelope analysis.”

Parker said school officials have already concluded that the improvements would save money and that it would be a mistake to wait on them. He also pointed to the April report of the influential Citizen Advisory Group, which recommended spending more money to maintain the city’s infrastructure.

“Basically what we’re saying is that we’re going to waste energy and let our buildings continue to deteriorate,” Parker said.

In a Parker Administration, preventive maintenance will be a priority, saving Newton taxpayers money and keeping our infrastructure in good working condition.  To learn more about Ken Parker's plans for maintenance and capital improvements, please click here, and let Ken know if you have any questions.

In Recent Candidate Forums, Parker Calls On Mayor to Implement Badly Needed Capital Improvements for Schools

Alderman Ken Parker has been a consistent and strong advocate for long-term planning that includes a committment to regular maintenance. As one example, in recent mayoral candidate forums hosted by the Newton PTO Council, NewTV and the Newton TAB, Ken Parker has taken a strong stand against Mayor Cohen's decision not to allow additional School Department bonding during FY 2010.  This decision will prevent badly-needed capital improvements from taking place in favor of the installation of modular classrooms at several schools in Newton.  This may address short-term space issues, but the cost to Newton taxpayers as a result of the deferred maintenance will be much higher.

"While I understand your desire to limit total borrowing, we believe that it is inappropriate to pit classroom space needs against the replacement of aging boilers, windows, and roofs. We believe that the return on investment in energy savings alone more than justifies this work and that deferring it because of pressing space needs is short-sighted."

- Alderman Ken Parker

Long-term planning for effective maintenance of Newton's capital assets will be a hallmark of a Parker Administration.  To read more about his plan, please click here.