Cambridge City Council Race: A Voter's Guide to the Candidates

With election day fast approaching, Cambridge City Council hopefuls say their year-long campaign efforts are finally reaching a crescendo.

Michael A. Baldasaro wants to carry on the legacy of his grandfather, Mayor Emeritus Alfred E. Vellucci--the father of rent control in Cambridge.

"I have to be the protector of rent control," says Baldasaro, who is endorsed as the number one candidate by the Cambridge Tenants' Union.

Baldasaro says Harvard's contribution to the city will have to be reevaluated in the future, but he is confident that, like his grandfather, he can keep the city's non-profits in line.

The 39-year-old, life-long resident of East Cambridge is also interested in providing for the basic needs of all his constituents.

"We need to work with our children, we need homes for the homeless and we need police and an educational system," says Baldasaro.

William Becze has been an actor and performer in Cambridge for nearly 15 years.

Although he says he has never been involved in politics, Becze says he feels it is time for a change in City Hall.

"I've been going door to door talking with people," Becze says, "But I've found it hard to raise funds."

If elected, Becze says he will strive for consensus on the narrowly divided city council.

"Israel and the Arabs can do it," Becze says.

Gloria M. Beeks, 63, wants the concerns of Area Four residents to be heard.

"I'm running for city council because coming from Area Four, we have not had a voice in the city council," says Beeks, a member of the Area Four Crime Task Force and the Area Four Youth Center.

Citing the proposal to place a homeless shelter for alcoholics in Area Four, Beeks says, "We've suffered a lot of discrimination with being dumped at."

Beeks says that what the people of her neighborhood want is affordable housing and not commercial buildings. But Beeks, who is endorsed by the Alliance for Change, does not support rent control without a means test.

Beeks has lived in Cambridge since 1973. She has been raising two of her grandsons since the death of one of her daughters in 1991 and received an award for her work for surviving children of an AIDS victim.

Thomas W. Beer, 49, says he doesn't have an agenda.

"If I'm elected to city council, I'll try to treat everybody with respect, listen to all sides of the question, make up my own mind and work with the rest of the city council to make the city better," Beer says.

A life-long Cambridge resident who supports rent control, Beer is not endorsed by any civic groups.

He also says he doesn't have any money to campaign, so he is making his own signs.

Kathy Born, an architect, says running for city council is a natural step in a life of civic involvement.

A resident of Cambridge for 25 years, Born has worked with Cambridge Citizens for Livable Neighborhoods and the Harvard Square Defense Fund. She is now endorsed by the progressive Cambridge Civic Association (CCA).

The 47-year-old Avon Hill resident says she would devote her time on the council to environmental, family and neighborhood preservation issues as well as securing housing, food and human rights for her constituents.

Born says rent control "is here to stay" and should be made to "work as well as possible."

She also says she supports having councillors represent districts, and she would voluntary limit her service on the council to two terms.

When Edward N. Cyr was elected to city council in 1989, his presence on the council guaranteed the progressive majority which now often determines city policy.

Cyr, who says he found his political roots while working as a community organizer in his home neighborhood of north Cambridge, wrote the city's ethics ordinance and helped to write rules for the city's parking freeze.

While not serving in his capacity as vice-mayor, Cyr is finance director of Chelsea, Mass. Cyr says that as chair of Cambridge's finance committee he has helped to cut the rate of growth in fiscal spending almost in half.

Although Cyr says he is satisfied with Cambridge finance, he finds fault with Harvard's role in the city's economy.

First, Cyr says Harvard's payment in lieu of taxes to the city is insufficient because many of the University's buildings are being used for private research purposes which should not be tax exempt.

"Harvard's payments to the city are wholly inadequate. They are simply not anything like what they should be," Cyr says.

Next, Cyr says Harvard Real Estate has damaged Cambridge's real estate market by buying up land around Harvard Square for commercial purposes.

"They are looking at institutional needs 40 years down the road," Cyr says.

Although Cyr may have a bone to pick with Harvard Real Estate, he says Harvard students are a positive force in Cambridge.

"They bring a certain kind of commitment and compassion to the city," Cyr says.

Francis H. Duehay '55 has spent most of his 22 years on the Cambridge city council defending the environment.

Duehay, who is endorsed by the Cambridge Civic Association, has worked to keep the water supply at Fresh Pond clean and to prevent the construction of Scheme Z, a 16-lane, 11-story highway interchange slated for construction through East Cambridge.

But despite his environmental concerns, Duehay does not oppose development altogether.

"We have had a very rocky history of neighborhoods fighting development," Duehay says. "If we continue the pattern, we're going to lose the kind of development that we want and the kind of jobs that we want."

The 60-year-old Neighborhood Ten resident also favors town-gown cooperation, or better relations between the city and Harvard.

Duehay says that in previous campaigns he has personally visited all Harvard students registered to vote in Cambridge and that he hopes to do the same this year.

Duehay, who is on the Phillips Brooks House Association advisory committee, says many students do not realize how much power they wield. "They're a very important part of the constituency," Duehay says.

Duehay says it is important to recognize that Harvard is not compelled to make a payment in lieu of taxes to the city. However, he thinks Harvard should give more money to Cambridge.

If Harvard paid the full tax rate, Cambridge would get $30 million more annually, he says. "I think we should get more money, and I think Harvard could afford it," he says.

Galit Dukach, 24, says local government should be a part-time job.

Dukach, who has lived in Cambridge since 1989, wants to cut the salaries of the city councillors. She is not endorsed by any civic groups and wants to serve on the council simply as a good citizen.

"My husband and I just bought a house here in Cambridge and that was a good opportunity to get involved with the community we're bringing our child into," says Dukach, who has a baby due at the end of January.

The Libertarian candidate wants to begin her campaign to reduce government intervention in the lives of Cantabrigians by phasing out rent control.

Dukach, whose brother is the youngest tenured Harvard professor, is happy with Harvard's role in the community.

Anthony D. Galluccio wants to take care of working people's needs.

"I think that there's a real need for representatives for working class people in Cambridge," says Galluccio, who is endorsed by the Alliance for Change.

Galluccio says he is pro-development because"the main needs of working class people are jobsand an economy and safe streets."

He says that many higher income people who likethe atmosphere of Cambridge forget that there areworking people here who need jobs.

"Cambridge is not a suburb. It's a city," hesays. "Cities look to attract business. Only inCambridge do we drive the businesses out."

Galluccio opposes rent control because he saysit "is not a low income housing policy" andproposes a housing subsidy program to take itsplace.

Galluccio, whose father and sister are Harvardgraduates and whose mother works for Harvard, saysthe universities make an important contribution tothe city.

Vivian Kurkjian wants to clean up the city.

Kurkjian, who has lived in Cambridge since1975, says one of the things which first struckher about this area was that the streets weredirty. "The first thing I want to do is startenforcing the litter law," she says.

Kurkjian, whose campaign literature is writtenin iambic pentameter, says she was inspired to runfor public office when she found out there was ahole in the ozone layer.

"My own belief is that it's one of theunderlying causes of AIDS and other auto-immunediseases," says the Brattle Street area resident,who is not endorsed by any civic groups.

Kurkjian is in favor of rent control, althoughshe favors modifying the restrictions onowner-occupied condominiums. Her other concernsinclude keeping dogs out of the water supply atFresh Pond and limiting the use of computers,which she says waste electricity.

Randolph L. Lowet, a veteran of the VietnamWar, wants to preserve quality of life inCambridge.

To this end, Lowet wants to keep the city's airand water clean and attract industries toCambridge which will not jeopardize the ecology ofthe city.

Lowet also wants to aggressively fight streetcrime through better policing and lighting andcombat hate crime through tough prosecutions andsentences.

In his campaign literature, the life-longCambridge calls rent control a "God send" whichprevents homelessness.

But Lowet says he will protect the interests ofhomeowners as well by revamping zoning laws "toinsure the sanctity of residential areas.

Jim McGrail, 27, says the city would be abetter place if more decisions were left to theaverage citizen.

"The best decisions aren't made in an office atcity hall," says McGrail, who is endorsed by theAlliance for Change.

For this reason, McGrail wants to cut the citycouncillors' salaries in half. "I really believethat the more money you make, the more out oftouch you become with the city of Cambridge," saysthe North Cambridge resident.

McGrail also says that people should be givenunlimited time to speak at city council meetingsand public hearings. "I think it's an outrage tolimit people's time," he says.

A life-long resident of the city, McGrailopposes rent control.

James McSweeney, the 12th finisher in the 1991council race, says he is an independent interestedin fiscal responsibility.

McSweeney, 29, believes that the council underthe Cambridge Civic Association majority has actedinefficiently in providing services to the city.

Rather than considering a proposition 2 1/2override or increasing taxes, he argues that thecity should use existing revenues better.

"Everyone thinks if you throw money at aproblem it will go away," says McSweeney, whosecampaign workers include several members of theHarvard Republican Club.

He advocates "zero-based budgeting" as asolution to increased city spending. Under such asystem, each program is annually evaluated as ifit were a new proposal.

If elected, McSweeney plans to work forextended hours for the Cambridge MBTA service,better bicycle safety, and a revision of rentcontrol in the city.

Some Harvard students say McSweeney's campaignliterature has been door-dropped at their rooms.

Councillor Jonathan S. Myers says his politicalinterests were inspired by his early work withhousing and human service programs.

As he became interested in working on issues ona city-wide level, Myers decided to run for citycouncil. This November marks the close of hissecond term as city councillor.

"My main interest has always been to serve thecommunity at large," Myers says.

Throughout his tenure on the council Meyerssays he has been a supporter of rent control.

"I think that rent control is a necessary partof Cambridge," Myers says, adding, "The number onepriority of the city council in the next termshould be the development of city housing policy."

Myers, who is 35 and lives in the Cambridgeportneighborhood, says he believes Harvard studentsshould take advantage of their Cambridgecitizenship to immerse themselves in the city.

"I think that Cambridge offers a greatopportunity for students to become involved in anexciting and vibrant community," Myers says.

Elaine Noble says she became intrigued by citypolitics when she attempted to start a health carecenter for gays and lesbians in Cambridge.

"The [city's] politics are so muted," Noblesays. "I became fascinated by it."

After finishing eleventh in the 1991 Councilcampaign, Noble was convinced that anothersuccessful campaign would give her the votes sheneeded to win the election.

"You really have to run twice to win inCambridge," Noble says.

If elected, Noble says she would like to helpto build consensus on the council and to providean access office for city tenants which would helpto prevent abuses of the rent control system.

A strict believer in term limitations, Noblesays she limited herself to two terms as a StateRepresentative from 1974 to 1978 and canaccomplish her goals for the council within thesame time frame.

John R. Pitkin says he decided to run in thiselection after heading the Mid-CambridgeNeighborhood association for six years.

Pitkin says his work with the neighborhoodassociation has given him a great deal ofexperience with the intricacies of citygovernment.

"I'm running because I'm a democrat and I thinkthat the city government has to do a better jobserving the community," Pitkin says.

If elected he says he would work to make cityservices accessible to all residents by recordingevery request for service and then reporting theserequests to the city council.

"Currently," Pitkin says, "Requests end up inthe equivalent of a dead letter office."

Pitkin says he also hopes Harvard will become abetter Cambridge neighbor.

"I'm certainly and advocate of setting higherstandards for institutions of higher education inthe Cambridge community," Pitkin says.

Ron Potvin, 30, says he's the only Republicanrunning for Cambridge City Council.

"I'm pro-development and pro-business and Iunderstand the importance of commercial interestin the city," says Potvin, who is endorsed by theAlliance for Change.

Potvin would like Harvard to be more involvedwith the city. However, he says that the key tothe city's financial stability is not greatercontributions from Harvard but a larger tax baseand more fiscal prudence.

Potvin, who was born and brought up inCambridgeport, is opposed to rent control in itscurrent form.

Kenneth E. Reeves '72 says the most difficultdecision he has made in his four years on the citycouncil is the decision to become Cambridge'smayor.

Reeves, who is 42 and a resident of the Agassizneighborhood, says that while his mayoral dutieshave drawn him away from his legal practice theyhave allowed him to become involved with issuessuch as education reform.

As mayor, Reeves serves as head of the schoolcommittee, and in this capacity says he has helpedto lead a "revolution" in the city's publicschools.

Reeves says the committee has implementedalgebra in the middle schools, raised the firstgrade admission age to six, and helped to reshapeinferior elementary schools.

"We are reworking schools toward overallexcellence," Reeves says.

In addition to working to improve the schools,Reeves says he is committed to preserving rentcontrol in Cambridge.

"As the council's only tenant, and the onlytenant in rent controlled housing, I've workedhard to preserve affordable housing," Reeves says.

As mayor, Reeves says he has been concernedwith relations between the city and the twouniversities which own 25 percent of its land.

Reeves says he believes that Harvard and MIThave "attempted to be better citizens" during thepast term.

Reeves says Harvard which is "not taxed on anyendeavors, must be involved in the needs of thecommunity."

The contribution of Harvard students to thecity, Reeves says, is just as important as that ofthe universities.

"Harvard," says Reeves, "is an extraordinaryplace if you can get out of it."

Reeves urges students to leave Harvard Squareand to see the rest of the city.

"Explore Cambridge and the city around it," headvises, "If for nothing else then for the foodand the music."

Sheila T. Russell first ran for city councileight years ago when then-Mayor Leonard J. Russelldied.

But the four-term councillor doesn't live inthe shadow of her husband. Instead, the WestCambridge resident devotes her time to helpingsenior citizens, beautifying neighborhoods andfighting crime.

"I'd like to continue my work with theelderly," Russell says. "I get a kick out of them.They're good people."

Russell, who is endorsed by the CambridgeAlliance for Change, says rent con-B-8COUNCILCrimson File PhotoMayor KENNETH E. REEVES