City Alliance Endorses Candidates

The Alliance for Change, a newly-formed grassroots political organization hoping to break the Cambridge Civic Association's lock on local government, yesterday endorsed a slate of ten candidates for city council.

Charging that "the current majority on the city council is not responsive to the public at large but is instead wholly responsive to the political interest group known as the CCA," Alliance for Change chair Edward J. O'Connell pledged that the candidates his group supports will "respect the needs and concerns of all Cantabrigians."

The council candidates the group endorsed included incumbents Sheila T. Russell and Timothy J. Toomey.

Also endorsed were Michael A. Sullivan, a prosecutor who is the son of retiring incumbent Walter J. Sullivan; Robert Winters, a Cambridge recycling organizer; Gloria Beeks, a public housing resident who helped drive drugs and crime out of her development; and James McSweeney, James McGrail, Anthony Galluccio, Ron Potvin and Paul Kearns.

O'Connell said the Alliance for Change will run a full-scale campaign in order to try to get the slate elected. There are nine seats available in the November council election, and the top two votegetters in the last election have decided not to run.

A desire for change and a commitment to strive for consensus were among the ideas outlined in O'Connell's speech presenting the slate. While the speech included broad outlines of policy posi- tions--the schools have problems, the city needs affordable housing, there is a valuable place in this community for business and institutions--Alliance members and endorsed candidates emphasized that the group wasn't about bullying candidates into voting a certain way.

Toomey, for instance, favors rent control, while Russell opposes it. And the candidates endorsed by the group had varying views on what ails Cambridge and how to fix it.

Many complained of what they viewed as partisan power plays by the 5-member CCA majority on the current council, including the firing of former City Clerk Joe Connorton.

Endorsed candidates said they saw the formation of the Alliance for Change as a helpful step on the road to healing bitter partisan divisions on the city council.

"I think it's a turning point for the city," Toomey said.

"Democracy is going to be returned to the Cambridge City Council," Sullivan said.

Previously, non-CCA candidates ran as independents and were not united by any organization.

Winters and Beeks are both former CCA board members, and several candidates made the point that the Alliance for Change is in some ways similar to what the CCA was intended to be, a grassroots good-government organization.

In their remarks, candidates said rent control, public safety, constituent service, fiscal responsibility, elderly and youth services and public education would be important issues in the campaign.

O'Connell did not close the door on an endorsement of William H. Walsh, the lone non-CCA incumbent running for re-election who was not endorsed yesterday by the Alliance for Change.

Walsh, who has been indicted in connection with alleged bank fraud, met with the group but did not formally request an endorsement, O'Connell said

Toomey, for instance, favors rent control, while Russell opposes it. And the candidates endorsed by the group had varying views on what ails Cambridge and how to fix it.

Many complained of what they viewed as partisan power plays by the 5-member CCA majority on the current council, including the firing of former City Clerk Joe Connorton.

Endorsed candidates said they saw the formation of the Alliance for Change as a helpful step on the road to healing bitter partisan divisions on the city council.

"I think it's a turning point for the city," Toomey said.

"Democracy is going to be returned to the Cambridge City Council," Sullivan said.

Previously, non-CCA candidates ran as independents and were not united by any organization.

Winters and Beeks are both former CCA board members, and several candidates made the point that the Alliance for Change is in some ways similar to what the CCA was intended to be, a grassroots good-government organization.

In their remarks, candidates said rent control, public safety, constituent service, fiscal responsibility, elderly and youth services and public education would be important issues in the campaign.

O'Connell did not close the door on an endorsement of William H. Walsh, the lone non-CCA incumbent running for re-election who was not endorsed yesterday by the Alliance for Change.

Walsh, who has been indicted in connection with alleged bank fraud, met with the group but did not formally request an endorsement, O'Connell said