Kim Courtney
2015 Candidate for Cambridge City Council
Home address:
2 Ware St. #401
Cambridge, MA 02138
Contact information:
website: www.CourtneyDietrich.org
email: kim@kimcourtney.org
Send contributions to:
actblue.com/contribute/page/kimcourtney
OR
Courtney Committee
955 Massachusetts Ave. #259
Cambridge, MA 02139
Checks can be made out to: Courtney Committee
Kim Courtney & Xavier Dietrich are running for Cambridge City Council in 2015 on the same platform of issues, focusing first and foremost on better Transparency, Oversight and Accountability in Cambridge City government.
THE ISSUES
Transparency. Oversight. Accountability.
A transparent and open government is the hallmark of democracy, providing the public with greater control of the government. When public records are not produced, set procedures are not followed, and decisions are made behind closed doors, the public is harmed. Cambridge can, and should, do a better job being transparent and open in the production of public records, and in its activities.
Transparency alone is not enough if the City government does not properly oversee the activities and decisions of its boards and commissions, and hold City employees accountable for their official acts. Cambridge needs to create procedures for better oversight of City employees, rather than just relying on public complaints.
Clear Laws, Equally applied
Laws that are unclear fail to serve the public good. They are difficult to enforce, and often result in unfair, arbitrary and unequal application of the laws. The City can do a better job by cleaning up old, outdated laws and clarifying areas of the law that have presented a problem.
An inscription above the entrance to City Hall states in part, "If the laws are not enforced, the people are not well governed." Let's clarify the local ordinances so that they can be fairly and equally enforced, so the people are well governed.
A Free Market Economy for Local Businesses
Cambridge is filled with creative and innovative entrepreneurs, and the City should encourage them to open and maintain businesses in Cambridge. This will foster a greater sense of community and keep the money going right back into the community, where it belongs. Clearer laws, better transparency and more oversight of boards and commissions will significantly contribute towards that goal.
A free market economy should also be encouraged, where competition between businesses is viewed as a positive thing that keeps businesses striving to provide better products and services to the people of Cambridge.
Civic Engagement
It is critical to the function of democracy that the people don't merely vote for elected officials and then have blind faith that they will dutifully and honestly represent their interests.
The citizens and businesses of Cambridge have the power to influence the decisions made by the City, if they have equal access to participation in government, and choose to do so. With greater use of technology, and efforts to reach out to those members of the community whose voices are rarely heard, the City can make better decisions that more accurately reflect the best interests of everyone, not just a small group.
Law for All
Our legal system is incredibly difficult to maneuver through without a lawyer, and hiring a lawyer is prohibitively expensive for many. There are businesses, landlords and individuals who take advantage of this fact, knowingly violating the law because it would be too difficult or expensive for most to sue them. Sadly, they are generally right, and this is unacceptable. This barrier to legal protection exists even for established businesses and professionals with solid income, who can't afford to front tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend themselves against violators of the law.
We can't change the legal system, but we can create a program for Cambridge that will provide better resources and access to legal assistance at either no charge, or at low, reasonable rates.
Development Plan Involvement
Cambridge is currently creating a Master Development Plan for the City that will change the scope and future of Cambridge.
What will Cambridge look like in 10 years? 20 years? That all depends on the level of involvement from Cambridge residents in the Master Development Plan process. Let's create a Master Plan that takes into account the impact on all citizens of Cambridge, not just a core group of involved individuals and businesses.
Greater outreach is necessary to include the positions of, and potential impact on, all Cambridge citizens and factor them into the plan.
CCTV candidate video (2015)