Help People With Disabilites Run for Office

Help People With Disabilities Run for Office

Below is an article from the weekly local paper in Cambridge MA about an effort to help minorities participate in elections, and run for office. The program is for 16 weeks on Mondays beginning on April 2, 2007. The deadline to apply is March 5, 2007. Avi Green agreed to be the contact person for persons with disabilities.
His email is agreen (at) massvote.org
his phone is (617) 542-8683

Giovanna Negretti is at the Oiste group at gnegretti (at) oiste.net

Two Suffolk University professors are partners for this effort:
John C. Berg, Professor, Chairperson
Office: 203
Office Hours: TTH 4-5pm, W 3-4pm (walk in hours) and by appointment
Phone: 617-573-8126 (office) 617-899-7324 (mobile) Fax: 617-367-5762
Email: jberg (at) suffolk.edu

Teri Fair, Assistant Professor
Office: 211
Office Hours: M 12-1pm, W 12-2pm, and by appointment
Phone: 617-573-8569 Fax: 617-367-4623
Email: tfair (at) suffolk.edu

[My letter responding to the article]
An overdue evaluation of the diversity of Cambridge government reveals some absent minorities. The large group of persons with disabilities (20 percent of the general population) remains absent from the discussion, political parties, and city government. (Erin Smith, "Latinos and Asians left out of city government," Cambridge Chronicle, February 15, 2007) What will it take to have journalists and diversity promoters include persons with disabilities in their efforts? Members of all racial groups, all ethnic groups, all gender groups and all sexual orientation groups have persons with disabilities among them. Even some white heterosexual males have disabilities. What is the problem?
* * * * *
[Avi Green's reply to my letter, copied to him]
You make an excellent point. In our voting rights work, I have been working quite a bit with Bob Hachey, who is very active with the Bay State Council of the Blind and the Disability Policy Consortium. I will be sure that we reach out to him and others as we recruit potential participants for this program. Though we have received a lot of press so far, the new initiative will be small -- just 20 to 30 people in the first year, if things go as currently planned. Still, I hope that this group is well represented. If you know anyone who is disabled who might be interested in the program, please encourage them to contact me to apply. I can be reached at this email address or at (617) 542-8683.

Roy Bercaw, Editor
ENOUGH ROOM
Cambridge MA USA

[Article from the Cambridge Chronicle February 15, 2007]
Report: Latinos and Asians left out of city government
By Erin Smith
Cambridge Chronicle staff
Thursday, February 15, 2007 - Updated: 09:00 AM EST

Cambridge may resemble a colorful rainbow of heritages, but inside the City Council chambers and at commission meetings, the picture is decidedly black and white. Latinos and Asians are underrepresented in Cambridge government, according to a report released last week by the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at UMass-Boston. The report on minorities in government notes that blacks — which make up about 11.5 percent of the city’s population — are represented on Cambridge’s two elected boards.
Two city councilors, Ken Reeves and Denise Simmons, and one of the elected School Committee members, Richard Harding, are black. As mayor, Reeves also serves on the School Committee. “On the other hand, there are no Asians or Latinos/as represented on either governing body — despite the fact that Asians make up 11.9 percent of the population and Latinos/as are 7.4 percent,” the report states.
The picture isn’t much more diverse on the city’s major boards and commissions. Of the 87 appointed officials, only 18 are minorities. Three appointed commission members are Latinos and four are Asian, according to the report. “The system itself is a very closed, old-boy network that we have to fight against,” said Giovanna Negretti, executive director of Oiste?, an organization that promotes Latino political participation across the state. “One of the reasons Latinos — and particularly people of color in general — don’t run for office is money,” said Negretti. “Culturally we [Latinos] don’t ask for money.”
Politics often involves fund raising for campaign donations, which can become a daunting task for inexperienced candidates skittish about asking for money. “Pre-Deval Patrick, you wouldn’t see many campaigns with people of color,” said Negretti. “We were always as volunteers — unpaid volunteers.”
Negretti is hoping to change the political landscape in greater Boston. Oiste?, MassVote and Suffolk University have teamed up to offer a 16-week, intensive crash course for minorities looking to enter politics. The course is expected to teach everything from political training to networking. Negretti hopes to offer the class twice a year starting next year. The application process for the class is likely to be selective; Negretti has already received 40 inquiries about the class, and there are only about 25 slots available.
The UMass-Boston study included a poll of members on city commissions for zoning appeals, assessors, conservation, health, human rights, licensing, parks and recreation, planning and cultural matters. The Human Rights Commission, which oversees fair housing laws in the city, has only two black members and no other minorities, the report states. Meanwhile, the commissions overseeing conservation and licensing are entirely white, according to the report. The Election Commission has just one black member, with a vacancy on the commission.
The city’s newest commission — a task force set up to combat gun and gang violence across the city — does not have any Asian or Latino representatives. There are eight black members and 16 white members on the task force, according to City Manager Bob Healy. — esmith@cnc.com Are you interested in running for office? Just in time for the city’s November elections, Oiste?, MassVote and Suffolk University are offering intensive, political training classes for minorities interested in running for office. The classes start April 2 and run every Monday night for 16 weeks.
To find the registration application, go to oiste.net
or e-mail Giovanna Negretti at gnegretti (at) oiste.net.
The application deadline is March 5.