Able Persons of No Color

Able Persons of No Color

Persons with disabilities are about 20 percent of the population.
No person with a disability is on the City Council. No person with a
disability is on the School Committee. For Sarah Jones that is zero
percent. (Sarah Jones, "Councilors should elect Simmons," Letter,
Cambridge Chronicle, Jan 08, 2008) The Minister of Information for the
Conformist Party of Cambridge ridicules persons with disabilities who
run for office. In December 2007 Councilor Simmons agreed with two
persons of no color to exclude persons with disabilities from
participating in city programs and affairs.
The Human Rights Commission excludes persons with disabilities
from city programs. Persons with disabilities are only good for being
clients of human services corporations. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
's dream was for persons of color to be judged by the character not by
their skin color. In Cambridge people are judged by their skin color
and by their sexual preference and by their gender. Let's celebrate
stomping on MLK, Jr.'s dream. Simmons for Mayor. Keep persons with
disabilities in their place. It is not yet the time for them to
participate in civic affairs. Let Robert Winters speak for them. They
are unable to speak for themselves. Vote Simmons for Mayor!

Roy Bercaw - Editor ENOUGH ROOM

Councilors should elect Simmons
Sarah Jones
Letter
Cambridge Chronicle
Tue Jan 08, 2008, 03:12 PM EST

Cambridge - I am sending you this letter in support of electing
Councilor Denise Simmons as the mayor of Cambridge. There are many
reasons for my support, but the crux is the vital importance to have a
diverse School Committee. There are two considerations on the subject
of diversity that are greatly affecting my point of view, both racial
and gender diversity.

If Councilor Simmons is not elected mayor by the City Council, the
School Committee will no longer have an African-American
representative and will be composed of only Caucasian, non-Hispanic
members.

According to the 2000 and 2006 population data, above, the city of
Cambridge's racial populations are rich with diversity, with more than
35 percent representing non-Caucasian races. If Councilor Simmons is
appointed mayor of Cambridge, the School Committee would be 14 percent
non-Caucasian and 86 percent Caucasian/non-Hispanic. If she is not
elected by the City Council, the School Committee will only represent
64 percent of the city's racial population. If the School Committee
does not have at least one representative of its non-Caucasian
population, the situation will be extremely worrisome to many
Cambridge citizens, including about 36,000 unrepresented Cantabrigians
of color, including myself.

Another important consideration for the mayoral candidate, also due to
serving as chairman to the School Committee, is gender. According to
the same population data used above, the Cambridge population (101,355
in 2000, 101,365 estimated in 2006) is 49 percent male and 51 percent
female. The School Committee-elect for 2008 is currently composed of
two women and four men. If a man is appointed as mayor of Cambridge,
the gender ratio in the School Committee will be 28.6 percent female
and 71.4 percent male. Conversely, with a female as mayor, the School
Committee's gender ratio would be 42.9 percent female and 57.1 percent
male, which is obviously much more in line with the city and school
system being served.

Other reasons for my support of Councilor Simmons are the facts that
she currently has children in the Cambridge Public Schools and she has
previous experience as an elected member of the Cambridge School
Committee. Neither Mayor Reeves nor Councilman Toomey is a parent, so
neither of these men has the personal nor familial interest in
Cambridge schools as does Councilor Simmons. And Mayor Reeves has
never been an elected member of the School Committee beyond his
city-appointed role as chairman. Neither Councilor Decker nor
Councilor Murphy has been elected to the School Committee. Councilor
Davis' children are all in their twenties, no longer students of
Cambridge Public Schools. Councilors Seidel and Kelley support
Councilor Simmons, as evidenced today during the City Council
inauguration and the mayoral voting at City Hall.