The Unity Slate, six members of which are being asked to resign.
WHEREAS there has been undue financial influence brought to bear on the City Council’s deliberations concerning Mass & Main, a residential development proposed by Normandy/Twining, hereafter called The Developer, and
WHEREAS said financial influence, amounting to $12,000 prior to the council’s vote, and an additional $8,950 paid out by The Developer in the months after the vote, was directed at the political campaigns of six of the seven city councilors who voted to approve Mass & Main, and
WHEREAS none of the six councilors—Councilors Benzan, Cheung, Simmons, Toomey, McGovern or Maher—had the integrity to acknowledge their obvious conflict of interest and thus recuse themselves from voting on zoning changes requested by The Developer, and
WHEREAS said councilors were aware of concerns raised within the Cambridge community about the impacts of Mass & Main as a driver of gentrification, and appeared to seek no review or guidance about those potential impacts before voting on the project, thus possibly endangering the wellbeing of the very constituents they have sworn to protect and serve, and
WHEREAS the six councilors continue to deny even the appearance of wrongdoing, and in so doing continue to bring shame and discredit to the city council and the high office they have sworn to serve, and
WHEREAS a review of campaign finance records shows a concerted effort on the part of The Developer, through his Attorney, to subvert the transparency of the petition process and to circumvent the spirit, if not the letter, of Massachusetts campaign finance laws…
IT IS PROPOSED that all six councilors tender their letters of resignations immediately, and
IT IS PROPOSED that The City of Cambridge renounce zoning changes made and approved in the course of the city council’s deliberations of The Developer’s petition, and
IT IS PROPOSED that The Developer be asked to resubmit their petition if they wish to proceed with their development, and
IT IS PROPOSED that an impartial third party be brought in to investigate the entire Normandy/Twining petition process with an eye towards the pursuit of any lawbreakers.
As a voice for the city and its residents, I affix my signature
Paul Steven Stone