Denise Simmons, 2010 State Senate Questionnaire Responses

1. What are your top three agenda priorities and how will you take action on these priorities?

• Jobs creation/economic growth: I plan to push for continued investment in the Green Jobs economy, which would include paid training programs for those seeking careers in this field, and would include outreach into communities that might otherwise not gravitate to or know about this growing new sector of the economy. I would be in favor of resort casino construction, provided that we go about it in a responsible way that does not unduly community infrastructure. I would also seek to ensure proper funding and resources for organizations that work with young adults to keep them on the right path towards education and geared towards preparation for entering the job market following graduation.
  
  
• Excellence in Education: I would draw upon my years as a member of the Cambridge School Committee and the City Council by focusing upon closing the Achievement Gap, by designing and supporting programs that target at-risk children and those with barriers outside the classroom that may impede their education, and I would promote programs that draw in a collaborative web of teachers, parents, and social service providers (similar in concept to the Harlem Children’s Zone) that would provide the supportive atmosphere our children need to not only graduate high school, but to truly get a solid educational foundation.
  
  
• Affordable Housing: In Cambridge, I pushed for more 2 and 3 bedroom housing units to be made available as affordable housing, to better accommodate larger families. I pushed for a modification of eligibility formulas, so that people who were most in need of subsidized housing were more able to access it. I would support similar initiatives on a statewide level, and I would oppose any move that would create further barriers for people who are in great need of subsidized housing.

2. Do you support instituting a progressive income tax in Massachusetts?

Yes.

3. PDS has taken a position against expanding predatory gambling in Massachusetts as a way to increase state revenue and local aid. What is your position on gambling casinos and slot machines?

I am generally in favor of the construction of new casinos in Massachusetts, provided they are planned in such a way as to not unduly burden the community infrastructure, and that we carefully weigh the potential drawbacks against the potential benefits. People are going to gamble whether or not Massachusetts has casinos. Right now, they merely travel across the border to Connecticut to do so. Building casinos in Massachusetts means that we do not lose that revenue, that we can actually bolster the economy in the communities where the casinos are built, and that we can bring new short term and long term jobs to these areas. On principal, I feel this can be a good thing for Massachusetts – again, so long as we go about it the proper way.

4. How have you as and office-holder or private citizen worked to support progressive causes and issues at the state and local level?

I have always been an activist at heart, and I have seen serving in office as a platform for me to more effectively advocate for and advance the progressive causes that I care about. For example, I have been a loud voice in the marriage equality movement in the years leading up to 2004, and since that time, I have spoken out in favor of these same rights being granted across the country. I have also used the visibility given to me as the nation’s first Black, openly-lesbian mayor to draw attention to issues of tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion.

5. The parts of Somerville in your district include areas undergoing shifts in development that will affect the entire city of Somerville. What are your ideas for balancing affordable housing, business development, and creating/preserving open space in these parts of your district?

These are issues that Cambridge has had to contend with over my years on the City Council, and I have found that bringing members of the community into the decision making process, and having open, genuine discussions on what each stakeholder hopes to see in terms of development/conservation is the wisest move a community can make. I often tell people in Cambridge that we may have entities like Harvard, MIT, or Lesley wishing to expand their campuses – but they are our neighbors and our “guests,” so we need to make it clear that if they expect to develop an area, they must factor in the concerns of the neighborhoods, and we must be clear about what is and what is not acceptable. From there, you work on a compromise that all parties can live with.

6. What budget items would you look to protect or increase? Please include specifics of what cuts or revenue increases you would support to pay for these budget items.

The local infrastructures need to be preserved at the FY2010 levels, at the very least. We cannot afford to have few police officers on our streets, fewer teachers in our schools, and greater burdens upon our local health centers and clinics, and I would fight to protect the current level of funding in these areas.

7. What is your stance on Election Day Voter Registration?

I have always been an advocate for bringing greater numbers of people into the process of governance, and therefore I oppose any unnecessary obstacles or barriers that might prevent people from having their voices be heard. I am in favor of election day voter registration.

8. Please tell us your stance and how you would vote on the following potential ballot initiatives:

• Reduce the sales tax to 3%.

  I would oppose this, as it would negatively impact our ability to fund basic government services across the Commonwealth.

• Eliminate the sales tax on alcoholic beverages.

  I would oppose this. With the budget shortfalls the Commonwealth is facing, it would be irresponsible to cut off this source of revenue. Our need to find funding for essential community services is simply too great.

• Eliminate Chapter 40B.

  I would oppose this, as I have long been an advocate for affordable housing.

9. Do you support the green line extension being completed on time with a terminus at Route 16?

I do support this, as the Green Line extension will serve as a catalyst for economic growth and renewal in Somerville and Medford.