Source: Jesse Purvis, kollins@gmail.com
EAST BOSTON (February 25, 2015)—A new and diverse coalition of East Boston progressives has inserted itself into the special election for State Representative by issuing a candidate questionnaire to the six individuals vying for the seat vacated by Carlo Basile. Each candidate completed and returned the thorough questionnaire, which addressed in detail issues affecting East Boston: housing and development; transportation; immigration; the Olympics; parks; political transparency; the environment (including airport impacts); healthcare; criminal justice; and education. The East Boston Progressive Network has posted the questionnaire and all candidate responses on its website: https://ebpn.wordpress.com/questionnaire/.
"Our goal in crafting these questions was to put candidates on the record regarding their views and values,” said EBPN co-founder Sandra Nijjar. “Also, we aim to establish differences among the candidates on issues we care about with targeted, specific questions.”
Modeled after groups like the Jamaica Plain Progressives and the Chinese Progressive Association, the East Boston Progressive Network will champion values such as equal opportunity, social and economic justice, consumer and environmental protection, healthcare as a right, equal access to quality public services, respect for all residents, and accountable and transparent government. Founding members include longtime residents, immigrants (documented and not), and young professionals, united by a shared desire to keep candidates and elected officials honest and pursuing the good of all residents.
“We know we’re not all going to agree on every issue every time — and that’s okay,” Nijjar said. “But we do believe there are a certain set of values that we all share that bring us together.”
