Dear Neighbors and Friends,
Although the Council is in a rest period after the August 1st meeting, it’s shaping up to be a busy month. I’ve been holding town hall meetings around the community and talking about ways we can improve our city, serving as host committee member for President Obama’s 50th birthday, teaching my summer intern Scott Quinn how City Hall runs and participating in a panel discussion about the relative lack of Asian Americans in politics at the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) career fair. I hope everyone is staying cool and hydrated during the hottest days of summer and I look forward to seeing you out in the community.
Save the Date ... Campaign Kick Off Sept 15!
Be sure to check out my list of upcoming events to the left and please mark your calendar for my Campaign Kick Off:
Thursday Sept 15, 5:30 - 7:30 PM, Meadhall in Kendall Sq
Sign up here to get involved with my campaign and join the team!
Scott on Youth Involvement in Government
It was a pleasure having MSYEP (Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program) intern Scott Quinn in my office this summer. MSYEP provides a paid summer work experience for Cambridge youth between the ages of 14-18, complete with weekly career workshops and college tours. Scott will be a freshman at Cambridge Rindge and Latin this fall and I know he will go on to achieve great things. Scott played an important role in my office this summer and as one of his final projects, I asked him why he thought it is so important to involve youth in government. I wanted to share with you his response below:
"It is important for young people to become involved in government at my age because it creates a ripple effect and inspires other young people to become involved in public service. If more young people got into government, then as adults they might be more likely to pursue it as a career.
I found it quite interesting working at city hall this summer as an intern for City Councillor Leland Cheung. I was in charge of contact information, filed important requests and information for residents around the city and attended City Council meetings. I was able to learn quite a bit about government and how the city works – it’s all quite interesting. In addition, I learned about policy, laws, and issues that residents face. It was a fulfilling experience and I feel more prepared to start high school because of my internship with Councillor Cheung."
Although most City Councillors don't accept MSYEP interns in their office, it was important to me to do it. I'm fond of saying that participation is the achilles' heel of democracy; you can't have a government for the people, by the people, if the people don't show up to participate. Government isn't some ephemeral thing out there; it is what all of us, collectively, decide to do together. It's up to all of us to pass on the institutions of our civilization to the next generation, and I saw MSYEP as a great opportunity to make government real at a personal level for a kid in our community.
Thanks to Scott for his service and good luck to him at CRLS!
Revitalizing Kendall Square with Affordable Housing
Are you an MIT grad student, post-doc, researcher, faculty member, or staffer? (Or know one you could pass this message on to?) If so, your community needs you!
This September we will be discussing the future of Kendall Square. Cambridge and MIT stand at a crossroads. We can choose to provide affordable housing to the community, enhance the social experience at Kendall Square, create retail vibrancy, and set MIT on the path towards a sustainable future. Or we can choose to infill with office buildings and build yet another office park.
As Chair of the University Relations Committee, it is my number one priority to connect the community with our universities. I will be hosting a hearing on revitalizing Kendall Square and creating a vibrant, dynamic place to live. We need you in the discussion! (All of Cambrige will be invited, but MIT affiliates of the types listed above have been missing.)
Please sign up at this link to be notified when the hearing is scheduled:
http://www.lelandcheung.com/index.php/community/kendall-sq-discussion
President Obama’s 50th Birthday a Huge Success
On August third, I joined former White House Secretary Robert Gibbs and current Deputy Campaign Manager Jennifer O’Malley Dillon in celebrating president Obama’s 50th birthday at Towne in Boston. The event was packed with eager supporters who wanted to share in the President’s important day. President Obama made a special appearance through a live video conference and expressed heartfelt thanks to all supporters for attending. It was heartening to see so many supporters of all ages come together to celebrate a milestone for a man who has done so much to re-energize voters. Robert Gibbs glibbly reminded us that despites some setbacks and losses, the President has achieved an incredible amount.
Although I have my own race to run, I've been dedicating a few hours every week supporting the President in his bid for re-election and the Democratic State Party in early efforts to oust Scott Brown. Cambridge needs good leadership at all levels of government - municipal, state, and federal - and I'm committed to working on that alongside Cambridge residents.
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