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Katherine Sabido
Wicked Local
As the state maintains control over the order in which residents can be vaccinated, Cambridge must find alternative ways to prioritize its Black and brown communities during vaccination rollout.
Cambridge councilors adopted a policy order Feb. 3 that called on the city manager to create a plan, in partnership with the Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) and local affordable housing organizations, that will ensure “underrepresented” communities including Black and brown communities will be vaccinated in a timely and orderly manner.
As the city prepares for general public inoculation, councilors asked the city manager Monday to explore the feasibility of offering mobile clinics to bring the vaccine directly to residents in underserved areas.
Cambridge City Councilors voiced their frustration over a months-long delay in addressing two amendments to campaign finance regulations at an Ordinance Committee meeting Monday.
The first proposed amendment originated as a policy order in October 2020 and sought to restrict campaign donations by people “seeking to enter into a contract, seeking approval for a special permit or up-zoning, seeking to acquire real estate from the city, or seeking financial assistance from the city.”
This ordinance amendment was based off of Somerville’s campaign contribution ordinance “Pay to Play” and also includes language from similar ordinances passed in New Jersey.
The second proposed amendment would restrict annual donations to any individual candidate to $200 per person and was referred to the Ordinance Committee in November.
Wicked Local
Last year, when the former president of Trader Joe s paid Cambridge a visit as a potential site for the next location of his small affordable grocery chain Daily Table, he had one question: But is there a need?
The resounding answer was yes. I said, Cambridge? Really? We had been looking at Mattapan, Salem, Lynn, Revere, and no one would question why Lawrence, said founder and Newton resident Doug Rauch. So, when we struck out for Cambridge, the first reaction was, Oh, so you re changing your model. No, there are people here in need.
An estimated 13% of Cambridge residents don t know where their next meal is coming from, according to Feeding America. There was a problem before, but COVID-19 has only exacerbated that need across the state. One in six Massachusetts residents is food insecure, and, between 2018 and October 2020, Massachusetts saw a 59% increase in its food insecurity rate (102% for children), the largest increase in the country.
UPDATED: Jan. 20, 2021 at 5:40 p.m.
During a tumultuous four years under the administration of Donald Trump, local leaders have dealt with the fallout of how its policies trickled down into the lives of Cambridge residents. While Covid-19 and economic fallout raged nationally, the cityâs top issues â small business erosion, food insecurity, and homelessness â have all been exacerbated.
Now, as President-elect Joe Biden is set to take office, he has proposed lengthy plans to tackle the nationâs crises. Looking ahead, Cambridge leaders said they have both hopes and demands for renewed local support under a Biden administration.
Under Trump, the Cambridge Community Foundation, a public charity that funds nonprofits around the city, transitioned to devoting its funding to combat the effects of the administrationâs âregressive policies,â according to its president, Geeta K. Pradhan.