Matthew Miller

I'd like to put my name forward as a candidate for ORS' steering committee. As a current member of the interim steering committee, I believe I have a good understanding of the time commitment needed to be successful in this role.

I am running to bring a voice to the steering committee which will argue for us to take a larger role in influencing State-level politics in MA in addition to a focus on Somerville. Somerville municipal elections and building a robust city organization must be priority number 1 for our organization, but the fact is that most of the change we want to make will require state-level action. An ORS mayor and an ORS BoA will not be able to pass Right of First Refusal legislation on their own, they will be at the mercy of the SJC striking the law down and requiring either a home rule petition or passing legislation in the house. For me, Somerville must support organizing efforts in Medford, Malden, Everett, Chelsea, and Boston (Charlestown / Eastie) to organize those cities in order to project power against the corporate democrats in the statehouse there. Somerville can maintain a focus on our own city and holding the BoA accountable while at the same time spending 25% of our time supporting other communities to project our power beyond the borders of Somerville proper. This is also an opportunity for us to work in communities of color to support the organizing they want to do there around common issues related to gentrification and affordable housing.

Please vote for me if you want to help build a network of rebel cities practicing sewer socialism and demanding more of Democrats at the state level.

Christopher Lay

I've been working with Our Revolution Somerville since April, with the ISC since May, and with the Finance Committee since June. Since then I've learned a lot about campaign finance law and regulation in Massachusetts, helped with fundraising and accounting, and helped to run the last two Citywide meetings; I've knocked hundreds of doors, talked to dozens of our neighbors about ORS and our (victorious!) slate, and helped to gather hundreds of signatures to put a $15 minimum wage and paid family leave on the ballot in 2018. I've been very ready to show up, to work, to listen, and to learn. I've also been very ready to argue for what I think is right, and I've been very ready to concede when I'm shown to be wrong. I want to help organize our whole City to exercise democratic oversight over our government and its officials, to make sure that Somerville is run for the benefit of all of its residents, and to find tangible to solutions to the housing crisis that is displacing so many of our friends and neighbors. I see the runaway cost of housing as a problem bigger than our City, so I also want us to actively support and foster OR chapters organizing in nearby towns, and to coordinate with them to seek regional solutions to regional problems.

Surjeet Paintal

I've been volunteering with Our Revolution Somerville since April 2017 and on the ISC and the Communications team since May 2017.

I grew up in a community that was just as racially and economically diverse as Somerville. I firmly believe that being surrounded by all forms of diversity (racial, economic, gender, etc.) make us all better as a whole. And so that diversity is important to me not just because I don't want to see hard working families displaced, but because I also believe the only way for folks from different walks of life to understand each other is to spend time with each other as members of the same community. Having lived here for the past 13 years, I can see as well as anybody else that change is upon us and well on it's way.

Many of the problems that Somerville faces are regional problems that need to be addressed at the state level in order for us to accomplish anything. I believe much of the work ORS has is at the state level, and I intend to ensure that is one of our focuses.

Also, if the Care Bears, the Avengers or the Transformers are your thing, I'm definitely your gal.

Luke Schaber

My name is Luke Schaber and I am asking for your vote to join the Our Revolution Somerville Steering Committee. I recently moved to the city with my family. Since relocating, I have been an active member of ORS, the Affordable Housing Organizing Committee, Fossil Free Somerville and others. I volunteer at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter and as a literacy coach at the Arthur D. Healy School. It is my belief that being engaged in the community is the best way to promote progressive change and build relationships. Whether its in a small farm town or a massive city, I have been involved in grassroots organizing and I believe I can use my years of experience to help grow and shape Our Revolution Somerville. Thank you for your consideration.

Anosha Siripala

I have been a member of the Our Revolution Somerville Interim Steering Committee, which has been a rewarding experience over the past few months. I've served on the Communications team, where I helped manage the ORS website, edited and created content for email and social media, and occasionally assisted Surjeet in the creation of her Marvel Superhero/Care Bear masterpieces. I was excited by the success of our municipal slate on Nov. 7th and fully expect our organization to hold the slate accountable to put the platform they campaigned on into practice in the coming year. I hope to contribute to the next phase of Our Revolution Somerville as a member of the Steering Committee and look forward to developing our vision for a better Somerville for all.

Nate Sabat

I believe that I would be a good fit for the Our Revolution Somerville steering committee due largely to the skills I’ve acquired as a professional musician. Behind the scenes, I operate as my own secretary. I keep meticulous financial records, make many a spreadsheet, and keep my ever-changing schedule of private lessons, rehearsals and performances up-to-date. All the while, I am constantly creating. When a melody gets in my head, I then must take the time to mold it into a full-fledged song. When the song has been finished and the track recorded, I listen back not only for quality but for intent. I ask myself this question: Did I write/perform this to gain attention, or as a gift for others? If it’s the former, my work risks losing much of its meaning. From the moment I joined the ORS team, I have been continuously inspired by both the work ethic and intentions of my peers, and am so grateful to be involved with this great organization. I do hope you consider me for the ORS steering committee, and thank you very much for your time.

Monica Achen

I have lived in Somerville since 2012 (except for a year in Quincy), and have served on the Our Revolution Somerville (ORS) interim steering committee since May. I joined ORS to support its work to keep Somerville affordable for working- and middle-class people and to ensure that residents—not corporate developers—control the city’s future. Over the past six months, I have taken on a wide range of responsibilities. As part of the five-person communications team, I have handled formatting and layout for most ORS emails. I have also drafted and edited numerous emails and Facebook posts. In addition, I’ve planned and led meetings, participated in several canvasses and phone banks, and contributed to the steering committee’s decisions. I look forward to continuing to help ORS fight to shape a city that cares for and answers to its citizens.

Tessa Bridge

I would like to run for the ORS steering committee. I have served on the Interim Steering Committee this past year and would like to continue my involvement. In my time on the ISC I have participated in general vision setting for the organization, served as a member of the communications team, and have helped to plan and facilitate several city wide meetings. I have also convened a group of local educators and facilitated a process to write an ORS Education Value Statement. I am excited about the role that ORS is playing in shaping the future of Somerville. I believe that our city is at a watershed moment where either we will be able to organize and reclaim the city for ordinary people, or it is going to become out of reach for working families to live here. I love Somerville for the diversity, walkability, school system, and community and want to continue working to make this a place where my family and other families can live. I believe that my experiences planning and running meetings for large groups, facilitating meetings and discussions, and implementing policy change initiatives make me a competitive candidate.

Melinda Green

My name is Melinda Green and I’ve been an active member of ORS since joining in June 2017. As part of the Communications Committee, I’ve designed the palm cards we used for canvassing during this recent election cycle. I also have begun doing strategy work for progressive candidates throughout Massachusetts.

I want to be elected to the steering committee to continue my deep commitment to making ORS a wholly inclusive, welcoming, and diverse community that champions affordable housing initiatives and equal opportunities for all Somerville residents.

Larry Rich

My name is Lawrence (Larry) Rich and I am running as a candidate for the ORS steering committee.

Following Bernie Sanders’ campaign, I regained a sense of optimism that money doesn’t have to control politics and that social justice might be an achievable goal. I have been on the interim steering committee [ISC] since the first City-wide ORS meeting. I provide the sound system for our city-wide meetings (at no charge) and attend most of the ISC and organizing meetings. My goal is to keep us rooted in Bernie’s platform as it applies to the local level. I have been gratified that our interim steering committee members have been cohesive on all important issues.

Although I am “unenrolled” in any political party, I have worked on campaigns for Mark Niedergang for Alderman at Large, for Pat Jehlen for state senator, for Jill Stein for governor, for Bob Massie and Elizabeth Warren for Senator and for Bernie Sanders for President. I am a member of the Climate Coalition of Somerville and sit on a City of Somerville Climate Forward working group; I am a member of the Social Action Committee at Temple B’nai Brith and participate in the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO); I am on the steering committee of the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur, I am a member of the New Hampshire Rebellion (to get money out of politics), a member of Voter Choice (for ranked choice voting), a member of SCATV and I am a former member of the board of the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS).

I have lived in Somerville for over 34 years while my wife and I have raised 3 children in the city. I am currently retired from engineering, manufacturing, and business careers but keep busy with real estate development and management. As a person of 69 years I feel that I can offer a mature perspective while engaging with many of the talented, dedicated and often much younger members of the steering committee.

Erik Neu

I intend to become active in Our Revolution Somerville and would like to be considered for its steering committee.

I have been a Bernie Sanders supporter since before the first Caucus in 2016. I am from a union family and was raised union (Local 3, IBEW).

I have worked with some of the best people who run Medicare, helping them to support their operations, which are phenomenal and a testament to why we need Medicare for All. Because I understand how the healthcare industry works from the inside-out, that is my primary national-level issue.

At a local level, I have not yet been involved with ORS because all of my time for the past two years has been consumed helping to establish a democratically-elected Neighborhood Council for Union Square to guide development there and ensure that the community's needs are met by more than just kind words.

I have met many, many good people from all walks of life and from all mind sets in this process, and we have learned to work together, despite different points of view, for positive change. The skills that I've developed in helping to form the Neighborhood Council are the skill I would bring to Our Revolution and its steering committee.

We managed to build a coalition that learned to speak across the boundaries that separate the various tribes of the left.

I also understand how our municpal government operates, as do many of you. The things that I have learned through the years of my involvement with Union Square will help to guide the ORS Steering Committee and our new Board of Aldermen to achieve meaningful change at the local level.

At the same time, we need to mend our community ties at the local level so that we can engage at the state and national level where there are so many fights that need fighting that I've lost count. But we can't just talk about "fighting" and "conversations". We need to win. To win, we need to be united. To be united, we need to learn to talk to one another again.

Jon Leonard

I am writing to declare my candidacy for a position on the Steering Committee for Our Revolution Somerville. I am committed to the group's values of broad, inclusive community engagement and racial and economic justice. I have been a volunteer member of the Interim Steering Committee from the beginning, and in that role have been working to develop my skills as a facilitator and a public speaker.

I am also a founding member of the ORS Communications Team, which I intend to continue whether I am elected to the Steering Committee or not. We have improved our website and Facebook pages and created communications policies to engage with our members in a way that we hope is productive and meaningful. I'm very proud of our work thus far, but I also know there is much more yet to be done. I have also helped to plan many events and rallies.

There have been a number of decisions that we've made as a steering committee, some of which were difficult, and some were controversial, but I've taken away many good lessons along the way, and I have a great deal of optimism for what lays still ahead of us. I hope to continue to build this organization and hope you will vote for me for the Steering Committee of Our Revolution Somerville.

Michael Bowler

I have been involved with Our Revolution Somerville since its creation last year and care deeply about its ability to restore power to the people of the community to bring about a more transparent democracy that focuses on issues that matter to the middle and working class of the city. I have served as a member of ORS Interim Steering Committee since it was founded, and I have helped to plan and run city meetings, as well as execute plans to get involved in local elections and housing activism. I love my work in ORS, and I am fully invested in the group's success. I believe affordability and development are two of the most pressing issues where ORS can make an impact moving forward. I have gained a tremendous amount of experience over the past year and dedicated most of my free time fighting for causes I believe in. I was a Delegate to the Democratic State Convention, and I was the campaign manager to Will Mbah's successful campaign to become the first African-American ever elected to Somerville's at-large alderman position. During this time, I knocked on hundreds of doors throughout the city (both for ORS and the Mbah campaign) talking to residents about their concerns and their hopes for the future. I want to be a strong advocate for those voices I heard at the doors. I am very aware of the status and privilege that being a white male gives me, and I try to bring that awareness to how I interact with other leaders and community members in ORS. I do think I bring an important perspective to the steering committee being a divorced parent with a 5 year son in the Somerville public school system. Also, as a life-time educator I think my work experience allows me to bring a teacher's viewpoint to our discussions and my work experience has made me a good collaborator. I hope to earn enough votes to continue to fight the good fight we have begun in Somerville.

Ben Bradlow

My vision is for Our Revolution Somerville to mobilize our neighbors in Somerville to take on narrow, powerful interests and make our city a true home for the 99%. I am a founding member of ORS, and am incredibly proud of how far we have come in our first year. I was part of the planning team for the first city-wide meeting, and was canvassing in the cold in East Somerville in March to spread the word. I am truly excited about the growth and successes of ORS since these beginnings. As a member of the steering committee, I will pledge to pay attention to the details of organization to make sure that we communicate well and keep building our base. I am a city planner by training, and have dedicated the past decade of my life to working with grassroots movements to build cities that work for all. I have three priorities for ORS in the coming term:

1. Building people power. I will work to grow our membership through regular canvassing efforts. This will ensure that we serve as a platform for the issues that most concern our neighbors and attract more people to our organization.
2. Building policy power. I will work for ORS to be a platform for new policy ideas and for joining with like-minded organizations to make these policies a reality.
3. Building electoral power. I will work for ORS to build on its successes in November and to cement its position as the dominant political faction in Somerville. This means generating common policy objectives that our elected officials represent in office, and to which we hold them accountable. It also means expanding our already formidable organizing efforts to support our elected officials, as well as to elect new candidates.

Fenna Krienen

I helped launch ORS last April. Since then I have been inspired by all that ORS has been able to accomplish, and our momentum moving forward. I live in Ward 3 and worked on Ben Ewen-Campen's campaign for Ward 3 Alderman. Knocking doors for Ben and for the ORS slate, I heard again and again that what Somerville needs is good jobs and housing policies that allow low and middle income families to remain here.

In the past year, I have been involved in the ORS interim steering committee. I see the Steering Committee as a responsive, transparent, democratic body whose role is to respond to the concerns and values of the broader ORS membership. That raises a central challenge for ORS over the coming year: we must continue to expand our membership and ensure that the work we do addresses the core concerns of all residents, regardless of what their level of engagement can be.

ORS also finds strength in connecting with state and national OR structures as well as allied movements, which allow us to take part in broader campaigns such as Raise Up and the fight for Medicare for All. Part of the SC's responsibility will be to maintain and deepen those ties.

I became active in the Boston area during the Occupy movement. I helped establish Occupy Harvard, and worked on the direct action and communications (media) teams. We successfully fought for fair contracts for janitors, agitated for grad student unionization, pressured Harvard to divest from fossil fuels and challenged the economics curriculum. Occupy inspired some of our most exciting new local leaders, such as Mike Connolly and Matt McLaughlin, to run for office. Likewise, in its short existence, ORS has already proved to be a potent political force in our community. I am excited to continue this work in the year to come!

Joyce Shortt

I have been on the Interim Steering Committee since it was established last April. I have participated in the work of developing Our Revolution Somerville, including advancing and supporting a winning slate of candidates for our local Somerville election. A resident of Somerville for 23 years, I have watched the city evolve, and bring a deep understanding of the history of Somerville’s progressive movement . Prior to living in Somerville I partipated in radical and progressive movements and campaigns since the 1960’s Civil Rights and Anti- Vietnam War. As a Ward 7 resident, I took on the challenge given to us at the first citywide ORS meeting of creating Ward groups that could/would carry out the priorities of ORS. A small group of Ward 7 residents have come together to continue building OR support in our neighborhood, and encourage our neighbors to participate in local issues. At this time we are focused on four local issues related to development that will benefit from community engagement: The PIT in Teele SQ, The reconstruction of Public Housing on North Street by a public/private partnership, Tufts proposal for housing juniors and seniors in Tufts owned building that are now used for administration and faculty housing, and the completion of the Powderhouse School building.

James Roberts Crall

I’m a long-time resident of Somerville, and I’m running for the ORS Steering Committee because I want to ensure that all members of our community benefit from Somerville’s prosperity, and not just the wealthy few. I’ve lived in Union Square for nearly 10 years, where my wife Blake and I are now raising our young son, Oliver. This year, I knocked on hundreds of doors while helping to run Ben Ewen-Campen’s campaign for the Board of Aldermen. I loved having the chance to engage my neighbors in meaningful conversations about what kind of community we want to live in, and how we can make our city’s policies reflect our shared values. During the campaign, I also saw the incredible organizing potential of ORS; dozens of tireless volunteers from Our Revolution helped double voter turnout in Ward 3. In addition to my experience organizing and campaigning, I’m a professional ecologist, studying how agrochemicals damage ecosystems and impact human health, and I would be a strong advocate for environmental justice and sustainability policies in our city. I think we have an historic opportunity to build a progressive, forward-thinking political movement here in Somerville. ORS’s grassroots organizing in the past year has built incredible momentum and already changed the conversation around what is possible in our city. I would be honored to serve on the ORS Steering Committee, and if elected I would focus on helping ORS channel this momentum into concrete outcomes that help make our city and our world more just, inclusive, and sustainable.

Andy Greenspon

I moved to Union Square, Somerville four and a half years ago by chance and luck. Almost immediately, I found myself involved in local community activism with a whirlwind of discussions over development, design, zoning, affordable and family housing, protection of local businesses, green and open and civic space, bike lanes, environmental sustainability, urban agriculture, and everything in between. Since then, I’ve been actively involved in hosting Union Square community meetings to get the community’s views on development. I have also helped prepare multiple petitions from the community because the only way to change the status quo is to show that the community is listening and demanding their voices be heard.

Last January, I learned about the Union Square Neighborhood Council Working Group. It seemed like a great project to help unite the Square and give a stronger voice to the community to advocate for local needs. Even more importantly, I hoped it would provide a resource for members of the community if they needed help with any issue. I’ve spent dozens upon dozens of hours working at and between these meetings, which happened every ten days through this entire year. In addition to moderating multiple listservs for the main group and subgroups, I prepared the agenda, took notes, and moderated multiple Working Group meetings of 25+ people where everyone had the chance to have their voice heard. I also worked in multiple subcommittees designing the group’s mission statement and values, developing the structure and powers of the board and members, and crafting detailed feedback on the proposed Union Square zoning that passed in June.

That process has finally come to fruition with the election of the first Union Square Neighborhood Council Board. While I will still be attending those meetings and effecting change there, I would like to help out the broader Somerville community, especially with an organization that has become critical for progressive change in the City. Additionally, I have been active in a university science policy group and would like to add my perspective as a scientist to the diversity of thought in the organization. My devotion to these groups shows that I am committed to the hard work to keep Our Revolution running and to expand its reach further.

Colleen Fitzpatrick

My name is Colleen Fitzpatrick and I have been a resident and renter in Somerville for five years. I am excited about the idea of working with the Our Revolution Somerville Steering Committee to coordinate grassroots democratic processes and make a lasting impact on local government. My background includes five years organizing for Service Employees International Union and SEIU Local 888, as well as volunteer advocacy with Good Jobs Somerville. I currently work as a Community Organizer at Fenway Community Development Corporation and have been exploring new ways to orchestrate community input around development, resist the influences of gentrification and increase the availability of affordable housing.

In the most recent municipal election, I canvassed for candidates on the Our Revolution slate and saw firsthand how we were able to propel some amazing progressive, working class and immigrant candidates to victory and build tangible political power. I am seeking to make my involvement more official and to contribute in an even more meaningful way. As a woman, a millennial, and a lifelong member of the working class; I believe I would bring valuable perspective and experience to this leadership circle.

Tori Antonino

I’ve been engaged in the Union Square Redevelopment process for the past 4 years. From the Civic Advisory Committee through the formation of the Neighborhood Council, I have been there.

Bernie Sanders said that the biggest threat to humanity is climate change, and I don’t think we have given enough air time to this topic.

I work with Green and Open Somerville and the Climate Coalition of Somerville to push Somerville towards its goal of climate neutrality, sustainability and restoring ecosystems to reel in climate change.

I am skilled in presenting, writing commentary, giving testimony, poring over documents like zoning and MEPA, proposing legislation, rallying, putting on events and engaging with the community.

My work has been on environmental sustainability and climate resiliency, but my commitment is to all the causes we share.

I would like to help Our Revolution to empower progressive candidates, especially women, and elevate the political consciousness of not just, economic inequality but to climate change as well.

Thank you for the work you have all done at reclaiming our democracy.