Page 2 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, September 24, 2021 ~ Op-Ed ~ Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lein * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net AUTOTECH 1989 SINCE Is your vehicle ready for the Summer Season?!! Recharge your vehicle's AC for the warm weather! Includes up to 1 LB. of Refrigerant* (*Most Vehicles/Some Restrictions May Apply) AC SPECIAL Only $69.95 DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! CASH FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV! 2012 HONDA PILOT EXL 2010 NISSAN ALTIMA Loaded, One Owner, Sunroof, Back-up Camera, Warranty, Only 101K Miles! TRADES WELCOME! $14,500 Financing Available! 1236 EasternAve • Malden EddiesAutotech.com Loaded, Leather Interior, Just Serviced, Warranty, Runs Beautiful, Only 160K Miles! TRADES WELCOME! (781) 321-8841 • (617) 571-9869 Easy For Your Vehicle! $5,995 We Pay Cash E Defund, Reduce Funding, Eliminate Staffing. All the Same to Me. By Councillor-at-Large Craig Spadafora lections are about issues. Local elections are about local issues. It is undeniable that public safety funding is one such local issue, and voters deserve straight talk from each candidate on where they stand. It can be frustrating when candidates’ positions seem to evolve, leaving voters to wonder what the truth really is. In the digital age we live in, we are fortunate to be able to point to the words and actions of a candidate to remind them of the facts. In last week’s Advocate, candidate for Councillor-at-Large Carey McDonald took issue with my having drawn the distinction between his ‘defund the police’ position and my support for our public safety professionals. I was perplexed how a position that just a few months before he had worn with pride was now one that seemed to make him uncomfortable. Here are the facts. You be the judge. McDonald was the leading proponent of the People’s Budget initiative, and authored a report summarizing the results. One statement contained in McDonald’s summary stated that “A Majority of Respondents Support Reduced Police Funding”. McDonald openly requested that city offi cials craft a budget that refl ects the results of this survey. Putting aside the fact that only 258 people took the survey, and that on the question of Police Funding the diff erence was 6 votes, McDonald used the survey to communicate his support for reduced police funding. If ‘defunding the police’ isn’t an accurate summary of that position, then please accept my apologies. McDonald followed this up by spearheading a petition that doubled down on reduced police funding with specifi c demands. As the lead sponsor and signer, McDonald specifi - cally called for a $500,000 reduction in the police department budget. He proposed that this savings could be achieved by a reduction in staffi ng levels within the Malden Police Department. This would equate to seven offi cers being removed from the budget. This petition was extraordinary in that while it also called for several other initiatives to be funded without identifying funding sources, it was only the Malden Police Budget that was called out for specifi c budget reductions. If ‘defunding the police’ isn’t an accurate summary of that petition, then please accept my apologies. The fi rst few weeks of school saw incredible challenges by the Traffi c Division fi lling crossing guard positions. Who stepped in to fi ll the void? You guessed it, uniformed Police Officers. It’s only one example of the multi-faceted role the Police are required to play in keeping a community safe, and why these eff orts to defund them are dangerous. Imagine a McDonald world where Police weren’t staff ed to step in for such a scenario because it didn’t involve a violent crime? Thankfully, ‘not my job’ isn’t something you hear from members of the Malden Police Department. Given the focus on transparency this election season, I’ll post to my Facebook page a copy of the petition that I reference above. You decide if ‘defund the police’ was a fair way to summarize McDonald’s position on police funding. McDonald seems to really have grown uncomfortable with the term Defund the Police. I’m happy to pivot to new terms like ‘reduce police funding’ or ‘cut police staff - ing’ if that helps. As long as the voters get the truth, call it what you want. Malden resident sought for new Housing Committee W ard 3 Councillor Amanda Linehan and the ARPA Housing Committee are searching for a Malden resident to serve on a new board that will help program federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) dollars toward housing initiatives in the city. Under ARPA, Malden will be receiving $4 million toward housing programs and projects. A committee cochaired by Councillor Linehan and staff from the city's Offi ce of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) will decide how best to use these funds to benefi t the community, in collaboration with the Aff ordable Housing Trust Fund Board and others. One seat on the committee is currently open, and interested residents are encouraged to apply. This position will involve a time commitment of one meeting per month for at least one year, with a possibility to extend. Letters of interest should be sent to Councillor Linehan at alinehan@cityofmalden.org by Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, and fi nalists will be interviewed by the Housing Committee in person or on zoom. Questions can be sent to Councillor Linehan via e-mail or phone at 781-873-9224. For more information on ARPA funding, visit cleargov.com/ massachusetts/middlesex/city/ malden.
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