Andrew for Ward 2
Working Hard to Make Salem Work Better… for Everyone.
About Me
A proud Northshore Native, I’ve lived and worked across this country, as well as the world. I want to bring that breadth of experience to Salem as we fight for the soul of our city. It is my belief that Salem can be a leader through troubled times by leaning on our history as a city of peace, empathy, and tolerance (we got that all out of our system in 1692).
Like everyone, I want every inhabitant of Salem to have the best possible access to quality (and affordable) housing, top-notch education, enviable transportation, a safe environment, and good-paying jobs. Unlike everyone, I have fresh ideas on how to approach these dreams.
I am an active member of SAG-AFTRA and SEIU 509 unions, as well as a delegate to the Northshore Labor Council and believe that an economy thrives when its workers do. As an actor and writer in the entertainment industry, and a professor at Boston University and Emerson College, I bring a unique perspective that I am sure will benefit Salem. Every great actor knows how to listen, every great writer knows hot to connect with the emotions of their audience, and every great professor is willing to learn themselves. I am here to do just that with the citizens of Salem, to listen, connect, and learn from all of you as we forge a path forward for our wonderful city.
I live in the far end of the McIntire District with my wife, Alanna, and our 2 children.
Building Salem’s Future, Together
Housing
Affordable housing means something different to everybody. The most important things we can do is advocate for rent control, help citizens right-size their housing to replenish stock for first-time buyers, and invest in a land trust as a city. All of these principles have been proven to work in other communities. We also have to help our homeless population through an increase in permanent supportive housing. One way to do this is to remove the red tape around such projects so that our most vulnerable citizens aren’t standing around waiting. And, I know, people are concerned about their property values. But, unless you’re moving, property values rising can only increase one’s taxes, so this should not be the primary concern we have.
Jobs
As a delegate to the Northshore Labor Council, I know that strong unions mean strong workers mean strong economies. We have to ensure the wind terminal goes forward, our housing and new school are built by local laborers through PLAs, and our local businesses pay living wages for our area. One other way to create jobs is to not stand in the way of them opening. As a community we need more business districts in places where consumers gravitate toward and less opposition to projects that would have a net benefit for our city. Jobs are also intimately related to housing and we have to make sure those who work in our city can afford to live in our city.
Safety
Safety is another one of those words that can mean different things to different people. All of our community members have a right to feel safe in their city, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Tolerance and empathy have to be at the forefront of everything we do. We have to create an environment of hope and opportunity, so that crime remains low and civic engagement increases. Crime and safety go hand-in-hand with housing and jobs, when people feel secure in their lives, they have less need to pursue insecure activities. I promise to listen to the needs of all Ward 2 residents and make sure that, at the very least, you know how important your voice is.
Technology
Salem has been implementing a lot of exciting new systems within the government and I want to keep that trend going, while also looking at how else we can improve the day-to-day issues that concern residents. The term artificial intelligence gets thrown around a lot, but it certainly can have its place in Salem’s city government. There is no reason why trash should go unpicked up with GPS-ready trucks, why potholes can go unfilled despite numerous complaints, and why building permitting can take months, if not years. We can use technology to make our city workers jobs easier and more impactful, while also NOT replacing them or cutting their hours.
Tourism
Tourism dollars are free money that flows into our economy and, often, stays here. We have to make sure that we continue to embrace our tourism industry and not place undo burdens on its ability to function. That said, the city spends a lot of extra money facilitating the influx of guests that arrives every October. We have to find new revenue streams within that that do not gauge our visitors or harm our citizens and neighbors. Parking outside of downtown, merchandise, and tourism packages that include visits to multiple locations are ways to do this.
Transportation
We have to push the state to invest more in our alternative infrastructure and move past everybody using a car, all the time, all at once. A bus to Marblehead to alleviate what will soon be an onslaught of vehicles coming to the South Salem rail station would be one idea. Finding more efficient ways to move people downtown like a longterm tram or light rail project is actually possible when we budget creatively. Bike lanes and safer pedestrian crossings also need to be studied and implemented more effectively so that they mirror how people actually move, rather than assuming everyone will take the same path to get where they are going.
Join me in Shaping Salem’s Future
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