Equal Rights and Social Justice

Throughout her life, Marjorie Decker has been a fighter for social justice. Marjorie's record on GLBT rights is long-standing, extensive, and front-and-center. For example, Marjorie:

• Marjorie was a lead sponsor in having Cambridge be one of the first cities to have marriage equality for all.

• Marjorie dialed for dollars for Mass Equality--ONLY city councilor to do this.

• Marjorie supported the creation of the LGBT commission.

• Marjorie helped organize the state vigil in response to the tragic death of Matthew Shepard.

• Marjorie sponsored council order to include transgendered in the Human Right Ordinance.

• Marjorie filed a council order to support national legislation providing employment protection for LGBT community (ENDA).

• Marjorie played a critical role, as Alice Wolf's legislative aide, in helping to secure continued funding for Safe Schools for the Gay and Lesbian Youth Program (Project 10 East).

Labor

In her ten years on the council Marjorie has worked closely with workers, labor organizers and Cambridge business' to ensure that workers earn living wages, with health care and retirement benefits.  In first term on the council she played a pivotal role in influencing Harvard University to provide a living wage to all of its employees.  Marjorie has supported the organizing efforts at Bio-tech companies, candy factories, developers and often worked as a mediator between union and private companies, ultimately resulting in better working relationship for both parties.

Marjorie Decker has worked to ensure that everyone understands the cost of doing business in Cambridge includes the cost of community standards, the right to collectively bargain, prevailing wages, health care and pension benefits.  These are not just bonuses to include when the economy is strong and business is booming - these are fixed costs of business.

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One Neighborhood at a Time!: Richdale Neighborhood

Marjorie is constantly working with various groups on neighborhood-specific initiatives and issues to help them make their neighborhoods and communities the best that they can be. Most recently in the Richdale Avenue neighborhood Marjorie has assisted area residents overcome many obstacles. Specifically, when approached by a group of residents concerned about neighborhood crime, Marjorie was able to assist them to build community through the development of a neighborhood association.

Marjorie was able to provide the group with initial technical assistance and help them convene a community meeting between the budding association and other established neighborhood group coordinators. Marjorie also helped the neighborhood by facilitating conversations regarding concerns created by the Walden Street Bridge construction project and has asked area businesses to assist with neighborhood safety by working with the city to install better lighting on the sides of their buildings.

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Public Housing

You many know that Marjorie grew up in Cambridge Public Housing in Woodrow Wilson Court. Her father lived in Washington Elms as a child and her mother lived in Roosevelt Towers. She is proud that she was raised in a community that taught her the importance of caring for other people and that no one succeeds without the love, encouragement and support of others.

As a city councilor for the past 10 years, Marjorie has worked hard to make sure Cambridge remains an affordable, safe and family-friendly community. She has worked hard to keep good paying jobs in the city and support the achievement of all students. While she does not think growing up in public housing automatically makes one a good city councilor, she believes that it has given her a unique perspective in better understanding and serving Cambridge residents.

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Department of Homeland Security Surveillance Cameras & Fusion Center

When the Department of Homeland Security tried to put city streets and unknowing residents under the eye of intrusive surveillance cameras, Marjorie stood up for Cantabrigians' civil liberties demanding that the cameras be removed. Under a grant from the DHS, and without the Council's approval, the city had nearly completed a several year project to install DHS surveillance cameras throughout the city.

Once Marjorie learned of the project she quickly realized what an infringement on civil liberties the cameras represented and worked with community members and the American Civil Liberties Union to persuade her colleagues and the city to remove the cameras. (See Marjorie and John Roberts' Guest commentary article here: http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/archive/x1452241353/Guest-commentary-Why-the-Cambridge-City-Council-said-no-to-surveillance-cameras). Not only has Marjorie been forward thinking when is comes to Cantabrigians' civil liberties regarding security cameras, but Marjorie is still fighting to protect Cantabrigians rights regarding the Commonwealth Fusion Center in Maynard Massachusetts.

Policy Orders & Resolutions

City Council Opposition to DHS Camera Installation
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=24170
Department of Homeland Security surveillance cameras: Removal
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=24324
Department of Homeland Security: Fusion Center
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=24172

The Cantabrigian Diet

Striving towards a physically healthier Cambridge community, Marjorie worked with Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of Harvard's Department of Nutrition, to convene a public hearing to discuss banning Trans Fats in the City. This initial hearing led to action within the city to make Cambridge restaurants (and residents) healthier by banning Trans Fats from their foods (See the Cambridge Chronicle article here: http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x1885880273/Trans-fat-ban-begins-in-Cambridge). In addition to the Trans Fats, Marjorie is going a step further by working with the City's Public Health Department to get restaurants to post the caloric content of their food items directly on their menus.

Policy Orders & Resolutions

Ban Trans Fat http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=21853
Cambridge Restaurants to Display Calorie Information on Menus
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=24394

Family Issues

Marjorie took the lead in urging the city's Human Services Department to create a website that would consolidate and clarify resources in the city that are available to Cambridge families and children. In this same spirit, Marjorie was also responsible for the creation of the first Cambridge Families Listserv where Cambridge parents and families can communicate with one another to share parenting tips and other community resources. Marjorie is also working with city departments, Lesley University, and local business to expand and improve on play groups in Cambridge and she is convening a speaking series for Cambridge employee on family issues.

Policy Orders & Resolutions

User-friendly Cambridge website http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=24883
Cambridge Parent/Family listserv
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=24883

Neighborhood Violence

Believing that residents should never feel fear in their own neighborhoods, Marjorie has made it a point to be at the forefront when it comes to the city's policies regarding violent crime. Marjorie uses her role in the Council to ensure that the city is proactive in violent crime prevention and response. Among other things, Marjorie's policy orders have addressed the city's Rape Alert policy and resident's notification of violent crime occurrences.

Not only is Marjorie currently working with the City Manager and the Police Commissioner to coordinate a more efficient rapid response system, but Marjorie has also convened a series of neighborhood meetings with the Community Development Department to identify and create and improve upon city policy to reduce crime and empower neighborhood residents to feel safe in their community.

Policy Orders & Resolutions

Resident Notification
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=22276
Rape Alerts
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=25447

Pedestrian Safety

Working towards pedestrian safety in the city, Marjorie has met with neighborhood groups, the city's traffic department, and other safety officials in an effort to make Cambridge intersections as safe as they can be. In doing so, Marjorie has fought to ensure that the city utilize up to date pedestrian safety technology such as pedestrian crossing lights, raised crosswalks, and night-reflective paints for increased visibility. Although her efforts on this issue span across the entire city - specific neighborhoods in which Marjorie has been active on pedestrian safety include the Agassiz Baldwin neighborhood and the Raymond/Walden Street area.

Policy Orders & Resolutions

Raymond and Walden Streets Pedestrian Light
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=23312
Raised Crosswalk Visibility
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=24138

Global Warming and The Environment

Like most Cantabrigians, Marjorie is concerned about global climate change and the environment. As such, she has used her position on the Council to bring forth several environmental initiatives and council orders. The Council Orders have specifically focused on keeping the City on track regarding the Cambridge Climate Protection Plan goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city, as well as getting the City and the Council to acknowledge the current environmental "state of emergency" that we are currently in.

As chair of the Civic Unity Committee, Marjorie held a hearing to explore the possibilities on how to empower and educate Cambridge youth to become agents of change in the climate protection/energy conservation movement.  As a result Marjorie is now working with the Cambridge youth centers, city staff and Cambridge residents and youth to develop an educational program that will enable Cambridge youth to monitor and report back to the city with updates on our progress to becoming a greener city along with recommendations to further our progress.

Policy Orders & Resolutions

2010 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Levels
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=23988
Climate Emergency
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cityClerk/PolicyOrder.cfm?action=search&item_id=25090