Massachusetts First

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Gary Christenson (Incumbent)

Mayor Gary Christenson is the first to serve three terms and would continue that string at four if reelected in 2023. He was elected Mayor of Malden, MA in 2011 and took office on January 2, 2012.[1]

As the incumbent Mayor of Malden, he assumed office on January 2, 2012. His political party is Democratic

The Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance website reports that he has raised close to $70,000 in donations through June 2023. Previous four-year term donations run a little over $100,000 for each term. [2]

Funding for the City

In 2021, Malden received $46.7 million-plus from the federal government from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).[3]

With some of that funding, the city awarded a $1,000 scholarship to every graduating senior in the Malden High School Class of 2022 and Malden residents at other high schools who are furthering their education in college.[4]

Mayor Christenson also reported that the City of Malden’s generous assistance would continue this year – as all seniors from the Class of 2023 will receive a $1,000 municipal scholarship.

The ARPA monies are also going toward upgrading Devir Park, Kierstead Park, a new fitness court at Callahan Park, and funding for the popular Malden summer and winter festivals. Additionally, funding for the food distribution program at the Mystic Valley YMCA in Malden and Malden’s Bread of Life, among others, will also be included.

In 2022, the Mayor noted, Malden Public Schools saw a substantial rise in student population – now close to 6,500 citywide population for 2022-23. However, he did not mention the population decrease in 2023 of 63,042 citizens, down 3,072, or -1.57% from 2020.[5]

According to Patch.com, Malden will see a roughly $3.1 million increase over last year’s allocation, according to budget documents, with funding rising from $52.4 million to $55.5 million in the 2023 fiscal year.[6]

Will the increase of $3.1 million be applied to the Climate Action Plan – CAP committees, commissions, groups, and consultants or does it have its own funding? The mayor does not mention this on his website.[7]

Housing

The Mayors Housing webpage mentions acquiring vacant properties and converting them into affordable low-income households, of which the City of Malden’s Vacant Property webpage provides a list of approximately 53 vacant homes/units.[9] [10]

The Housing webpage also mentions Affordable Unit Creation. A plan to develop 20 units in the former Salvation Army building. He proposed funding for Bread of Life, a local non-profit, to add 14 affordable studio apartments to provide permanent housing for very low-income, formerly homeless individuals. This webpage states that future projects are also in various planning stages, such as townhouses to purchase, but no further detail is given.

If you want to learn more about future housing projects in these various stages, the most logical place to look would be the Malden Housing Authority website. However, you’ll only find the 2018 and previous years of the Annual Report from the Malden Housing Authority.[11]

The City Council meeting on June 7, 2023, discusses the Malden housing issues and the contaminated parcels that need to be cleaned up.[12] Will these be future locations for affordable living facilities?

Between the total number of vacant properties and units to be developed, as mentioned on Mayor Christenson’s campaign website, this is less than 100 affordable living spaces. Is this the real number available for renovating and building additional affordable housing in Malden? Shouldn’t someone running for a fourth term list many more solutions to the Malden housing crisis?

Population

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, there are 14.7%, or (using the 2023 Census pop.) 8,826 Malden citizens living at the poverty level. Note: The Census defines poverty if a family’s total income is less than the family’s threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty. [13]

More affordable, low-income housing is necessary to get these 8,000-plus citizens out of poverty. Seeing what the rest of the state is encountering with the influx of non-U.S. citizens, what happens if Malden is faced with this situation? What’s the Mayor’s solution?

What the state requires from most of the municipalities to prepare for affordable and low-income housing and transportation is not conducive to most of these densely populated cities, like Malden. So, what is Mayor Christenson’s take on Smart Cities?

Lissette Alvarodo (challenger)

Let’s look at what Lissette Alvarado, the candidate running against Mayor Christenson, has to offer to Malden residents.

Let’s look at her experience and other things listed on her campaign website:

EXPERIENCE [13]

• Stay-at-Home Mom, Malden, MA — My husband, Chris, and I have four beautiful kids – Atticus, Lenore, Paul, and Joaquin.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC — Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Farm & Foreign Agricultural Services
• White House, Washington, DC — Director of Domestic Cluster Agencies, Office of Presidential Personnel
• Office of U.S. Senator Barack Obama —
• Washington, DC — Legislative Correspondent
• Chicago, IL —  Special Assistant to the Illinois State Director
• Special Projects
• Constituents Services
• Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA — Staff Assistant III, Division of Medical Sciences

LOCAL ACTIVISM & VOLUNTEER WORK

• Friends of Roosevelt Park, Malden, MA — Local Organizer
• Maplewood Square Tenant & Business Association, Malden, MA — Volunteer
• MVRCS Families Helping Families Facebook Group, Malden, MA — Founder

EDUCATION

• Harvard University, School of Extension Studies, Cambridge, MA — Masters of Liberal Arts in Government
• Providence College — B.A. in Political Science. Graduated: May 2001
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Recipient — Full Tuition Academic Scholarship

Her Rolodex must be overflowing with political connections from working with the Obama Administration, even as far back as when he was a Senator. Will Mr. Obama endorse Ms. Alvarado for Mayor of Malden?

And then there’s Harvard University listed in her past education. No, Ms. Alvarado and Mr. Obama weren’t study buddies if that’s what you were thinking. Ms. Alvarado attended Harvard many years after Mr. Obama attended.

Speaking of Harvard University, they received so much backlash for the $8.7 million in funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) that they decided not to accept funds.[14] After all, Harvard’s endowment is the largest of any University in the world and was last valued in June 2019 at $40.9 billion.

Ms. Alvarado’s husband, Christopher Hickey, is a Department Administrator at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Developmental Biology/Advanced Graduate Education Program in Orthodontics.[15]

If Harvard University is in the habit of endorsing local candidates, there’s a 99.9% chance that they will endorse Ms. Alvarado as the future Mayor of Malden. Along with an endorsement from her former boss, Mr. O, Ms. Alvarado will undoubtedly be a slam dunk into the Mayor’s office.

Alvarado’s “Visions” for Malden

Looking at her website’s “Vision” section, Ms. Alvarado mentions her concern for preserving the parks in Malden, as she should, since open land is becoming increasingly scarce with the demand for affordable housing filling in our green spaces. Her previous work as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Farm & Foreign Agricultural Services in the U.S. Department of Agriculture should be able to guide rules and regulations when it comes to preserving the parks in Malden.

Have the residents decided on grass or astroturf for Roosevelt Park? Has Ms. Alvarado used her expertise working with the USDA to determine how efficient it would be to maintain Roosevelt Park with a gasoline-powered mower vs. a battery-powered mower? The cost of poisonous fertilizer vs. organic fertilizer. The water consumption when there isn’t a drought in effect?

Also, in the “Vision” section of her website, Ms. Alvarado states the following:

“Longtime residents should not be priced out of their homes, and small landlords should not fear missing their mortgage payments. Let’s build our neighborhoods so that we can rely on each other. We want to travel down the street, instead of across town, to enjoy our lives and support our small businesses.”[16]

Isn’t this a description of a 15-minute Smart City? What’s her take on Smart Cities?

There doesn’t appear to be any mention of how she will handle the lack of housing and care for over 8,000 Malden citizens living in poverty.

Lastly, there’s no mention of a climate crisis action plan (like Mayor Christenson’s) in her website’s “Vision” section.

Maybe since the Obama family has been residing in their Martha’s Vineyard $11.75 million estate since 2019, there’s no real reason to believe there’s a climate change crisis and the ocean will not rise after all.

The Obama’s property is located on nearly 30 acres in the coastal perimeter of Edgartown. [17]

Do they use a gas-powered lawn mower or a lithium battery-powered mower to maintain that? Also, the propane tanks purchased for the 30 acres are a dead giveaway that there isn’t enough of a crisis to prohibit fossil fuel use. Is there? [18]

And let’s not forget Mr. Climate Czar himself, John Kerry, who bought a historic waterfront property in Chilmark for $11.75 million.

Just think about it. Would the insurance companies be insuring cars and mansions if the ocean is going to rise and wipe it all out? I think not.

So, all in all, it looks like the Malden residents have some serious decisions to make on who they want to lead their future. I wish them all the best.

Sources:

[1] “Mayor of Malden” Wikipedia., from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Christenson_(mayor)

[2] “OCPF” Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance., from https://www.ocpf.us/Filers?q=15280

[3] “ARPA” American Rescue Plan., from https://cleargov.com/massachusetts/middlesex/city/malden/projects/2084/american-rescue-plan_-coronavirus-local-fiscal-recovery-fund

[4] “Advocate News” Advocatenews.net., from https://advocatenews.net/malden/news/mayor-christenson-     announces-he-will-seek-reelection-in-2023/

[5] “2020 Census” World Population., from https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/cities/massachusetts

[6] “Maldens 2023 Budget” Patch.com., from https://patch.com/massachusetts/malden/here-s-what-malden-will-get-2023-state-budget

[7] “Climate Action Plan.” City of Malden, www.cityofmalden.org/952/Climate-Action-Plan.

[8] “HDIP Increase.” Boston Globe, https://archive.li/7RJ4K#selection-1859.0-1859.186

[9]  “Christenson for Mayor.” ChristensonforMayor.Com,www.christensonformayor.com/issues?id=18326f78-98e9-4be1-ae4e-2371f77e42d7.

[10] “Vacant Property.” Cityofmalden.Org, www.cityofmalden.org/993/Vacant-Property.

[11] “Malden Housing Authority”  https://www.cityofmalden.org/Archive.aspx?AMID=63

[12] “Malden City Council”  https://www.youtube.com/live/BmyHUZCKAGE?            app=desktop&feature=share&cbrd=1&ucbcb=1

 [13] “2020 Census for Malden.” Census.Gov, www.census.gov/quickfacts/maldencitymassachusetts.

[14] “LA for Malden.” LAforMalden.Com, www.laformalden.com/.

[15] “Harvard Stimulus.” Foxbusiness.Com,https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/harvard-to-not-accept-cares-act-relief-funding

[16] “Christopher Hickey.” Linkedin.Com, www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-hickey-908b7b50.

[17] “LA for Malden.” Laformalden.Com, 10 Jul. 2023, www.laformalden.com/vision.

[18] “Marthas Vineyard.” World Socialist Website, www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/07/29/nobq-j29.html.

[19] “Propane Tanks.” Washingtonexaminer.Com, www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/gas-prices-obama-propane-tanks.