NEW: Peter Kush Announces Run for Worcester City Council
Friday, September 27, 2013
City Council candidate Peter Kush wants to make Worcester great again by building on its past and focusing on the future.
Born and raised in Worcester, Kush is a graduate of St. Mary’s High School and Clark University and is a case worker at the Worcester Housing Authority where he assists residents secure and maintain employment.
Making Worcester Great
“Worcester has all the elements it needs to be a great city,” says Kush “As Councilor, I want to build on our assets and focus on improving the quality of life for all our residents including our seniors, young families, college students, and new citizens. We are all in this together and together we can make Worcester great.”
“On a national level, more and more people are moving back into cities,” says Kush. “We must make sure Worcester is ready for this return migration. We must have the transportation, social, educational, and cultural infrastructure in place. We must have safe neighborhoods. And we must have the housing stock and the jobs people are looking for.”
“My goal, as councilor, will be to work with neighborhood organizations, businesses, community residents, and our colleges to develop a plan for this city that capitalizes on our strengths and addresses our weaknesses,” Kush says. “I want to build on our past and focus on the future.”
According to Kush, the city council needs members who think creatively and independently. “We need an independent council, and I do not expect that my views will be in lockstep with the Manager or any individual, organization, or special interest 100% of the time,” says Kush. “I expect to collaborate with our colleges and universities, without tolerating disruption of our neighborhoods, and I expect to support our neighborhoods and working families without destroying the foundation of our business community.”
Top Priorities
Kush’s top priorities are public safety, job creation, and neighborhood stabilization. “We must have safe streets, strong neighborhoods, and good jobs if we want to keep people in this city,” he says. “We must address these three areas if we want to have good schools, a healthy tax base, a vibrant downtown, and strong neighborhoods.”
“I do not support pitting our parents against our kids; our neighborhoods against our downtown core, and our new immigrants again those who immigrated decades or even centuries ago.” Kush says. “We are all in this together.”
Safe streets are a top priority, says Kush noting that he supports the community policing initiatives piloted by the Worcester Police Department. He also supports the efforts of the WPD and community groups to engage residents in reclaiming neighborhoods and preventing crime.
A second top priority is job creation, says Kush. “Jobs are the best crime prevention measure and tax base stimulator available, says Kush noting that nationwide one in seven people between the ages of 18 and 29 is unemployed. “We need to strengthen our economic foundation, and provide jobs across the spectrum,” he says. “We need to make sure that everyone who wants to work in Worcester can find a job in Worcester.”
Another priority is encouraging neighborhood-based planning to engage residents and stabilize neighborhoods. “The people know what they need to create the best environment possible for themselves and their families,” says Kush. “They know their communities and know what their families need to be healthy and succeed in school and in life. We need to engage people and we need to listen to them.”
Kush also promotes strengthening relationships with the city’s colleges and universities, and views them as the gateway to Worcester’s future. “We need to promote a culture where students don’t just come for four years to live, learn and leave. We want them to stay, and to use their education to teach our kids, support our residents, and build the businesses that will carry us through the rest of this century. We want students who will live, learn and stay.”
Worcester Roots
I spent much of my childhood on the first floor of the multi-generational Vernon Hill triple decker,” says Kush. “Both grandfathers worked at factories founded by graduates of Worcester colleges, and both grandmothers were school teachers. Both of my parents decided to stay in the city. I share their values and their belief in Worcester. Working together, we can use the foundation past and current generations have built to support a strong future for our families and our children.”
The municipal election is Nov. 5.
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