Please vote for Judith Garcia
To the Editor,
On September 6, I will vote for Judith Garcia for State Representative. Our community finally has the chance to send one of our very own to represent us at Beacon Hill, and it is time that we have somebody who has walked in our shoes represent us at the state level.
Judith is the daughter of an immigrant and was born and raised right here in Chelsea. As the Chairwoman of the School Committee, I am proud to see an alumna of our Chelsea Public Schools run to represent our people at the state level—a sentiment that I know many of our students share. More importantly, I feel hopeful that should we have Judith Garcia at Beacon Hill, she will fight fiercely to make sure that our school system is fairly funded and that our students receive what they deserve.
The fact that Judith has spent her whole life in Chelsea is precisely why she is uniquely positioned to represent it. But more than that, she has been a leader on the frontlines when our community needed her most. During the pandemic, when our city was most vulnerable and considered the epicenter, Judith was physically on the streets, assisting people who were being evicted from their homes, mothers who were unable to afford food for their children, delivering necessities to elders, and supporting our youth’s educational experiences by ensuring they receive internet hotspots in their homes. Judith was out there doing work for the people, making sure that the individuals that needed help received it.
I will be voting for Judith because she was there when we needed her, and she continues to be there every time we need her. That is who we need at Beacon Hill. This September 6, please vote for one of our own, vote for Judith Garcia.
Kelly Garcia
School Committee Chairwoman
We support Roberto Jimenez-Rivera
To the Editor,
We, Tito and Lyn Meza, are honored to give our support to Roberto Jimenez-Rivera. We have been residents in this community for many years. Lyn Meza was the campaign director for Marta Rosa, who became the first Latina elected to the municipal government of Chelsea when she won a seat on the Chelsea School Committee in 1989. Tito Meza was also part of this team, and also worked for decades as a community organizer with immigrant communities, including his fellow Hondurans.
Roberto Jimenez-Rivera was first elected to the Chelsea School Committee with an overwhelming number of votes, and has since served with dedication and care, always centering our children’s best interests. We have no doubt that Roberto Jimenez-Rivera is the candidate with the qualities to represent us at the State House. He has a clear vision for what we need to achieve as a community. He is humble, always firm in his principles and never “wishy-washy.” When we have worked together in previous campaigns, it has been evident that Roberto is a sharp, strategic thinker. These qualities—his care, character, passion, and skill—will make him an effective representative for Chelsea at the State House, and he will be able to win the changes we so desperately need.
Chelsea has always suffered from deficiencies in education, health, and housing. We have lived through different stages, including the state takeover of the city in 1991 and the school system in 1989 by Boston University for 15 years. Chelsea continues to be a city devastated by economic crisis, where the poor have to leave the city due to the high cost of housing, and where developers profit at residents’ expense—sometimes even with the collaboration of some city councilors.
Roberto is an expert in education policy, and a passionate advocate for our schools, but that is not all. As a union organizer, he advocates for legislation to create economic opportunity, to make housing affordable, to protect our environment, and to improve public transportation. He understands the complex connections between healthcare, education, the economy, housing, immigration, racism, and classism.
In times of crisis we need capable and visionary leaders, not figureheads. Please join us in voting for Roberto Jimenez-Rivera for State Representative on September 6.
Tito & Lyn Meza