MATT ROGERS

A Message From Matt

I love Cambridge. Probably a little too much. Cambridge is the place I grew up, the place I call home today, and the place I would like my children to also call their hometown. I am younger than my fellow candidates – I see this as a strength. As someone with (hopefully) many years left on this Earth, I have a lot more to lose.

While government actions can be reactionary and emotional to satisfy the immediate needs of the community, I believe an emphasis on long-term thinking is just as important. This mindset is not immediately beneficial in the short-term but has significant impacts over the course of multiple years or decades. Toyota, which maintains a large presence in the City, utilizes this mindset. Products and components are developed with long-term reliability in mind. That investment in care and quality has paid off, as the brand is widely viewed as one of the most reliable of all time (that’s why I drive a Cambridge-built Corolla). As the saying goes, “it’s the little things.” Small steps don’t move you very far, but many small steps add up quickly to cover great distances. Big projects are important too, but all too often take attention away from the less ‘shiny’ items, like supposedly boring policy reform, or low-budget improvements to the pedestrian environment around a school for the benefit of kids’ safety.

My vision for Cambridge involves supporting the present, while preparing for the future. We must become primarily proactive, rather than reactive. I am not here to think of the next election – I’m focused on the next generation, and how what we do now will impact them.

My friends from other cities can find my relentless passion for Cambridge to be a bit much. Together, let’s be relentless in the pursuit of a stronger, resilient Cambridge that will not only persist, but thrive for generations to come.