From the Neighbors For Neighbors website:

The JP Progressives is a group of active Jamaica Plain residents working together to organize our community around progressive values. Formed in March 2009, we’re working to build progressive electoral power, mobilize around issues of importance, build the progressive community, and engage the greater Jamaica Plain community in the democratic process.

Our organization is providing candidates for Mayor and At-Large City Councilor the opportunity to reach out to progressives in Jamaica Plain (and throughout the city) by being a part of the Progressive Voter Guide. We will be distributing thousands of these voter guides in Jamaica Plain by going door-to-door and handing them out at community events. The Progressive Voter Guide will also be available online and promoted heavily through social and traditional media.

That voter guide will be based on the responses to a questionnaire, and a series of public conversations with the candidates. Those conversations will allow us to follow up on the questionnaire, as well as provide us an opportunity to have the public ask questions of each candidate. We are anticipating each conversation will take about 20-30 minutes.

You are invited to participate in those conversations, which are taking place on three upcoming evenings:

July 29th 6:30pm to 9:30pm at Doyles, 3484 Washington Street

August 3rd 6:30pm to 9:30pm at Nate Smith House, 155 Lamartine St.

August 6th 6:30pm to 9:30pm at the Nate Smith House

We hope you will join us for any or all of these conversations. It’s a great chance to get to know each candidate a little more intimately, and a great way for Jamaica Plain to ensure it’s presence is felt in this upcoming election.

For more information about these forums, about getting involved with the JP Progressives, or about other upcoming JP Progressive meetings, please email moreinfo@jpprogressives.com or call 617-435-8386

I am frantically trying to educate myself on the mayoral matter. I have limited knowledge of Sam Yoon and even less about the other candidates, but you can bet I’m going to research as much as I can. I live in the Brewery District of Jamaica Plain which is fraught with inequities compared to other neighborhoods nearby. (I’m sure it’s not the only neighborhood with problems but it’s the one I live in.) It’s come to near nausea inducing proportions here. Just go to 1 traffic and parking meeting to get a sense of the deep, deep dysfunction that is the DCR, BTD, BRA, JPNDC, DOT, etc. Shall I go on with the acronyms? These people couldn’t fight their way out of a wet paper bag. However, the advantage or working with the incumbent is that you already know the game. You’ve “got their number”. Boston is no cake-walk in terms of navigating the bureaucracy downtown. You make friends with the folks in the administration that are doers rather than talkers – and you figure out how to work the system.

How long will it take one of the new guys to simply undo the neat, heavily monogrammed package that Menino has left them?

I’m never one to avoid a good fight, though. I’ll be doing my homework and getting back to you – my loyal readers. Although I never intended for this blog to be political I can’t resist me new found power! Bwa hahaha! Mayoral update to come shortly…