BU News Service
Question One:
Daniel Spellman (Photo by Matt Doherty and Tyler Oringer/BU News Service)
Daniel Spellman, 22, from North Cambridge – No.
“My father just got some heart surgery and the nurses all said to vote no.”
Ann Baehr (Photo by Erin Ko and Charlie Scanlan/BU News Service)
Ann Baehr, 76, from North Cambridge – No.
“I did research and I talked to nurses in hospitals and I got differing opinions but I read the fine text,” Baehr said. “If it passes it means smaller hospitals will probably close and not be able to serve smaller poor communities. I don’t believe that it’s a ploy by the administrations. There is a shortage of nurses which is important.”
Trevor Klee (Photo by Erin Ko and Charlie Scanlan /BU News Service)
Trevor Klee, 25, tutor from North Cambridge – No.
“It seems like it shouldn’t be decided by a ballot question,” Klee said. “It should be decided by the people who are close to it, like the hospitals themselves.”
Jean Mazzola (Photo by Noelle Fallacara and Pamela Fourtounis/BU News Service)
Jean Mazzola, 60, registered nurse from Arlington.
“I’ve been a bedside nurse active for 40 years,” Mazzola said. “It’s really important that we limit the number of sick patients a nurse takes care of at one time just to give them the adequate care and safe care that they need. We need these safe limits.”
Question Two:
Charles Walls (Photo by Ian Anderson and Nicole Hoey/BU News Service)
Charles Walls, 23, from East Cambridge – Yes.
“People shouldn’t be able to abuse their power with money.”
Rokeya Mahmoud (Photo by Erin Ko and Charlie Scanlan/BU News Service)
Rokeya Mahmoud, from North Cambridge – Yes.
“I think people should check how they do the funding, then scrutinize it,” Mahmoud said. “I think the commission is a good thing.”
Penelope Schnier (Photo by Erin Ko and Charlie Scanlan /BU News Service)
Penelope Schnier, 19, student from North Cambridge – Yes.
“I think that Question 2 affects the general population,” Schnier said. “People should examine how we look at corporations.”
Catherine Melina (Photo by Maddie Higley and Zirui Liu/BU News Service)
Catherine Melina, 62, landscape architect from Cambridgeport – Yes.
“At the end of the day, I think getting money out of the elections is the most crucial thing we can do,” Melina said. “There is so much money in the elections now that doesn’t belong there.”
Question Three:
Cheryl Brown (Photo by Matt Doherty and Tyler Oringer/BU News Service)
Cheryl Brown, 60, nurse from North Cambridge – No.
“I don’t want men coming into the bathroom with me,” Brown said. “I don’t care what they call themselves.”
Isaac Yablo (Photo by Dan Dellechiaie and Denny Hackett III/BU News Service)
Isaac Yablo, 24, student from Central Square – Yes.
“I feel like it’s a humanity vote,” Yablo said. “I voted to keep rights for trans people because it’s just to me basic humanity.”
Barbara Mann (Photo by Ian Anderson and Nicole Hoey/BU News Service)
Barbara Mann, 29, scientist from East Cambridge – Yes.
“Everyone in this country should be treated equally and not be discriminated against” Mann said. “Especially this year it’s important for people of my generation to get to their polling stations.”
Chris Parsons (Photo by Maddie Higley and Zirui Liu/BU News Service)
Chris Parsons, 22, student from Cambridge Port – Yes.
“It’s really important that transgender people get the opportunity to feel safe in this community.”
Anna Yanouris (Photo by Maddie Higley and Zirui Liu/BU News Service)
Anna Yanouris, 31, policy economist from Cambridgeport – Yes.
I feel like this is not something that we should be discussing at this point and most lawmakers are cisgender males,” Yanouris said. “I would like to see as many protections for people who don’t have cisgender identities, especially around discrimination.”
Halston Lim (Photo by Maddie Higley and Zirui Liu/BU News Service)
Halston Lim, 23, student from Cambridgeport – Yes.
“I voted to keep our current law in place because it supports the most amount of people with their current identities,” Lim said. “It was a pretty clear choice to me.”
Liz Lister (Photo by Noelle Fallacara and Pamela Fourtounis/BU News Service]
Liz Lister, 49, realtor from Cambridgeport – Yes.
“I have a transgender son so that is what pushed me to get involved,” Lister said. “It’s a human rights issue and if this gets repealed here in Massachusetts, which is a blue state, then that bodes really poorly and is really scary for the rest of the country.”
Matt Doherty, Tyler Oringer, Dan Dellechiaie, Denny Hackett III, Laura Guerrero, Ian Anderson, Nicole Hoey, Erin Ko, Charlie Scanlan, Yasmine Ghanem, Maria Vital, Noelle Fallacara, Pamela Fourtounis, Maddie Higley and Zirui Liu contributed to this report.
