Cambridge City Council Candidate: Gregg J. Moree

Building his campaign on his carpenter background and his Cambridge roots, Gregg J. Moree is hoping that third time is the charm as he runs for Cambridge City Council for the third straight election.

Moree says that over the last 22 years, he has worked as a carpenter at many buildings throughout Cambridge and Harvard University, including Memorial Hall and Harvard Law School. Born and raised in Cambridge, he attended the M.E. Fitzgerald Elementary School, the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, and the North Bennet Street School.

Moree previously ran for a seat on the Cambridge City Council in 2007 and 2009. Both bids were unsuccessful.

He says he got interested in politics because of his uncle, the late Joseph G. Sakey, who was the director of the Cambridge public libraries. Moree described Sakey as “my biggest mentor, tutor, and best friend.”

Although Moree has never held office before, he says his life experiences are exactly what Cambridge needs.

“I made a living on just telling the truth and going to church,” Moree says. “There are so many people lying today. My experience is just telling the truth, being a good citizen, and building buildings. I can go and build a house right now. You know what it would cost you to build a house? It would cost you a lot of money. I know how to build houses.”

“Integrity” is the number one idea that Moree has pushed throughout his campaign. He says he disapproves of the mindset that he sees in the current City Council members.

“They’re professionals,” Moree said. “They lie. They flip-flop. They know how to bang off the issue. We have to go back to integrity in public office. Life is about telling the truth. That’s why we pledge allegiance to the flag, and that’s what we have to stand for.”

In contrast, Moree said that he believes that he has the integrity and intelligence to be the right man for the job.

“I’m smart, and I can see into the future,” said Moree. “I get a lot of information, and I analyze it with great deliberation. I own two pieces of property in Palm Beach. The richest people in the world are my neighbors. These guys can buy Harvard University; they can buy the whole thing.”

Much of Moree’s platform revolves around making sure that Cambridge and Massachusetts citizens have jobs and housing. In addition, Moree is pushing for enhanced bargaining rights for unions and addressing the living wage and prevailing wage.

Moree says he disapproves of the fact that the current city and state governments have not voted on a “residency requirement” for jobs in Cambridge and Massachusetts.

If jobs in the area are required to go to local residents, Moree argues, the resulting increase in income tax revenues would go to the “State department,” thus preventing cuts to programs Moree values such as student aid and programs for the elderly.

“Why should someone from Connecticut or New Hampshire come here to take your job?” Moree says. “You, [a Cambridge resident,] can do it. Why not hire you? Why go to New Hampshire? Because they make backroom deals.”

Moree repeatedly stressed his belief that government dishonesty is to blame for current economic struggles.

“The jobs are leaving [the state of Massachusetts] because people are getting ‘greased,’” Moree says. “There are more jobs leaving the state. When 50 percent of the workers are from out of the state, the state is being bought off.”

Since Cambridge is known for its universities, Moree says he is also concerned about jobs and new college graduates leaving the country.

“We want you to stay here after you graduate,” Moree says. “We don’t want you to go back to whatever country you came from. Other countries are challenging the United States for its high tech jobs. We need to keep high tech jobs here for our people.”

A major pillar of Moree’s campaign has been his plan to hold a regatta on the Charles River with a number of ships, most notably John F. Kennedy’s historic yacht, “The Honey Fitz,” in order to harness the publicity potential for the area.

“I’m inviting the President of the United States here,” Moree says. “Gregg Moree is inviting Barack Obama, Liz Warren, Deval Patrick, Mike Capuano, Stephen Lynch, and Caroline Kennedy on the Honey Fitz Boat. We’re going to have a lunch on the Honey Fitz Boat. The whole world is coming; they’re going to have a million people here.”

Moree has seen his previous campaigns partially derailed by criminal allegations. According to The Cambridge Chronicle, Moree was arrested in 2007 on allegations that he violated a restraining order and assaulted his ex-wife with an umbrella in her home, although the jury found him not guilty. He had previously been charged with breaking and entering and assaulting a police officer in 1974 and 1980, respectively. The latter charges were later dropped.

Most recently, in January 2010, Moree was arrested on allegations of assaulting a woman in his car, also according to The Cambridge Chronicle.

Despite these setbacks, Moree said that he is “a very serious candidate” and is optimistic about his chances.

“As long as you’re honest, and you feel comfortable within your skin, you will prevail,” Moree says. “I may not be everything that everybody wants. No one is. But everyday when we wake up, we try to do it better than the day before.”