Left In Lowell

[Bumped for visibility. Originally posted at 9:43 pm. — Lynne]

The meeting started a bit late; again due to a spirited sub-committee meeting prior to the CC meeting. It was good to see City Councilwoman Eileen Donoghue back after missing a few meetings recuperating from surgery. City Manager Bernie Lynch was absent attending a conference; he missed a lengthy meeting with a diverse agenda.

If you also missed it and would like to watch it, LTC repeats it throughout the week and you can always catch on the internet where the broadcast is crisper and you can skip lengthy grandstanding speeches from certain CCs if you want. The acrimonious and contentious debates that have taken place lately between the CC members were not evident tonight. Nothing like a Fortune 100 company bringing 600-800 new jobs to the City to bring smiles and pleasantries all around. (more…)

With their usual thoroughness and quirky but polite attitude, Blue Mass Group endorses John Bonifaz for Secretary of State against incumbant Bill Galvin.

Everyone at the Patrick campaign is busy and I don’t want to bother them. But in case they’re reading, I just want to say thanks, to Nancy and to John and to Deval himself.

This has been a long hard slog (which is not over yet!). Throughout my time as a volunteer on this campaign I’ve felt a sense of ownership. At times, this produces heavy guilt (I should be doing more this week, I forgot to send out that email, I should have more windmills dammit!). Lately it’s filled me with a nervous energy; I woke up yesterday morning at 3am from a dream that only 80 voters showed up to the polls in the entire state, and Chris Gabrieli got a couple more votes than Deval and we lost. It was so realistic I almost cried when I woke up (never mind that Gabrieli beat Patrick 14% to 12% to Reilly’s 8% and that doesn’t add up to 100% - I’m not so good at math even when I am awake).

But today, as I was packing up my stuff to move into Patrick’s unofficial Lowell HQ for the next week, I was overwhelmed with a that sense of ownership. This is my campaign. This is my fight. What I do here matters. One vote, another vote, another volunteer recruited. Multiplied by 7,200+ volunteers across the state (more, because I’ve added lots more just here in Lowell this week).

I imagine that this level of connection to a candidate doesn’t come often. I did a smattering of work through America Coming Together/Moveon for Kerry in New Hampster (you’re welcome, for your Democrat governor). It was fun and there was so much riding on that election that I was nervous then too, but never did I feel so integral to the campaign, despite the monumental task we were all participating in. Sure, I was a part of something, a semi-well-oiled machine, and we won NH for Kerry (and Lynch, again, you’re welcome). But I never breathed the rare air I have today. I’ve never liked cold calling. Today, it was fun and exciting and I wanted to share that excitement with perfect strangers.

So, for this rare and special experience, thank you Nancy, for meeting with me that day in Starbucks last winter to share your enthusiasm for Deval. I thought you were a little crazy then (kidding!) but I quickly came around. Thank you to John Walsh for your extraordinary captaining of this grassroots ship. Your organizing skills are without peer, and plus, you’re just a nice guy!

Thanks to Reuban and Charles and everyone else I’ve met at the campaign, who are all true believers - not just in Deval, but in something bigger than ourselves.

And of course, thanks to Deval Patrick - without whom, we’d all be rudderless (or at least candidateless). You have single-handedly revived grassroots politics with your intelligence, your charisma, thoughtfulness, and ability to speak - and listen. Well, Robert Reich helped too, but you took what he started and gave us the best gift you could…someone, something, and somewhere to believe in. And I will thank you again when I see you at the victory celebration next Tuesday night. I’ll be the not-so-quiet, just-a-bit-tipsy reveler who’s a touch shy around influential people. Give a wave if you can.

Well, the Democratic Commission On Staying Good And Nice is in the pooper with Gabrieli’s latest robocall. A volunteer of ours also got the same call David got tonight.

A lively debate sprung on BMG on that thread on what the meaning of “misleading” and “attack” is, with some denizens (pro-Gabs I suspect) downplaying the call as just Chris distinguishing himself on the issues. Trouble is, Gabrieli is attacking Patrick on the tax rollback - when both candidates say nearly the same thing about it. Gabs is pushing his “not until we meet our economic yardstick” and Patrick says we can’t just be giving you back $200 this year only to have your local government charge you an extra $500 next year, but when it’s responsible, of course the income tax rollback is on the table. Um…how are they different, exactly? Sounds to me like they both say “not now.”

This is what happened to Reilly…he ran out of issues to talk about, so he brought out the big attack guns (which of course jammed and blew up in his face). Gabrieli is obviously seeing his internal polls (I’m sure he’s hired the best) as well as the two that came out today (see below) and in desperation is grasping at straws. It didn’t work for Reilly (both his victims remained calm in the last debate and turned the tables) so why does Gabrieli think it’s gonna work now? Typical Democrat…take the old playbook that seems to never work and start using it from page one.

Couple that with the yawner of an issue, in-state tuition for children of illegals (trust me Gabs, you do not want to attack Patrick on that one tomorrow night, he will decimate you), and from what I heard from our volunteer, telling the voter that Patrick is for Social Security and driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants (the former is, I believe, not true, and the latter is once again, a non-starter and Deval can explain very easily what that’s about). Pepper on a little ranty attack on Patrick’s supporters (another word of advice, not a good idea to attack supporters when lots of them blog regularly) and you have a recipe for an unraveling campaign.

Does anyone else find it sad that Gabrieli is using the same wedge issue the Republicans hoped to use in the 2006 national elections? And it’s shameful, being a self-described “education candidate” and yet denying these top-performing kids, who did not ask for illegal status and had no choice in being here, the chance to pay for their own tuition (they are still not eligible for financial aid, remember) and deny our universities this basically free money because oooh, they’re those icky illegals (you know, the ones who left depressed economies back home, leaving friends and family, to make a better life for themselves and their children). Some Democrat Chris is.

I am taking nothing for granted. People who want Patrick to win next Tuesday and have time to volunteer, either this week, this weekend, or next Tuesday during the entire day, you can email me (lynne at leftinlowell dot com). Requests for lawn signs and bumper stickers as well.

However, if you ask me, things are trending in a lovely direction. First, David posted about the Channel 4/SUSA poll (8/22 in paren):

Deval Patrick: 45% (34%)
Chris Gabrieli: 29% (30%)
Tom Reilly: 21% (29%)

And the highly anticipated State House New Poll, post by Charlie (smaller sample size though):

Patrick: 36%
Gabrieli: 26%
Reilly: 19%

Discuss!

In the rush of political news, I’ve been lax in announcing cultural events in Lowell. But you canNOT miss Lowell Open Studios!! On Sept 23 and 24 (Sat and Sun) from 12-5 you will find most of the city’s artists opening their studios to the public. It’s the best freaking annual cultural event in Lowell, hands down (OK, the Folk Fest comes in a close second), and I would say that even if many of the participating artists were NOT my studio neighbors!!

I can’t tell you how excited I am about the artist community here. Its diversity and breadth which has expanded so rapidly has to be seen to be believed.

The largest Open Studios venue by far now is Western Avenue Studios. Over 60 artists from WAS will participate, including yours truly!

You must must must come. Expect to find great art and unique gifts. Bring your Christmas money! Get your shopping done early and support the unique and ever-growing artist community in Lowell!

If you miss it, I will pout in your general direction until you are wracked with guilt. Seriously. And you should feel guilty, because there’s something for everyone to enjoy at Open Studios!