Left In Lowell

Oh, So Concerned About Our Money?

by Lynne at 11:58 am.

I find the current city council majority appalling. I suppose that’s not a secret.

The first thing that comes to mind after watching them violate the spirit, if not the law, of our city charter in firing Sheehan, and now voting to save a few tens of thousand to deny us a charter-required primary if we see more than 18 candidates, is that I wonder just where this concern for the taxpayer was in every other damned meeting this last year?

Voting to cut a single, solitary position from the budget. Voting to kill a primary. They doth protest too much about this being about money in hard times, so much so it’s obvious they know that we know that it just isn’t so. But the real, telling proof of this is the select nature of savings they’ve chosen to champion. My god, do they think the voters are stupid?

C. Armand Mercier told me to my face he didn’t think that eliminating the primary was that much of a disadvantage for the challengers. He’s wrong, so either he’s a) not thought this through or b) lying and preserving his own advantage. Either way, I find that incredibly disturbing. Having a nonthinking city councilor is almost as bad as a compromised one.

How does eliminating the primary disadvantage the challengers? Let me count the ways.

First, there’s the mixing up of the names instead of having the incumbents listed first. This is a huge point and needs to be made again and again.

Then, there’s the fact that having all comers on the general election ballot (instead of narrowing them down to 18) dilutes the anti-incumbent vote, should there be a large segment of the voters who want change. (Like, say, maybe this year?) A voter has only 9 votes, and if these are to be spread among more than 9 challengers, it is harder for any one challenger to make it to the winner’s circle. This is also a very huge disadvantage if we skip a primary. (Dick makes this same point on his own blog - both of us saw this argument independent of each other, by the way.)

Finally, there’s the publicity that a primary can bring. If a challenger does well enough, they will be taken more seriously and a buzz will be created around their campaign. It’ll be easier for them to get news coverage in the paper, on radio, and on blogs. The same dilution factor that exists for the votes exists for news coverage, after all.

The points that argue that a primary disadvantages challengers is far outweighed by these advantages for incumbents if we don’t have a primary. The mixing up of the names randomly is alone worth having our primary. As to a money disadvantage (campaign spending for two elections instead of one) no challenger I have talked to (and I’ve had the privilege of meeting some new faces this week) says they wouldn’t want that challenge. Not only for the sake of their own candidacies and their chances for election, but also for the sake of fairness, and democracy.

To be mocked and derided in breathtaking anger by the majority of city councilors for wanting that…I find this particularly reprehensible.

And then, the fact that this majority chose, instead of raising the number of candidates that would trigger a primary, to eliminate it altogether - so even if 50 people took out papers to run, there’d be no primary - is absolutely disgusting, and is reason enough for our delegation to not push for this Home Rule petition, or - for the Governor to veto it. In fact, you might just want to call the delegation, and the Governor’s office (617.725.4005 or 888.870.7770 in state), to register your opposition.

The public has not had their voice included in this decision, because once again our councilors decided to ask for a waiver via Home Rule instead of a charter change. If they had been so damned concerned about this, why not start the charter change process two years ago when this was brought up, rather than wait, once again, until the last minute, and bypass the voters?

[Filed under Local politics, City Council] [link]

7 Responses to “Oh, So Concerned About Our Money?”

Lowell Resident Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:24 pm
you can voice opposition but the delegation has to file any home rule petition from the CC. its possible that it will get held up or killed by the speaker or the committee, but they have to file it.
Lynne Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:29 pm
But they do NOT have to push for their colleagues to vote for it, do they?
Bob Forrant Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Warning - warning - warning - I am using my real name as always. You nailed it with the above post. Anyone who does not see the advantages sitting councilors have with this power play/rules change in mid-game ought to be immediately disqualified from sitting on the council in the first place because they are not of sound mind. So far none of the ‘primary party-poopers’ have taken me up on an earlier post to step forward and say they will make a motion to have all the names scrambled on the November ballot so their less than above board rules change does not benefit them so much and so that they can demonstrate their great love and respect for the democratic process. Any takers?????? I know many of you six are out there - lurking - reading - getting angry -probably shaking your head right now and saying to yourself who does he think he is and who do they think they are to question my authority to do what I want regardless of the city’s rules of the game. This is a slippery slope here and my guess is the legislative delegation is already sold on the idea and will help to make it happen. Not such a good civics lesson for young voters new to the democratic process. And, not such a good lesson when we want to teach folks respect for the ballot box and what it stands for and how hard folks fought to get and keep the right to vote.
Lowell Resident Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
no they don’t, but it would have to be killed pretty quietly, because its very taboo for a state legislator to try to overrule their own city council. i think the chairs of election laws, and the governor’s veto are more likely to shoot this down than the delegation.
JackFrom01854 Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:01 am
Wouldn’t it be funny if some local business people came forward and offered to pay for the primary like they did with the fireworks.
Lynne Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 8:04 am
Not sure that’s actually legal, Jack, LOL.

Fact is, Lowell Resident, all they have to do is not encourage fellow legislators to vote for it. In other words, NOT LOBBY for it. If those fellow legislators get a few phone calls from Lowell residents kindly asking them to kill the bill, that would be all it would take, if only the delegation would not make forceful arguments for the bill.

So easy. But I doubt we get this from them (especially not on the House side).
Lowell Resident Says:
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:59 am
in practice, thats not how it works with home rule petitions. it never goes before a roll call. it would only be handled on a voice vote and most likely in an informal session. in other words, if it reaches the floor, it will pass. it has to be killed in committee. this bill would have no importance to 157 members of the house.

technically, the Lowell City Council is supposedly representing all of us by voting to eliminate the primary. Thats what home rule petitions are. I know in reality they are just representing themselves. but that doesnt really matter as far at the local delegation is concerned with home rules. the state legislature can’t be interfering in the decisions of the council. Someone with authority over election laws and procedures has to say “you can’t do that.” Its not up to individual legislators to say “you shouldn’t.”

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July 22, 2009

Oh, So Concerned About Our Money?

7 Responses to “Oh, So Concerned About Our Money?”

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