I don't know much about controversial Prof. Noam Chomsky (above). I'm only vaguely familiar with his writings and have not studied his various theories. But I did run across this YouTube video of him discussing U.S. politics and found in it interesting parallels to the city of Northampton's political climate. That plus an acknowledgement that many people simply don't care what government officials do. As many lawn signs as there are touting various candidates in the city, the vast majority of properties around town have none.
If 50% of the electorate turns out to vote for the November 3 general election in Northampton this will be characterized as a heavy turnout by local officials. Simply put, it is not. Around half of the voting age electorate in Northampton simply do not care who runs the city or what it is they might do. Yet there are those in Northampton that care a great deal about local policy making and they back it up with their dollars and/or their time.
For example the Higgins mayoral campaign spent three times the money of the Bardsley campaign as of August 28 according to Gazette reporting-$18,000 to $6,000. Some of Higgins' listed supporters include those involved with and profiting from the redevelopment of the former Northampton State Hospital. Names like Goggins Real Estate and Wright Builders. These two firms have been involved in many other civic undertakings in the city as well. Higgins also received an endorsement from State Rep. Peter Kocot, whose spouse is employed, or was, by Goggins Real Estate. Moreover, there has been at least one letter to the editor from a Smith College professor supporting Higgins and notably she won the Ward 2 primary where most of Smith's campus is located. People may be familiar with the Development Agreement Higgins signed behind closed doors with Smith College President Carol Christ which involved the creation of an Educational Use Overlay District to benefit the elite college.
Whatever she was when she started her political career, today Higgins has grown to be an institutionalized politician that rubs elbows with the upper-crust of society. Yet she lost the primary in September by 475 votes. This has caused an instinctual rather than an intellectual reaction from her camp, a reaction which seems to be to attack Bardsley in any way possible in order to drive up his negatives. The widely distributed Dwight email is a perfect example of a group of people that seem worried. (Could this email have spurred the, "88" painted vandalism to Dwight's home?)
For his part Bardsley now boasts of 300 grass roots supporters that have joined his campaign, making up for in time what they don't have in dollars. Will that be enough to put him in the mayor's seat?
Whatever he was when he started his political career, today Bardsley finds himself outnumbered on the council and facing an uphill fight to unseat an incumbent mayor, though he is fairly named the frontrunner due to his victory in September. Like it or not, we know the culture that Higgins has brought to the mayor's office and Bardsley supporters see in him a potential to change that culture. Will the tone from city hall change if he is elected? That seems to be a hope of many.
In the present we have some Higgins supporters attempting to portray Bardsley as a conservative because of a past connection to a Mr. Joe Markey. Likewise we have some Bardsley supporters attempting to portray Higgins as an autocrat who is out of touch with ordinary citizens. Folks are posting anonymously galore on the various blogs, online forums and online newspapers slamming either candidate and their respective campaigns. We hear people criticizing Higgins' policies and initiatives. We hear others asking for lists of Bardsley's accomplishments. We have Steve Susco complaining loudly at City Council public comment sessions about sewer backups on Bridge Road resulting in a stream of letters to the editor from Higgins supporters calling for civility and criticizing Bardsley for failing to restrain Susco. The same letter writers are silent when it comes to their own candidate Mary Clare Higgins, and one of her loudest supporters, WHMP radio show host Bill Dwight who engaged in Ad hominem attacks on Bardsley supporters.
Despite all this Higgins is a formidable opponent for Bardsley and may well win the main event in November due to her political network and financial advantages. This election is anything but a given for Bardsley and so the stage is set for a sprint to the finish line by the two and their supporters. For those who care later this afternoon Higgins and Bardsley will participate in a discussion on Social Justice at the Unitarian Society at 220 Main Street next to City Hall at 5:00.
