Major Step For Cleaner Neighborhoods

Laura Sargent in Representative Marty Waltz's office emailed me this week to tell me great news. Governor Deval Patrick has signed into a law a bill that will help make Boston streets cleaner.

Now, those of you who read this blog know that one issue I am fairly passionate about is trash. When I first became a member of the Beacon Hill Civic Association back in 1999, I was asked shortly thereafter to represent younger Beacon Hill neighbors on the infamous "trash committee" (which is now called the City Services Committee). Spending one night each month talking about creative ways to make Beacon Hill's streets cleaner became, I admit, somewhat addictive.

Given the time I have spent studying the issue, I hope you will trust that I do have some insight into how the streets could be cleaner. Last year, I wrote a post that outlined three main initiatives that would help significantly.

1) Towing on street cleaning days. Street cleaning only works if cars are not in the way of the street sweeper. That's why Mayor Menino administration's maximum enforcement of posted street sweeping signs is so important. Move your cars, neighbors!

2) Switching to 2 + 2. We have three days of trash pick up on Beacon Hill. That means trash is on the sidewalk far too often. I suggest moving to two days of pickup, plus an additional day of recycling (with trash pick up and recycling happening on the same day).

3) This is the issue that Laura phoned me about. The law that is now in place (whoo hooo!) will allow the City to better penalize trash scofflaws. The City will now be able to put in place procedures that attach unpaid trash violation fines to a property's tax bills. This will give those violations weight. It will also wake up absentee landlords throughout the city (building owners who rarely visit their properties and check on their tenants).

Kudos to all who helped the "green ticket" law become a reality, including Representative Marty Walz, Representative Aaron Michlewitz, Mayor Menino and his administration, and the Boston City Councilors who supported this effort. Thank you all!

Signs of Multi-Use at Phillips Street Park

Phillips Street Park

Beacon Hill, Boston

November 1, 2009

I walked by Phillips Street Park this morning and witnessed the perfect result of the long public process regarding the park's redesign. A gentleman sat reading a book with his dog on the upper part, while children used the new playground equipment in the park's lower area.

When local residents began to invest countless hours discussing the park renovation, the intent all along was to create an area suited to multiple uses and to a varied set of neighbors. As one can tell, Phillips Street Park is not very big, so catering to multiple uses is a challenge. I was very happy the process created a compromise---catering to children as well as dog owners and those who wish to just take a break from the busy day. The picture above is the first evidence of the success of this approach. (I stopped in the park to chat with my mom on my cell phone.)

Kudos to Boston Mayor Tom Menino, his Parks Department, City Council President Mike Ross, his staff, park abutter Rob Whitney, neighbor Phyllis Brown and the countless others who made the new Phillips Street Park a reality. And special thanks to the Beacon Hill Civic Association for hosting the meetings throughout the process.

Phillips Street Park Opening

After a successful community process, the Phillips Street Park on Beacon Hill reopened yesterday. Mayor Tom Menino joined City Councilor President Mike Ross, City Councilor John Connolly, State Representative Marty Walz and Parks Commissioner Antonia Pollak to cut the ribbon of the park. The Mayor and Councilor Ross worked to secure the funds for the park.

Several members of the community worked long hours to design the park so it can cater to many uses. I had the pleasure of sitting in on the community process for the Beacon Hill Civic Association, and the best part is -- despite the relative small area within the park -- it really does have something for everyone. The area near Phillips Street includes a new drainage system that leads to the sewer system, an ideal situation for dog owners. The lower area of the park includes a jungle gym that is perfect for older children.

Not surprisingly, when you live in a dense neighborhood like Beacon Hill and are planning a park that caters to so many individuals, there can be debate as to the best layout and design of an open space. I applaud all of those who contributed to the design of the Phillips Street Park and the compromises that were made to create an area that appeals to a large audience. The park looks beautiful.

Beacon Hill Neighbors for Mayor Menino

I was proud to sign the letter below, which is being distributed to my Beacon Hill neighbors this week.

BEACON HILL NEIGHBORS FOR MAYOR MENINO

Dear Neighbor,
We are writing as Beacon Hill neighbors to urge you to vote for Mayor Menino on November 3. With the municipal elections a few days away, we felt that it was time to look at the Mayor’s record and the positive impact he has had on the City of Boston and specifically on our neighborhood of Beacon Hill.

We find that what drew us to Beacon Hill – and has kept us here – are those quality-of-life issues the Mayor cares deeply about and on which he has had a profound effect. Our local parks have been completely transformed. The Myrtle Street Playground has received at least two makeovers since Tom Menino took office and, thanks to strong community input, the Phillips Street Playground will soon open as a multi-purpose park.

Our neighborhood institutions have been infused with energy and resources. When the Hill House Community Center outgrew its facility on Joy Street a few years ago and required an additional site, several of us turned to the Mayor. Although the City could have sold the vacated fire station on Mount Vernon Street for a substantial profit, Mayor Menino decided instead to give it to our neighborhood so that local programming could expand and flourish. Similarly, when the Beacon Hill Nursery School needed additional outdoor space, the Mayor made sure that public space was made available to increase the boundaries of the nursery school’s backyard.

We feel safer on our streets and in our homes, in and around our neighborhood. For those of us who are new – and not so new – to Beacon Hill, safety is a key concern. Many of us remember a time when it was not prudent to walk in and around our neighborhood after dark. With the Mayor’s focus on community policing, a strengthened working relationship with our public safety officers, and the added vitality of those businesses that are open in the evening, we feel safe to be out any time of the day or night.

Aside from the tangibles, there’s a growing, active partnership with City Hall that Mayor Menino has fostered. Leaders in our community have worked with the Mayor to organize neighborhood clean ups and to create a unique partnership to maintain trees, keeping our neighborhood clean and green.

Finally, when many of us were frustrated by Suffolk University’s plans, we reached out to the Mayor, and he listened. And then he made sure that university expansion did not have a negative impact on our neighborhood. We truly believe that our interests are the interests of his administration.

While we strongly appreciate the focus and support of Mayor Menino over his time in office, what we value most is the opportunity to carry on our work with him. We want to build on our successes and to continue to work on those issues, such as a new public school and future development that respects the community process—matters which the Mayor has pledged to pursue with us.

As we look at the real issues that face our community, it is clear that there is only one candidate who cares about our neighborhood. Tom Menino has been there for us. We need to be there for him on November 3 and beyond.

Sincerely,

John Achatz, Mount Vernon Street
David Beardsley, Pinckney Street
John and Suzanne Besser, Mt. Vernon Street
Tom Clemens, Goodwin Place
John Bowman and Leslie Donovan, Beacon Street
Gene and Meredith Clapp, Charles River Square
Tom Compton, Joy Street
Ryan Foscaldo, Charles Street
Steven Kaufman and Amy Ryan, Phillips Street
Susan Haas, West Cedar Street
Meghan Haggerty, Joy Street
Monica Halas and Rob O’Connor, S. Russell Street
Kim Jennings, Beacon Street
Jeffrey and Cheryl Katz, Myrtle Street
Mark Lewand and Jessica Goranson, River Street
Ross Levanto, Myrtle Street
Jay Livingstone, Revere Street
Brad and Sharon Malt, West Cedar Street
Rajan and Hilary Nanda, Garden Street
John Natoli, River Street
Paula O’Keefe, Chestnut Street
Robert and Elizabeth Owens, Mt. Vernon Street
Joel and Martha Pierce, Garden Street
Jason and Penny Pingree, Joy Street
Jim Stone and Cathy Douglas Stone, Lime Street
Keith and Elllen Plapinger, Joy Street
Kathy Plazak, Myrtle Street
Fred and Christine Pratt, West Cedar Street
Daniel A. Taylor, Phillips Street
Rob Whitney, Phillips Street
Nick and Leigh Anne Yoo, River Street

Additional Ward 5 Endorsements

The regular October meeting of Boston's Ward 5 Democratic Committee took place last night.

The committee endorsed Mike Ross in his race to be re-elected as Boston's District 8 City Councilor.

The committee also endorsed Steve Murphy for re-election as an at-large Boston City Councilor.

Earlier this election season, the Ward 5 Committee endorsed John Connolly and Ayanna Pressley for at-large City Council seats, and in September, the committee endorsed Mayor Menino for re-election.

My Poll is Better Than Yours

My fish is always bigger than yours.

In political-speak, my poll always turns out better for me than yours.

Last weekend, the Boston Globe published a poll that showed Mayor Menino a comfortable 20 points ahead in the race to be Boston's Mayor. However, Boston Phoenix reporter David Bernstein rained on the Globe's parade, citing a poll released by the Mayor's opponent, Michael Flaherty, showing the race as being far tighter (though the Mayor still led by seven points, which is not exactly a small margin).

It should not surprise anyone that Flaherty's team felt the race was closer than the Globe's poll indicated. Here's where it gets interesting, though. Bernstein concluded, "I think the race looks much more like Flaherty's poll than the Globe's."

As an observer, I must say that Bernstein's conclusion is somewhat baffling. Why would a reporter trust a poll released by one of the candidates over a poll conducted by another publication?

I actually sent Mr. Bernstein a Facebook message asking him why he trusted Flaherty's numbers so much. I will update this post if he gets back to me.

I also have not seen the actual data related to Flaherty's poll. However, based on a college course on research, there are other questions and concerns I have.

One example: Poll results are influenced by how questions are asked. What would stop the Flaherty camp from asking a few questions during the poll that might cast doubt on the Mayor before asking for the voter's preference in the election. After hearing something negative about a candidate posed as a question, the voter is more likely to lean away from that candidate.

I certainly don't blame any campaign from using this style, and I am not saying the Flaherty camp used this tactic in this case. However, it's one reason why we should all be trained not to trust polls released by a given campaign.

Editor's Note: I am volunteering for Mayor Menino's campaign in this election.

Why Mayor Menino Won Boston's Ward 5

A year ago, I noticed that City Councilor Michael Flaherty showed up at Sonia Chang-Diaz's victory party in Jamaica Plain. Chang-Diaz had just defeated sitting State Senator Dianne Wilkerson in the state primary, and Flaherty wanted to pass on his congratulations.

No doubt, however, Flaherty wanted to catch a feeling of the wave that Chang-Diaz had created to deliver the upset. Just a few months later Flaherty would announce he hoped to become Mayor, challenging a 16-year incumbent. What could he learn from Chang-Diaz's win (Wilkerson had also been in office for several terms) and perhaps more importantly, how could he win favor with the same group that backed the challenger?

City Councilor Sam Yoon was not at the victory party, however I am sure the Chang-Diaz phenomenon also partially motivated his decision this year to jump into the Mayoral race.

Chang-Diaz, after all, exemplified what Flaherty and Yoon hoped to do. They wanted to unseat an incumbent who had been in office for a long time. They wanted to ride the wave of change.

Chang-Diaz did extremely well in my neighborhood of Beacon Hill, and in the other neighborhoods that comprise Ward 5--- Back Bay, Fenway and Bay Village. She won more than 70-percent of the vote across the ward. For Sam Yoon, in particular, such results were critical to his hopes. If he could replicate what Chang-Diaz did, one figured, Yoon would have a shot. Especially since conventional wisdom said the socioeconomic realities of Ward 5 were inclined to favor Yoon.

Of course, there were three challengers running this past Tuesday, so emulating Chang-Diaz's mark stood as a pretty lofty goal for Yoon. Still, he didn't even come close. In fact, he lost Ward 5 to the incumbent Mayor by nearly six percent.

Looking at the precinct level results within Ward 5 doesn't provide much solace to the Yoon camp. The Mayor won the Beacon Hill/Back Bay area of the Ward (arguably one center of Yoon's base). By comparison, Chang-Diaz picked up more than 80-percent of the vote in certain Back Bay precincts last year.

So why did the Mayor win Ward 5? Why didn't those Chang-Diaz voters flock to Sam Yoon en mass? Certainly no two elections are the same, and this year's Mayoral contest is very different from last year's state senate race.

Boston is a world-renown city. It has its problems, but on the whole, residents I have spoken to in Ward 5 are happy with where Boston is right now and are proud to live here.

The Mayor has made some very difficult decisions. On his reasons, he doesn't equivocate. I think voters appreciate that in a Mayor.

The Mayor is mindful of the city's finances. Boston has the highest bond rating in its history. A sound financial stance actually resonates with residents in Ward 5. Yoon's comment that he doesn't think bond ratings are important did not go over well.

Finally, last year's state senate race was marred by a variety of past ethical accusations against the incumbent. Chang-Diaz ran on the message that voters should not have to sacrifice ethics for progressive leadership. The message resonated. This year, in the case of the Mayor, the incumbent's administration is free from any such accusations. People will note certain traits of his personality, but the bottom line is the Mayor has never been the subject of any sort of investigation.

The other bottom line is the city of Boston is doing fine, and the Mayor has good ideas for moving the city forward. And for the plurality of voters in Ward 5 who came to the polls Tuesday, that reasoning for the Mayor was good enough.

Editor's Note: I am a supporter of Mayor Menino's and am volunteering for his campaign team. Last year, I volunteered for Sonia Chang-Diaz's campaign team.

Endorsement: Mayor Tom Menino

Sometimes change is good, and sometimes change is not necessary. In Boston right now, we don't need radical change; we need leadership. That's why I am supporting Mayor Tom Menino's reelection this year in the Boston Mayoral race.

One cannot find a more trendy word in politics than change, and Barack Obama defines it. Based on his success, change is not scary; it's preferred. Except change can be a slippery slope. Ironically enough, Obama's election only reinforces my belief in Mayor Menino's candidacy. With a President now carrying an urban agenda, I want my Mayor to provide a seasoned voice at the table.

I am supporting the Mayor because I really do not have much to complain about. I have done what I can to contribute to my neighborhood over the past several years to clean the streets, provide my input on an agreement with a local university, and to debate the merits of additional liquor licenses. I played a minor role with my neighbors creating a new program to replace and prune trees, I assisted with the transition to new trash pick-up schedules, and I participated in neighborhood "welcome wagons" to greet new neighbors in September. Each and every step of the way, I felt as though Mayor Menino acted in concert with the interests of the city and supported my efforts.

Boston is a safe, liveable, attractive city. I travel around the country for my job; I have visited many airport bars in my time. Without exception, when I tell a new friend and fellow airport bar patron that I am flying home to Boston, they smile broadly. Those that have been to Boston deluge me with praise for the city; those that have not visited want to go.

Sure I have complaints. I think the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) program needs to be changed. I don't understand the full role of the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). I think the City could be doing more to encourage cross-neighborhood cooperation (Believe it or not, Beacon Hill shares similar problems with other Boston neighborhoods). But the sum of all these and any other concerns does not come close to outweighing the great things that are going on in Boston. It certainly does not justify a "grassroots campaign for change."

I like the fact the Mayor is a morning person (I am, too). I think he works incredibly hard for the people of Boston. I remember watching him calm fears at a televised press conference during a snow storm while I was squatting in a friend's apartment at Boston University in January 1996. He seemed to me to be the type of guy that would finish up the press conference and then hop into the driver's seat of the snow plow. I like that in a Mayor.

Plus, I know very well many people who work for the Mayor, and I can say unequivocally that they are among the hardest working individuals I have ever known. They are Boston residents who are committed to this city, love it, and are passionate about it. They take calls at every hour of the day and every day of the week. They care about every constituent, even those that call quite often. They understand and trust the vision of their boss. In many ways my pledge to support the Mayor is a vote of confidence for the many members of his team who I have stood alongside for the past ten-plus years.

Now, there are a couple of things I see as broad challenges for the city. I know the Mayor shares my thoughts, and I am eager to work with him and his team. Among the challenges, which I hope to detail more on this blog in the coming months, are:

o New energy for the focus on education. The number one reason why young families leave Boston, in my opinion, is for reasons related to education. I certainly don't have the answers, but I am willing to support creative ideas.

o Highlighting vibrant neighborhoods. In a city of neighborhoods, Boston doesn't do a good job introducing its recent college graduates to them. Its initiatives to reach younger residents are admirable, and I think they should be expanded so that a steady stream of graduates receive renewed incentives to rent or buy properties in the varied Boston neighborhoods.

o Truly planning for Boston's future. While I don't think the BRA should go away, we should certainly discuss what it needs to fully fill its role safeguarding the long-term interests of the city and its residents.

Given the economic reality of today, and the unsettling future we all face, it's important to appreciate what one has. Boston should appreciate the good state it's in right now and the many things that are going right. We should understand the need for leadership, and we must resist the impulsive desire to press for change for the sake of change. Certainly we have challenges to overcome, and Mayor Menino shows the vision and energy to get us there. He deserves four more years.

Signature Drive Complete

The signature collection period for the young election season is complete. To get on the ballot, a candidate needs to collect a certain number of signatures on nomination papers, and the number required varies depending on the office sought.

With few exceptions, I will sign anyone's papers, even if I don't agree with their candidacy. I believe that pretty much everyone has the right to be on the ballot. This year, I didn't get the chance to sign that often, primarily because I was traveling for half of the signature phase, so I wasn't around to be stopped by candidates or their volunteers on the street.

For the record, here are the candidates for whom I did sign nomination papers:

Mayor of Boston
Mayor Tom Menino

Boston City Councilor At-Large
Ayanna Pressley
Scotland Willis

Boston District City Councilor
Councilor Mike Ross

Taking it to the Streets

I spent a good deal of time in my neighborhood this past week, and I spoke to a number of my neighbors.

The 2009 local campaign season has started. The first step for a candidate (even one running for re-election) is getting on the ballot, and this is done by filing nomination papers. A nomination requires a certain number of signatures from voters, and the amount depends on the office sought. So starting on Tuesday, various candidates and their volunteers have been on the streets of Boston looking for signatures from eligible voters. If you see someone with a clipboard approaching you this weekend, chances are they are not trying to sell you something. They just want your "John Hancock." The signature period ends in about two and a half weeks.

On Tuesday, I was on the streets in Beacon Hill collecting signatures for Mayor Menino. Earlier today, I went door-to-door asking for signatures for my City Councilor, Mike Ross.

In between those two activities, on Thursday I went to a Beacon Hill Civic Association Founders Club event, where I listened to my State Senator, Sonia Chang-Diaz.

Collecting signatures is hard, but it gives one a chance to talk to people one-on-one (to the extent they don't think you are a sales person). I also spoke to a number of active neighbors at the Founders Club event.

I learned quite a bit about the general attitude of the neighborhood. Here goes:

-- Trash, trash, trash. I have commented here before that the neighborhood looks pretty good right now. Yet many people I talked to cited with disgust the trash problem on Beacon Hill. Last month at the Beacon Hill Civic Association it was reported, based on a recent new-members event, that trash remains the number one issue in the neighborhood.

-- What about us? I get the sense that everyone on Beacon Hill feels as though elected officials, in general, have forgotten about them. I must say that Beacon Hill can be overlooked; many campaigns I have been a part of lump Beacon Hill in with the Back Bay, which I dare say is a faux pas. Given the relatively small size of each neighborhood, such a grouping makes sense, and certainly demographically Beacon Hill and Back Bay are similar, but the geography of the two areas is different, and the two neighborhoods differ in their policy priorities.

-- Petty corruption is bad, bad, bad. I am not really sure what progressive means or whether I am one, but certainly Beacon Hill yearns for a clean political process. And for that reason, residents here tend to clump anyone in office with the petty corruption they read about in the papers. Isn't "Throw the bums out?" one of the primary themes of a progessive? I sense a lot of this emotion lingering from the overwhelming enthusiasm for Chang-Diaz last November (She was the candidate who ousted the tarnished former Senator Dianne Wilkerson). The now-Senator Chang-Diaz, who as I noted previously came to an event I attended on Thursday, cleaned house on Beacon Hill in the election results.

By the way, while I am very biased, I was very impressed by Senator Chang-Diaz. She spoke with authority backed up by a thorough understanding of the issues, even specific figures related to the budget. The crowd (which included some Republicans) received her warmly.

NOTE: I don't necessarily agree with what I observed in the neighborhood, as noted above, but it's what I heard and witnessed. Don't shoot the messenger!

Spring Politics in Boston

Several political races are heating up around Boston, if you know where to look.

City Council at-large candidate Andrew Kenneally stopped by a meeting of the newly formed Boston chapter of the Young Massachusetts Democrats last month. He spoke for about 10 minutes on a variety of topics, including the MBTA (which I think is interesting given the MBTA is run by the state) and initiatives to make Boston greener. I asked him about the oft-derided Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program, where non-profit institutions make a donation to the City to offset the fact they don't have to pay property tax. Kenneally mentioned he supports the Mayor's recently created task force to study the issue.

Kenneally and two other at-large city council candidates, Tomas Gonzalez and Scotland Willis, visited my Ward 5 Democratic Committee last month. Chairman Rob Whitney graciously gave them the chance to address the group.

The Mayor's race in Boston is also heating up. In late February, I attended a Meet the Mayor event where I got a chance to have bagels and muffins with Mayor Tom Menino, who still hasn't decided if he's running for re-election (though many, including myself, hope he does). What was neat about the event was the Mayor was chatting with younger Boston residents (I was sadly among the oldest), and he spoke with a passion as if he were running for office for the first time.

I received an email this week from someone working for one of the declared candidates for Mayor, Michael Flaherty. She appeared to have sent the note to the entire Ward 5 Democratic Committee, asking us if we wanted to get involved with the campaign. What I find amazing is that it's April, and she's asking about a city race that won't have an election until September (when the preliminary will be scheduled). My Ward 5 committee won't take an endorsement vote in the Mayoral race until after Labor Day. Then again, I heard from another politically minded Boston resident that turnout for the preliminary might eclipse 100,000. In Boston, that's a ton. I guess things are heating up.

By far the most intriguing campaign so far is being run by the young Doug Bennett, the Republican from Nantucket, who is also running for an at-large seat on the Boston City Council. While his efforts are noteworthy, I haven't quite figured Doug out. He launched an "entertaining" YouTube video recently, set to John Cougar's "Ain't that America." He also says he's going to knock on 100,000 doors across Boston, which I admit is admirable. However, last Saturday, while I was watching the Final Four on CBS, he left a flier on my mailbox (I know it was for me as it had my specific apartment number on it). The problem is I was clearly at home and he didn't ring the buzzer. Does he count that as a door knock?

Enjoy Doug's video below. And happy Saturday.

Boston Globe *Really* Wants A Mayoral Race

Unfortunately, Mayor Tom Menino, the Boston Globe just doesn't like you. And at the start of an election season, that's not fair.

The Boston Globe is begging for a Mayoral race. On Thursday of this week, columnist Joan Vennochi could not have begged more directly.

After 16 years, Menino is part of the establishment. He's comfortable, maybe too comfortable for voters whose lives are growing less comfortable in today's economic environment...Boston is ripe for...political change. The only question is whether there's a mayoral challenger strong enough to rally around.

In my years of watching politics, I have never seen anything like it. Last year, the Globe reported survey results showing the Mayor's approval rating in the city holding steady at 72 percent (granted, the data is old, but it is the most current). Yet a Globe columnist says it's time for change. The same survey notes that 54-percent of residents have met the Mayor. Yet a Globe columnist says he is out of touch.

Vennochi's tone is in direct conflict with what I witnessed last Sunday, when the Mayor greeted a group of younger adult residents in West Roxbury. He didn't seem to me to be detached from the uncomfortable economic realities faced by residents. He didn't seem to me to be a Mayor who has lost a step or is complacent. He seemed determined to meet residents in Boston that are new to him.

It's something related to the Boston Globe that I have noticed for years, magnified this year by the slippery slope of political change. I voted for President Barack Obama, and he was elected because change was needed in Washington. Whether change is needed in Government Center here in Boston is another question altogether.

It appears that the Globe, like Mayor Menino's challengers, hopes that this city will be swept away by the wave of change, regardless of whether it is needed it or not--and most alarmingly, without discussing the challenges we face and the ideas we all have to overcome them.

NOTE: Excerpt taken from: "The bloom is off Menino's rosy image," by Joan Vennochi; Boston Globe, February 26, 2009.

Mayor Menino Greets Younger Residents in West Roxbury

Tom Menino greets a Boston resident

West on Centre

West Roxbury

Boston, Mass.

February 22, 2009

Boston Mayor Tom Menino stopped by West on Centre in West Roxbury today to meet with younger Bostonians, an event promoted through the blossoming Mayor fan groups on Facebook.

The Mayor was non-committal at the event about whether he would run for re-election, saying only that in the coming weeks there will be an announcement as to whether he is in, or not.

Sam Yoon Enters the Boston Mayoral Race

Here we go.

Three candidates have now declared they will run for Mayor of Boston, as current Boston At-Large City Councilor Sam Yoon announced his intentions today. He joins his colleague Michael Flaherty and South End businessman Kevin McCrea as announced candidates. Assuming all three candidates get enough signatures when candidate papers are filed in April and May, there will be both a preliminary and general election in the fall to pick the Mayor.

Of course, the current Mayor, Tom Menino, has not announced whether he will seek re-election.

Yoon is a young city councilor with a promising career, but there should be emphasis on the word "young." I have significant concerns about his lack of experience, and I hope citizens will not be swept up in the current trend of change to overlook the need for experience in today's difficult times. (See my earlier post discussing the slippery slope of political "change.")

Just an Ordinary Night in Denver

Pepsi Arena

Denver, Colorado

August 26, 2008

An amazing first day for me at the Democratic National Convention. I arrived in Denver and checked into my hotel room, and then proceeded to the Pepsi center for the Tuesday night festivities. I was excited to attend Tuesday. Senator Clinton's speech in my mind was one of the most important points of the convention.

A shuttle bus takes attendees from our hotel to the Pepsi Center, and I met a great person on the bus named Oscar. A delegate from Greenfield, Oscar has been volunteering for the last several weeks in New Hampshire for Barack Obama. He loves being active, and being involved in politics. We shared our experiences, and noted how while both like civic service, sometimes politics can be frustrating.

The events at the Pepsi Center were incredible. I had a nice seat up in the balcony, with a bird's eye view of the proceedings. Hillary's address was on the money, and the crowd was warmed by the Governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer. Behind Hillary, Schweitzer's speech was the best of the night. From my seat, I could see Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, and Bill Clinton.

This morning, I picked up my credential for tomorrow night's acceptance speech by Barack Obama. I attended a breakfast of the Massachusetts delegation at our hotel. Congressman Barney Frank ran the agenda, with speeches by the House Whip, Jim Clyburn, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (The Massachusetts and Maryland delegations are sharing this hotel). I ran into Governor Deval Patrick and Suffolk County Sherriff Andrea Cabral, as well as my City Councilor Mike Ross.

The Massachusetts delegation cast its votes this morning, too. My good friend Nikko Mendoza, a Massachusetts delegate, cast her vote for Hillary.

The Importance of Political Operatives

In 2005 I volunteered for Mayor Tom Menino's re-election campaign (I am a big fan of the Mayor's). I was asked to hold a sign for him outside the State House polling location on Beacon Hill in Boston. In the morning, I met up with another volunteer. I won't mention his name here, but suffice it to say he had experience in previous campaigns, doing far more than just holding signs. I wondered out loud how many voters I could influence for the few hours I would be volunteering.

"Every little thing counts," he responded. "It all makes a difference."

I was reminded of that story while reading a fantastic article in last week's New Yorker Magazine (the issue with the controversial cover depicting Barack Obama as a terrorist). The story talked about Obama's roots in politics within the Chicago political independent movement. His first race was for State Senate, and he ran to replace Alice Palmer, who had decided to run for Congress.

Even as a young politician, Obama was an astute political observer. He knew his chances would be greatly advanced by earning the endorsement of Palmer and other Chicago politicians located near his home in Hyde Park. These endorsements were important for the volunteers they brought.

The story focused for a small part on two ardent supporters of Alice Palmer, Alan Dobry and his wife Lois Friedberg-Dobry. When Palmer endorsed Obama, the Dobry's instantly began the process of campaigning for Barack. Palmer's supporters and rallied around her self-appointed successor. And Palmer's operators-- the people who took care of the details of her campaigns-- worked for Obama.

Politics in many ways is about processes. Getting on the ballot by asking for signatures. Phone banking to identify strong supporters. Door knocking to further the voter ID process. Holding signs for visibility. There are these processes and then the processes for managing these processes. And all have their place in campaigns and politics.

Barack Obama would not be a candidate for the presidency today if it were not for the Dobry's and many others like them-- the operators who made sure Obama won his first election.

Further, to many others out there, like me, who hold signs and collect signatures for other candidates, we must never forget that the candidates we support have to start somewhere. Heck, one of them could become a presidential candidate.

NOTE: Story Reference: "Making It," The New Yorker Magazine, July 21, 2008, by Ryan Lizza.