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Posted 2 years ago.
I will admit that I was shocked watching the debates. Bardsley is very intelligent and has allot of experience as councilor, but he sounded like a new comer with his vague answers. It seemed like he didn't do enough homework for this race, because he let Higgins walk all over him in the debate that I saw on 22 News. I think allot of voters were hungry for change, and Bardsley represented the best chance in years of bringing that.
Northampton does need change. Despite a phoney land preservation tax that passed a few years ago (which seems to cover everything but land preservation), Higgins has over developed the city and put a strain on city resources, which is why she cant run the city without perpetual prop 2 overrides. During these tough economic times, she keeps pushing to waste millions on a new police station, when we need that money to retain police and firefighters (and much deserved yearly salary increases).
What happens to Northampton when gas rises above 3 dollars a gallon in Summer 2010 and the people are facing tough economic times again? People will start to tighten their belts again and realize what many others have, who have migrated out of the city: that Northampton is overly expensive to live in. It's a long way off till Northampton gets as slummy as Springfield, but there is no denying that it slowly heading in that direction.
Dear BJ, I beg to disagree with your assessment of Michael Bardsley and supporters doing visibiity downtown yesterday while Clare's party was occurring. I was there and didn't see any rude behavior or antics. When the Lt.Governor and other legislators come to the city, it's good for them to get a sense of what's really happening in Northampton. Northampton is not just about Clare--we've got a second very viable candidate running for Mayor. The local media have not done the most assertive job of portraying the very real differences between Michael and Clare, the large amount of support Michael's campaign has throughout the city, nor the snide, angry ways Clare's supportiers have portrayed anyone who disagrees with them. From the start, Clare's supporters have used name-calling,misrepresentation and innuendo in an attempt to distract from the very good, creative ideas Michael has and the very real, different and positive style of leadership he would bring to Northampton's Mayoral position. Spreading fear and name-calling, dismissing citizens' very real concerns over how Clare does her job, dampening opportunities for true discussion--that's what I call rude, undignified and unprofessional.
I was on the fence up until yesterday when I witnessed, first hand, what I would call immature, rude behavior on behalf of one of the Mayoral Candidates.
Regardless of what you think of Clare Higgins, yesterday, she was having a "party" to thank both her Volunteers and her Supporters.
Michael Bardsley, along with a bunch of his "whatever you wanna call them" people - stood all along the sidewalk across of Clare's Campaign Headquarters holding Bardsley signs, waving and causing a scene.
In that moment it became perfectly clear - Micheal Bardsley is immature, rude and ignorant.
HE IS NOT SOMEONE I WANT RUNNING MY DEAR CITY OF NORTHAMPTON.
Michael Bardsley - your antics yesterday just cost you my vote - and I hope, many, many more.
Clare Higgins: I congratulate you on how you've kept your dignity and professionalism throughout this campaign - now that's a real Mayor.
One of the things that I have found most frustrating about C. Higgins and her personal network is their consistent work of hiding the facts from the public .
Higgins, Paul Spector and Bill Dwight , are very good at blurring things together by making vague generalizations out of specific scenarios once they have been revealed.And then if they can't possibly get away from some of the facts they will apologize for some meager lapse of attention or judgment that makes it look like the kind of simple , honest mistake anyone might make , because nobody's perfect.
There has been a consistent mode of operation from Higgins and Wayne Feiden to get things done behind closed doors before anyone outside of their chosen group can offer any input or an additional vision to consider.When the public is told anything they get a smoke screen of vague plans that few could find objectionable and, if any concern at all is raised to these"initial" plans, people are falsely reassured that there is still time for changes because these are just initial ideas.If the real plans reach public attention then its treated as too "late in the game" for changes and a "last minute effort" to have a full viewing of a plan already in place, fully realized , with seeming support . Any additional voices of inquiry , input or objection have been ,in effect, silenced after being marginalized into a relatively feeble position from which to participate .
The usual polite nature of on the surface of Northampton politics has allowed this abuse of the public trust to continue .When the public has been repeatedly manipulated into believing that there were not more options that could be considered , or that there was not more time for the input of the voices of citizens who would be directly impacted by these decisions, to name two of the typical ways the general public
has been pushed outside of the process, I've only in the rarest instances ,and then,only in relatively recent times, seen those tactics referred to and not as tactics , but rather as oversights. Then the people who object to being excluded still get dismissed by inference as not being involved enough or properly or are too angry, as if the means to participate hadn't been systematically blocked or obscured.
It's interesting to me how Clare's supporters seem to need to use name-calling and put-downs re: Michael Bardsley and his campaign. And that her newspaper ads make one feel as though you're being lectured to or can't figure things out on your own. Yet there are many of us who've been attending city meetings and following news reports over the years, who are quite well-informed, thank you, and that's why we support Michael Bardsley. Some of us were strong supporters of Clare in her early years. Northampton is facing many problems--deteriorating services, schools and other departments stretched to the limit, a messier downtown, a city government and City Council that more and more people feel are unresponsive and sometimes disdainful to the voices, concerns and ideas of regular citizens. That is NOT the type of leadership we need in these tough, economic times. In fact, it isn't leadership. The Smith College overlay district issue; the shredded minutes of the Council's executive session re: buying homes near the dump; the big push to close Ryan Road School despite the recommendation to NOT close any schools by the subcommitteehange in the Strategic Report, a recommendation which was mysteriously altered in the final report; the deal to sell the downtown lot to a hotel for $1; the alteration of Kollmorgen's placement on Hospital Hill; the ignoring of neighbor's concerns re: the North St. in-fill housing project--the list goes on of numerous important decisions that don't appear to have been made through a transparent, democratic process but rather resulted from lots of behind-the-scenes maneuvering by a small, select few following a particular agenda, rather than the best interests of the city overall. That's why I'm voting for Michael Bardsley--he had the courage to take a stand and speak up for many of us citizens who were dismayed with how all these issues were being dealt with and how citizen input and concerns were being ignored. His is the type of leadership we need--bringing people together, drawing on everyone's talents and ideas, following an open, transparent democratic process.
The truth is - Michael Bardsley is clueless and takes what little knowledge he has about running a city from the knowledge of others who have proven great ideas for Northampton both currently and past.
The truth will come out about Bardsley, but in the meantime my vote is for Mayor Clare Higgins who has an earned reputation for running a great town in a very difficult time in our Country's history. I hope the voters are well informed before they go to vote and vote on record and not on a man who has to pump his chest out only to speak the ideas of others to try and win votes and ideas that aren't his to claim.
Don't be mislead by Bardsley - VOTE MAYOR CLARE HIGGINS!
I agree with the first writer, A.B., that Michael Bardsley is the best candidate for Mayor. He knows how to listen and include a wide variety of people, and also how to make decisions based on citizen input. Witness his leadership of the successful override to renovate the High School, when he brought together and led people of every neighborhood and political stripe in this city to do something people had been trying for decades to do.
I appreciate Clare's service to the city. She comes across as very articulate and intelligent at the debates--she knows what to say. But her actions, especially in recent years, have been heavy-handed, divisive and focused on the agenda of a small group of insiders, not on what is best for all of Northampton. When people don't agree with her, she shuts them out--We need those talented, creative city employees and citizen volunteers to help us work through the huge economic, environmental and other challenges facing the city. Michael will re-engage those folks, and others. I'm excited that he's got a strong plan of action, as well as the energy and leadership to tap into the talent and creativity of all Northampton's citizens.
I second that motion Ara!!
I have been to all of the Debates too! - this is a very important Mayoral race - it's crucial to be an informed voter!
I did what ever Northampton Voter should do - make up their own minds, by looking at the facts.
It's so easy in a heated debate like this to be swayed but all the "buzzwords"..."time for a change".."anyone but Clare"...but the FACTS are the FACTS.
You should be scared to have Michael Bardsley as Mayor of Northampton.
Take some time and look at the facts - they will scare you.
Don't buy into this "time for a change" rhetoric - because that's all it is.
If you truly look at all the facts - you too will vote for Clare Higgins.
Don't make the mistake of feeding into all the rhetoric.
Are you kidding me? Bardsley a "creative problem-solver ready to tap a wide array of experts throughout the city"?????????????
I have been to EVERY debate and Michael Bardsley says nothing.
He says the same "keywords" over and over, but has absolutely NO solid plans.
He cannot say, "I would do xxx"...that's because he has NO idea.
Michael Bardsley thinks he's going to ask Northampton Business Owners to give him money for the city of Nothampton...that, plus some bake sales and car washes.
Be real - forget all this stuff about, "anyone but Clare"...the facts are the facts. Clare Higgins IS a good Mayor, and Michael Bardsley knows nothing about running this city - He's all talk and no track record...or solid plans!
Think before you fall into that "it's time for a change" garbage.
Get informed first, then after you've read the actual facts - tell me Clare's not the best choice for Mayor.
The "lady" doth protest too much. Its easy for an incumbent to take credit for all that's been done in a city, though without City Councilors, including Councilor Bardsley and many others in the city, much of it wouldn't have happened. Its time for Bardsley -- a creative problem-solver ready to tap a wide array of experts throughout the city who have been left out and not yet had the opportunity to bring in new ideas, under a Higgins administration. He has brought many initiatives to the table and worked hard, as City Councilor, to follow through on them. While Mayor Higgins has worked very hard (nobody can deny THAT) and backed many good programs in the city, Bardsley has also worked very hard on many of the things the mayor has taken credit for, as a volunteer and civil servant with a full-time day job, while the mayor is a paid administrator with help from a full staff. Bardsley has the energy and the new ideas needed to meet our city's challenges in these difficult times and is committed to re-engaging those who have been left out and/or become disenchanted with the current administration's status quo policies, insular process, and divisive leadership. He will work hard for the city and tap others for their expertise, with new perspective and a vision that will be based on proactive, not crisis-mode fiscal management; strongly supporting all of our schools, teachers and parents in their efforts; supporting working families and low-income citizens struggling to survive in our increasingly gentrified expensive city; moving to a green economy and job development; full and timely disclosure of information related to financial and Planning policies; transparency and accountability in decision-making; and real, not rhetorical, adherence to the principles of Sustainable Northampton.