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I realized today that my perspective on candidate forums has changed since becoming a politician myself. (I was first elected to the school committee in 2003.) As I listened to the candidates, I found myself struggling with the voter-in-me who desperately yearned for substance behind the sound bites and the politician-in-me who knew you had to keep it short and simple. In fact, the participating candidates for the 5^th congressional seat: Eileen Donoghue, Jamie Eldridge, Barry Finegold, James DiPaola, Niki Tsongas, and David O’Brien each had a total of only eight minutes to answer questions during the hour-long session, which was held at UML as part of a New England News Forum conference. 

Through it all, I struggled to find deeper meaning and sincerity in their answers—even when the answers sounded annoyingly similar and seemed to be exactly what we wanted to hear: bring troops home from Iraq, healthcare for all, repeal tax breaks for the very rich, fund education etc. Then I noticed the questions, which used words like “specific” and covered foreign policy, economy, taxes, education, prison reform, and immigration, and I realized something else: This was no run-of-the-mill audience; these bloggers (aka citizen journalists) were informed and quite serious about quizzing the candidates on some of the most compelling issues facing the country today. 

That led to my third surprise—the high caliber of the candidates themselves. They all came off pretty well—no major blunders, lack of information, or inability to articulate. Certainly this is going to be a race worth watching closely, and despite the innate limitations of forums and other campaign trail maneuvers to help voters get at substance—they are the only way we have to judge a candidate’s knowledge, position, and ability to communicate on the issues. And yes, sometimes they may even reveal a little bit about deeper meaning and sincerity. That said, the following are a few highlights of the candidates’ responses that resonated with me:  more »

Yesterday’s Boston Globe featured articles regarding new security cameras on MBTA buses, promises from Governor Patrick for increased funding to combat youth violence, and a Supreme Judicial Court ruling that the identity of jurors be kept secret in gang-related murders. These changes are attempts to deal with the problems of gang violence. It’s no secret there have been several recent attacks that have been particularly disturbing and have brought the gang issue to the forefront again, but the truth is it’s been a problem for a long time and it isn’t going away anytime soon. The governor’s plan is to establish a statewide anticrime council and add $1 million for summer jobs grants. It’s not clear how much of this additional funding will make it to Lowell, but the city has made great use of the Shannon Grant, which is not in the governor’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, but absolutely should be re-instated by the legislature. (Local reps are aware of the grant’s importance and seem committed to continued funding.) Worth more than $800,000 to Lowell for gang prevention programs, the grant was split between the police, the schools—who used it for truancy and family outreach—and youth providers such as UTEC, ONE Lowell, the Parks, and the Boys and Girls Club. 

Lowell’s Gang Prevention Task Force Advisory Board, which meets monthly, has developed its own set of actions—much of it the outcome of several Gang Prevention Summits over the last few years. On Monday, the board met for an update on City Manager Bernie Lynch’s plan to get more businesses to provide summer jobs for youth. Expanding job opportunities is one way to engage youngsters in positive activities, especially during the summer when there is often an increase in gang activity.  Using the Career Center to provide job training and other support to help teens become successful employees, the board’s goal is to get more businesses involved as partners in our community by providing them with tax and recognition incentives. Solving the gang issue requires strong collaboration—something Lowell is known for being able to do—and is the only way we will make headway with this complex issue.