2009 Glennon Award for Least Responsive Candidate in an Election Campaign

Two years ago, I wrote about how Gregory Glennon, candidate for Allston-Brighton District 9 City Councilor, was so thoroughly unresponsive to attempted contacts by various neighborhood residents (including myself). It was difficult to arrange a candidates forum and debate that year, because he didn't respond to repeated requests about scheduling, related issues, and media requests for comment.

After I wrote that post, even more people contacted me to tell me that I was 100% on target in that criticism, providing their own stories of emails and phone calls that dropped into the netherworld. His non-responsiveness was peculiar, given that Glennon had said during the campaign: "I will always be available. Every phone call will get returned, every email, every letter."

This year, we have a winner of the 2009 Gregory Glennon Award for Least Responsive Candidate in an Election Campaign: Doug Bennett, candidate for Boston City Councilor-At-Large.

When a Boston Globe reporter managed to get him on the phone to ask about why he was seen running a red light in front of the Globe's office building, Bennett abruptly ended the conversation. OK, that's not such a bad thing to do with a pestering reporter, right?

Well, he hung up on a reporter from the Dorchester Reporter in May. He was "snippy and unresponsive" with Boston Phoenix reporter David Bernstein when asked about some details of his campaign finance reports.

The Allston-Brighton TAB tried to interview him as part of their reporting and endorsement process, but he couldn't be bothered to respond:

All of the At-large candidates, except for Doug Bennett who was invited but never bothered to return calls or e-mails to schedule a meeting, met with the staffs of the Allston-Brighton TAB and West Roxbury and Roslindale Transcript at different times over the past few weeks.

And when we organized the BAIA candidates forum earlier this month for the Councilor-At-Large race, we were unsure whether he knew about the event -- let alone whether or not he would show up -- until the afternoon of the event, because we didn't get responses to our repeated queries. His campaign website doesn't list a phone number; Bennett never responded to my emailed request for the phone number, so I put his home number in the handout to attendees at the forum.

The Dorchester Reporter was tongue-in-cheek about this whole issue, writing:

Bennett has not returned a voicemail message asking about this odd trend of non-responsiveness.

I didn't bother writing Bennett to ask him to comment on this post.

Blogging the Councilor-At-Large Candidates Forum

Adam Gaffin at Universal Hub blogged extensively the candidates forum for the Boston City Councilor-At-Large race. It's worth a long read.

Here are some interesting excerpts:

Felix G. Arroyo provides insight as to why so many elderly Russian Jewish voters backed him last month: because of his work for immigrant rights.

Andrew Kenneally wants the city to strong-arm universities' institutional expansion by holding back re-zoning and building permits in order to demand more money through PILOT.

Incumbents John Connolly and Stephen Murphy listed their accomplishments during the last two years:

Connolly: Two legislative accomplishments you're most proud of.
Connolly. 1. Securing committment from mayor to triple number of hybrids in city fleet. 2. Working with Murphy on financial-disclosure law.

Murphy. 1. Financial accountability ordinance with Connolly. 2. Reformed retirement-board system (people out injured five-six years). 3. Grease-duct ordinance after Tai Ho fire.

Tomas Gonzalez made reference to the BRA's task forces when calling for some reform at the agency, questioning whether the mayor should be appointing their members.

Connolly noted that Mayor Thomas Menino's proposal (a bill in the state legislature) for state-chartered public schools that would be controlled by the Boston School Committee is too vague to evaluate.

Kenneally bucks the tide by opposing charters schools altogether:

Should the charter school cap be lifted for Boston even if it leads to public school closures?
Kenneally. I'm against charter schools for a number of reasons. One: I believe i nunions. Steal money away from Boston public schools. They pick and choose - they don't take special needs students. Success based on false data.

Tito Jackson repeatedly exhibited a good sense of humor, including some self-deprecating remarks.

Ayanna Pressley identified increased transparency and increased community input as reforms that are needed at the BRA sooner rather than later.

Doug Bennett puts the blame squarely on Mayor Menino for the Filene's hole (and Christo art installation):

Should anyone in city government be held accountable for giant holes in the ground?

Bennett. Yeah, Mayor Menino should be held accountable. I think the BRA should be elected. Filene's looks like a bomb went off in the center of Boston.

Casino Gambling

Gaffin also gives a good summary of where the candidates stand on the issue of casino gambling.

I agree with his assessment that the candidates sounded generally supportive of the idea of having a casino somewhere in the City of Boston. That is a change from two years ago.

While the issue is one in front of the state legislature, it matters at the municipal level because a community will have the opportunity to welcome or block any proposed casino within the city limits. Middleborough's town meeting met and voted on a particular proposal put forward by the Wampanoag. More action from other communities around Massachusetts is likely if the bill begins to gain traction in the legislature -- which is likely, now that the House Speaker is supportive of the idea.

Most surprising to me was the support for the idea expressed by Andrew Kenneally, who lives in East Boston and would be most directly impacted by such a casino. My instinct is that East Boston residents will be the loudest opponents of the proposal; Kenneally's response leads me to rethink that assumption.


Image by Abigail Furey; all rights reserved. Candidates [left-to-right]: Felix G. Arroyo, Andrew Kenneally, John Connolly (incumbent), Doug Bennett, Tito Jackson, Ayanna Pressley, and Stephen Murphy. Not picture: Tomas Gonzalez, who arrived a few minutes later.

The City Council Revolution Will Be Televised

A lot of words have been written about the diversity of the candidates for Boston City Councilor-At-Large this year. It has sounded like a mini revolution in the making.

We now hear that the revolution will be televised. The Boston Neighborhood Network has decided to send a camera team to the BAIA Candidates Forum Thursday night. They will broadcast the footage at a later date and stream the video online.

BNN this year did a series of interview shows with the candidates for various city council races -- including the District 9 City Councilor candidates. They are claiming quite a niche in the televised coverage of the city councilor candidates.

So, a reminder:

BAIA Councilor-At-Large Candidates Forum
Thursday, October 15th
6:30 pm -- meet-and-greet with the candidates
7:00 pm -- forum
Brighton Elks Lodge
326 Washington Street, Brighton, MA 02135


Image of an old TV camera on display at the Newseum by mechanikat provided through a Creative Commons license.

BAIA's Boston City Councilor-At-Large Candidates Forum Thursday, October 15th

Boston City Councilor-At-Large Candidates Forum

Sponsored by the Brighton Allston Improvement Association


Thursday, October 15th
6:30 pm --- Informal Meet-and-Greet with the Candidates
7:00 - 8:30 pm --- Candidates Forum
Moderated by: Michael Pahre


Brighton Elks Lodge
326 Washington Street, Brighton, MA 02135
Limited parking available at rear of the building


Light refreshments will be served for a meet-and-greet with the candidates beginning at 6:30 pm. Attendees may submit questions for the candidates prior to the 7:00 pm start. Due to time constraints not all questions submitted will be selected. No campaign signs inside the venue, please.

If you wish to submit a question in advance of the forum, please email pahre@comcast.net by Monday, October 12th.

September's preliminary municipal election narrowed the field to eight candidates for four elected positions of Boston City Councilor-At-Large. The final municipal election will be held on Tuesday, November 3rd.

This election will help shape the future of our neighborhood and this is your opportunity to meet the candidates running for the four seats. Please come and hear where the candidates stand on current neighborhood and city-wide issues, as well as their vision for our community and city.


Candidates for Allston-Brighton District 9 City Councilor (links to their webpages):

• Felix G. Arroyo
• Doug Bennett
  
• John R. Connolly (incumbent)
• Tomas Gonzalez
  
• Tito Jackson
• Andrew P. Kenneally
  
• Stephen J. Murphy (incumbent)
• Ayanna S. Pressley
  

Note: The BAIA's District 9 City Councilor Debate is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, October 20th at 6:30 pm at the same venue. Coverage of the 9/17 District 9 City Councilor Forum can be found here and here.


Update (10/14/09): BNN has decided to video-record the candidates forum. They will broadcast it at a later date, and will also stream it from their website.


Image from a prior candidates forum cribbed from Adam Gaffin without getting any permission from him whatsoever.

Why Does Doug Bennett Like Me So Much?

I've been getting my fair share of calls in the last few weeks from many of the 15 candidates for city councilor-at-large and the four candidates for mayor.

For some reason, councilor-at-large candidate Doug Bennett keeps calling more than anybody else.

What is it about my voter profile that is attracting his attention?

He was class valedictorian at Valley Forge Military College and was in the Army reserve. Me? Peace Corps. Can't be it.

He served as a Selectman on Nantucket. I've yet to visit there.

He rushed the field at a Penn State football game and got arrested. The closest I can claim is that I've possibly thought about offering bribes to West African government employees, but never got arrested while possibly thinking about it.

Maybe it's that I'm an unenrolled voter who votes in every municipal election? Probably more like it.

I suspect Bennett has identified unenrolled frequent voters as his target audience.