Mayor – Joseph Curtatone
Alderman at Large – Jack Connolly, Bill White, Bruce Desmond and Dennis Sullivan
Ward 5 Alderman – Joseph Lynch
Ward 6 Alderman – Charles Chisholm
Ward 7 Alderman – Bob Trane
Ward 4 School Committee – James Norton

Read on for the details –

Endorsements are a funny thing – sometimes they can come
so easily, other times not so much. This year, there aren’t that many contested
races, which only reinforces the perception that Joe and Jane Voter don’t
really care that much. We are of the opinion that it isn’t so much the voting
population that is to blame – it is the lack of quality candidates that emerge
from the populus that is at the root of the problem.

This year’s snoozefest comes after a lengthy period of
special elections, which quite frankly has given the wrong impression to the
general public that there is much afoot in the local political arena. When it
comes down to it, when we as journalists and members of the same community as
you look at the political landscape, especially in this election on Tuesday, we
don’t know whether to be miffed at the lack of choices or happy that voting
will only take 45 seconds from the time the ballot is handed to us until we
slide it into the machine.

One thing that keeps making us scratch our heads and wonder
what the hell is going on around here is the utter lack of interest in the
School Committee. Sure, we have been beating the gong for a while now about how
the city charter should be changed to shift the School Committee from an
elected to an appointed body and we feel no differently now, especially with no
contested races in all of the seven wards.

To emphasize the absurdity, consider Ward 4 – where the
incumbent failed to submit the required number of signatures to even be placed
on the ballot. Yes, in case you missed it – there is no candidate for School
Committee on the ballot in Ward 4 – now it has become a matter of whether
anyone can successfully be elected as a “write-in” candidate. Note the word
“successfully” in that last sentence. And how about Ward 3?

Now, on to the fun reading!

MAYOR

Joseph Curtatone – It keeps getting better
with this guy. We would love to be the ones to report that he is doing an awful
job as mayor of this city, but we just can’t. Joe Curtatone has had to endure
the same trials and tribulations as any mayor before him, even more so with the
astronomical costs and logistical nightmares that are embedded in this day and
age of municipal administration. There will always be the “anti administration”
crowd out there, but one would be hard pressed to find them today. Joe does a
masterful job of building bridges and working with people on both sides of the
issues and he does so unapologetically sometimes, which only goes to his
native-born upbringing.

Joe is a perfect blend of old and new school politics – he
has the vision and the ideas to put this city ahead of the time – and he
surrounds himself with people who will get the job done and get it done right.
There is very little to complain about within his administration and it is
clear that if he continues to serve this city as he has to this point, he will
be mayor for many years to come – and for that we should all be thankful.

Vote to reelect Joseph Curtatone as Mayor.

ALDERMAN AT LARGE

This is the set of seats that typically draws yahoos from
all corners of the political spectrum. The prospect of garnering one out of
four potential votes is very attractive when you have been unsuccessful at a
previous run at mayor or if you have been prodded by a particular ideologically-based
group of people.

That’s all well and good, but let’s not forget what the job
of an alderman, ward or at large, is – to serve the people, the constituency.
The mayor is charged with conducting the business of the local government, the
board of aldermen is charged with being the direct voice of the people – not to
solve the issue of global warming (although working as a “body” to make a more
“green” city is laudable), not to be “mini-mayors” and certainly not to
overstep their boundaries. They meet in a public forum and should be there to
serve the residents or their ward when they call – period.

That being said, we are endorsing all four incumbent
at-large aldermen – they have individual qualities, which we will note – but
they work together as cohesively as we have ever seen four sitting at-large
aldermen work in recent memory. Read on.

Jack Connolly – the best thing to ever happen
to Jack was losing his ward seat to Rebekah Gewirtz and for Denise Provost to
give up her at-large seat. It gave Jack the perfect opportunity to reclaim his
energy and quite frankly gave him the stage he was meant to be on – beyond the
borders of the ever changing Ward 6 – and now the entire city benefits from his
vast experience and dedication to the job. He deserves one of your four votes
for alderman-at-large.

Bill White – arguably the smartest alderman
this city has ever seen, Bill has taken the role of public service to new
heights. His strong, intelligent and effective leadership has set the new
standard of what our elected officials should do for us. Reelect Bill White
because we need his smart and honest representation.

Bruce Desmond – utilizing his experience as an
elected official and his dedication to the community, Bruce brings to the table
a down-home, feel good persona which gets better as the years go by. He listens
to people on the street and knows how to solve problems. His experience in the
public sector demonstrates that he has a good fundamental knowledge of how
municipal government operates. Vote for Bruce Desmond so he can continue to do
a good job for us all.

Dennis Sullivan – arguably the most personable
alderman on the entire board, Dennis has grown into the job quite naturally.
His dedication to residents across this city has been clearly evident by his
constant involvement with every possible issue and his “mobile office hours”
which has easily earned him respect for his accessibility. This is a no-brainer
– vote to re-elect Dennis Sullivan so he can continue to be an approachable and
effective alderman-at-large.

WARD FIVE ALDERMAN

Easily the closest of the races in this election cycle, the
Ward 5 Alderman race has two well-known residents and their supporters drawing
the line in the sand politically. More of an old school, grassroots campaign on
both sides than we have seen lately, the candidates have come out swinging and
aren’t pulling any punches when it comes to assessing and addressing each
other. The incumbent may have overstayed his political usefulness in the ward –
he should have made the move to a different elected office before this to stay
fresh and viable – while his opponent, while older than he, brings a fresh new
perspective to the political landscape of a changing ward in need of it.

Joseph Lynch – as he has clearly demonstrated
with his prior involvement in local issues specific to Ward 5, such as the
Magoun Square revitalization and the Max Pak development, Joe’s ability to
bring a new perspective is long overdue in a ward that is changing politically
year by year. He appears to be the type of candidate for public office who can
work with all types of political ideology with a dash of feistiness, which is
why he has the support of older families who have been there for years and a
nod from the “PDSers” we personally love to hate. Vote for Joe Lynch for a
positive change in the right direction for a ward that desperately needs it.

WARD SIX ALDERMAN

This race is not so much the battle of the ideologies that
one might have expected. The darling of the “PDSers” and incumbent alderwoman
has proven on more than one occasion that she has not grown into being an
alderwoman as one would have thought – and that’s a shame. She insists on
championing the “PDS” cause blindly while overlooking the basic point that as
an alderwoman you need to listen to everyone in your ward, not just the people
who agree with you ideologically.

Charles Chisholm – Charles has a long history
of local politics, although not having served office for 30 years. His resume
is extensive and impressive at the same time – it is clearly difficult to
overlook a true “progressive” candidate for local office who has the
experience, intelligence and availability that Charles Chisholm has. If you
live in Ward 6, then you should vote for Charles Chisholm for Ward 6 alderman.

WARD SEVEN ALDERMAN

Not in quite a number of years have we witnessed one group
of political people (the “PDSers”) display such open contempt for a sitting
alderman. For the current Ward 6 Alderwoman to practically ignore her own race
and put her efforts into helping remove the Ward 7 Alderman, shows the utter
lack of respect and true arrogance that the “PDSers” have – it was galvanized
when a sitting State Rep. decided to join the fray. Quite frankly, as far as we
can see, all the “PDSers” are concerned with is taking over the political arena
in Somerville at all costs.

Bob Trane – there are very few people who
would argue against the statement that Bob Trane is the most perfect example of
what a “constituent services” kind of alderman should be. His example of what a
hard working and dedicated ward alderman should be is truly the benchmark for
all members of this board for years to come. Some don’t appreciate his rough
and tumble attitude sometimes, but we sure do – and he listens and responds to
everyone no matter what their political proclivity whenever his phone rings.
Bob Trane is arguably the hardest working ward alderman on the board and he
deserves your vote to send him back to fight the good fight.

WARD FOUR SCHOOL COMMITTEE

James Norton ‚Äì it’s a hard thing to write your own endorsement and not look like an ass. It became easier when The Somerville Journal endorsed me earlier today. How can you have faith in an elected official who fails to submit the required signatures to be put on the ballot unopposed? Taking the chance that nobody gets 100 votes on Tuesday and then having a special election which would cost the city close to $30,000 is ridiculous. I have the experience and the dedication to get the job done right – and I will work hard to have the city charter amended so that the School Committee is changed from an elected body to an appointed body. I am humbled by the endorsement of the Somerville Journal and the support I have received from people in the community and of Ward 4 in particular – I will have stickers available at the polls on Tuesday. James Norton for School Committee – Ward 4