In 1971, 29 Somerville residents were on the ballot for alderman-at-large. In 2009, there was no need for a single primary in the city elections.
What happened? Do we care less than we did in 1971? Are we less opinionated? Has everything at City Hall been solved? Probably not.
Beyond taking into account the many valid reasons for such a drop in political participation (cost of living increases keep folks at work instead of civic engagements, apathy may have set in after we hear each week on the news about another scandal in government), fewer voices in citywide discussions hurt us all.

This year, the rumor mill has already produced some intriguing match ups – we’ll see if they materialize. But aside from any personality clashes, we’re hoping electoral competition produces new ideas, new discussions, and ultimately, new solutions to longstanding local issues.