By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

I got a call last weekend from Elizabeth Warren’s campaign office.  She and her campaign team were rolling out a pro-investment, pro-infrastructure initiative called “Rebuild Now” and they were wondering whether I would be willing to give the candidate a tour of Assembly Square.  They wanted to use that tour as a backdrop for a discussion about how public investment in basic infrastructure – roads, bridges, transit, water and sewer lines, schools and more – can help to jumpstart economic recovery, provide middle-class jobs and – best of all – leverage private investment in long-term, money-making, private-sector business activity.

As you can imagine, I said “yes.”

Now before I go any further, let me say this: If Senator Scott Brown ever wants a tour of Assembly Square, I will be happy to give him one.  We’ve invited Senator Brown to visit more than once, and haven’t been able to work things out, but I’m happy to welcome our junior U.S. Senator to Somerville and show him around.

That said, I acknowledge that I am backing Elizabeth Warren’s senate candidacy.  I happen to believe that she’s right about the need for government to invest in the building blocks of economic competitiveness and individual opportunity.  I happen to believe in her agenda: regulation of malfeasance and recklessness in the financial service sector; protection of consumer rights; the promotion of tolerance and social justice and – as already stated – investment in the foundations of our nation’s productive capacity.

For the same reasons, I have answered the call when the Obama campaign has asked me to speak in support of the President’s priorities.  For Somerville, it matters a lot who occupies the White House and controls Congress.   There’s federal stimulus money in Assembly Square, and federal transit dollars in the new Orange Line station.  That money is there because leaders like President Obama, Congressman Capuano and Senators Kerry and Kennedy all believed in the same fundamental principle: wise public investment in productive infrastructure helps grow the economy.  (And let’s not forget the significant investment of state dollars courtesy of the Patrick administration, and the local bonds approved buy our Board of Aldermen.)

But that kind of commitment to public investment is increasingly hard to find. These days, it’s difficult to find Democrats who endorse the principle of using public investment to leverage far greater amounts of private investment – and almost impossible to find a Republican who shares that view. That’s too bad, because that principle has been central to the continued forward momentum of Somerville and its people.

I recognize that a lot of people are disenchanted, and downright cynical, about politics and government.  They have begun to feel disconnected or disenfranchised, and then they disenfranchise themselves by refusing to vote and participate in campaigns.  Even here in intensely political Somerville, there are fewer candidates for office, and the long-term trend of voter participation in elections is, unfortunately, downward.

But at every level of government, here in Massachusetts and across the nation, politics and government are the means by which we allocate shared resources and declare our shared priorities.  Those are very high stakes, and opting out can be costly – for individuals, families and communities.  Opting out means giving up the ability to affect decisions that have a direct bearing on your quality of life.

That’s why I make no apologies for my involvement in state and national politics. I know that there are state and national leaders who are committed to making our city a better place to live, work, play and raise a family – and then there are leaders who think we should just leave everything to “market forces” and trust that we’ll be fine.

I will remain involved not because I am a Democrat (although I am), or an elected official (although that means I have a special responsibility to my community).  I will remain involved because I see every day the ways that politics, and public priorities, can make or break a community and the lives of its residents.

I know that the avalanche of negative political ads, the yammering of political pundits and barrage of fundraising calls and polls has already driven many voters to distraction, and it’s barely August.  I know that many of you think (despite our shared experience here in Somerville) that nothing will ever change and that your participation won’t make a difference.

But I still hope that, whether or not you share my political views, you will get involved, and stay involved, in local politics, state politics and national politics.  The stakes for you – and your community – are too great for you to opt out.

If Elizabeth Warren or Scott Brown or Barack Obama or Mitt Romney come calling, I hope you will weigh the merits, weigh the potential impact on yourself and your community, and take a side.

Whatever else you hear in this loud and angry election season, that’s what real Americans – and real ’Villens – have always done.