What happens when politically one has one heart’s set on something and things just do not go the way one hoped?

In political life, this happens constantly.

(And this one of those lovely times when it’s much easier to be a blogger and chit chat, rather than to be in the actual political ring. How lovely.)

My own “mild” experience with something like this, is the “infamous” bike lanes.

Right from my very first High Street meeting, January 1999, which was chaired by Newburyport City Councilor Erford Fowler and then Newburyport City Councilor John Norris, “traffic calming” instead of “traffic lights” was a major theme.

And I remember so clearly, Councilor Fowler turning to me and saying, “You gotta learn about this.” We were all excited. Here was a “solution” to the traffic light thing not happening on High Street.

Good grief, be careful what you wish for, because, by golly, I learned all about “traffic calming.” Who knew.

And ever since 1999 bike lanes were a major component at almost every meeting on the subject I ever went to, a solution to slowing down traffic, without traffic lights on High Street. Bike lanes repeatedly, always got the big “thumbs-up”.

Ah, but when the bike lanes actually started to get implemented, I think it was sometime in 2004, all hell broke loose.

And for me it was, “Say what? No, no one threaten to harm your grandmother, and the bike lanes are what everyone actually asked for.”

And recently, I was told that when being shown houses in Newburyport, MA, realtors were apologizing for the “bike lanes”. So, I’m certainly surmising that the bike lane thing still holds the same highly-charged, visceral response now, as when they first went down however many years ago that may have been.

So what were the choices. Become bitter and angry that things didn’t go the way I thought they would. Ask myself “how important is it?” And actually, bike lanes really are not that important. Let the whole thing go and move on to whatever might be next (like becoming a blogger, good grief).

And folks in the political world have this dynamic happen to them all the time, on different levels of importance.

And the folks that I’ve seen who have managed to transcend the vagaries of the political process, are those who have not become bitter and angry over whatever. Have asked themselves some version of, “how important is it” (and rarely is it that important). Have a sense of humor and let whatever it may be go, and move onto the next thing, whatever the next thing would be.

And as we see this new Newburyport City Council 2008 take shape, the “how important is it?” thing, and the “letting it go” thing, with a hefty dollop of humor, could be crucial to how effective this new Newburyport City Council could be.

If frustration, anger and bitterness take over, well, we’ll just have to kiss political achievement goodbye.

But if there is a sense of humor, working together (unity, what a thought, my) and realizing that some things would end up working Ok, and some things would have different levels of accomplishment, it is possible that things could actually have a chance of working out alright.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Election 2007. I feel the rumblings of a backlash already in progress. Sorry folks–a reaction to the new Newburyport City Council that will be sworn in January 2008.

I think if the current Newburyport City Council had been re-elected, I don’t think I would be feeling the rumblings of a backlash.

And some that I’ve talked to, feel that the rumblings are in part to Tom O’Brien stepping down as the President of the Newburyport City Council and James Shanley seeking to be the new president and, it is my understanding, succeeding.

James Shanley, in my book, is a centrist, and a very thoughtful man. Councilor Shanley has always struck me as the sort of fellow who likes efficiency, and likes to get things done.

When Mayor Lisa Mead took office for the first time in the 1990’s, as I remember it, she wanted to bring what she felt would be a more professional approach towards running the city of Newburyport, MA. Ms Mead, as I recall, was no-nonsense and efficient. This, in my recollection, was a markedly different stylistic approach to her predecessor, Peter Matthews, who could be found in the relaxed atmosphere of Angies, downtown on Pleasant Street, meeting and talking with his constituents.

Let’s just say, as I recall, that Ms Meads no-nonsense, efficient approach was not met with open arms.

As James Shanely takes over the presidency of the Newburyport City Council, it would be my hope that he would do so with the utmost sensitivity and tact. And I think that this could well turn out to be a most difficult job.

The fact that Erford Fowler, after 14 years, would no longer be on the Newburyport City Council floor, is hugely symbolic. I think it has always been believed that Councilor Fowler would be “unshakable.” And I think the fact that he was “shakable” has caused some major unease.

And I do believe that (no matter how smart or how personable and politically savvy she may be) someone, a woman no less, who has lived here “only” 6 months, beat out all sorts of folks with Newburyport political pedigrees, and would sit on the Newburyport City Council floor, has also, on some conscious or unconscious level, caused some major unease.

And the fact that Donna Holaday “is back,” and received more votes as Newburyport City Councilor at Large, than Mayor John Moak did as mayor, wittingly or unwittingly, could set up a dynamic that also, in my book, could cause some major agitation.

If I were the Newburyport City Council 2008-2009, I would take nothing for granted. Act with humility and grace, and bend over backwards to make absolutely sure, that to the best of their ability, all constituencies and residents of Newburyport, MA are heard, understood, appreciated and appropriately represented.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport