Going to the Candidate’s Debate.
By Jim Conley • Apr 16th, 2008 • Email This Post to a Friend •
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I’ll have a full report later, but a few general impressions from this evening’s League of Women Voters debate among candidates for Brookline Selectman. First, it has to mean something that the challenger to a seat on the board (Dick Benka) is infinitely better informed than the two incumbents (Gil Hoy and Nancy Daly). I mean, galaxies ahead.
Second, it’s really getting to the point of pity with Daly. She is a five foot woman standing at the bottom of a ten foot swimming pool.
Finally, I think it’s pretty clear that representative town meeting has run its course. How many other stations in government require the debate moderator to explain the responsibilities of the office, as did the LWV moderator with respect to serving as a selectman?
Update: The League debate is the only one I’ll tune into (or attend). Give them credit for knowing how to run a candidate’s forum and keeping the topics focused on policy.
Jim Conley is publisher of On Brookline.
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Was the matter or Representative Town Meeting brougt up in the course of the debate? The subject seems to be ducked by candidates for Selectmen as well as for TMMs. After all these years, with Brookline’s huge budget, one would think some open thought would be given to RTM. Apparently the candidates are so enthralled with playing politics and what they may perceive as their political powers and prowess (so important to their social lives) that they fail to focus on whether the antiquated RTM form of governance can function effectively in this day and age.
Might a Dick Benka belly up to the bar to challenge or at least raise the issue of the efficacy of RTM? Benka, while an attorney, is obviously not running to build up or maintain his law practice. (Do the math.) If Benka believes that the issue should be raised, why wouldn’t he raise it in debates in the next few weeks? Keep in mind that Benka as a TMM for well over 20 years has been part of the RTM system and knows how well or badly it works. We can’t expect Hoy or Daly to raise the issue since RTM is so much a part of their political, social and professional lives. Benka is in a position, however, to holler “TILT!” But he may have political concerns that openly challenging or raising issues of RTM may not serve him well because of the small turnout of voters who may be enthralled with the politics of RTM.
Benka should keep in mind that if he is elected, he will be but one-fifth of the hydra-headed executive branch of our Town of over 55,000 residents, dealing with the mundane and mindless matters that routinely come before the Board but which excite the few supporters of RTM politically and socially. But Benka could be in a position from within the Board (particularly if he is bored) to challenge RTM based upon what happens before the Board. So I would ask Benka to come out of the RTM closet. What does he have to lose? Or is Benka a believer in RTM?