On Brookline

I guess it’s true that most young people - unable to afford to live in Brookline - have moved to other parts of the country. Today’s New York Times has a front pager showing poll results [see poll] that indicate Americans between the ages of 17 and 29 are “leaning to the left” politically.

They can’t be living in Brookline because the tilt is so far to the (radical) right that it’s as if the ghost of Ronald Reagan haunts the halls of town government.

The Ghost of Reagan is seen in the use of public funds to support a religious organization at St. Aidan’s. It’s seen in the roughing up of citizens who dare speak truth to their government and the shams that same government will put on to deflect attention from their deceits (i.e., the zoning fight at Somerset Road). It’s seen in the cronyism and inside dealing that involve the resources provided by taxpayers.

I suppose the good news is that, once again, Brookline is so far out of the mainstream that it will be virtually impossible for municipal officeholders to spread the misery at the state and federal level. As we saw with last year’s race for Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor, a record that looks all the world like that of a modern conservative is a hard thing to explain away.