Ever since we’ve been watching Lowell politics, we’ve observed that there are not only two (or more) “factions” on local issues, but two types of Councilors. Old school councilors are lifetime citizens, who have many familial and personal connections to Lowellians, and they emphasize that in their tenure on the Council. This is, of course, us taking a tactful approach to this description, as you all know.
However, there is a different kind of Councilor who have served or are serving, and this second kind takes the approach that strong ethics, common sense, and far-seeing planning for the city’s future are much more important than scoring political points or extending favors. Well-respected former councilors like Dick Howe, Sr and new councilors such as Frankie Descoteaux or Patrick Murphy fall into this category.
In our years observing the Council, we can remember no better voice for common sense and thoughtful leadership than Eileen Donoghue.
We can remember times of high tension when Donoghue’s contributions were like a breath of fresh air in a stinky, smoky room. She would cut straight through to the heart of the matter at hand and just, calmly and respectfully, make sense. She was esteemed by all sides but never wavered in adhering to strong principles. Her intelligence in studying matters of policy and oversight was evident every Tuesday.
She is also a strong progressive, a practical liberal, whose presence in the state Senate will help to drive policy towards better, smarter government, efficiency in delivering services, and will open up the often-reticent legislative branch to transparency. She will also deliver on the things that progressives hold dear…protecting the vulnerable, supporting and expanding access to our public and higher educational system, advancing substantial environmental progress, keeping our economy strong and moving in the right direction, and of course, serving her constituents in Lowell and the surrounding towns of the district by making sure we get our fair share of attention and funding.
The fact is, Eileen Donoghue has been tested as a policy maker and a leader in our city, and we trust her to bring that experience, and her practical, intelligent manner, to Beacon Hill to help sort out the mess that has often been made there, and to push the successes of the legislature (and there has been many successes) further.
The progressive policies enacted by Governor Patrick and the legislature so far have done the state proud. We are slated to come out of recession (in fact, we were one of the first states to do so) faster and stronger than much of the rest of the country. We have recently reversed the population drain Massachusetts has been experiencing. There are many things going well in our state, but we need to continue to elect leaders who will work to keep us going in the right direction.
We know that Eileen Donoghue will fight for the policies that will help working families and the middle class in Massachusetts and in the district. For all of these reason and many others, with no reservations in the least, we endorse Eileen Donoghue for state Senate.
Signed,
Lynne and Mimi
LeftinLowell.com
