Lobby Day

According to the local newspapers, Fitchburg officials are planning on heading to Boston and the State House on Tuesday for "Lobby Day," an opportunity to talk to legislators about Fitchburg's financial quandry.

We have a little advice, and even though no one asked we hope someone listens:

Our hope is that Fitchburg does more than send Mayor Mylott and a handful of public officials to merely beg/prod/bug/badger/rip lawmakers for more cash. It's a tired, somewhat ineffective way to do things.

Instead, we hope officials go out and find a few good Fitchburg stories to take with them, and real people to tell them.

Bring along the kid who lost his music program. Have the kid bring his saxaphone, too, if need be.

How about a downtown merchant who watches the streets roll up at dark because people are afraid of crime.

How about an elderly resident who won't be at the senior center today, because it's closed on Fridays the next few months. Or a Little League coach worried his field will be a mess this spring.

There are a ton of stories out there that illustrate how Fitchburg's financial woes effect normal people. Grab some voters -- who always get a public official's attention -- and have them tell their stories.

It'll take some leg work, but we believe that kind of semi-creative effort is necessary to make this problem a reality for lawmakers, and not an abstract numbers discussion.

We'll be closely watching this next week, and whatever happens, we hope we're not disappointed by a standard, roll-out-the-balls effort by Fitchburg.