A Few Thoughts

Responses to a few thought-provoking comments (see yesterday's post for it all) over the last day:

--Dan Mylott as mayor and state representative is not a good idea. In fact, if Mylott were to announce his intention to run for representative, he would have to promise to drop out of City Hall if he won. Or we would be seriously upset.

Two reasons: First, for Fitchburg to be properly service, those jobs need to be full-time gigs. What happens when Fitchburg is in a crisis on the same day as a big vote at the State House? Who wins then? Second, those are arguably the most powerful positions in Fitchburg. One person shouldn't have both. It's not good for the city.

--We agree with the sentiment that the mayor position should be better paid. If you want a high-quality person in a full-time job, give that person a salary that justifies the expectations.

We are very intrigued by the thought of reshaping city government to a manager-council format. It works in a number of larger cities and does all but guarantee the selection of a professional manager ("all but" is code for "as long as the council picks a good manager). It would necessitate a lengthy study and citywide vote. It's a hard process to undertake, but perhaps it should at least be considered. We'd need to see a study before we got on board, but someone should start taking a look at it.

--Bob Antonioni's a big boy and can take care of himself, but those comments from Dean Tran don't make him look very good in Fitchburg. We e-mailed Antonioni three months ago, and got nothing but an automated reply. We may try again soon just to test responsiveness. We'll keep you posted.

--Yesterday's post generated seven comments in short time, probably a record for this fledgling site. The potential of a shakeup at the top clearly gets the political juices flowing. Tasty.