Response to Caroline Linton

According to Caroline Linton in order to be involved in politics one must be a politician. Is there a school for this? Since I have not been taking ‘becoming a politician 101’ may I have any political views? So in keeping with Ms. Linton a businessman is not adequate for the job of governor. If anything that is exactly what government needs- an outsider. We as citizens have become so complacent with politicians being the only ones making political decisions that often it is forgotten that we live in a democracy. Ultimately it is our opinions that matter and should shape public policy. Where did these politicians come from anyways? Are they not citizens like the rest of us? Should we all not have the opportunity to represent ourselves? Mitt Romney is a Massachusetts citizen who wants to make a difference. Will he address the issues? He will try. As Mitt Romney said in his acceptance speech, “we took on an entrenched machine and we won”. In he and Healey’s “Working for Better Jobs” program they will be looking to promote job growth by establishing initiatives in five different locations across the state- including both Worcester and Western Massachusetts, areas of the state often overlooked because of such intense concentration on Boston. In his education plan he has proposed merit pay for good teachers and supports English immersion programs which the voters of the state favor. It is nice to know that Massachusetts has a new governor without ties to the politicians on Capital Hill. In yesterdays column Linton said, “Massachusetts is facing a conservative takeover”. This is a statement that is hard to believe. Massachusetts is still one of the most heavily liberal states and it is important that there is someone to stand up for the minority and their views. Maybe work would get done better if just one party dominated- but that would ruin the very ideology shared by both the Republicans and Democrats. In this nice balance we can know that democracy is being well served and that all of the voters have some form of representation.

Melinda Richardson CGS ’05