ANALYSIS
By Josh Resnek
This time of year is when most normal Everett voters and residents could care less about a political race.
This is a condition which intensifies as the heat of summer begins to bare down, something that will likely happen in the next few weeks.
Interest in politics, or anything having to do with supporting a political race disintegrates during June and July.
Only in August, around the last two weeks, is when candidates go into the big push for the upcoming primary that will elect a new representative or return the representative already serving.
However, even though the summer gets in the way of all forward movement, this doesn’t stop the candidates from doing what they have to do.
What is that?
Ask former representative Steven “Stat” Smith.
“I am out and about everyday,” he told the Herald Leader on the steps of his property on Church Street recently before jumping into his ancient pickup truck to do another errand.
“I’ve been working since I was 10 years old,” he said. “I am not afraid of hard work. No one gave me anything. Whatever I have I have earned on my own. I am now working at winning the September primary and heading back to the state house,” he added.
He carried with him a voter’s list, which he called “his official bible.”
“I meet probably a dozen to two dozen people a day doing my rounds. I try to enlist everyone I speak with or simply to remind them to vote for me in September. Everyone I meet on a given day receives a follow-up note from me. I take nothing for granted,” he said.
Smith told of his everyday schedule.
“I get up and get out and from that moment on I am campaigning. I knock on doors. I identify families who will be with me. I reach out to
my supporters. I am kind and interested in those who won’t vote for me and treat all of them with respect. I do everything I can do everyday to advance my objective which is … returning to Beacon Hill where I spent 6 years as Everett’s state rep,” he said.
“I am the peoples’ choice. I am the peoples’ candidate for the Everett friends I promise to serve,” he said.
While we stood there on Church Street, a half dozen vehicles speeding down the street slowed and then stopped with the drivers all doing the same: “Hey Stat! We’re with you!” they all shouted with smiles.
“I can’t stay here all day and talk with you,” Stat said to me. He ran to his pick up truck and with a wave and a toot of his horn, he was off again.
Compare his rubber meeting the road style to that of the rep. The rep had his kick-off time in Malden last week.
Yeah, Anthony’s is OK if you are going to pack the place. The crowd he had left the place empty, like his campaign for re-election.
It attracted 122 people.
It was an odd crowd. Many faces we did not recognize attended.
His true supporters there might have numbered 90. Not a good sign for an incumbent.
He is trying to win again on the back of the mayor and Anthony DiPierro, who the mayor has put in charge of the rep’s campaign.
Relying on others to secure to address the projects that need immediate action. Other wants need to be held off until increased revue from the Encore Boston Harbor Casino and associated projects in the soon to be entertainment district bear fruit.
Laying off any employees while projects continue that are not critical diminishes the quality of the services we easily take for granted and diminishes us as a community.
As we start the Budget process, the old tensions among our business partners are back making this process more difficult. We involved in the budget process need to look past those tensions and focus on what is best for the entire city. There are no us & them, only one community with one goal, a better Everett for all it’s residents. Thank you.