No Place for Negativity

To the Editor:

I would like to reiterate and expand upon a point that was eloquently stated in last week’s Letter Hive. Negative campaigning has no place in our local elections. I agree, and would add that in my opinion it’s distasteful, divisive, and not at all fitting with our small town character. Political opponents may not only be future colleagues, but are also fellow parents on the soccer field sidelines, fellow shoppers at the Big Y, or even guests at the same party (yes, it’s happened!).

 I’d go even further to suggest that a predominantly negative, gloom and doom framing of the current state of our town is also unfitting and inaccurate. Sure, candidates seeking elected office should naturally strive to do better than their predecessors. However, one doesn’t need to follow the predictable model of national politics by first portraying everything as being terrible in order for it to then be improved. That’s a message that I believe doesn’t resonate with most people here in Newtown.

 I’d contend that the vast majority are quite happy with their lives here in town, even among those of us who are feeling the grip of the current economic recession (although I recognize some are feeling that grip far more than others). In my job as a social and marketing researcher, I’ve seen national data that clearly suggests families are taking pride in being resourceful, and they continue to find a path toward greater personal and family happiness, despite today’s economic challenges. We’re cutting back, doing with less, and finding some pleasure in it. This trend is reflected not only in my own family’s experience this past year but also with so many of our friends here in town. As a town government, we need to amplify residents’ behaviors by spending cautiously and prudently. Our town’s spending dynamics need to continue down the evolutionary path from an attitude of “we want = we buy” to “lets talk about what we really need” so that we’ve moved from the discretionary to the necessary.

 As an appointed member of the Legislative Council and candidate for District 1 in the fall election, I hope to take this insight with me to help shape discussions of the upcoming 2010–2011 budget, as well as the day-to-day actions of the Legislative Council. Remember, even as the economy rebounds, we should not expect a wholehearted return to the “we want” economy in the near term, but instead a slower shift toward “not cutting back as much.” The Great Depression changed the spending attitudes of a generation of Americans; the real estate and stock market crashes in Japan during the 1980s had a similar effect there. Although the current recession (which some are calling The Great Recession) likely won’t have that level of lasting impact, it will shape attitudes and values in ways that will persist well into any recovery.

Paul Lundquist

Legislative Council

Democratic Candidate for the LC-District 1

148 Currituck Road, Newtown                            September 16, 2009