Mayor Michael Bonfanti in the State of the City address tonight has announced he will NOT be seeking re-election in the Fall.
Salem News: Bonfanti: I will not run again
So who will be the one who will fill the corner office next?
The big two expected candidates are, of course, Ted Bettencourt and Dave Gravel. But there are a few other possibilities out there. Anne Manning-Martin is very popular as is Beverly Griffin Dunne. And don't forget old Sean Fitzgerald who has always wanted to be top dog in his hometown.
Old Salem News Story: Mayor's Race in Peabody up in the Air
It will be an interesting election cycle!
Farewell Dark City....
11 years ago
13 comments:
At the very least, I hope this election cycle brings PI out of hiding.
With Bonfanti out of the race, this will be a wide open field. I wouldn't be surprised if there were 4-5 candidates who all throw their hats into the ring. Its going to get wild.
With that being said, I'd still put my money (and my vote) with Bettencourt. Its time this city got some new blood and specifically some younger blood. Peabody could be a great city to raise a family in, however, its been downright inhospitable these last 10 years.
As Bonfanti said himself, he was a a steward. A steward is very different than being a leader. A leader provides vision and direction, a steward counts the beans. Shame on Peabody for electing this guy 5x in a row.
At least give Bonfanti credit for saying he was as "steward" and not a LEADER. By the way, someone should tell him to grow a set. I mean, the choking up during his announcement was embarrassing. Hey Mike, be a man, will ya?
Hey PI, any early handicapping?
Good to see that I'm not the only one watching this site to see a response. I thought the site was done for .
I come by too. This site is dead. Too bad, PI provides a good contrast.
It could help if some one were to tell the Twisted Tanner readers of this site trying to come back to life after so long of nothing to comment on. jmo
It is interesting how many people are NOT running... and from almost everyone I have spoken with I get the same comment... Ted is a lock for mayor.
I can't say that this prospect thrills me. I have watched Ted make headlines on quite a few occasions... but it makes me wonder...
Is he such a doofus that he doesn't know to do even elementary research and/or checking for some of his outlandish proposals (I mean he is supposed to be a lawyer, right)...
OR
Is he just an attention whore who will pander to any group in order to get his 15 minutes of fame AND look like a hero (even though he knows he can't possibly do what he says?)
This is my biggest problem with the guy. In either case, I have good reason to dislike this style of leadership as it is either ignorant or pure buffoonery.
I would like to see others run as well. But I keep thinking that Gravel might not run because of the Pro-Ted vibe out there.
Not that he is any better.
Those are some strong words PI.
What are some examples of the headline grabbing items that your referring to?
Other than being out-front on the drug issue and offering a vision for downtown, what else has really been that newsworthy?
Was it he said some thing about his stand on drug abuse at the announcement for running. I wasn't there and see no mention of it here except for your above comment. He is a lawyer who makes his money on drug and other cases he handles. Would it be hypocritical of him or are you mistaken about his stand on drugs?
I am specifically referring to two major 'announcements' on his part that I think were foolish and amateurish, or simply a way to generate some 'look at me doing something great' press (while hopefully understanding that the ideas were not possible or ill conceived.)
The first, and most annoying, was his pandering to the "TAXES ARE TOO HIGH" folks with his call to use the CPA money to pay for peoples utility bills. For those who might not know, the CPA is the Community Preservation Act.
In this case Ted either chose to not do one iota of research into how the CPA works (and what it can be used for) - and frankly EVERY city councilor really should know this - or he simply knew it couldn't be used for this purpose and he said it just to look good.
I mean one simple phone call to City Hall and someone would have been happy to read the law to him!
So which was it? Incompetence or grandstanding?
The other major problem is his Vision of downtown Peabody as a medical hub. This actually shows a lack of vision in my opinion.
It goes back to the horrid attitude of some Peabody-lifers that Peabody really NEVER CAN BE ANY BETTER AND SHOULD JUST STOP TRYING! The last thing we need is for a Mayor to have this mentality.
I outlined most of my objections to that proposal in this post: Medical Hub?
In the end that proposal was short sighted and doesn't actually end up improving the downtown area... it simply means more ugly warehouse buildings, truck traffic and medical waste for us... while Beverly, Salem, Danvers, etc. all have downtowns thriving with people and activities that both bring in $$$ and improve the quality of life for residents and the region.
I do not know this man Mr. Bettencourt. I only know him from his actions in local government. Everyone says he is a swell guy. And that's great. He probably is a nice enough guy to have a beer with. He might even be a person I would like as a friend...
But I have higher expectations for my mayor.
ladies and gents...
I very much agree that the citizens of this city should hold their votes tight to their chest until a field of candidates has legitimately developed. A lack of incumbency is an unusual gift to us citizens in tanner city. Mr. Bettencourt has said nothing impressive for the residents of a city that has, decade after decade, offered itself out for cheap money in the name of "good business" at the expense of a quality of life for those who pay residential taxes and deserve a city that promotes good cultural living rather than muddled municipal business-friendly lack-of-identity. Downtown dental offices and the carnivorous deterioration of infrastructure are hardly positions worthy of a runaway-successful candidacy for mayor. Let time play out and listen for the specifics of language before we just bang lawn signs into the still frozen ground for no other reason but Mr. Bettencourt scored 1000 points in the PVMHS gym. Use your vote as it is intended in a free democracy... leverage for the people rather than the prediction of a winner.
Anonymous Jan 28th,
I do like your remarks.
Slow time on the good old blog site.
OG says...hey Teddy B...where's the beef? for some time now you have been a very ordinary and understated member of our City Council....some might be bold enough to suggest that you have been elected and re-elected solely due to name recognition rather than vision and accomplishments...is it nice to see a home town boy grow up to be Mayor some day? sure, it makes a nice rags to riches story but is this end result the best one for the future of Dark City? do nice guys like Ted B get eaten up alive in the world of politics?? I think we need a leader with an edge, a thick skin, and some outward energy ...and because of that I have to say that Fitzgerald gets my vote at this time.
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