Five days left. Five days that can’t go by soon enough as far as I’m concerned.
I’ve covered every Greenfield election since 1996, and I can honestly say I’ve never been more anxious for an event to come and go as this one.
There’s always a certain amount of negative energy at the tail end of an election season. I’ve always chalked it up to campaign burnout. People have been on the stump for months and they are ready for it to just be over.
That frustration usually manifests itself in a few stolen campaign signs. But this year, the feel is altogether different.
The amount of negative energy surrounding this campaign is unlike anything I’ve seen at the local level. A big reason is the rise of what my radio compadre Bob Flaherty of WHMP has come to characterize as “anti-social media,” particularly Facebook, which has gone from being an effective promotional tool to a battering ram for people looking to put stink on certain candidates and causes.
One person who understands this reality all too well is write-in mayoral candidate Brickett Allis, who is the focus of a Facebook “hit” page so outlandish and disturbing I’m not going to waste column inches describing it here.
Zuckerberg’s creation has also been used by a number of people to try and poke holes in the argument in favor of building a new Greenfield Public Library.
Some of the posts have raised legitimate questions, while others have sought to spread misinformation, in some cases openly accusing city officials of lying about the accessibility problems at the current library building, and the numbers connected to the project.
Most of the concerns expressed are related to long-term affordability, which is understandable, even though the city’s bond counsel has repeatedly said that the project fits into Greenfield’s long-term debt structure. That means there is no need for a debt exclusion to fund it, which is pretty rare for proposal of this size.
Social media was also used to promote an event that triggered one of the wildest protests this community has ever seen.
A Facebook group dubbed the “Greenfield Citizen’s Association” sponsored a speech at the John Zon Community Center by Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, who has been an outspoken critic of Sanctuary Cities — which is essentially the concept behind Greenfield’s Safe Cities Ordinance, which is the focus of Question 2 on Tuesday’s ballot.
Shortly before the event, the “Yes on 2” group issued a press release criticizing Hodgson’s presence, but gave no indication that they planned to protest the speech as vigorously as they did. Protestors did their best to shout Hodgson down inside the room and outside the facility.
I was unable to be there because of illness, but caught part of it on Facebook Live and later on You Tube. It looked like an absolute mob scene, and may wind up being a tactical mistake by the pro-Safe Cities forces.
I think it’s safe to say that there was no one inside or outside the Zon Center who was or is undecided on the Safe Cities issue. I’ve also heard a number of Yes on 2 people make the argument that there are very few voters who haven’t made up their minds how to vote on this.
For their sake, I hope they are right because I can’t imagine too many undecided voters who saw that display or read the coverage after the fact that are going to be rushing to the polls to vote yes on 2, especially the older ones.
The GCA, meanwhile, has classified the protest as an “Antifa-style riot” designed to intimidate voters, and have warned about the possibility of similar incidents on Election Day. Greenfield Police Chief Robbie Haigh has heard those concerns loud and clear.
“We do have a plan in place,” Haigh said. “We will have officers present and will help with parking enforcement, and we’ll also have a golf cart present to help people who have issues getting from their cars to the polls.
Haigh said he understands tempers and emotions may be running high on Tuesday, given what has already transpired.
“Anytime there is any kind of contentious issue, there are going to be concerns about safety,” Haigh said. “We will be ready for anything.”
Hopefully, they won’t have to be, especially if people take the time to remember, between now and 7am Tuesday, that we are neighbors first and political rivals second.
See you at the polls.
Chris Collins is a Greenfield native who has been covering local and regional politics on various platforms for close to a quarter of a century. He can be reached at saurcechris.collins@gmail.com