I have known and supported Will Brownsberger for almost all of the 31 years I’ve lived here. It makes sense for me to explain, then, why I’m not supporting him for re-election to the state Senate.
When Will was a new state representative, as he told me, he was eager to shake things up. His reward was a windowless office on the 5th floor–the attic–of the State House. Now, as the third-ranking senator in the majority party, he has much nicer office space and much more power.
But many people, including me, think the state Legislature is dysfunctional. It is not tackling some of the major problems that the state faces.
Why? Too much of the legislative business is conducted in secret, or neglected, or probably directed by special interests. How much of this is Will’s fault is hard to tell. As I said, much of the Legislature’s business is conducted in secret. But he decided quite early, while he was still a state representative, to work within the system instead of shaking it up: to go along to get along.
The value of power is how you use it. Fancy office space is not a community benefit. At some point, the cost of going along with the leadership is too high. I think many Belmontians are coming to that conclusion. Daniel Lander, just 35, more than three decades younger than Will, is challenging him this year. I urge you to check him out.
Sue Bass, Concord Avenue