Axing Mary Lou Supple from the NRA board and even thinking about putting someone like Byron Matthews in her place, would be like a “progressive” axing Erford Fowler (who was put on there by the State, not the City, so this analogy doesn’t quite work, but bear with me anyway) and replacing him with former mayor Lisa Mead. This would simply not be politically a good idea.

What it would do is make everybody angry. As a more “progressive” human being I would be outraged if Erford Fowler was replaced by former mayor Lisa Mead, not because of any lack of political “know how” on Ms Mead’s part, but because it would feel like a “hostile” act. It would feel like an act that smacked of “pay back,” personal agenda at any cost and not an act that would seem wise or concerned about what would be best for all the people in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

So this whole NRA thing, with the Newburyport Daily News reporting on March 16, 2006, that former mayor Byron Matthews is on the “short list” for a NRA appointment, is becoming even more of a mess.

My only hope is that people will wake up sooner rather than later. And if it is possible that what Harvey Beit (see earlier post) calls the “power group” could be calling the shots in this administration and there may not be a “wise man” in sight (see earlier post), then wow, we are in for a long 21 months. And I would find this possibility to be very, very discouraging, because that is not my hope or wish for Mayor John Moak’s administration.

Mary Eaton, Newburyport