Time to Do Your Civic Duty


1194359909Election day is finally here. In 54 communities throughout the state, voters will head to the polls to fill local vacancies. While we originally lamented the lack of excitement and scandal in this year’s races, we’ve been delighted by the controversies that have recently come to light. And we’re not only talking about John Connolly’s anonymous mailings.

In Cambridge, city council candidate Jonathan Janik was profiled by The Alewife, a newsletter that covers Porter Square and North Cambridge, but the story never made it to print. Neil McCabe, the editor of the newsletter, refused to run the profile after Janik wouldn’t buy advertising in his paper.

The Cambridge Chronicle obtained the email from McCabe that explains his reasoning:

“I am very happy with the article that we have about you and I believe my reporter spent more time with you than we normally do after the [story] was written,” McCabe wrote to Janik. “However, after conversations and e-mails, I sense that you have changed your mind about advertising with me. Obviously, that decision is based on your campaign strategy and knowledge of your targeted voters. Nobody respect the proper use of resources more than I do, so you will understand that I cannot see bringing your story to readers who you have decided are not interested in your candidacy.”

McCabe wrote on The Alewife’s website yesterday that he wishes he hadn’t sent the email.

What I should have told him was that I didn’t want his ad and I didn’t want to put him in the paper directly, instead of the obtuse rambling I did send him.

What you should have told him was that you respect his decision, and run the profile anyway. Now you’ve just had your pay-for-play policy revealed. Idiocy like that will have us chuckling as we head to the polls to cast our votes, happy that we finally got some comic relief in an off election year.