HomeSTRETCH

I am way too tired from campaigning and too pissed off about the Patriots to say much of any coherence. Actually, I got over the Patriots 10 minutes after the game, but still am tired.

I leave a couple of thoughts for you on this Sunday night before the Tuesday election:

• I am running At Large by the way...a few people have said they didn't know that. And they keep asking me why, as if I was climbing Mt. Everest. Simple reasons: 1) why not? 2) since the Ward Councillors and At-Large Councillors have exactly the same clout, it's not a power grab, just looking for a different challenge.
  
• I walked 8.43 miles today in a big loop from my home and back verified as by GPS. If I had been walking in a straight line, it would have been about 5 but all the walkways and weaving back and forth adds up.
• I heard from voters about the difficulties of permitting through the City, the merits of pellet stoves, Clipper basketball this year, the Custom House Maritime Museum, waterfront, the 'roundabout' near the Chain Bridge, the parking crush at Pioneer Park, the schools, and a whole lot of "things are pretty good."
• I got a call from a Ward 4 voter who had gotten my literature but wanted to know who was running for Ward 4. She and her husband had looked online and couldn't find the information. My cell phone is on the literature so she called me. She was reassured that Tom Jones is running because she knows him.
  
• Also saw a number of 'packages' on Republican doorsteps left by the local Republican party. Apparently all 1,600 Republican voters are being outreached to. The package included information on the two registered Republican candidates in the At-Large Council race. The letter encourages the Republicans to turnout and reminds that voters 'do not have to vote for 5. Voters can even vote for just one or two."
• If you were one of the 4,000 Democrats or 7,100 Independent/Unenrolled voters in the city and didn't get the 'package', you can learn more at http://www.newburyportgop.com/our_candidates.html.
  
• Hey, as a Democrat, I'm all for mixing it up at the proper time and place which to me are state and national elections. I've got nothing but respect for Republicans (my mother was one and my father is to the right of Glen Beck) and Independents, Greens, and Libertarians. But let's remember folks that our local elections are nonpartisan for a reason.
  
• Check out this post by the esteemed anonymous P. Preservationist who is clearly on a roll of late. http://ppreservationist.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/who-are-these-people/

See you at the polls real soon.

Ed Cameron
www.edcameronNBPT.com