Opinion:Three Mayoral Candidates Were Impressive

Editor's note: There is a video of the event available HERE. Note: the author is known to The Eye, which has honored the author's wish to remain anonymous because of fear of retribution by the Department of Public Works.  
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Thanks for providing a link to the video of the forum presented by the AAUW and the League of Women Voters, and for putting the forum together. I was not able to be there in person, so listening to all the candidates answer the same questions was very informative. My summation of each candidate is based only on the contents of the forum, and not on other conversations or knowledge I have of the candidates.

Geen was a surprise to me, (I did not know as much about him as the other candidates). What stood out was his conviction to civility, diversity, and the value he places on empowering all Middletown residents to work together. He showed he is an optimist and a bit of a policy wonk, mentioning studies, and looking to other towns for best practice policies and ideas. Best statement from Geen; our schools should be viewed as an investment and not just as an expense.

Mary did a good job highlighting her 8 years of experience and successes as a city council member. She displayed her willingness to fight for what she believes in. She values people over politics and community input. I found myself distracted by the fact that Mary was reading her answers to all but the last question, and looking down, and not out to speak to the audience. Best statement from Mary; diversity is crucial to all of our success.

Ben did a great job highlighting Middletown's opportunities to be best in state and even country, by giving big picture answers to many of the questions. He sees lots of opportunities for Middletown to shine brighter, by integrating the many resources available into a more cohesive whole, rather than the segmentation we are so accustomed to. He is also committed to more community participation and involvement. Best two statements from Ben; 1) Is that he has a hard time with the cities out-sized funding of athletic opportunities compared with funding for the arts  "with change we find under the couch cushions and,  2) the empathy he showed in acknowledging that he cannot fully comprehend what the level of anxiety would be like to be pulled over in a car by the police as a person of color.

Bill did not impress; unless Middletown is now going to elect a Director of Public Works, in which case he looks like a solid candidate with plenty of experience based on an old school model of success from the late 20th century.

Time I’m sure was a limiting factor but I really would have liked to hear from the candidates, answers to a multi-pronged question regarding environmental issues, a more specific question on Riverfront Development alone, and what will best attract and keep a younger generation engaged and moving into Middletown and CT rather than moving away.

I believe Ben, Mary, and Geen can all be successful mayors for Middletown. Each have their strengths and weaknesses. What I'm still working out before I vote on Tuesday is who has the greatest ability to LEAD Middletown towards it's better self; not just for tomorrow, and the next four years, but for the long view 15-25 years out. Middletown needs a bold leader. Someone who will listen well, with grace, compassion, and understanding—and successfully be able to juggle the many demands of the Mayor's office with prescience, and the highest levels of ingenuity and integrity.

I have lived in Middletown now for more than 20 years. During this time, I have heard many candidates proclaim they are a lifelong resident of the city, as if to say this fact alone makes them better qualified for whatever office they are running for. That presumption is fallacy as far as I am concerned and often—but not always—breeds too much provincial thinking and limits the potential for how great Middletown can be.

What I hope that the electorate looks for in a candidate (and what I look for), is a broad base of experiences and knowledge throughout their home, work, and educational life (including self-education) that provides them with critical thinking skills, and real life exposure to diversity, adversity, and a variety of build environments, both within the state of CT and across the county and world. These experiences give them a 21st century world view, and the skills to not only manage, but to be a leader in ushering Middletown into her greater self.