I am a voter in Northampton‘s Ward 1, and I am backing Support Our Schools (SOS) in the upcoming municipal election. In her July 23 guest column, Laurie Loisel, a candidate for Northampton’s Ward 3, cast doubt on SOS and its endorsement process [“SOS endorsement? No thanks,” Gazette].
The incumbent political clique browbeats residents when concerns about the budget are raised. We are told to defer to the expertise of the city “experts,” and to the idea that our elected officials are not responsible to their constituents, but rather “civil servants” who we should hold unlimited regard for. Loisel’s attitude towards benign questions like: “how will you support the right of workers to organize” is telling. Her advocacy for a system of public school funding that is based on private patronage, instead of one drawn from public coffers and managed by democratic institutions, is precisely what Northampton cannot afford under Trump’s attacks on public education. Loisel uses language like “well-funded” and “orthodox” to paint SOS as a regressive political force. But SOS’ resources are actually drawn from grassroots fundraising by Northampton educators and community members, who have put their nose to the grindstone for over a year now to ensure that we have a slate of candidates that can fight for public education and against MAGA.
This is all a matter of public record, and I urge voters to go to npsfundourschools.com, attend City Council meetings, and reach out to SOS if you have questions about the platform.
Moth Wisnewski
Northampton