Jennifer E. James: Good leadership must welcome all voices

I’m writing in support of Richard Chu’s letter expressing concern for better transparency in Northampton’s city decision-making [“Collaboration, transparency missing in city government,” Sept. 30]. I also observed during the meetings held over school funding issues that students, teachers and community members expressing their views were often treated with thinly veiled hostility.

Citizens of the city need more confidence that their input into the decisions facing our community, including Picture Main Street and the Resilience Hub, matter. Neither project will come about without including city funds. The $3 million-plus investment into the purchase of the Old Baptist Church should be more clearly explained, especially when the immense benefit of the purchase was to a property owner whose shuttered properties have blighted our city for years is now financially able to carry on for years to come.

It should not matter if you have ties to Northampton for a generation or for a month — since the 1980s, the 1880s or now. Good leadership should not be wary about welcoming all voices. Real partnerships between different sides on our city issues can only evolve with more imagination and true openness from brokers as yet unwilling to truly hear the increasing concerns of their fellow people.

Northampton is home to all of us. Telling citizens to kindly pipe down and keep quiet is not the kind of leadership that will take us to a better place.

Jennifer E. James

Northampton