Opinion: South Coast legislative delegation is all about teamwork

I applaud The Light for the coverage of all the races that affect us in the South Coast. You gave good coverage to all the candidates to help us decide the best choices for us and our region. 

Congratulations also on presenting with The League of Women Voters two excellent forums which gave those who attended or watched a good “feel” for the candidates. I have read and attended all of these as well as having worked a lot with all the members of the delegation.

And that is the point I would like to make in this brief column: We have a delegation that supports one another and works together as a team for the South Coast. Because of this, each one of us doesn’t have just one state representative or state senator; we each have a whole bunch fighting for the issues we care about. 

This isn’t as easy as it sounds. 

Many people in elected office (certainly including me) are tempted to grab the spotlight so voters know what they are doing for them. To work successfully as a delegation, one has to elevate the needs of the entire region, and the clear advantage of working as a delegation over the temptation to draw attention just to oneself. 

Our delegation is very good at working as a team. They support one another. When Sen. Mark Montigny couldn’t make the forum because he was chairing his committee in Boston, Rep. Steve Ouellette told the crowd what Mark was doing. That is just one example. A delegation shares information, ideas and local knowledge. Because of this, smart rookies like Mark Sylvia and Steve Ouellette benefit from the considerable experience of long-timers like Montigny, Tony Cabral, Chris Markey and Chris Hendricks. And the delegation is fortunate to have Sen. Mike Rodriques as a member of the team. Mike chairs Senate Ways and Means, a very influential position. He is as humble a guy as you will ever meet, and he supports the entire region, not just his district.

Another example of this concerns aquaculture. I chair the New Bedford Ocean Cluster and we are trying to expand this fast growing industry in our region so we can create jobs and provide the best in local seafood. We recognize we have to solve some problems around water quality, testing procedures and the many closures that local aquaculture growers face. At our meetings, we are usually joined by a majority of the delegation to help design the best solutions. Believe me, it is so much better to have six elected representatives working with us than just one. And it produces results! This is just one example, but there are many.

“Politicians” (doesn’t that sound like a dirty word?) are often unjustly characterized as being selfishly attracted to the camera lights. But these elected officials, in my long experience, are characterized by how they work together as a team for us. They work hard, which befits this hard-working region. They understand our needs and complex issues. And working together in the fight for scarce state resources, they compete successfully with delegations from larger cities like Boston, Worcester and Springfield.

So while we are able to vote for only one state representative and one state senator, regardless of the outcome, please keep in mind how important it is for our elected officials to work as a delegation. And don’t forget to vote for your choice on Nov. 3.

Editor’s note: John Bullard is a founding member of The New Bedford Light. The Light’s newsroom is scrupulously independent. Only the editors decide what to cover and what to publish. Founders, funders and board or advisory members have no influence over editorial content.