Thoughts on the political spectrum

Earlier this week, I was called by a political polling company to ask about my opinion about the candidates in the upcoming special election for the US Senate.  It's been years since I've been polled and my first thought is that it was interesting that they called my on my business cell phone rather than my personal cell phone.

Image source: https://www.arlingtonva.us/home/web/survey/page63192.aspx

I'm pretty sure that it was from Markey's people since the guy was a little too enthusiastic about my answers to the question about what I don't like about Gomez.  Nevertheless, as a social science researcher, it's always an interesting experience to be the subject rather than the investigator.

There was one question that really did get me to thinking, though.  It's a question that I've seen a million times in both real research surveys and political polls:  Would you describe yourself as liberal or conservative?  The scale is: very conservative, moderately conservative, neither conservative nor liberal, moderately liberal, and very liberal.

Let's leave aside the legitimate question about whether political preferences range on a single dimensional continuum.  I do not have any problem recognizing that I am liberal.  The question for me was whether I considered myself moderately liberal or very liberal.  My instinct was to say moderately liberal because I consider myself a reasonable person.  I see very liberal people as inflexible and dogmatic as those who are very conservative.

Image source: http://www.mix-pics.net/img/13848/i-think-i-am-right-and-you-are-wrong

In the 20 seconds it took for me to answer the question, a number of thoughts came into my head.  Prominent among them is that I'm pretty sure that someone who does not share my positions on a many social or economic issues would consider me very liberal.  I am sure that someone who I would label as very conservative sees themselves as reasonable as I see myself.

From a survey design perspective, this is a real issue with the validity of both the question and the scale.  How we would recognize "moderate" when we see it.  And would we recognize ourselves if/when we deviate from it?  This is a question for all of us, regardless of the labels we apply to ourselves.

Image source: http://frabz.com/2nza

Of course I had to answer the question and I reminded myself that he is asking about how I see myself, not how others view my positions.  Which gets to the most important lesson of the day: it's not worth overthinking a political polling question.

Challenge for the next mayor

Early this afternoon, I had an unpleasant interaction with a City of Boston Parking Enforcement officer.  To be honest, it was pretty horrible.  It started out almost funny when I was threatened with a ticket while I was still parked on the correct side of the street and then told that there would be "no one I could complain to." 

Image source: http://www.guystuffcounseling.com/counseling-men-blog/bid/22929/Married-to-an-Angry-Man-A-Wife-s-View-of-Her-Husband-s-Anger

 As a law and policy scholar, the claim is laughably absurd.  When the individual's aggressiveness escalated, I was on the phone with the Mayor's hotline immediately.  When I was told that the individual also resorted to using gender based epithets and racist comments, I became angry. All of this was reported to the Mayor's hotline, Facebook, and Twitter.  Thanks to a neighbor whose connections are more direct than mine, I was soon after contacted by someone who can do something about this and was promised that there will be follow up.  For that I am grateful, as is my blood pressure.

This is the kind of incident that really diminishes our quality of life.  It is the kind of incident that makes people wonder whether they want to live here or not.  I've lived in Boston for more than a decade and this is one aspect of the city that hasn't changed much.  Which gets me to the race for mayor.

Image source: http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2013/06/14/meet-the-12-confirmed-candidates-for-bostons-2013-mayoral-election/

Most of the candidates have focused their platforms around issues like education or community and economic development.  This makes sense.  The city has more control over these than other important issues that affect Boston residents and workers (like immigration or public transportation).  And they are really important issues.

Quality schools and sustainable development are the big issues that shape our city.  But our daily interactions with city workers shape our quality of life. This issue is what is missing from our discussions about the next mayor.  We've all had interactions or run-ins with police officers, school staff, planning department personnel, or ISD inspectors that were made unpleasant because of the bad attitude of the city worker or because of rules that make no sense.

To be clear, I believe most of the workers in our city are good people.  Some of them are trying to do their job with too few resources (a shout out to Graffiti Busters).  Some of them simply need better guidance or leadership.

But there seems to be something about working for the City of Boston that allows poor service and/or bad attitudes to go unchecked.  I've heard some complain that the problem is the union rules.  Or that people have been there too long.  Or the history of patronage hiring. 

Image source: http://tripleespressoshots.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

 To be honest, I don't care what the problem is. I just want it changed. 

I want a system put in place that ensures that residents, no matter who they are, where they live, or what language they speak in their dreams, are treated with dignity and respect.  City rules and regulations need to be enforced.  But you don't have to be a jerk about it.  And you certainly shouldn't be a prejudiced ass in a city that is majority non-white.

It was that parking enforcement guy's bad luck to pick a fight with an over-educated person who isn't afraid to use social media and has neighbors willing to help.  But my brown skinned neighbor shouldn't be belittled by school staff for not speaking English very well.  And my low-educated white neighbor who doesn't know how to tweet about a twat making his life miserable shouldn't have to suffer this either. 

Image: "Digital Divide" from http://www.flickr.com/photos/schnaars/2586457836/

City workers should treat everyone in my neighborhood the same as the folks who live in the mayor's neighborhood, where ever that may be.

So, my challenge to the mayoral candidates and the next mayor: what are you going to do to ensure that our interactions with city workers and officials is constructive and respectful?  What are you going to do to prevent the kind of interaction I had today?