The following is a letter to the editor from Paul Cully. To submit your own letter, e-mail asylvia@westfordcat.org. Letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the views of WestfordCAT or its Board of Directors.
In a recent letter to the editor of the WestfordCAT News, a Westford resident and candidate for office, Dennis Galvin, advocated for a stronger and more active role for Republicans in the State government. He espoused that this is sorely needed in Massachusetts due to the overwhelming preponderance and influence of the Democrats in the State legislature, and that that is de facto one party rule. This is, he claims, leads to cronyism and corruption, and is contrary to our notion of democratic government.
Dennis Galvin is absolutely right! Massachusetts is not served as it should be by one party rule. But were Republicans to respond to candidate Galvin’s lead and become more involved in State government, would that be enough?
I don’t believe so, because once elections are completed, two party rule becomes one party rule for the victorious party. I believe what is needed is a third, strong, independent party, such that no one single party has a majority. With three strong political parties the full spectrum of voters in Massachusetts would be represented – legislators would be forced to consider all points of view and to compromise in order to get anything passed.
This is why I joined the United Independent Party, and I urge other Westford voters to do the same. Only with a strong independent party as a foil to the two larger, more established parties, can Massachusetts residents and voters ever hope to break the monopoly that exists today in the State legislature. Massachusetts needs a third, strong, independent party. “Unenrolled” is not good enough; you can always write in your favorite non-UIP candidates on a UIP ballot in a primary election, and in a general election everyone gets the same ballot choices. Get with UIP – join the movement!
