Governors

I do like our governor. I was really happy that he won the election and then was really dismayed when the press started coming down on him hard. I'm impressed with how he has rallied and moved forward.

I'm not a very political person. But I for 10 years before moving to Newburyport lived right across the street from the back of the State House. File this for future reference: if you move to Boston, don't live on Hancock St. It's the only thruway over Beacon Hill.

One day I ventured outside, during the day on a normal weekday. I believe I was mostly unemployed then as well! Chronic. Anyway, there was a policeman standing in the street outside my building, which was/is on the corner of Hancock and Myrtle streets. I asked him what was going on.

He rolled his eyes and said the governor was on his way. Shortly thereafter, a motorcade of state police officers on motorcycles roared around the corner from Beaudoin St. In the midst of all the hubbub was an SUV.

Governor Mitt Romney, arriving for work.

Perhaps it was an isolated incident (that was the only time I noticed it but then, I pretty quickly adapted to shutting out the traffic noise after moving there). I remembered that when Gov. Patrick was criticised for, right off the bat, getting himself an SUV at taxpayers' expense.

No mention of The Mitten and his motorcade. I think of Romney as "The Mitten;" I have no idea why.

Now, while walking to work at some point when I was actually working for someone else, I used to see former Gov. Paul Cellucci arriving for work. He rode in a modest sedan, but I do believe he had a driver. As many of my readers know, former Gov. and presidential candidate Mike Dukakis used to take the T (mass transit) to work - but more recently, Gov. Jane Swift was soundly chastised for sometimes commuting from home in western Mass. via a state police helicopter.

Speaking of Dukakis, a few months ago I had the opportunity to speak personally with the man. I left a message on his answering machine for a story I was writing and he called me back! He left ME a message, saying, "Gillian, this is Mike Dukakis ... etc." I saved it in my Verizon mailbox for as long as I still had Verizon service.

We talked for quite a while on the phone and then I met him in person at the event I was covering for the Current. Nice man - and he loves Newburyport. I believe he said his mother was from Haverhill and then she taught school in Amesbury so he has history around these parts.

And he said very nice things about Stephen Karp, by the way.