Shared passion, split paths: Bardsley, Higgins followed activism into public life
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NORTHAMPTON - The seeds to one of the most interesting races for city mayor in years began to germinate decades ago, back when both candidates were simply standing up for what they believed in and certainly long before they knew each other.
As youngsters, neither Mayor Clare Higgins or At-Large City Councilor Michael R. Bardsley - both 16-year city servants - went to bed at night dreaming of being politicians. Nor were they born into political families, although both admit to having had a passion for political novels at a young age.
Instead, these children of working-class families cut their teeth on real issues - Higgins, 54, working with teen mothers and early education and Bardsley, 60, involved in education and social justice. In the end, both realized that the best way to make a difference for the issues they felt so strongly about was through the political arena.
Bardsley's foray into politics happened one summer while he worked as a camp counselor in New Hampshire. At the time, the camp organizers were attempting to open A Better Chance house that would allow families of color to send their children to camp. The idea met with fierce objection among the mainly all-white families who sent their kids to the camp. Bardsley, even as a young teenager, clearly saw the "face of racism."
"I made a speech about the injustice that I saw, and I vowed not to go back the next summer," he said.
That speech was the first of many times Bardsley stood up for social justice, and as he grew older, the longtime guidance counselor used his position both as an educator and as a politician to work at righting what he saw as wrongs. Bardsley also learned something else about himself during those summers - he loved working with individual children and he seemed to have knack for teaching.
"Unbeknownst to me, being a camp counselor laid the foundation to help and teach people," he said.
He went on to earn a teaching degree at the University of Massachusetts and spent 30 years as a teacher and counselor in the Amherst schools. While that job paid the bills, Bardsley also was lured into politics by a co-worker in the late 1970s who convinced him to serve as a delegate for Michael Dukakis. That led to involvement in the state Democratic party and eventually to local politics, where he served as then-Mayor Mary Ford's campaign manager.
Higgins, meanwhile, moved from Brooklyn to Northampton in 1977, where she launched a career in the day care field, initially as a day care teacher at the former Hampshire Community Action Commission. Her career included time as program director for Sojourn Inc., where she directed child services for teen moms and their babies, and stints as a child care center director and program director for all of HCAC's child care programs.
In the late 1980s, she noticed that housing issues were becoming a major stumbling block for the mothers she worked with on a daily basis.
"They couldn't stay here because they couldn't afford it," she said.
That's when Higgins became a frequent visitor to the mayor's office, began to push for varied housing options through community groups, and lobbied the city to give more of its Community Development Block Grant money to social services. While she didn't have an eye on the City Council or the mayor's office at the time, this early work clearly helped steer her in that direction.
Her passion also caught the eye of then Mayor David B. Musante, who wasted no time tapping her for positions on both the Housing Authority and the Housing Partnership - two key groups through which she pushed her affordable housing agenda both at the city level and with developers and real estate agents those boards often dealt with.
From these figurative political launching pads, Higgins and Bardsley burst onto the political scene 16 years ago and since have become two of the most recognizable political faces in the city.
Prior to her current decade-long run as mayor, Higgins served as an at-large councilor for three terms, including one term as council president. Bardsley represented Ward 4 for three terms and is a five-term at-large councilor, four of which he served as council president.
Over the years, they were strong allies who often supported each other's ideas; both were key to shaping the city's direction. Both were seen as viable candidates for mayor, with the progressive liberals who backed them envisioning a Higgins-Bardsley reign that would last for years, recalls former Mayor Ford. Only in recent years have these friends turned into political foes.
Those who have worked with both of them use words like "tenacious," "seriousness of purpose" and "passion" to describe them. They also note that both bring a much-needed sense of humor to their jobs, even if Bardsley's is harder to discern.
While they look similar from the outside, insiders who have worked with both of them over the years say there are many differences in their makeup - from their leadership style to their personalities.
Several tout Bardsley's willingness to listen until the last person has asked the question, and to hear what people are saying and what they mean. They describe Higgins as a hard worker who excels at boiling down an issue and getting things done, even if she can get impatient with inaction.
"Michael is interested in and focused on how things look and Clare is focused on how things work," said Alex Ghiselin, a former city councilor who served with both candidates over a seven-year period.
Ghiselin, a Higgins supporter, recalls presenting many ideas to Higgins, knowing that she wouldn't be shy in telling him what she thought and offering advice on how to move an idea forward.
Bardsley, on the other hand, was often supportive of certain ideas and is a thoughtful strategist, but when the time came to do the "heavy lifting," he wasn't there, Ghiselin said. He also had trouble rallying people behind his positions while serving as council president.
"He doesn't seem to me to really do the hard work, including making the hard decisions," he said.
Others question whether he has the gumption to make decisions that are bound to anger people, including many of those who currently support him.
This characterization bothers Bardsley, and he has tried to address it on the campaign trail. Shortly after facilitating a 30-minute meet-and-greet at the Senior Center this week, Bardsley said it's important for people to feel connected to the elected officials who run their local government, and that means meeting with constituents on their turf instead of in front of television cameras.
"People have things to say and they like to listen to each other, but listening is not complicit with agreeing," he said. "Listening to me is a sign of respect."
He acknowledges that decisions he makes won't be to everyone's liking, but he believes people who feel heard and involved in the process are much more understanding than when they feel boxed out.
Ford, a Bardsley supporter, said Bardsley's emphasis on process and his desire to involve the public is a genuine issue of substance for him. His commitment to hearing what people think about an issue is vital before he can take a position on an issue.
"He believes that in his gut," she said. "He has a gut-level commitment that working people need to have just as much ownership of their community."
As for Higgins, other insiders said she could do a better job reaching out to constituents by walking the streets and chatting with residents, something Musante, the city's last six-term mayor, did on a regular basis. On the other hand, they credit Higgins with putting alliances together, a skill she cultivated while serving as City Council president.
As a former mayor, Ford has an interesting take on this idea. Toward the end of her eight years as mayor, she found herself talking to people she worked with every day rather than reaching out to a broader audience, a byproduct of longevity that might be affecting Higgins, she said.
Higgins, meanwhile, says she does listen to people. She said numerous ideas implemented over the last decade have come from residents. At a debate this week, the mayor went out of her way to thank a resident who asked why the city hasn't considered converting the methane gas produced at the landfill into fuel to run the city's vehicles. She said she'd look into it.
"It's an interesting idea," she told him.
Higgins also notes that dozens of people drop by her office each month hoping for a minute of her time. As if on cue during an interview this week, a resident popped his head into her office and made such a request.
"That happens all the time, and if I'm free, I meet with them," she said. "If not, I make sure they schedule an appointment."
Still, a faction of the community simply doesn't feel that their opinions matter, and Bardsley has become a beacon of hope for them.
"There are people involved in my campaign that have never been involved in a campaign before," said Bardsley.
Loretta Gougeon is a prime example. Prior to joining Bardsley's campaign as treasurer, she had never delved into politics. But in recent years she's repeatedly sent letters to Higgins on matters of concern and never heard a response.
"I felt Michael was hearing me," she said.
Another former councilor who worked with both candidates, city businessman Patrick Goggins notes that Higgins has had to make many decisions over the last decade that have angered people, which tends to have a cumulative effect.
"If you are doing the job well, you are going to have to tell people no," he said. "That has consequences. People sometimes have a hard time distinguishing personal rejection from all the other things going on that she's doing well."
Goggins said he supports Higgins because of her wide lens on city issues, and he said it's hard for him to follow or find things that have set Bardsley apart over the years.
"Clare has a broader focus and Michael picks and chooses," he said. "It's harder for me to understand his ideology compared to Clare's."
No matter who wins on Tuesday, the city likely won't come out a loser, most followers of city politics believe.
"I don't think this is an election between good and evil," said Leslie Fraidstern. "These are two good candidates who have the ability to deal with tough issues. Northampton will be well served."
