Intro to American Politics

The Political Flavor of Arlington Massachusetts

The town of Arlington, Massachusetts hosts a particular political and social dynamic that most may not see that often. Although the town seems to be on the more republican side, there is a "mixed bag" so-to-say, off different people of different economies and backgrounds. At a glance, Arlington appears to be a wealthy, tight-knit community of upper middle-class families, but with extra observation, one will notice that it hosts a plethora of different people with different political agendas. The typical Arlington resident is a Caucasian of middle to upper class economy who has a college degree, alright job, a spouse, and a child. I personally feel like people move here to raise their children and family because it's very friendly, proper, has a low crime rate and isnt too liberal nor conservative. Unlike its neighboring towns of Winchester, Lexington and Belmont, which seem to hold only the most wealthy affluent, Arlington contains a mixed bag of culture and is affordable to low-income individuals while still remaining appealing to wealthy individuals. Arlington, like most towns, has a naturally segregated housing dynamic. Most low-income individuals reside in the Eastern part of town which is near Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford. As you drive from East Arlington to Arlington Heights, right next to Lexington, you will find the houses and business to be more "fancy" and lucrative, as compared with those in East. Perhaps it's the neighboring towns and that channel this kind of dynamic. Regardless, Arlington is known as a

nice family town of ethics and high-school athletics. There is no extreme one-sided view that the town shares, but if one where to run for Mayor or have a political position in this town, it would be in that individual's best interest to have, or at least appear to have, an easy going Republican frame of mind.

While it is a community of variety, the typical Arlington dweller would probably prefer any representative to be slightly a little more conservative and slightly more republican, but not so much as the perceived extreme Republican views of the town of Winchester. This town is not perfect, it does have its problems, and it hosts small amounts of crime and seems to constantly be repairing water mains and pipe-lines. I think most people would favor this town and would want to raise their kids there. The town is located in Middlesex County just six miles north of Boston. It is most famous for being part of Paul Revere's route, when he was trying to warn the European colonist of the British attack. However, during the "early days" of the European settlers, it was known as Monotony. Like many towns in New England, Arlington's government is handled by a fiveperson board of selectmen that that has town meetings led by a "Town Manager:" currently Brian Sullivan. The town hosts about 43,000 residents of mixed economies. Its really interesting to see how the economies of the neighboring towns affect the different parts of Arlington. Arlington is bordered by six towns total: three of a more conservative upper class economy, and three of a lower class more liberal economy: Medford, Cambridge, and Somerville all of which are not known as the best towns. I think Arlington is a good "centrist" type of community a dash of right wing conservatism. Given the strong conservative views of Winchester, Belmont, and Lexington Arlington does indeed slightly veer

to the right. The town demographic is mostly white, about 90% Caucasian, almost 5% Asian, 1.7 % African American 1.5 % Latino, and others races with percentages too marginally small to list. The Arlington School system contains 11 schools, nine public and 2 charters. When I think of Arlington, negative things don't particularly come to mind. It does have crime, but not at a rate of a more inner-city town. It has a small history of using its bodies of water for mills ice collection. If one where to come to me to ask for advice on how to get into to office i would suggest that they should make it known that family life is of the utmost importance. People enjoy this community because it has the basic elements to raise a good family. Arlington has a wide variety of churches/temples and is acceptable of cultural difference. It's not heard of often but there are a few "bad guys" who operate and reside in town, but these white collard criminals are usually found due to the observant community. I enjoy Arlington because it offers many different options, suitable enough that it could fit almost anyones preference. Besides having a large Caucasian community, the Asian influence in Arlington is definitely notable. Its refreshing to go into a decent community and see a variety of culture. As stated previously, the towns people typically couples rising their children. I would suggest to a prospective selectman or town manager that they own mildly conservative views, a more Republican Agenda, that they value religion, and that they value school. When I'm driving in Arlington, it seems there are a park, a church, and school on nearly every block, which makes it a great place for child development. This is a great place to raise children and anyone who wishes to be the town manager should have similar views. Arlington High school has a low drop-out rate and most teenagers who graduate from there continue their education at college. Fundamentalism is really important in this community; I feel that a child

growing up in Arlington will generally have a better everything, than a child who is forced to rise in Fitchburg or Winchendon. Aside from the educational system and politics, Arlington is "portal town," having many different MBTA buses lines running through. It also hosts Alewife station, the last stop on the Red Line of the Boston train system. This does present somewhat of a problem as inner-city dwellers are able to easily enter and may commit crime that an Arlington resident may not have. Besides the occasional random crime, Arlington does not have many problems; it hosts many different families and many different businesses. The town of Arlington seems to be sensitive to every individuals diverse needs: it has Buddhist temples, poetry clubs, coffee shops, and a slew of multi-cultural restaurants. In my opinion, it has almost everything that a diverse, Boston suburb should have. Aside from cultural and ethnic diversity, Arlington is very acceptable of the homosexual community. Though probably unnoticed to the non-local, Arlingtonians are aware and acceptable to the fact that many of their neighbors are homosexual. Besides being home for many young families, Arlington seems to be a favorable place for wealthy retires and political representatives. For every interest, there probably exists and interest group, in Arlington, for that particular subject. Arlington runs pretty smoothly but if theres one thing to take note its that there is a lot of road construction and that the taxes just got raised. Another qualm with the town of Arlington is that the price of housing is indeed a little bit more than most, but the features included in the purchase are definitely worth utilizing. Relating back to family life, Arlington also has a Boys & Girls club, a rec center, and an Ice Skating rink providing a place for children and their parents to go enjoy their time.

I guess Arlingtons main issue is the way they spend the taxpayers money. Arlington is constantly revamping and improving its roads, parks, and buildings. The taxpayers of Arlington are responsible for providing funds necessary for these Town Upgrades. People do get upset about how funds are spent, especially when it is neither in their favor nor benefit.

Sources

http://www.arlingtonma.gov/Public_Documents/ArlingtonMA_Assessor/index http://www.yourarlington.com/ http://www.city-data.com/city/Arlington-Massachusetts.html http://www.bostoncentral.com/towns/arlington/quickinfo.php