Rival bloggers have it all wrong

We don't usually waste time trading words with critics of our blog, but we feel that there's a growing misconception over the aims and objectives of Boston Eye.
We say this after a couple of ill informed comments on a couple of other blog sites which we visit regularly to see what they have to say.
The first came on the Bostonninnes blog - the site run by the Boston Bypass Independents to promulgate their views to anyone who will listen, and to say great things about themselves because no-one else will.
Although the site managers censor comments, they did permit one anonymous contributor (no, not us) who wrote "If you want the truth, don't waste time here; go to Boston Eye site."
The BBI response to this flattering suggestion was to say: "We encourage readers of this blog to take an interest in all opinions on matters relating to Boston. We are confident in the ability of the people of Boston to differentiate between people who are passionate about the future of this excellent town and are determined to serve it to be the best of their ability and those whose main concern is to stamp out the Great Boston Rebellion, lest other communities take note.
"This is the fundamental difference between the BBI and the Old Guard. We believe in their good judgment of the people, we believe that they have the capacity to make reasoned decisions, we want them to take part in the political life of our town. They want the people to behave like good sheep or serfs and elect the representatives selected by the national elite’s political parties and then shut up for four years, and they think they can make the people do this with minimal effort and crude misrepresentations such is their estimation of Bostonians.
"Plus our blog is manifestly better in all respects than the reactionary monotone monochrome drone of our 'competitors' and thus we fear them not at all."
Elsewhere, the blog refers to Boston as a "rotten borough" in 2007, run by a coalition of the main national political parties. "Over one third (eleven) of those returned as
Boston councillors in 2003 received not a single vote from their electorate."
So what does this mean? It means that in common with most of the rest of the country, political apathy at a local level was such that in many seats only one candidate bothered to stand, and was therefore elected by default.
There was no conspiracy to yoke voters to the old party system - they did it voluntarily through indifference, and to proclaim otherwise reeks of paranoia.
Presumably, "the great Boston rebellion" refers to a small bunch of chancers who saw a window of opportunity to gain power by making promises they knew they couldn't keep concerning the provision of a by-pass. To make matters worse they duped a bloc of sympathisers into believing this was possible - enough to take control of the council, then systematically run it down.
In their view, this apparently qualifies them as folk heroes in the style of Robin Hood, with blogs like ours cast in the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham. We see it in a similar light, except that the BBI is robbing the poor to give to the rich (see yesterday's blog on the PRSA.)
Another blogsite - well more a rant than a blog, really - brands Boston Eye as "vindictive" as well as "bitter" and "right wing" and calls us "the sort who rubs shoulders with the creme-de-la-creme of our local Conservative learned and enlightened politicians."
Both blogs are wrong in all respects.
The history of Boston Eye goes back well before the election of May 2007.
It was actually started because we had become disenchanted with the leadership of the then borough council, of which we were highly critical.
When the Boston Bypass Independents were elected we welcomed them with open arms.
It was only as they demonstrated that they lacked the skills and abilities to run the council efficiently that our position changed and hardened over time to become increasingly critical.
To brand us bitter and vindictive and right wing is plainly daft, as we are completely apolitical.
We stand for better government for Boston; an end to secrecy and contempt for the electorate, and openness instead of fudge and propaganda.
In the unlikely event that the BBI does something worth praising we will be at the front of the queue waving our flags.
Until then we are flying them at half mast.

You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com  Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.