The child pornography allegations facing State Democratic Party Vice Chairman Ray Buckley has focused plenty of attention on both the accused and his accuser, GOP State Representative Steve Vallaincourt.
But, as New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers reports, there is another key player in this story -- the no-holds barred political culture of the city of Manchester and its public access television shows.
Getting a broad swath of Manchester's political partisans to agree on much of anything can be hard going, but there does seem to be consensus on this much -- when it comes to politics the Queen city is a tough town.
"If you've got anything in your background that you don't want anybody to know, you damn sure don't want to be running out of Manchester…..And if there isn't anything they can find they'll invent something."
That's former 5-term Mayor and sitting GOP Executive Councilor Ray Weiczorek. His view is seconded by Democratic State Senator Lou D'Allesandro -- a veteran pol who says in Manchester it takes a thick hide to get through every election cycle.
"The innuendo, the accusations, the nonsense, certainly it's disturbed my family, it's disturbed me --over and over and over again. People coming to the polls one day, and having this huge sign: 'Lou D'Allesandro supports sexual offenders,' bringing it to the polls in my home ward."
While such conduct might be expected during the waning moments of a hard fought election, in Manchester the tough tactics continue year around…..And plenty get piped into every city home with a TV, via MCAM-23 a city public access channel. …..Former Manchester alderman, city republican chairman and longtime program host Joe Kelly Levasseur says to his way of looking at it, the city's political TV shows should be a point of municipal pride.
"When I go to New York City I always love to watch community access. If I go to Miami, I watch community access. If I'm in any other state I turn on the community access, there is nothing like Manchester -- where it's like the OK corral all the time."
And a quick sampling of recent broadcasts leaves little doubt that Levasseur overstates thing only slightly. Here's city Democratic chairman Ray Buckley talking about Ray Wiezcorek.
"Speaking of people who act freakish, old Ray Weiczorek is still never talking about what he does on the executive council. He and his half-witted assistant Marshall Cobleigh held a press conference filled with misstatements and lies and blah, bluh, blah, bluh, blah."
And here's Joe Kelly Levasseur talking about Lou D'Alessandro.
"The guy is pompous and he's arrogant, and he really believes that seat is his. And when you run against him you’re an enemy for life -- that’s just the way it is."
And here's Steve Vaillancourt on former Manchester Mayor Bob Baines, who was diagnosed last year with colon cancer.
"I said when you get cancer maybe it's god's way of saying to slowdown, and I said, 'Bob if you think I said I wished you were dead, no wonder the city was in such bad shape in the six years you were mayor, obviously you have't the cognative ability to think and reason at the same time.'"
And here's Buckley again, this time on Vaillancourt.
"Do you want your reputation stained by having this guy who gets unhinged the floor of the NH house. It's one thing to have him here on MCAM ranting and raving and making a fool of himself, but on the floor of the NH house? I don’t think so."
Measuring the actual political effect of Manchester's political TV shows is hard to judge……MCAM keeps no viewership data, but show hosts and station management alike say they believe the programming draws many viewers,… MCAM executive director Joseph Lahr calls the station a free speech zone -- adding that he sees the programs as a mirror to the inclinations of the hosts.
"Some people have said oh Manchester's a pretty political town…..NH a very political state and they take it as party of life, I'm not suggesting that's true, I'm just suggesting it's the dynamic of the people."
Others, however, are quick to see the shows as far more than just a reflection of the community…. Former Manchester Mayor Bob Baines -- who himself hosts a MCAM program, says he worries the shows might actually decrease what he says is an already too low rate of local political participation.
"A lot of it has to do with public access television, everybody has their say, which has its positive points, but based on what they see there is nothing enticing about politics for young people and that's unfortunate."
The sense that the rough and tumble of Manchester politics -- televised or not -- may keep good people out of public life was shared by nearly all who spoke for this story…….But, predictably perhaps, opinions vary on the root causes…….While many democrats almost reflexively blame the city's bare knuckled political climate on the cumulative effect of decades of Union leader editorials……Republicans, are just as given to point the finger at key democrats -- most commonly Ray Buckley -- for upping the ante on political ruthlessness. Whatever the case may be, changing the local political tone may prove a challenge. And for a simple reason -- it's hard to resist provocation. Again, Executive Councilor Ray Weiczorek.
"I mean people have to respond to it. You can't just sit there and say, whoh, there throwing all this crap up against the wall, some of it's going to stick."
That gloss casts the local political dynamic as a kind of perpetual motion machine…….And the controversy over the so far unproven allegations against Ray Buckley, does somewhat bear it out……… As the Police continue to investigate, professional media have largely backed off. On local public access meanwhile, the discussion continues apace……Though, if some MCAM producers get their way…..the matter matter might soon enough reemerge statewide. Once again and finally, Steve Vaillancourt.
"Let's go into the channel 9 studios, have Ray Buckley sitting there with a lie detector on him, and I'll sit there with a lie detector and Bob Baines can sit their with a lie detector and let's see who's telling the truth."
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I'm writing this from Traverse City, MI and I was fascinated by the notion that public access television is at the root of all the evils of the local political scene in Manchester.
Perhaps if we actually had a commercial media system that found it financially lucrative enough to look at our elected officials and allow them airtime (other than the carefully controlled clips and soundbites that are clearly designed to manipulate the voters)we would see that there is something wrong with the system and the politicians. Then, perhaps, we wouldn't have to take the oh, so easy path of blaming the messenger for the message.
Be thankful for public access television--you wouldn't see things as they really are without it!