Opinion: The Light misses the mark with article on New Bedford mayor’s travel – The New Bedford Light

The recent article concerning the travel of Mayor Jon Mitchell has left me wondering what the point of this article was. As an investigative piece it was at best an ineffective and sensationalized attempt to create a controversy where there is none and at worst an ill-directed criticism of a fundamental responsibility of holding the job of mayor of New Bedford — to advocate for and promote our city and its economic growth. Without debating if the total annual amount of just over $14,000 should be deemed “excessive” or not, I found this article to be completely off base in that it failed to mention the very real — and necessary — reasons why elected officials should indeed travel beyond the boundaries of the cities that they govern.

New Bedford is fortunate to have two industries — commercial fishing and offshore wind — that are also some of the most highly regulated and challenged industries in the country. The mayor has pursued an economic development strategy that supports the Port of New Bedford, commercial fishing, and offshore wind and has resulted in a port-driven economy that generates $11 billion in economic activity. In addition, there has been over $100 million invested in dredging and port infrastructure. His travel and advocacy in face-to-face meetings in Washington, D.C. with regulators and legislators are essential to advocate for these industries.

NBL chose to criticize the mayor for his attendance at U.S. Conference of Mayors events. These conferences are an effective tool to build coalitions with other mayors to advocate for increased financial and programmatic support for cities like New Bedford, particularly when there has been a national reluctance to support older, industrial cities.

Criticizing the Azorean trips is another example of the Light’s attempt to create controversy where there is none. New Bedford has a multi-decade history of immigration from the islands, and sister city status with Horta is an honor that respects that history and our citizens. By suggesting that the mayor was wrong to travel and should have skipped an invitation to visit, NBL has ignored our common history and insulted our Portuguese American citizens.

Finally, I would call attention to the travel brochure photos/postcards that accompanied the article. The post cards trivialize the important work that a mayor can accomplish when traveling. Mayoralty trips are not vacations or “junkets”; they are work for the citizens of New Bedford. For an organization that purports to publish unbiased, factual reporting, these photos are an example of just how far NBL has strayed from its core principles with this article. 

With the factual information it gained from interviewing Mayor Mitchell for this article, NBL had the opportunity to learn how this mayor used a modest travel budget to advocate for and to promote the city. It could also have informed its readers how effective leaders succeed. NBL failed in both cases.

Anthony R. Sapienza is president of the New Bedford Economic Development Council Board of Directors. He is also vice chair of the New Bedford Light’s Board of Directors.

Editor’s note: The New Bedford Light’s newsroom is scrupulously independent. Only the editors decide what to cover and what to publish. Founders, funders and board members have no influence over editorial content.