"I don't think Curry's his own man. He has to do what Crane tells him to do," Atkinson asserts.
It is true that under Atkinson's success-full administration the city manager had most of the initiative and the Council was much less powerful. With the present city manager closely allied to certain Councilmen the Council has asumed more control. And they generally applaud Curry.
A sampling of Cambridge voters produced varied comments:
Cab driver Joe Baker favors plurality voting. "I'd rather vote that way. Lots of guys make it now who people don't want. We should have some new faces for a change. I always voted for Sulley but I'm undecided about him this time. He makes a big noise but doesn't do much."
Chinese laundryman Richard Wong is against PR. "I like it the other way. That way each vote counts for a different man. All votes count."
A woman running a spa in the negro section who prefers anonymity says, "I never did approve of Plan E. Don't think a city managed by a city manager is any good. Do you mean to tell me people backed by CCI up there should stay in? I'd like to vote for nine men under plurality."
Between sodas she indicated approval of one candidate, "There's no straighter man than Tommy McNamara. If he promises to go to bat for you, he will."
Another storekeeper in a slum neighborhood differs on this last point. "I don't think much of McNamara. He's always hung around politics looking for graft. I don't like the CCA either. Let people use their own ideas. Beat PR and you beat CCA too. I think we should bring back the old kind of government. I'd like to so people in there who don't take orders from a group."
The old storekeeper continues, "I liked Atkinson more than Curry. Seemed he knew what he was doing and wouldn't let other fellows shove things through for friends."
Asked what his customers think about the election, he remarked, "Half the people around here say, 'Oh nuts, election day . . . better get my beer, today, they'll be closed tomorrow.'"