By the time you read this an era will have ended in Erie, or if not, then it nears an end.
Eighty-three year old political icon Mario Bagnoni, an Erie City Councilman for more than three decades, is facing his Final Vote.
His family has made the painful decision, with Bagnoni’s blessing, to end medical life support and forego yet another operation.
To his political critics, Bagnoni was always seen as something of an obstructionist, someone who could vote no to someone else’s plan far easier than putting forth one of his own.
At times it seemed like his only purpose in government was to oppose whatever the current mayor was proposing.
He served on councils that at times seemed like the major roadblocks preventing Erie from moving forward, alienating other politicians and infuriating local developers.
To his supporters, though, “Bags� was one of the true “representatives� in government.
He opposed anything that raised taxes because his people opposed anything that raised taxes.
He liked the city the way it was because the thousands who voted for him liked the way the city was.
He brought any concern brought to him by a voter to other council members, no matter how small; a street concern here or a fence concern there.
He sat patiently every month for months on end listening to callers on his cable Taxpayer’s Hotline show.
And he was rewarded with re-election after re-election, eight in all in fact, usually with no more effort than getting the signatures needed to get his name on the ballot.
In fact, the only time he was voted off council was when he did it himself, agreeing to term limits that eventually ended a run the voters weren’t willing to do themselves.
He did lose twice in his bid to become Mayor. It was as if the taxpayers didn’t want to lose their thorn in leadership’s side to the leadership itself.
It’s about this time when the rote clichés come out, things about how a politician like this won’t come around again anytime soon.
But this time, in the case of Mario Bagnoni, it’s true.