It’s not every day that a member of that august legislative body known as the Boston City Council does something so extraordinary, so outside the limits of perceived possibility, that it must be publicly acknowledged. But today is one of those days.
Consider Charles Yancey, the representative from Mattapan and parts of Dorchester who is now serving his 15th term. He is uniformly described as a good and capable man who takes his family and his position seriously, but that’s not really the point.
No, the point is his monthly newsletter, a city-funded publication blasted by e-mail to some 13,000 constituents and other assorted recipients. These political newsletters are always dicey affairs - elected officials, unfiltered, leading with their ego to the world.
State Treasurer Steve Grossman, for example, recently sent an e-mail blast (“A message from Treasurer Grossman’’) with a document titled “The Grossman Agenda,’’ which began with a photograph of his smiling face and a quote from what was described as his “Inaugural Address, January 19, 2011.’’ Every reader had the same thought at the same time: The state treasurer delivers an inaugural address?
But all this is child’s play compared with Yancey. You want pictures of the councilor? Step right into the January newsletter, where there are two photographs of Yancey on the front page, one with several state legislators, the other in a summer shirt on a warm day. “Dean of the Boston City Council,’’ the banner declares.
Then he gets serious. Page Two features a quarter-page photograph of Yancey with Santa Claus and some musicians. By Page Three, we have Yancey flanked by board members from a local nonprofit, Yancey with more state representatives, Yancey with City Council president Steve Murphy. The supporting cast changes but the look never does - teeth showing, cheeks flaring, eyes slightly crinkled.
Page Four shows Yancey with a former mayor of Denver, Yancey with a former prime minister of Cape Verde, Yancey with the president of Malawi, Yancey with a minister from Dallas. Does he ever find the time to say anything beyond “Cheese!’’ ?
A brief review of a year’s worth of e-mailed newsletters found Yancey with Barney Frank, Yancey with the Nutcracker dancing bear, Yancey with multiple Santas, Yancey with his wife marking their 42d anniversary, Yancey laying a wreath for veterans with an inset of him talking at a podium, presumably at the same event. His image fills each newsletter from 18 to 25 times.