1000 Great Places

One of the great things about living in Massachusetts is the passion and the commitment people have to celebrating the state's art and heritage. Although most people think that the Boston area gets the most attention and publicity, I think state and regional officials do a great job at making sure that a balance exists between the metro area and the rest of the state.

That said, I was surprised to read today's Globe article about the state wanting to create a commission that would create an official list of 1000 great places in Massachusetts. As the article implies, the list great places would be subjective. I didn't see any mention of an official criteria for determining greatness, which adds to the dubiousness of this project and the commission. Besides, if a place is truly great (in whatever way that eventually becomes determined), wouldn't most people already know about it and take advantage of it? Do we really need a list of great places just for the sake of having a list? State officials could save time and money by mandating that the Massachusetts Office and Travel and Tourism (MOTT) take a poll of residents statewide and then create the list. Anything else just seems like reinventing the wheel.

Besides that, what are they going to do with this list? Is it for tourism? Will it help residents become more aware of what's around them? Is it for preservation purposes? Rep. Turkington is quoted as saying that, "It's sort of the equivalent of a UNESCO World Heritage site, in a much more modest way." By referencing UNESCO's World Heritage program, surely he's aware that their compilation is about more than having a list of sites. UNESCO sites are protected. Furthermore, that protection is funded and there are reporting, technical assistance, and training programs in place. Is he suggesting that Massachusetts' 1000 official great places would receive the same protection, funding, and safeguards? Or, is the "much more modest way" his euphemism for saying that it's just a list?

C'mon, state officials. Stop looking for ways to keep yourself busy when there's real work to be done regarding the state budget and the current economic downturn. If you want a list, leave it to MOTT and ask residents to make their suggestions. We don't need to be told which places around us are great. Plus, residents would most likely develop a list which is relevant to how they actually use and appreciate the state's great places. Opening up the discussion to the wider public may have the added benefit of boosting knowledge and patronage of lesser known attractions without stealing the thunder of better known ones.

Comments

[MarkB]

There are not 1000 World Heritage sites in the entire world. There are 351 cities and towns in the state of Massachusetts. Do the math. At this rate, the list would include every town's rock ledge where teenagers go to drink beer. And the coffee shop where Annie the waitress is so nice.
You can define the state of politics by the level of foolishness that politicians engage in. Let's see... cutting budget:1000 great places. Cutting budget:1000 great places. Yep, we're in it deep.

[Can-Can]

They're trying to build a bit of civic pride - I guess. Distract folks from the real deal.
Oh, well...