Please Vote

Above is one piece of literature my neighbors and I distributed this past weekend to residents of Back Bay and Beacon Hill in Boston.

If you can't see it, it's a picture of Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and Christine O'Donnell. The text under the pictures reads: "These politicians are voting on Tuesday. They would like you to stay home. We can't afford for that to happen."

Please get out and exercise your right to vote this Tuesday.

Endorsement: Governor Deval Patrick

Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA) and Me
Invesco Field, Denver, Colo.
August 28, 2008

There is a clear choice in this year's Massachusetts Gubernatorial race. One candidate thinks the electorate is angry, and that the solution to all of our problems is to put the state government on notice. He promises to cut state jobs, a lot of them, in the thinking that a more streamlined bureaucracy will promote job growth. He promises to bring corporate board room precision to his job to reign in spending, whatever the consequences.

The other candidate, who happens to be the current Governor, Deval Patrick, doesn't think the voters are angry as much as they are perplexed and worried-- perhaps even scared. The sluggish U.S. economy over the past few years has us all anxious. We aren't so eager to go to Beacon Hill with pitch forks and torches as much as we want a state government that's part of the solution. We want a governor who understands. Deval Patrick is that governor.

To be fair, I have long had concerns that Governor Patrick does not focus enough on the future. He talks of his accomplishments during his first term. Looking at them on paper, I can see why. He has implemented quite a bit of reform. He took on big pensions. He worked with my State Representative, Marty Walz, and others to pass a new education bill. He's a huge champion of Cape Wind, which is a project that for far too long has been subject to NIMBY politics.

Unfortunately, the current mood of the electorate is not interested in what the Governor has done as much as in what he will do. And there is one issue that matters most (CNN caught onto this in the waning weeks of the 2008 Presidential campaign when they literally made it "Issue No. 1"). And that issue is jobs and the economy.

After volunteering for the Governor for the summer, I am convinced that he understands his constituents better than his opponents. On the stump with President Obama last weekend, he put it bluntly: "I am not satisfied." You are right, Governor. We are not satisfied, either. And it's because we are all worried about what's next.

At work each day, I stave off thoughts of the dreaded "double-dip" recession, wary that sometimes we get ourselves in these mental cycles that turn economic possibilities into economic certainties.

I definitely think the Governor could be doing more to help bolster the markets that I work in each and every day. I don't think he pays enough attention to the technology industries beyond clean tech. His administration has been suspiciously absent from the table at discussions organized by the Mass Technology Leadership Council; it's members have pledged to create a significant number of jobs in the near term.

But by the same token, my concerns cannot and do not outweigh what the Governor has done and what he pledges to do. And I cannot overshadow what his policies have accomplished for Massachusetts. An economy that is coming out of the recession faster than other states, according to job growth figures. An education system that was recently labeled the best in the country, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), SAT and ACT exams. An administration that believes in generational responsibility, especially with regard to the environment.

I also applaud the fact that Governor Deval Patrick has not "cut and run" like his predecessors. He has not used his current office as a stepping stone to something else. He is committed to finishing what he started. There's no question that his policies have seen success, and there's no question that his general belief in how government can work with private industry to grow our economy is the prescription we must continue to fill.

Finally, I cannot write about the Governor without also saying how much I am a fan of the Lt. Governor, Tim Murray. He is the perfect complement to Deval Patrick. Tim Murray used to be the Mayor of Worcester, and he carries himself like someone who will talk about cleaning the streets and then roll up his sleeves and literally clean the streets. I like that.

I am voting for Governor Deval Patrick and Lt. Governor Tim Murray on November 2. And I encourage you to do the same, because despite their accomplishments, they know we are not satisfied. And they aren't, either.

Charlie Baker: Too Tall to Govern

A Boston Globe profile on Mass. Republican Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker provides the perfect example of why he is just too tall:

"Baker’s 6-foot 6-inch frame makes him visible in any crowd, a definite plus. But his height can lend an awkward feel to his attempts at bonhomie — the big, arcing high-fives that sometimes miss their targets, the deep knee bends to fist-bump with silver-haired ladies, the emphatic punches at the air."

---From The Boston Globe, October 20, 2010; "For Baker, Relaxing Can Work," by By David Filipov.

How can we elect someone who can't even high-five his constituents?

Need a Reason To Vote?

Please vote November 2!

Endorsement: Sonia Chang-Diaz

With the State House in the background, the hosts of a recent meet and greet for State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz gather around the candidate. From left to right: Myrialis Moran-Nieves, Dave Greenwold, Kim Jennings, Khadijah Britton, Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, me, Pat McDonough and Pat Amend.

On a Beacon Hill rooftop

August 26, 2010

It's hard to be an elected official right now. It's especially hard to be a first-term elected official. I kind of get the feeling when State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz took office less than two years ago, she realized she didn't have time to rest on her laurels. It's been a whirlwind several months, during which time my State Senator has not stood still. Just this summer she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Gov. Deval Patrick when he signed into law CORI reform, something desperately needed. CORI is a process by which information about arrests is kept available to potential employees; the reform bill shortened the time such information is kept.

There's so much more for the young Chang-Diaz to do, and she has the same energy level as when I first met her back in 2008. I am voting to send her back for (at least) two more years, most immediately in the Mass. State Primary on September 14.

What I have learned while Sonia has been in the Senate is that while her district is the most diverse in the state, its residents really do share a lot of similar priorities and concerns. We all want better schools. We all want safe streets. We all want an economic environment where everyone who wants a job can find one. We all want to raise families in the city.

A former schoolteacher, Sen. Chang-Diaz shares these priorities. She has ideas for improving public schools throughout Massachusetts, and in Boston specifically. She is focused on the root causes of youth violence in the city. On a much more tactical level, Sonia is against casinos in Massachusetts, because she knows they draw revenue disproportionately from the poor and do not spur economic activity outside of the casino walls.

Beyond her stances on issues, Chang-Diaz represents a new type of elected official in Boston. She has the courage and integrity to say what she believes and stand by her beliefs, even if this "say it like it is" approach doesn't make everyone happy. I think we need to see a lot more outward courage in our elected officials, especially when the cause is right. For Sonia, her causes are ones I agree with. And I like that she will be on Beacon Hill fighting for them on my behalf.

Special Neighborhood Event for Sonia Chang-Diaz

Two Weeks, Two Candidate Meet and Greets

I am joining a few of my neighbors in hosting two separate candidate meet and greets over the next week. What's really neat about these events is that, while they are fundraisers, a donation is not required to attend. So they end up being a great way for the candidates to meet new people.

First, this Tuesday, Mac D'Alessandro, candidate for Congress, is on Beacon Hill. Below is the official invite. The event is on Tuesday, August 17, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the home of Hilary and Rajan Nanda, 25 Garden Street, on Beacon Hill.

Second, State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, who is running for re-election, is attending a rooftop Beacon Hill event on Thursday, August 26. From 7 to 9 p.m., the event as on the roof of 21 Beacon Street (right next to the State House). Below is the official invite for that event.

Democratic State Convention Redux

With Josh Dawson, my district's teller, at the lead (third from right), the various whips and asst. tellers and delegates listen to the roll call.

Worcester

June 5, 2010

Yesterday, I attended the Democratic State Convention in Worcester, and it was an honor to represent my fellow democrats living in Boston's 2nd Suffolk Senatorial District and Boston's Ward 5.

A few observations:

-- Governor Deval Patrick noted how he wants to "finish what we started." In general, I think the Governor needs to be careful about touting his accomplishments too much, given the high level of anxiety across the state about the current economy. The average voter could very easily say, "What does he have to gloat about; I am very worried about my job and my family." Which is why other themes within the speech resonated with me, including his discussion of ways he will continue to stimulate the economy, and the fact that he will "not rest" until every person who wants a job has one. I also liked his discussion of "generational responsibility," but that will be the topic of a separate post on this blog.

-- In my opinion, Mike Lake stole the show. The candidate for auditor had an impressive campaign organization on the floor, with whips for every voting location and numerous signs, t-shirts and even hats (Can I have one, please?). His speech was the best I have heard him give, and he was passionate. He also stressed his independence, which is key in this anti-incumbent year. Many no doubt came into the convention wondering if Mike would get the 15-percent needed to be on the primary ballot in September. He walked away with 24 or 25 percent---far more than what was needed---and impressed many delegates and potential donors in the process. (Admittedly, I am biased, as Mike is a friend, and I support him enthusiastically.)

-- Democracy in action is refreshing to see. So many people worked hard yesterday, on a hot Saturday in early June, to move democracy forward. There were the candidates, their campaigns and their volunteers. There were the staff members of the Democratic party and the party's volunteers. There were the representatives of the various causes that packed the expo hall adjacent to the DCU Center to give out literature and talk to delegates. There were the tellers, whips and many others supporting the individual delegations. It was truly organized chaos (emphasis on organized).

-- In the end, the voters get to decide. All the candidates who spoke yesterday made the primary ballot, which means all Democrats in Massachusetts will ultimately decide who will be the party's candidates in the November elections. I think this is great. The Democratic party has set a low threshold at the convention for candidates to make the ballot (15-percent of delegates' votes). As Boston City Councilor and State Treasurer candidate Steve Murphy put it yesterday, the party believes that all competent and worthy candidates should be considered for elections. The primary season has begun, and the three candidates for auditor and two for treasurer now face the full body of Democrats in the state, as it should be.

-- Finally, it was great to see Mac D'Alessandro, who's challenging Steven Lynch in the Democratic primary to be my congressman. As I have written here before, I am not very happy with Rep. Lynch; it's good he has strong competition.

Special thanks to Rep. Marty Walz for inviting me to the SEIU breakfast Saturday morning for the much needed coffee!

Endorsement: Steve Grossman for State Treasurer

As part of my day job, I represent several technology companies in Massachusetts. It's very fulfilling work, because I get to help very smart people who have come up with innovative ways to use technology to solve common problems facing businesses around the world.

Several weeks ago, I attended the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, a group that represents industries I care about deeply in New England. The group pledged at the meeting to help the industry come together and create thousands of jobs over the next several months by remaining committed to innovation. I thought it was a shame I didn't recognize any state officials at the meeting.

When I spoke to Steve Grossman just week or so ago, he told me he has plans to use the office he seeks-- the State Treasurer's office-- to affect the technology industry and to help it grow again. He wants to use the powers of the office to put in place positive changes across numerous areas of the economy. He even offered to meet with representatives from the industry groups that represent the tech industry.

That's the type of thinking that we need from our elected officials to help us fully recover from the economic malaise. And it's why I plan to cast my delegate vote at the Democratic State Convention this Saturday for Steve Grossman to be Massachusetts' next Treasurer.

I have already voted for Mr. Grossman once; he got my vote at the Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee meeting in May, when he picked up the group's endorsement. His presentation to the group that night was impressive; there's little doubt to me that he has the passion, the energy, and the will to make tough choices for Massachusetts in the Treasurer's office.

Endorsement: Mike Lake for State Auditor

Mike Lake addresses supporters at his campaign kick-off.

Boston

April 28, 2010

Today I start a series of posts that outline how I plan to cast my delegate votes next week at the State Democratic Convention in Worcester.

If you sense a theme across my choices, you will see it is one of activism. I was surprised to learn that each of the statewide offices in Massachusetts can have an active role influencing issues that matter to me, including healthcare and investments in the private sector technology economy (which is the sector I work in).

The State Auditor's job is to make things run more efficiently, saving money and cutting waste. And Mike Lake is the right person for that job. I worked along side him in 2008 as a part of now State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz's field operation. She was a grassroots candidate, and grassroots candidates need organization, which Mike Lake helped provide. As one of the downtown Boston field coordinators with Mike, I marveled at home he kept the ship moving even in the middle of the madness of election day.

Mike is a scary smart person. He has something like four or five or six degrees; I lost count. He also worked in an operations position within the Clinton Administration at a very young age. His academic accomplishments should not overshadow the fact that Mike is, fundamentally, a people person. He's been working very hard to meet as many people as possible during this campaign.

And when he speaks to people, what comes across is that Mike has three or four ideas about how, from the first day as State Auditor, he will make a difference. Cutting waste and saving taxpayers money. He wants to engage the public to make citizens aware of how the Auditor's office can help.

Mike will bring 21st-century efficiencies to an office that has not had a new leader in a long time. Just by listening to him for a few seconds, one gets a sense of the passion he has for his potential role. Mike is certainly not the typical politician. His speech is one of action, not of past laurels.

He might not be the most well known candidate, and given the long-term political connections of his opponents, that's not a surprise. But Mike is competent, bright, and deserves the chance to be evaluated by all Democrats in Massachusetts via a primary. I look forward to voting for him at the convention to give him that chance.

Boston Ward 5 Endorsements

It was a long night for Boston's Ward 5 Democratic Committee this past Tuesday, but in the end, the group handed out endorsements, just days ahead of the Democratic Convention in Worcester.

Following a candidates forum for those running for statewide offices, the Committee endorsed the following candidates:

Governor-- Deval Patrick (By Acclamation)
Lt. Governor-- Tim Murray (By Acclamation)
Attorney General-- Martha Coakley (By Acclamation)
Secretary of State-- Bill Galvin (By Acclamation)
Treasurer-- Steve Grossman

Steve Grossman received 19 votes from the committee, versus nine for his opponent, Boston City Councilor Steve Murphy. All 19 of those votes were needed for the endorsement, as a 2/3 vote of members eligible and present is necessary.

No endorsement was made in the race for State Auditor. Mike Lake and Suzanne Bump both received 12 votes. Guy Glodis did not attend the forum ahead of the meeting, and he was not nominated as part of the endorsement proceedings.

By the way, Lt. Governor Tim Murray addressed the forum during the night, and he was fantastic. Too bad I didn't wear by Tim Murray t-shirt!

Chat With The Governor

Mass. Governor Deval Patrick (on left)

Beacon Hill, Boston

March 6, 2010

At right is Rob Whitney, in mid-background is Jim Ryan, and in far background is Ted Furst.

If you don't live in Massachusetts, then you don't know that our Governor, Deval Patrick, is facing a very tough re-election fight this year. Part of his problem is the fervent anti-incumbent mood that exists across the country. Part of the problem is the economy, and the fact that voters are both scared and angry (I would argue that fear is a more powerful motivator than anger, but that's a subject for a later post).

Part of the Governor's problem, though, is that he has not done a good enough job showing off what he's done and his roadmap for an additional term. And for that reason, the Governor is getting moving. Yesterday, he went to a small gathering of neighbors on Beacon Hill in Boston, hosted by Martha and Joel Pierce. I was happy to be invited and was able to attend.

The Governor reviewed his many accomplishments. He talked about ethics and education reform. He urged those in attendance to be educated and engage our neighbors in debate (even those, as he put it, who don't agree with us). He also ended his comments by urging all to "believe," a nice reference back to the visionary oratory so common when he was a candidate four years ago.

I asked the Governor a question about casinos. As I plan to detail in a later post, I have real trouble accepting the notion of casinos, primarily because of what I witnessed growing up in Conn. near Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun. I told the Governor I was concerned casinos in Massachusetts would take away from the economic activity of nearby towns, rather than contribute to it. The Governor answered by noting that the siting of the casinos would be key to their success. Whether I agree or not depends on his definition of "siting," which I can go into in the later post.

On the whole, I think the Governor has done much for Massachusetts over the past four years. The Governor noted yesterday how he likes campaigning, but hates to fund raise or brag (He says President Obama told him in the Fall to "get over it."). While bragging is important for any incumbent (and warranted by the Governor), the average voter is more skeptical than ever. Governor Patrick needs to connect his accomplishments to what he aims to do, and he needs to connect what he aims to do to the issues that have people scared: jobs, and their way of life.

Massachusetts voters are reading everywhere about how the lives of their children will not be better than their own, and we are reading that for the first time in generations. Innately, voters are optimistic, but they need politicians to acknowledge their fears and present ideas that will assuage them. Right now, the fear is connected to the economy. Governor Patrick has the smarts and ideas---and no doubt the presentation skills---so that people can believe in him.

Let the campaign begin.

My Choice is Martha Coakley

It's probably not a surprise to regular readers that I am voting for Martha Coakley on Tuesday to be the next U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. Over the past week, the temperature in the race has risen many degrees. One cannot watch a local news program without encountering numerous ads for Coakley and her opponent.

I had originally not planned to write this post; but given how the race as turned out, I feel compelled to state my reasons for supporting the Attorney General, despite the fact that I did not vote for her in the Democratic primary last month.

1) Massachusetts universal health care is not enough. While we enjoy nearly universal health-care coverage in Massachusetts, we suffer from industry wide problems, including the uncontrollable rise in health-care costs. The most attractive provisions of the health-care bills in Congress protect all of us from loss of insurance if we get sick, and they forbid insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. Those provisions are not a part of the Massachusetts heath care overhaul. A vote against Martha Coakley is a vote against health-care reform so desperately needed.

2) Martha Coakley agrees with many of my international priorities. Certainly there are still those in Afghanistan that mean us harm, but the fight against terrorism is not as black-and-white as simply targeting countries or regions. Coakley believes that the right answer isn't always to send in troops. The right answer is to target our efforts based on good intelligence and recognize that this effort is truly global in nature.

3) Martha Coakley is tough. As Attorney General she's represented Massachusetts, returned money to the state's taxpayers, and remained committed to her core values. This is not a party sock puppet. Martha Coakley will stand up for what she believes in.

Tuesday's election is serious. Many of my fellow Massachusetts residents are upset. But they should not let that anger cloud their judgement about what's best for the state. And what's best is to make Martha Coakley our next U.S. Senator.