VOTE May 28: State Rep Race in Downtown Boston

Josh Dawson and Jay Livingstone have put their lives on hold for the Boston residents of Beacon Hill, Back Bay and the West End. They are running to be the State Representative for those neighborhoods. A race that began in late January, with the resignation of the previous representative Marty Walz, reaches its presumptive end on May 28, when voters will pick either Livingstone and Dawson in a special primary.

The district they seek to represent at the State House, the 8th Suffolk, is heavily Democratic-- and both Livingstone and Dawson are Democrats. Whoever wins the primary on the 28th will ultimately win the final election on June 25.

All candidates say their races are important; most even say their elections are "the most important." It's a cliche. And I am not going to argue that this election on May 28 is more important than what might be going on Memorial Day weekend. However, elections without an incumbent are very rare in Massachusetts. The winner on May 28 may be our State Representative for a long time. So I am asking anyone reading this who lives in Beacon Hill, Back Bay or the West End in Boston to vote on May 28.

When I speak to voters, they express concerns about what is going on next door. Here on Beacon Hill, a major effort is under way to earn a local public school (even more local than the school proposed for a site near North Station). Residents also worry about local development; a relatively recent proposal to build a large structure where a garage is near City Hall met fierce opposition. Voters also worry about trash and safety. They care about the Esplanade and traffic created by construction on public road ways.

These are local concerns. Our local elected officials impact them. Which is why you should vote in your local elections, such as the special primary for the 8th Suffolk State Representative on May 28.

State Representatives vote on budgets that give money to local municipalities, helping them provide education, public safety and public services. They protect the pubic parks owned by the State. They make sure values the voters care about are reflected in state legislation.

If you live in the 8th Suffolk district, you might not know that your district has a long rich history of representation. Former Congressman Barney Frank held the seat. As did a man with the last name Roosevelt. It's considered an activist seat; it's owner is known for being particularly loud in representing its constituents. Representative Walz often spoke on issues that the State House doesn't even have jurisdiction over, including local education and development issues. Voters in the 8th Suffolk district have come to expect-- even demand-- to see their State Rep everywhere.

State Representatives matter. This Tuesday, May 21, the Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee will host an event to talk about how they matter. The 7 p.m. panel at the Community Church of Boston at 565 Boylston Street will feature former State Rep Paul Demakis and current State Reps Aaron Michlewitz and Byron Rushing.

The polls will be open on May 28 from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. There won't be a line. Take a few minutes to review the websites for the two candidates, Josh Dawson and Jay Livingstone. They differ on key issues. Download a free voters' guide from the Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee. Make a decision and get out there and exercise your right to vote.

Experts I have spoken to say the turnout on May 28 will be about 1500. That ridiculously small number will decide who represents the West End, Beacon Hill and Back Bay on what most voters say are their number one issues. That small number will pick the person who we will expect to be omnipresent in local affairs. That small number will help define the political feelings of this area in Boston for months to come. I urge you to be one among that small number.

Want State Rep. Marty Walz's Seat? Read Here First

Yesterday, my state representative, Marty Walz, resigned her seat to take a position with the Massachusetts Chapter of Planned Parenthood. To say this news was a surprise is a massive understatement. Representative Walz was re-elected just this past November, and as recently as earlier this week she was active on her Facebook page, posting data to support a cause she believes is right for her constituents.

But alas, Representative Walz's seat will be open soon, which means a special election to fill her seat. Numerous would-be successors are contemplating a run to replace her. Some of them are my friends, which will no doubt put me in an awkward situation very soon. And the issues the candidates will address are equally personal to me.

Former House Speaker Tip O'Neill said, "All Politics is local," and the politics of a Boston state representative cannot get any more local. A state representative's district in Boston includes fewer constituents than any other elected office (including Boson City Councilor).

To those considering running for Representative Marty Walz's seat, here are the big issues needing your immediate attention. I apologize that these issues have such as Boston tilt, given the district includes part of Cambridge, but it's the reality based on where I live.

1) A downtown neighborhood school.
With the recent attention to Mayor Menino's school section reform committee, and competing initiatives from Councilor Connolly, the first question to any candidate for Rep. Walz's seat will be: "Do you support the need for a downtown neighborhood public school?" Heck, given how almost everyone downtown wants a neighborhood school, the follow-up question might end up being the first question: "How are you going to make a downtown neighborhood school happen?"

A few neighborhoods that currently do not have a public school, the West End, Back Bay and Beacon Hill, all fit nicely and neatly in Rep. Walz's district.

Merely advocating for a downtown school overlooks the far more complicated and important challenge of making Boston's schools better, which I agree is probably the City's number one priority. If you build a local school downtown, how do you decide who gets to go there? Certainly it cannot just be for kids living downtown. And how does the provincial issue of a downtown school address the need to make all of Boston's schools more community-centric?

While the issue of schools is primarily one for the City and not the state, the local state representative can use the position to be a strong advocate for the community.

2) Potential elimination of the BRA.
Many progressive voters in Rep. Walz's district don't like the Boston Redevelopment Authority. They will eagerly vote for a candidate supporting the BRA's destruction. But the BRA isn't going anywhere, and the popular answer overlooks the larger issue of transparency with regard to Boston development.

If you really ask people why they don't like the BRA, they tend to point to transparency. The irony of course is the BRA exists to make the development design process as transparent as it can be, given that no project will earn 100-percent support of all affected constituents.

3) The casino.
In my opinion, there hasn't been enough talk about how a casino built in East Boston will affect economic activity in Back Bay. I saw first hand how a casino can have a dramatic, negative impact on local business, based on my formative years growing up in Connecticut. Per state law, only East Boston gets to vote on whether a casino should be built there, which dramatically under-represents the impact the casino will have on other Boston neighborhoods. Large droves of would-be Newbury Street shoppers will go to the casino instead of downtown. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just plain wrong. Therefore, downtown interests must be weighed within the casino debate, and the state representative for Back Bay and Beacon Hill needs to lead this advocacy.

4) Institutional expansion
Beacon Hill is surrounded by big entities hoping to get bigger. Suffolk University and Mass General are two examples. Some of my neighbors believe the mere presence of these institutions is detrimental to the neighborhood. Certainly left unchecked, their desires could run afoul to the best interests of residents. However, it would be equally detrimental if the institutions picked up and left. There has to be a balance.

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I have been to many local political debates where the oratory stays high level. Candidates will uniformly talk about clean parks, safe streets and good schools. But in the upcoming special state representative race, the devil is in the details. Many voters will look for black and white answers to one or more of the issues above as a litmus test for their vote. I fear that many of my fellow residents will ignore the nuanced nature of each of issue, casting aside candidates who consider alternatives to a downtown public school, for example, or those who try to extend an olive branch to local organizations like Suffolk.

I admit it will be hard for me to vote for a candidate who supports the casino. But I will try to avoid a litmus test in this race. From what I am hearing so far, I might have several candidates to evaluate.

To the candidates, now is the time to study up.