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.

Why Casinos are bad

I really hope my state representative, Marty Walz, votes against the casino bill that is before the Massachusetts House this week. And should the bill pass that legislative body, I hope my state senator, Sonia Chang-Diaz, will vote no if she's given the chance.

Casinos are bad for local economies, and I base my opinion on personal experience. I was born in southeastern Connecticut when what is now Foxwoods was merely a bingo hall. In the early 90's, the region bore the brunt of that time period's recession.

While a young kid, the defense industry fueled much of the economy in southeastern Connecticut. The sign across the Thames River in Groton still reads, "The Submarine Capital of the World." Problem is, you don't need submarines in a post Cold War era. And you don't need the parts that supply them, either.

In the midst of the economic malaise that affected my friends and family, there arose a wonder in the Connecticut woods. Foxwoods promised jobs, and it brought them. Make no mistake about it, casinos do produce jobs, and Foxwoods created them at a time when they were so desperately needed. Sound familiar?

Except I don't live in southeastern Connecticut today. To put it frankly, there isn't much happening there beyond the casinos. It took a herculean effort a few years back by the region's U.S. Congressman to save the U.S. Sub Base along that same Thames River. Many argued that its shuttering might have been a final economic straw for the region, and I agree with them.

The problem with destination casinos (which is what the Governor and others are arguing for) is that they try very hard to be destinations. I did a report when I was a senior in high school that discussed, in part, the psychological manipulation on display within Foxwoods. There are no clocks. There are few windows. There's a lot of bells and whistles (literally), generating excitement and adrenaline. The whole atmosphere is intended to do one thing---keep people there.

And Foxwoods and nearby Mohegan Sun have succeeded. Between the "wonder of it all"---the restaurants and live entertainment and sporting events and all those darn chances to win---it's no wonder that those that go decide not to leave.

One of my friends went to Foxwoods late last year. She explained how to save cost, she was going to stay in nearby Mystic, rather than on the grounds of the casino. Now, I love Mystic. My parents live there. My brother operated a marine business there, and his wife works there. Mystic is a great Connecticut town, and prior to the opening of the casinos, it was the main tourist attraction in the region. Not any more.

Someone asked my friend where she was going to go to dinner when she was in Connecticut. "I don't know," came the reply. "Probably somewhere in the casino."

To which I suggested: "Why not go out to dinner in Mystic?"

The story of my friend best exemplifies why I don't like casinos. From an economic perspective, casinos do not to contribute to the surrounding communities, but rather take from them.

The wonder in the Connecticut woods still is the wonder contained to the Connecticut woods. The nearby city of Norwich, economically depressed since I was born, is still economically depressed. It's downtown is as empty as when I was a kid. The restaurants of Mystic still receive their best business during the summer from out-of-state beachcombers, not from casino traffic (this is based on a first-hand interview with a waitress). It pains me to write this; Connecticut will always have a very special place in my heart.

Speaking of "wonders," I wonder what we all could have come up with to help spur economic activity over the past three years had we not spent so much time worrying about casinos. My concern is that a casino in Massachusetts will have the same effect as Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. Why would a visitor to a casino near Boston want to go into the city? Why would they want to peruse shops on Newbury; visit an historic site downtown, or experience the city's varied neighborhoods?

For non-economic reasons, my dad hates gambling. He doesn't even buy lottery tickets. I have gambled from time to time, and I have had a great time visiting Las Vegas with friends on a couple of occasions. Notwithstanding, I am sure my distaste for casinos is somewhat influenced by my dad. Regardless, my opposition to casinos in Massachusetts is driven largely by what I experienced as a kid. I think my reasons are economic. And beyond the jobs casinos can create, I worry that the economic consequences of Massachusetts casinos would be harsh.

*** UPDATE: I heard from Jamie Hellen, Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz's chief of staff, that she will vote against any bill for expanding gambling. Yay Sonia!

Why Mayor Menino Won Boston's Ward 5

A year ago, I noticed that City Councilor Michael Flaherty showed up at Sonia Chang-Diaz's victory party in Jamaica Plain. Chang-Diaz had just defeated sitting State Senator Dianne Wilkerson in the state primary, and Flaherty wanted to pass on his congratulations.

No doubt, however, Flaherty wanted to catch a feeling of the wave that Chang-Diaz had created to deliver the upset. Just a few months later Flaherty would announce he hoped to become Mayor, challenging a 16-year incumbent. What could he learn from Chang-Diaz's win (Wilkerson had also been in office for several terms) and perhaps more importantly, how could he win favor with the same group that backed the challenger?

City Councilor Sam Yoon was not at the victory party, however I am sure the Chang-Diaz phenomenon also partially motivated his decision this year to jump into the Mayoral race.

Chang-Diaz, after all, exemplified what Flaherty and Yoon hoped to do. They wanted to unseat an incumbent who had been in office for a long time. They wanted to ride the wave of change.

Chang-Diaz did extremely well in my neighborhood of Beacon Hill, and in the other neighborhoods that comprise Ward 5--- Back Bay, Fenway and Bay Village. She won more than 70-percent of the vote across the ward. For Sam Yoon, in particular, such results were critical to his hopes. If he could replicate what Chang-Diaz did, one figured, Yoon would have a shot. Especially since conventional wisdom said the socioeconomic realities of Ward 5 were inclined to favor Yoon.

Of course, there were three challengers running this past Tuesday, so emulating Chang-Diaz's mark stood as a pretty lofty goal for Yoon. Still, he didn't even come close. In fact, he lost Ward 5 to the incumbent Mayor by nearly six percent.

Looking at the precinct level results within Ward 5 doesn't provide much solace to the Yoon camp. The Mayor won the Beacon Hill/Back Bay area of the Ward (arguably one center of Yoon's base). By comparison, Chang-Diaz picked up more than 80-percent of the vote in certain Back Bay precincts last year.

So why did the Mayor win Ward 5? Why didn't those Chang-Diaz voters flock to Sam Yoon en mass? Certainly no two elections are the same, and this year's Mayoral contest is very different from last year's state senate race.

Boston is a world-renown city. It has its problems, but on the whole, residents I have spoken to in Ward 5 are happy with where Boston is right now and are proud to live here.

The Mayor has made some very difficult decisions. On his reasons, he doesn't equivocate. I think voters appreciate that in a Mayor.

The Mayor is mindful of the city's finances. Boston has the highest bond rating in its history. A sound financial stance actually resonates with residents in Ward 5. Yoon's comment that he doesn't think bond ratings are important did not go over well.

Finally, last year's state senate race was marred by a variety of past ethical accusations against the incumbent. Chang-Diaz ran on the message that voters should not have to sacrifice ethics for progressive leadership. The message resonated. This year, in the case of the Mayor, the incumbent's administration is free from any such accusations. People will note certain traits of his personality, but the bottom line is the Mayor has never been the subject of any sort of investigation.

The other bottom line is the city of Boston is doing fine, and the Mayor has good ideas for moving the city forward. And for the plurality of voters in Ward 5 who came to the polls Tuesday, that reasoning for the Mayor was good enough.

Editor's Note: I am a supporter of Mayor Menino's and am volunteering for his campaign team. Last year, I volunteered for Sonia Chang-Diaz's campaign team.

Team Sonia Chang-Diaz

Team Sonia Chang-Diaz

(I am second from left; Senator Chang-Diaz is in center in white suit.)

Before the start of the Boston Pride Parade

Boston, Mass.

June 13, 2009

I attended my first pride parade in Boston today, and it was a lot of fun. Of course, it helped that the weather was perfect. I walked with my state senator, Sonia Chang-Diaz, and a number of volunteers I worked with during Sonia's campaign last year.

During the parade, I saw Representative Byron Rushing, Representative Marty Walz, and Aaron Michlewitz, the Democratic nominee for 3rd Suffolk State Representative.

Legislature says: Let's get moving!

This week I attended two events to kick off the 2009 legislative session.

On Monday, my City Councilor, Mike Ross, was elected Council President, and I attended the first council hearing of the year at City Hall, where the vote took place. A few observations:

-- Hats off to the Councilor's staff for coordinating the offline and online worlds so well. While Ross addressed the Council from the rostrum, his staff launched a new campaign website and posted a blog entry via Boston Magazine online (Ross has penned a blog there for many months). Even better yet, the messaging across all the vehicles was in sync.

-- Ross pledged to make the Council more open to all residents, both by using technology better and by holding council meetings in Boston's neighborhoods. I am not sure how the second idea would work logistically, but it makes sense. It's hard to attend City Council hearings during the day. Also of note, Ross addressed the issue of electronic access in his blog post, a wise move given it's an area of contention for many active Boston bloggers.

-- Ross proposed an economic summit of City leaders, modeled after a volunteer summit organized by the previous City Council President, Maureen Feeney. A summit to think of ideas is always a good idea. Let's hope it happens soon, given the economy is in rough shape, and I for one am ready to do whatever I can to put the resulting good ideas into action quickly.

-- The Council Chamber buzzed with energy, both because of the youth of the new President, and also because embattled City Councilor Chuck Turner led the session until Ross was elected.

-----------------

On Wednesday, I trudged through the snow, sleet and rain to watch the swearing in of my new State Senator, Sonia Chang-Diaz, at her new office at the State House. It was my first trip ever to the State House, and it allowed me to reminisce with other campaign volunteers and staffers, such as Deb Shah and Marianne von Nordeck. I snuck out of the office during the proceedings to visit with fellow Ward 5 member Laura Sargent, who works for my State Representative, Marty Walz.

Witnessing my first Senate proceeding was at times, well, comical. One of the more perplexing ceremonies of the day? How about when the Senate Leader appointed a committee of other senators to escort the newly elected Senate President, Therese Murray, to the rostrum. I guess there's concern the Senate President might get lost?

Pomp and circumstance aside, the new state and local legislative sessions have begun, and at a time when it's got to be challenging to be an elected leader. Still, what I witnessed gave me a sense of optimism. President Ross and President Murray both noted the *urgent* need to get moving for their constituents. (Mayor Menino and Governor Patrick echoed these sentiments when they addressed the respective chambers.)

The sessions have gotten off to a fine start. After all, President Murray found her way to the rostrum, thanks to a committee of her colleagues. Definitely a good sign.

Top 5 Beacon Hill Issues/Stories to Finish 2008

With less than a week to go in 2008, I take a swing at summarizing the top five news stories or issues that have affected my neighborhood of Beacon Hill from July 1, 2008 until today. I created a similar list to review the first six months of the year, which I posted at the end of June. I figured I would start a tradition.

Here goes:

5. Street lights. Beacon Hill residents take sidewalk space very seriously, since we don't have much of it. Boston Transportation officials negotiated with the Beacon Hill Civic Association to install new street lights on Charles Street, replacing old mechanical devices with new digital ones that are connected to a central location where city officials can monitor and manage them. The problem was the new lights brought with them boxes that ate up valuable sidewalk space. Ultimately, the Beacon Hill Architecture Commission gave the green light on the project, and most of the lights on Charles Street have been upgraded.

4. The completion of Cambridge Street. It's finally done. Cambridge Street renovations, performed by the State but designed by the City, finished over the summer. More importantly, a public-private partnership with the City has emerged to maintain the plantings down the center of the street. The partnership includes the Cambridge Street Development Corporation (CSDC), funded by businesses on the street. My friend Ted Furst is among the volunteers on the CSDC, and he represents the Beacon Hill Civic Association. From what I understand, the completion of the Cambridge Street renovations ends a decades-long effort. My neighbors Peter Thompson and Karen Cord Taylor were among the most passionate shepherds of the project.

3. Clark Rockefeller. In late July, he allegedly kidnapped his daughter, Reigh Storrow Mills Boss, from their Back Bay home and fled the city. The story hit very close to home. While Rockefeller did not live in the neighborhood, he spent a lot of time on Beacon Hill. The infamous picture of him and his daughter outside a church was taken by a photographer hired by our very own Beacon Hill Times. Stories of Rockefeller sightings surfaced everywhere. He apparently attended the Beacon Hill Civic Association Winter Dance last year at the Liberty Hotel (an event I also attended). He apparently held meetings with various individuals at the Starbucks at the corner of Beacon and Charles.

2. The proper use of the Boston Common. Almost all of Beacon Hill is represented in the Boston City Council by Councilor Mike Ross, soon to be the President of the body. One of Councilor Ross's big issues in recent months was the use of the Boston Common. Along with other Councilors, he issued a report in December that provided recommendations on changes to the Common. He suggests a commercial eatery on the Common, for example. He also created somewhat of a controversy by suggesting that the Common be managed by a public-private partnership (the final set of recommendations did not contain this recommendation). The Boston Common promises to be a big issue in 2009 and beyond. The public park is heavily used, and a master plan related to the Common is incredibly out of date. A discussion on such a public space will raise many related issues, among them spending priorities given recent economic troubles, the role of public-private partnerships in managing spaces open to all, and the needs and rights of our neighborhood's pets (a dog run is among the recommendations made by Councilor Ross's committee).

No doubt you will be reading more about all of these issues on this blog in the weeks ahead.

1. The 2008 Election. The end of the year wraps up my first calendar year as a member of the Ward 5 Democratic Committee. What a year it was. Most of Beacon Hill is represented by the 2nd Suffolk Mass. Senatorial seat, a seat that was highly contested this election cycle. Sonia Chang-Diaz, a challenger and former school teacher from Jamaica Plain in Boston, defeated the sitting State Senator, Dianne Wilkerson, in the primary and went on to win in the general election. Along the way, Chang-Diaz earned significant support from Beacon Hill, where she won better than 60-percent of the vote in the primary.

The Presidential election also energized Beacon Hill. Hundreds of residents traveled north to New Hampshire during the election season to volunteer. The neighborhood is heavily Democratic, and Barack Obama signs were visible in many windows, some even hanging from window flower boxes. Lines at Beacon Hill's four voting locations (West End Library, the State House, City Hall and The Hill House) swelled during election day. The election's energy has given many a reason to be optimistic, as we look ahead to the beginning of 2009.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Fact from Fiction in the 2nd Suffolk Primary

Congratulations go out today to Sonia Chang-Diaz, the one time schoolteacher from Jamaica Plain who defeated sitting Senator Dianne Wilkerson in the Mass. 2nd Suffolk Senate Democratic primary. When the vote is certified late Monday, Ms. Chang-Diaz will be the Democratic nominee on the ballot in November.

I have had the privilege of volunteering for Sonia and her team since late July, when I decided to vote for her. Given what I have seen, I have thoughts about recent developments in her race as well as strong opinions on why Sonia won.

The Race About Race

Unfortunately, the Mass. 2nd Suffolk District is racially divided. The base of Senator Wilkerson's support is in Roxbury and parts of Dorchester, areas with a high African-American population. The base of Sonia Chang-Diaz's support is in Jamaica Plain, where she lives, and areas between Jamaica Plain and Roxbury Crossing.

Sonia Chang-Diaz also saw significant support downtown, which is mainly white ("mainly" probably being an understatement). As one of my jobs as a volunteer was to help her downtown, I know that she won Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Bay Village and the South End by a margin of 62-35 percent. Chang-Diaz won more than 80-percent of the vote in the three 2nd Suffolk precincts in the Back Bay. [Chang-Diaz won my precinct, Ward 5, Precinct 4, by a margin of 67 percent to 24 percent.] It's also worth noting that most of the precincts downtown (Wards 4 and 5) were not a part of the recount that took place yesterday.

This past Tuesday, Senator Wilkerson said she would run in the November election as a write-in candidate. She said on primary night that her defeat "proves you can become a representative of this district without representing its core, and that makes me feel sick."

More directly, this past Tuesday, activist Bob Marshall said: "This is much bigger than Dianne. This is about the community’s ability to choose who its leaders are. The district is split along race and class lines. Dianne won the majority of blacks, Latinos and Asians. Sonia won the wine-and-brie crowd."

Sonia Chang-Diaz's dad is from Costa Rica (he was America's first Latino astronaut). She speaks fluent Spanish. She drives a beat-up old Toyota. She took the T to the recount yesterday. She eats microwaved burritos in her campaign office for dinner.

Senator Wilkerson and her supporters are right: This election is about race. It's about electing someone who can represent the ENTIRE district, given the unique racial dynamics of its precincts.

Ironically enough, because Senator Wilkerson is pressing on, dividing the district by race and claiming the seat belongs to one part of the district, I am prevented from my next volunteer assignment: working for Senator Barack Obama.

Show Me The Money

On a few occasions, Senator Wilkerson has implied that Sonia Chang-Diaz bought this election.

As a volunteer for Chang-Diaz, this claim is laughable. Campaign finance reports show that Senator Wilkerson actually spent MORE during the campaign than Chang-Diaz.

I can also give you some first-hand examples. Sonia Chang-Diaz's campaign bought zero bumper stickers during the race, claiming they were "too expensive." Volunteers made their own buttons at the campaign office. The only new signs I saw were the fifty or so that arrived on election eve to display at polling stations. Even the Chang-Diaz website is based on a free application called Drupal. Her campaign did everything with efficiency and cost-effectiveness top-of-mind.

The Missing Discussion: Why She Won

Among all of the false claims, discussions of recounts, and "what-if" questions about who certain pols will endorse or work for next, what's missing is reason why Sonia Chang-Diaz won the primary.

To me, the answer is simple: The candidate herself. This campaign was all about the personal touch. Sonia Chang-Diaz first called me in my office at work back in late May (I was literally in the middle of a team meeting and had to call her back). Every time I saw her in the campaign office, she was writing thank-you notes to supporters, many of whom she had just met door-to-door in the district.

When I spoke to voters, many commented on how they "had met Sonia," or they would say that "Sonia has asked for my vote."

In the weekend leading into the election, Senator Wilkerson had several prominent politicians record phone calls for her. The Chang-Diaz campaign countered with calls from volunteers. My conversation that weekend would generally go like this [I have taken out spots where the call recipient would respond or gasp]:

"Hi, I'm Ross and I am volunteering for the Sonia Chang-Diaz campaign. You have no doubt gotten a lot of recorded calls from politicians, and I know these calls are annoying. Well... This is not a recorded call... and I am not a politician. I am just an average Joe like you. But I am voting for Sonia Chang-Diaz."

During the entire lead-up to the election, Sonia's campaign made personal connections. Each volunteer supported Sonia for different reasons, and those personal reasons were our most effective persuasion to the voters of the district.

Sonia's gotten this far based on that personal touch. And she will no-doubt win in November because of it as well.

Recount!

The Mass. 2nd Suffolk Democratic primary between Sonia Chang-Diaz and Dianne Wilkerson is not quite over.

Tomorrow, Saturday, City of Boston election officials are recounting the vote by hand in four wards across the district. I am going to be at the recount, volunteering for Chang-Diaz.

As a little experiment, I am going to try to update my Twitter feed during the day with updates. You can follow me, if you're bored.

A New Day, A New State Senator for 2nd Suffolk

Sonia Chang-Diaz won the Mass. Dem. Primary yesterday by 200+ votes.

You can read today's Boston Globe story.

Congrats to Sonia and her super campaign team. It was a pleasure to follow your lead over the past several weeks. I can't wait to work with Senator Chang-Diaz when she is settled in her new office on Beacon Hill.

I am thinking of a post to discuss more thoughts on this race, but that will have to wait until later in the week.

Sonia Chang-Diaz on Beacon Hill

Sonia Chang-Diaz

Outside the Firehouse on Mt. Vernon Street

Beacon Hill, Boston

September 14, 2008

Sonia Chang-Diaz stopped by the annual Hill House breakfast today at the Firehouse on Mt. Vernon Street, Beacon Hill. It was great to see her there. One of the reasons I am supporting Chang-Diaz is the fact that Beacon Hill, and other downtown neighborhoods, need all the representation they can get inside the State House. With issues such as the rehabilitation of the Storrow Drive Tunnel and the Longfellow Bridge facing us, it will be great to have someone like Sonia lobbying on our behalf.

To anyone reading this who lives in Back Bay or Beacon Hill, I don't think this is the last time we will see Chang-Diaz if she wins Tuesday's primary and the election in November. I will be attending the Beacon Hill block party later today and will report back if her opponent arrives.

State Primary Tuesday: Sonia Chang-Diaz and John Kerry Among my Picks

The Massachusetts State Primary is this Tuesday, September 16, 2008. Since my state leans so heavily Democratic, the primary is really the only election that matters; who ever wins the Democratic primary in a given race is likely to win in the general election.

Below is a review of the ballot and how I plan to vote, for what it's worth. For the two contested races in this election, my picks are no surprise, since I have already provided an "endorsement" for each.

THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
STATE PRIMARY
DEMOCRATIC
BOSTON
Ward 5, Precinct 4

SENATOR IN CONGRESS

My PICK: John F. Kerry, 19 Louisburg Sq., Boston

Senator Kerry's challenger, Ed O'Reilly, tried hard to be heard. Last week he actually encouraged his supporters to NOT attend a rally outside the only candidates' debate in the race (as kind of like a protest). I hate to break it to him, but I am not really sure how many people would have shown up anyway. O'Reilly is running on frustrations, first and foremost about John Kerry's original support for the Iraq War. That vote was like decades ago. Senator Kerry deserves to go back to Washington and keep the leadership positions he has earned for Massachusetts.

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
Ninth District

MY PICK: Stephen F. Lynch, 55 G Street, Boston

Congressman Lynch is running unopposed. I have never met him and don't know too much about him, but a friend of mine who I respect is on his staff. Even though he doesn't need my vote, he will receive it.

SENATOR IN GENERAL COURT
Second Suffolk District

MY PICK: Sonia Rosa Chang-Diaz, 18 Saint Rose St., Boston

The big one-- This is by far the biggest race on my ballot. I have received six mailings and at least as many phone calls from the two candidates in this race. I am supporting the challenger, Sonia Chang-Diaz, because I have met her several times and think she has the best priorities for the district, namely education, which will help keep young professionals in Boston. Just this week she picked up endorsements from The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald, as well as Bay Windows and the South End News.

REPRESENTATIVE IN GENERAL COURT
Eighth Suffolk District

MY PICK: Martha Marty Waltz

I never really knew Representative Waltz before she became my state representative, and that changed in a hurry. I rarely go to a public meeting now where I don't see her or her aide, Laura Sargent (if you study this blog, you will see a photo of me sitting next to Laura at the state Democratic convention in Lowell). No one can question Marty's passion, and that alone earns my vote (she's also running unopposed).

Endorsement: Sonia Chang-Diaz

In 2006 I voted for Sonia Chang-Diaz because I could not understand how an incumbent State Senator could forget to put herself on the ballot for reelection.

This year, I am voting for Sonia Chang-Diaz because I think she is the better candidate.

Two years ago, I did not know much of what I wanted from my State Senator. The 2006 election for the MA 2nd Suffolk Senate seat was a bit of a circus. Since no Democrat had filed signatures to be on the ballot, the only way to vote was to write in for a candidate. I arrived at the voting booth in September 2006 for the primary with six stickers in my hand, each with Sonia Chang-Diaz's name on it. It took three of them for me to actually vote according to the directions (the stickers didn't quite fit, and I was panicked if it wasn't perfect, my vote would not count).

We all have had two years to learn more about Sonia Chang-Diaz, and it is now clear that her views and priorities match mine more closely than her opponent's.

To me, priority number one for state-level officials is to build our Boston communities by encouraging young families to stay and establish themselves. Just last night I attended a going away celebration for two good friends and neighbors that are leaving Boston. It reminded me of the numerous other friends who have already left; in fact, it's pretty much conventional wisdom that when you graduate from a Boston-area school, you only stay in the city until you get married. After that, there's no way to afford being here.

The issue of Boston young professional flight is hard to solve, and I don't profess to have a good set of answers. But education is a good place to start. The education system in Boston is in continual need of attention and out-of-box thinking. Education is priority number one for Sonia Chang-Diaz.

As the son of a former elementary school teacher who taught me Kindergarten, I support any creative approach to improving Boston's schools. Education is one of the primary reasons why young families stay or leave.

I look forward to Sonia Chang-Diaz's leadership on education, and I desperately anticipate her participation on the Storrow Drive Tunnel issue. The Storrow Drive Tunnel (and the Longfellow Bridge, for that matter) is in critical need of restoration. The State is currently performing preliminary repairs to the tunnel, but they are nowhere near the level of work required. Planning to fix the tunnel will be a sticky mess. An attempt by the State to usher a public process last year that would address the traffic and community impact of the repair (not to mention what the tunnel would look like after the work is done) fell apart. For Beacon Hill and in my opinion, the Storrow Drive Tunnel will be the number one public issue facing my next State Senator during the early part of the next term.

Much of what I expect of my State Senator for public process issues, such as the tunnel, is to be present. The Chang-Diaz campaign told me this week to expect that Sonia will be an active listener, and will coordinate closely with my State Representative, Marty Waltz. This participation will be very important. The State has indicated that the current preliminary work will be complete by early next year, when the public process for the larger Tunnel refurbishment will start over.

If there is one opinion that I hope Sonia Chang-Diaz will adopt from her opponent, it is strong opposition to the prospect of casinos in Massachusetts. As so many have said, the proposal by Governor Patrick to build casinos is short-sighted. It lacks creativity and frankly is a band-aid to fix the budget issues-- not a long-term solution. (As someone who grew up near two casinos in southeastern Massachusetts, I am not a fan of them.) We should demand that the Governor look for other approaches that solve the budget crisis in a more fundamental way. It's easy to be negative; and I profess I don't have an answer to this problem either, but I think we can do better than building casinos.

Sonia Chang-Diaz has been very visible on the campaign trail. It appears she wants to meet every single voter at least twice during this campaign. I admire her dedication, and I have no doubt she will be just as visible when she is elected. I can't wait to work with her to rectify the issues that concern me and my neighborhood.

I will be voting for Sonia Chang-Diaz in the Massachusetts State Primary, scheduled for September 16.

Round One: Wilkerson vs. Chang-Diaz

This past week the Ward 5 Democratic Committee, of which I am a member, hosted a forum for the two Democratic candidates running for the 2nd Suffolk Mass. Senate seat. After the forum, the committee endorsed the incumbent, Senator Dianne Wilkerson.

It was my first significant vote as a rookie member of the committee, and I decided to abstain. Further, I think the endorsement by Ward 5 is premature. This is going to be a very exciting race between Wilkerson and her opponent, Sonia Chang-Diaz, and it's way too early to pick a horse.

Prior to the meeting, I was leaning toward Chang-Diaz, but I decided to enter the forum with an open mind, given that I really do not know much about either woman. Here are my impressions on this race:

--- Both candidates are exceptional, and the 2nd Suffolk district is blessed to have them (even though turnout at the Sept. primary will likely be tiny).

---The forum last week identified only minor differences between the two candidates. Chang-Diaz and Wilkerson both believe that casinos in Massachusetts are a bad idea. Listening to the the forum, one heard a series of "I agree with that," or "Yes" from either side as the two "debated" the issues. Fellow committee members and I exchanged a note in the crowd that stated: "Is there anything that they don't agree on?" [Note: I spoke to the Chang-Diaz campaign on June 25, and they noted that Sonia Chang-Diaz opposes the Level 4 BU Bio Lab until there can be significant research that shows the lab will not pose a risk; Senator Wilkerson supports the Bio Lab.]

---Seniority is a somewhat loaded term. Senator Wilkerson has seniority in the Senate, however I debate how important this is. Senator Wilkerson has had her difficulties in the past, including forgetting to get her name on the ballot two years ago to defend her seat. By choosing to ignore these issues and approach this race with a level playing field, I feel that the Senator's successes over the past many years also should not sway my opinion.

Given these first two points, I would like to hear more from both candidates on issues that I care about, such as how they are going to keep young professionals and young families in Boston, and how they can encourage those residents to settle and contribute to Boston's communities.

--- Senator Wilkerson was better in the debate this past week (though Chang-Diaz did have excellent answers to the final two questions on health care and education), but Sonia Chang-Diaz, in my opinion, "wants it more." As "squishy" as this sounds, in recent races the style of the candidate has ultimately swayed my decision, whether that's good or not. Chang-Diaz spoke to me three times ahead of the meeting; whereas Senator Wilkerson called me once. Chang-Diaz talks of change; I think her campaign is better characterized as raw energy. You can see the energy when she talks (and she sometimes talks fast).

I remain undecided. And by virtue of my abstention in the recent Ward 5 meeting, I encourage others to come to their own opinions. We're still in the early days of this race.

I also hope this race will lead to a broader discussion on the role of a Mass. Senator in local campaigns. I had never seen Senator Wilkerson in person before the State convention two weeks ago. Contrast that to my State Representative, Marty Waltz, who I see all the time. Obviously, Rep. Waltz represents less people, but you'd think Senator Wilkerson would show up at (the very least) the high-profile meetings, such as the meetings regarding Suffolk University. Admittedly, the state's role in the Suffolk issue is non-existent, but that didn't stop Marty Waltz from being there.

Scenes from the Democratic State Convention

Tsongas Arena

Lowell, Massachusetts

June 7, 2008

I attended the Democratic State Convention today in Lowell, Mass. I voted for John Kerry to be the party's nominee for U.S. Senate-- in essence I voted that he be re-elected. Kerry won the endorsement of the party, but his challenger, Ed O'Reilly won enough of the vote to force a primary in September.

As a member of the 2nd Suffolk delegation, I had a very nice spot on the floor of the Tsongas Arena. I rode to Lowell on the commuter rail with Josh Dawson (pictured above), who is the 2nd Suffolk elected State Committee Man. He ended up being the "Teller" for our delegation, meaning he called out the roll and took the verbal vote from each delegate.

The convention was a lot of fun. It was great to chat with fellow Democrats, including Matt O'Mally, State Representative Marty Waltz, and Ward 5 Democratic Chair Rob Whitney, among others.

The two Democratic candidates for the 2nd Suffolk State Senate seat, Sen. Diane Wilkerson (incumbent) and Sonia Chang-Diaz, were among the delegates. I had a chance to speak to both of them. The Ward 5 Democratic Committee will consider its endorsement in that race at its next meeting on June 18. It's time for me to start researching my choice, and the conversations today were a good starting point. I can tell you that both candidates are very gifted, it will be a hard decision, and my fellow committee members and I are being careful in our research and will be careful with our choice. Watch this space; no doubt I will share my thoughts here.

Sonia Chang-Diaz at the Convention

One thing about Lowell: The commuter rail is great to get there, but the bus system-- especially on a Saturday-- leaves a lot to be desired. A group of about 20 delegates who arrived in Lowell on the commuter rail had to wait about 35 minutes for a bus. If we had only known the Tsongas Arena was a mere 15-minute walk away.