Vote For Deval Patrick Tomorrow
Tomorrow, I will be one of the people holding signs in support of Deval Patrick at the polls. I urge all registered independents and democrats tomorrow in Massachusetts to go vote for Deval Patrick tomorrow in the primary. Here is why I am voting for him:
When I was trying to decide who I wanted to support for governor of Massachusetts, I had three main factors that I considered. First, does the person have the experience and intelligence to run the government competently? Deval Patrick has the broadest experience in of any of the gubernatorial candidates. He worked his way up from a tough neighborhood in Chicago into a scholarship at Milton Academy and eventually into the hallowed haughty halls of Harvard. After leaving Harvard he went to Africa to work at a job with the United Nations. When Patrick returned to the U.S., he worked for the NAACP where he met then Governor Bill Clinton who eventually as President Clinton appointed Patrick the assistant attorney general for Civil Rights in his administration. During that time he worked as an advisor to South Africa in creating civil rights laws in the post-apartheid era. After his work in the Clinton administration he went back into the private sector and worked for major corporations like Coca Cola, Texaco, and Ameriquest fixing problems in the corporation from the inside. As a candidate, he built and managed a strong grass roots organization which is another tribute to his managing skills. None of the other candidates for governor have the background varied public and private service that Patrick brings to the table.
Secondly, one must vote for someone that you agree with in terms of the major policy issues of the day. In this paragraph instead of giving the merits of each position that Patrick has taken, I will simply state where he stand on many of the major issues. ( A stance that in the vast majority of cases I agree with). However I am not going to try to convince you that these stances should be your stances for 2 reasons. First, to do that thoroughly would require many pages on each topic. Second, I suspect that you the reader have already given ruminated about where you stand on these issues and will not be swayed by anything that I write. If for some reason you have not developed a stance on an issue, email me and I will argue the merits of my side and even play devil’s advocate if I have the time and energy. Now on to Patrick’s positions: He is against the death penalty, pro-choice, in favor of the Cape Cod wind farm project, not for the income tax roll back, but in favor of giving any surplus money to towns in order to cut property taxes only under the contingency that the town uses that money for property tax relief, He supports and will implement the Health Access and Affordability Act that was passed by the MA legislature last year, and he supports Gay Marriage.
Finally, I considered whether or not a governor will be a good face of the state. Romney’s biggest fault is that while he was governor he was more concerned with his presidential ambitions and thus mocked the state of Massachusetts in other states. This is not good for the image of the state or in terms of attracting and keeping resident and businesses. In addition, unlike Chris Gabrieli or Tom Reilly, Patrick is a national figure who has received endorsements from Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama to name a few. With Patrick at the helm, the state will increase its political significance and power nationally.
If you don’t want to take my word for it, the following people and organizations have endorsed Deval Patrick for Governor.
Labor and Professional Organizations
United Auto Workers State CAP CouncilInternatl. B'hood of Electrical Wrkrs. Local 455
Massachusetts State Council of Machinists
Internatl. B'hood of Electrical Workers Local 1505
Boston Teachers Union
Utility Workers of America Local 369
Service Employees International Union Local 615
Internatl. Assn. Machinists/Aerospace Wrkrs 264
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445
Service Employees International Union Local 509
Seafarers International Union
Pile Drivers Local Union 56
Marine Engineers Beneficial Association
Service Employees International Union Local 3
Carpenters Local 723
Internatl. B'hood of Electrical Workers Local 223
Laborers Local 721
Massachusetts Society of Professors
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 328
United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 791
Natl. Association of Social Workers, Mass. chapter
American Postal Workers Union Local 4553
American Federation of Teachers, Massachusetts
Advocacy Organizations
LGBT Political Alliance of Western Mass.
Democracy for America
Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts
ACORN PAC
Newton/Democracy for America
Asian Pacific American Agenda PAC
Boston Ward 21 Democratic Committee
Caribbean American Peoples Action Committee
Clean Water Action
Coalition for Social Justice
Freedom to Marry Coalition of Massachusetts
Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus
Massachusetts Black Political Task Force
Neighbor to Neighbor
Northbridge Democratic Town Committee
Belmont Town Democratic Committee
Clean Water Action
Boston Ward 10 Democratic Committee
Boston Ward 11 Democratic Committee
Boston Ward 15 Democratic Committee
Boston Ward 19 Democratic Committee
Boston Ward 21 Democratic Committee
Media
The Boston GlobeAttleboro Sun Chronicle
Bay State Banner
Blue Mass Group
Brookline Tab
Cambridge Chronicle
Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle
Worcester Magazine
Wellesley Townsman
State
Cory Atkins, State Representative 14th MiddlessexEdward Augustus, State Senator Second Worcester
Jarrett Barrios, State Senator 1st Suffolk and Middlesex
Deborah Blumer, State Representative 6th Middlesex
Daniel Bosley, State Representative 1st Berkshire
Garrett Bradley, State Representative Hingham
Christopher Donelan, State Representative 2nd Franklin
Linda Dorcena Forry, State Representative 12 Suffolk
James Eldridge, State Representative 37th Middlessex
Susan Fargo, State Senator 3d Middlesex
Michael Festa, State Representative 32nd Middlesex
Barry Finegold, State Representative 17th Essex
Gloria Fox, State Representative 7th Suffolk
Mary Grant, State Representative 6th Essex
Denis Guyer, State Representative Dalton
Robert Havern, State Senator 4th Middlesex
Patricia Jehlen, State Senator 2nd Middlesex
Brian A. Joyce, State Senator Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth
Louis Kafka, State Representative 8th Norfolk
Jay R. Kaufman, State Representative 7th Middlesex
John Keenan, State Representative Seventh Essex
Thomas Kennedy, State Representative Brockton
Kay Khan, State Representative 11th Middlesex
Peter Kocot, State Representative 1st Hampshire
Stephen Kulik, State Representative First Franklin
James B. Leary, State Representative 14th Worcester
Barbara L'Italien, State Representative 18th Essex
Liz Malia, State Representative 11th Suffolk
Jim Marzilli, State Representative 23rd Middlesex
Shirley Owens-Hicks, State Representative 6th Suffolk
Matthew C. Patrick, State Representative 3rd Barnstable
Anne Paulsen, State Representative 24th Middlesex
Doug Petersen, State Representative 8th Essex
Denise Provost, State Representative 27th Middlesex
Michael Rodrigues, State Representative Westport
Byron Rushing, State Representative 11th Suffolk
Tom Sannicandro, State Representative 7th Middlesex
John W. Scibak, State Representative 2nd Hampshire
Carl Sciortino Jr., State Representative 34th Middlesex
Frank I. Smizik, State Representative 15th Norfolk
Ted Speliotis, State Representative 13th Essex District
Thomas Stanley, State Representative 9th Middlesex
Ellen Story, State Representative 3rd Hampshire
David B. Sullivan, State Representative 6th Bristol
Benjamin Swan, State Representative 11th Hampden
Kathleen M Teahan, State Representative Abington
Timothy Toomey, State Representative 26th Middlesex
Sue Tucker, State Senator Second Essex and Middlesex
Cleon Turner, State Representative First Barnstable
Anthony Verga, State Representative 5th Essex
Marian Walsh, State Senator Suffolk & Norfolk
Marty Walz, State Representative 8th Suffolk
Dianne Wilkerson, State Senator Second Suffolk
Alice Wolf, State Representative 25th Middlesex
County
Robert McCarthy, Register of Probate Plymouth CountyMary O'Brien, Register of Deeds Berkshire County
David Sullivan, Register of Probate Hampshire County
Jeffrey Welch, County Commission Chairman Plymouth County
Local
Donald Adams, Chairman, Nashoba Regional School CommitteeThomas Ambrosino, Mayor Revere
Felix Arroyo, Councilor at Large Boston
George Barrette, Chairman, Board of Selectmen Westborough
Arthur Boyle, Chairman, Board of Selectmen Pembroke
William Brownsberger, Selectman Belmont
Sally Bubier, Selectman, Maynard
Katherine Button, Library Trustee Watertown
Edwin Carr, Selectman Cohasset
Barry Connell, City Councilor at Large Newburyport
Bill Cranshaw, Selectman Maynard
Joe Curtatone, Mayor Somerville
Frank D'Agostino, School Committee Member Attleboro
Michael DeChiara, School Committee member Shutesbury
David Dionne, Selectman Westport
Kim Driscoll, Mayor Salem
Stephen Dungan, Selectman Stow
Gae Elfenbein, Chairman, Board of Selectmen Lanesborough
John Encarnacao, Selectman Wakefield
Susan Falkoff, Former town councilor Watertown
Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Councilor at Large Pittsfield
Christine Forgey, Mayor Greenfield
Jean Fox, School Committee Member Freetown-Lakeville
Tom Griffiths, School Committee Member Lexington
Jason Grow, City Councillor Gloucester
John Haederle, Selectman South Easton
Raymond Hague, City Councilor Fall River
John Harney, Alderman Newton
Robert Harrison, City Councilor Easthampton
Clare Higgins, Mayor Northampton
Daniel Holbrook, Selectman, Whitman
Anne Holbrook, School Committee Member, Whitman-Hanson Regional School District
Gail Infurna, President Board of Aldermen Melrose
John Kneeland, Town Meeting Member Arlington
Frederick Koed, Selectman Cohasset
Muriel Kramer, Selectwoman Hopkinton
Jeanne Krieger, Selectwoman Lexington
Jonathan Lothrop, City Councilor Pittsfield
Anthony Maffuccio, City Councilor Pittsfield
Dave Malaguti, Selectman Plymouth
Peter Marchetti, Councilor at Large Pittsfield
Lewis Markham, City Councilor Pittsfield
Joseph McCoy, City Councilor Easthampton
Kevin McKelvey, Vice-chairman Board of Selectmen, Burlington
Stephen Murphy, At-Large City Councilor Boston
Mark Niedergang, School Committee member Somerville
Robert Nunes, Mayor Taunton
Steven Ouellette, Selectman Westport
Ken Parker, Alderman Newton
George Ramirez, City Councilor Lowell
Daniel Rist, City Councilor Easthampton
James Ruberto, Mayor Pittsfield
Amy Sangiolo, Alderman Newton
Anthony Schena, Selectman Plymouth
George Shippey, Selectman Stockbridgge
Joffrey Smith, City Councilor Worcester
Nancy Stevens, Mayor Marlborough
Michael Tautznik, Mayor Easthampton
Kenneth Tavares, Selectman Plymouth
Jose Tosado, City Council President Springfield
Melissa Tully, Selectman Hingham
Carol Tye, Vice-Chairman School Committee Revere
Linda Tyer, City Councilor Pittsfield
Richard Walsh, Selectman Lanesboro
Michael Ward, City Councilor Pittsfield
Gerald Wasserman, Selectman Needham
Michael Wilcox, Moderator Alford
Mark Wisnewski, Town Councilor Greenfield
Charles Yancey, City Councilor Boston
Sam Yoon, City Councilor Boston
Community Leaders
Barry Bluestone, Center for Urban and Regional Policy, Northeastern University
Paul Demakis, Former State Representative
Michael Donoghue, Chairman/CEO, Worcester Regional Retirement System
Bill Henning, Advocate for Disability Rights
Hubie Jones, Dean Emeritus, Boston University School of Social Work
Judith Meredith, Founder Executive Director, Public Policy Institute
Richard Morningstar, former Ambassador to the European Union
Franklin Ollivierre, Former Secretary of Elder Affairs
Brett Rhyne, Assistant Professor Communications
Sarah-Ann Shaw, Television journalist
Micho Spring, former Deputy Mayor, Boston
Leverett Wing, Asian-American community activist
Business Leaders
Stanley Abkowitz, Dynamet Technology
Ken Ansin, Philanthropist
Robert Bechek, Bain & Co.
Stanley Bornstein, DiBona, Bornstein & Random
Thomas Bright, Hitchcock Shoes Inc.
John DeVillars, Blue Wave Strategies
Lisa Guscott, President and CEO
Kenneth Guscott, Long Bay Management Co.
Arnold Hiatt, Business for Social Responsibility
Ron Homer, Access Capital Strategies LLC
Dennis Kanin, New Boston Ventures
Jim Kaufman, Federal Hill Investment Services
Harold Kotler, Gannett Welsh & Kotler
Jay Lorsch, Harvard Business School
Margaret McKenna, Lesley College
Arnie Miller, Isaacson Miller
Donald Peck, First Marblehead Corp.
Rufus Phillips, Vice-President, The Property and Casualty Initiative
Richard Rowe, Richard Communications
Stuart Sadick, Heidrick & Struggles
James Segel, Smith, Segel, & Sowalsky
Darryl Settles, Bobs Southern Bistro
Peter Sonnabend, Sonesta Hotels
Stephen Strong, founder
Sidney Topol, The Topol Group
Mitch Tyson, Advanced Electron Beams
Arnie Waters, Windsor Park
Susan Whitehead, Whitehead Institute
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