Massachusetts
Related: About this forumMassachusetts Democratic Primary September 9 . Post about your faves.
Great resource for 2014 primary and general election info.
http://massachusetts.state-election.info/
For Governor, I think I am voting for Berwick, the only gubernatorial candidate who advocates single payer. I don't agree with him on everything and he'll lose, of course, because the money is going to Coakley and Grossman. (Money always hates the left.)
However, I will vote for him anyway, just to show some in Massachusetts are for single payer.
http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/05/progressive_massachusetts_a_li.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_gubernatorial_election,_2014
http://massachusetts.state-election.info/
I see primaries as the golden opportunity for Democrats to show what they really want, without worrying that their vote might help the right.
Who are your faves in the primary--not necessarily only for governor--and why?
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valerief
(53,235 posts)Cheung or Kerrigan? Tolman? Finegold?
merrily
(45,251 posts)Meanwhile though I just realized: My landline is listed in the phone book. For the Boston Mayoral primary, I received so many calls that I lost it. Not a single call so far about this primary, even for guberatorial primary. I wonder why the difference?
merrily
(45,251 posts)Cheung clearly is qualified by education and is running to the left. Claims to want a more "progressive" tax structure in Massachusetts. However, he is also a venture capitalist who ran in Virginia as an anti-tax Republican. Did he have a change of heart after moving to true blue Massachusetts or is he just trying to say things that he thinks will fly in blue, blue Massachusetts? I am not a mind reader, so no clue.
Kerrigan looks like a career politician. I have some mixed feelings about that, but he has had some positions within the party where he had significant responsiblity.
I am not a big risk taker. At least I am sure Kerrigan is not a Republican at heart in Democratic drag. So, until I learn more about Cheung, my pick is Kerrigan. I'll start a thread looking for more info about Cheung.
valerief
(53,235 posts)merrily
(45,251 posts)Dukakis endorsed him. That means something to me.
valerief
(53,235 posts)merrily
(45,251 posts)Secretary of the Commonwealth
Further information: Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth
Democratic incumbent William F. Galvin is running for re-election to a sixth term in office.[10] Malden City Councilor At-Large David D'Arcangelo is running as a Republican[11] and Acton attorney Danny Factor has filed to run as a candidate with the Green-Rainbow Party.[12]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_general_election,_2014
Treasurer
Further information: Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts
Democratic incumbent Steve Grossman has announced that he will run for Governor.[20] State Representative Tom Conroy,[21] State Senator Barry Finegold and 2006 candidate for Lieutenant Governor Deborah Goldberg are the Democratic candidates. Businessman Mike Heffernan is running as a Republican.[22] Ian T. Jackson has filed to run as a Green-Rainbow candidate.[23]
merrily
(45,251 posts)She's been Coakley's deputy, so she'll hit the ground running. While I am not at all sure what kind of Governor Coakley might be, I did like her as AG.
valerief
(53,235 posts)http://www.wbur.org/2014/08/29/democratic-candidates-treasurer-race
So I have my list:
Gov Berwick
Lt gov Lake
AG Healey
Treasurer Goldberg
Thanks so much!!!
merrily
(45,251 posts)It may not be 1000% reliable, but it was helpful.
I did double check the claim that Cheung had run in Virginia as a Republican before I posted it though. At first, I thought that a Republican may have edited Ballotpedia and thrown that in to make sure Cheung lost the primary. So, until I confirmed that Cheung did in fact run as a Republican, the idea that Republicans might want him to lose the primary was, for me, a point in his favor!
Apparently, he blamed his run as a Republican on the politics of his Dad (an immigrant, fwiw). I can see that because my Dad (also an immigrant, fwiw) was a Dem like nobody's business. So were all his brothers and sisters and I took it in by osmosis. However Cheung was a very well educated adult when he ran as Republican. I don't think he simply gets to blame that on his Dad.
I believe that people can redeem themselves and I am not saying Cheung could not have an authentic change of heart. Just saying I am not inherently a risk taker and I don't like his explanation, either. So, I will be happy if DUers who know him better, maybe know what he's done on Cambridge City Council, fill us in more.
I don't know a lot about infrastructure banks, either. I do know that was the topic of many articles on the old DLC website, which advocated for infrastructure banks. So, that means I will have to do more research before I can vote for Goldberg in the primary. I am totally over DLC types, but maybe this was one of the DLC's good ideas.
Obama did advocate for them in one of his State of the Unions, but that seems to have gone nowhere.
But the fact that the DLC advocated so hard for them is not a point in Goldberg's favor unless and until I come to understand them very well and decide I approve of them.
merrily
(45,251 posts)Conroy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Conroy
Born in NYC, raised in CT.
Undergrad degree in economics and grad degree in finance. Good degrees for a treasurer. Worked for Gary Hart and Mikulski. Spent 10 years in State Department on resettlement of refugees and 16 years in consulting with unspecified firmse. Then ran for Mass. state rep? Seems like a fishy career path.
Seems the most qualified for the job on paper, but the cv raises questions for me.
Goldberg and infrastructure banks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deb_Goldberg
She is a Stop & Shop heir, not a point in her favor, in my book, but I don't want to hold her DNA against her. Law degree from BC, MBA Harvard. Have to wonder how Stop & Shop dough could not get her into Harvard law or even BU.
Worked for Stop & Shop "in various executive positions" until it was sold in 1988. Color me questioning her cv.
Then, she became a Brookline selectman and is currently a town meeting member.
She is also the President of Adoptions With Love and an Advisory Board member of the Greater Boston Food Bank. She was one of the founders and the treasurer of a school for kids with severe cognitive disabilities.
Infrastructure banks. As stated upthread, the DLC pushed these for years, starting with schools and Obama mentioned them in an SOS. Dem Dodd and Republican Hagel (now Secretary of "Defense" introduced a bill but it never came out of committee. Seems like a good idea on the surface. However, the devil could be in the details, like the interest rate paid private investors.
Finegold
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Finegold
A more impressive wiki bio than Goldberg, IMO.
In 2003, the DLC named him one of 100 Democrats to watch, not a point in his favor from my perspective, but who knows why the DLC did that? Market Basket employees in his ad, crediting him with bringing their struggle to the public eye.
Finegold was elected to the Andover Board of Selectmen at age 24. A year later, in 1996, he won election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a Democrat. He was the youngest member of his freshman class. He held this position for 11 years, representing the 17th Essex District, consisting of Andover, Tewksbury and Lawrence. In 2010, he won election to the Massachusetts Senate representing the Second Essex and Middlesex District consisting of Andover, Dracut, Lawrence and Tewksbury. In 2012, he was re-elected to the Senate with 65% of the vote.
Barry was a candidate in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district special election, 2007. Marty Meehan, the incumbent, stepped down to take the Chancellor position at UMass Lowell. Barry came in 4th place in the Democratic Primary, losing to Niki Tsongas who went on to win the general election. The primary election occurred on September 4, 2007, and the election occurred on October 16, 2007.
During his time on Beacon Hill, Finegold has proposed and enacted numerous pieces of legislation on critical issues, such as:
The "Massachusetts Renewable Energy Road Map," a package of policy ideas designed to invigorate the Massachusetts economy and protect the environment with research-and-development grants and tax incentives for Massachusetts companies developing fuel-cell technology. The legislation also creates a $1,500 state tax credit for consumers who purchase hybrid vehicles.[2]
The Safe Havens Act allows parents who are unable to care for their newborn to drop the infant off at a marked fire station, police station or emergency room without fear of prosecution. Baby Safe Haven has expanded its services to a hot-line that advises expecting parents on their options. The law has saved 15 babies to date in the Commonwealth.[3]
In 2000, Finegold authored the Holocaust Restitution Bill, which ensured that the 3,500 Massachusetts holocaust survivors did not have to pay taxes or incur penalties on recovered assets from the Swiss Government.
In the 2007 budget cycle, Finegold brought funding to keep De La Mano, a Spanish-speaking battered womens hotline, up and running.
In Finegold's partnership with police chief John Romero, crime rates have continued to decrease in the city of Lawrence.
Finegold brought home funding to ensure that Andover Youth Services can continue in its mission to foster education and personal growth in our youth.
With Finegolds help, the Lawrence school system has benefited from 2 new buildings, 3 new schools, and increased funding.
In 1999, Finegold won the Kennedy School Fenn Award for Political Leadership for his leadership in bringing together legislators and officials from New Hampshire and Massachusetts to address the traffic problems on I-93. His efforts led to the opening of the breakdown lane during rush hours, which greatly reduced congestion during peak commuting hours.[4]
more at ehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Finegold
In 2003, the DLC named him one of 100 Democrats to watch. Not a point in his favor with me, but that could have been simply because of his 1999 award and success at a relatively young age.
His cv impresses me a lot more than Goldberg's but I am still torn.
FWIW, state Dem Party went 39% for Goldberg, almost 34% for Conroy and around 27% for Finegold.
valerief
(53,235 posts)merrily
(45,251 posts)expect lines for a mid-term primary. (I wish.)
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)He's the guy who sued and got to take former speaker Finneran's furniture to publicly fund his campaign.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20020417/NEWS/304179965&cid=sitesearch
merrily
(45,251 posts)Didn't see his name in the article you linked either. Doesn't matter, though. I was never planning to vote for him and that article certainly would not change my mind. Even if I had been planning to vote for him, his sexist attitude to Healy would have changed my mind.
Didn't realize you were from Massachusetts.
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)I just took your word that he worked for Fox News. Glad I looked it up.
What else are you lying about to smear Tolman?
The reaction of Healy's supporters is unbecoming.
merrily
(45,251 posts)And Fox 25 News is indeed part of the Fox Broadcasting "family." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_25
Second of all, that is a common way for people in Mass. to put it.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1057&pid=1657
Besides calling me a liar wrongfully, what other lies are you going to tell about me?
Third of all, thanks for echoing Tolman's sexist tone.
Oh, I almost forgot:
merrily
(45,251 posts)Someone got Patrick to endorse him though. Patrick was on TV a couple of days ago saying he had intended to stay out of the Dem primary, but "friends" called, urging him to take a stand on behalf of Tolman, so he did. Hmmm.
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