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Governors Race and Union Endorsements Thread (Combined)

(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: gooday

I was wondering which candidate people are backing for governor. I like this guy Gabrieli, I met him and Riley and even though Riley clames to be the regular joe Gabrieli although very wealthy seemed more down to earth. I read today that he is all for opening casinos in ma, I personaly like that alot. I think it will earn more money that could be put towards public safety and create jobs for people in this bad econemy.

Some people think it will put a spike in the crime rate but the main thing that makes the crime rate go up is drugs and a bad econemy, anyone working law enforcement will tell you that. It would also create road details for cops and maybe O.T, more work all around. I also must say I like the fact that even though he might be wealthy he still realized that the elderly are on a fixed income and gass prices and property taxes are still going up, they like my grandmother are struggling.

When it comes to stem cell research I also support him on his support on the subject. The way I see it is that if we could maybe cure thousands of diferent life threatening health problems then why not do so. Some of these health problems exist in small children and they shouldnt have to suffer ,they are inosent. Who knows this could one day cure paralisis or cancer two things nobody diserves.

I listen Duval patrick and although he is very witty with words that is all he has going for him, other than that I never heard of the man intill now, so if he is so intrested in the well being of our state what has he done in the last few years besides try to rip a union apart for american airlines from what I'v read.

Tom Riley tried to take away the Boston Policemans quinn bill and is shady anyway. Boston is the buisiest dept in the state and the most dangerous to work for and he wants to take money away from them and he's law enforcement, discusting. Healy must go, that dont even need explaining. These are just my views and opinoins I respect everyones opinion on this matter but I think my minds made up. I always like to hear other peoples views maybe I will look at this different later.


Posted by: Wolfman

Barring some scandal, I think Healy stands a pretty good chance of taking it this time around.


Posted by: frank




Posted by: gooday

Ya I know but do you realy care that much I was in a hurrt proffessor


Posted by: Wolfman

A well-formed post certainly lends credibility to both the content of your statement as well as your perceived intellectual capacity.

By not devoting the few seconds it takes to conduct basic proofreading, you can easily come off as some sort of a wingnut and thus the time and effort in expressing your opinion is lost. Frank is just trying to help you; the noble man would thank him and take his advice to heart - the callous man would respond with an equally ill-formed and windless retort...


Posted by: gooday

Well then I was wrong ,thank you Frank for your input . Sorry for not proof reading , and now that I did I see what you mean. I'M sorry ,I was in kind of a hurry while posting. The family was hounding me to leave after waiting for them for twenty minutes. Then I got off line and waited twenty more anyway. I hope you understand. Bye the way Frank, the dog thing did make me laugh.


Posted by: frank

It's cool, just the lack of paragraphs makes my eyes bleed and the subject hard to read...I got about 4 sentences into it before I had to stop.


Posted by: gooday

It will be Gabrieli and Murray in 07.


Posted by: SOT

God I hope not. That would be a disaster
Quote:
Originally Posted by gooday
It will be Gabrieli and Murray in 07.



Posted by: drewpopo

I sent a question to ask Chris,(Chris Gabrieli), the question was "As governor what will be your stance on the Quinn Bill?" on september 8, 2006

Responce :

"Dear Mr. Kularski: Thank you for your e-mail. My name is Katie Joyce and I am Chris's policy director. To answer your question, Chris supports the Quinn Bill as currently implemented and the continuing education and professionalization of our police force. Although Chris and many others have expressed concerns in the past about the Quinn Bill, the changes implemented over the past few years were carefully thought through and deserve to be evaluated before any other changes are considered. In any case, ensuring that public safety officers are well educated and fairly compensated are important goals given the importance of their work and the ever greater complexity of the tasks they undertake. I hope this is helfpul. Please let me know if you have additional questions or comments. Sincerely,
Katie Joyce"


Posted by: bbelichick

Quote:
Originally Posted by drewpopo
I"Dear Mr. Kularski: Thank you for your e-mail. My name is Katie Joyce and I am Chris's policy director. To answer your question, Chris supports the Quinn Bill as currently implemented and the continuing education and professionalization of our police force. Although Chris and many others have expressed concerns in the past about the Quinn Bill, the changes implemented over the past few years were carefully thought through and deserve to be evaluated before any other changes are considered. In any case, ensuring that public safety officers are well educated and fairly compensated are important goals given the importance of their work and the ever greater complexity of the tasks they undertake. I hope this is helfpul. Please let me know if you have additional questions or comments. Sincerely,
Katie Joyce"
Translation: I realize now that attacking the Quinn Bill will cause me to not get elected. Therefore, I commit to keeping the Quinn Bill until I am elected at which time I will attack it again under the guise of fiscal responsibilty because people hate cops. Thanks for your vote, you utter idiot.

-Chris


Posted by: gooday

People hate cops? Criminals hate cops, not regular people. If people hated cops you would not have the quinn bill in the first place and you would not have thousands of people taking tests for the job. People like Healy Hate corrections officers. I would not back a candidate that hated cops, or that thought that inmates should have more rights then officers. You think all democrats hate police officers and I think Healy hates corrections officers, any D.O.C guys want to chime in on this one. Remember in the globe when they said Healy was an expert in corrections, didnt she go down to the prison camp in cuba with Romney spouting there so called expertice on prisons. Well ask any D.O.C guy ,the prisons suck right now because of them. People are leaving walpole because the inmates have more rights then the officers and it is more dangerous then ever. They have rookies running the most volatile joint in the state because of the way they run prisons. Ya tough on crime untill they do the time. The boys behind the wall dont agree with your opinion and you dont agree with ours and we both have our reasons so I respect that.


Posted by: bbelichick

Quote:
Originally Posted by gooday
People hate cops? Criminals hate cops, not regular people.
Wow. How naive.

Get this: people don't like cops because they tell them what they can and can't do. They write them tickets. They arrest them. They arrest and write tickets to their family members.

Even when you help someone, many times they can find a way to criticize you.

If you think the general public loves the Police, you are mistaken. Maybe for a short while after 9/11...but that was it.


Posted by: lofu

Not to stir the pot Gooday but if you think a liberal democrat, in Massachusetts, will take rights away from prisoners and scumbags then I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell ya. ALL of the candidates, on both sides, say all the right things during the election and then when they get elected their true colors show. At least with a Republian, we could balance out the Democratially dominated state legislature to a certain extent.


Posted by: gooday

Hey I was a big fan of Weld, this is the first time I'v gone with a democrat. I just wish there was a better choice of republican, all I can do is go with the lesser of two evils.

As far as cops being hated I guess you know better than me because you are a cop, I work inside a jail. My own oppinion of cops is different then most then , I probably dont hear alot of peoples negative oppinions because my line of work, but if that is true then its a sin. Let them hate if they do but all politics aside atliest we all stick together, or we should. Its funny because some people think corrections officers beat people up all day, so I see how this could be.


Posted by: drewpopo

I am not a supporter of chris, I sent the same question to every canidate, he happens to be the only one to respond.I thik Gabrieli is just buying the election. He is the obviously the only one paying enough to have to have some respond at 7:00 pm on a friday night. I will post other responces as they come in


Posted by: gooday

He didnt pay me anything and I'm voting for him. I could say Healy's husband is buying it for her. ( Along with a 19% to spam.) I'm kidding bbelichick I couldnt help it the oppertunity was there. LOL !! I know I know not funny


Posted by: dcs2244

Quote:
Originally Posted by gooday
I was wondering which candidate people are backing for governor. I like this guy Gabrieli, I met him and Riley and even though Riley clames to be the regular joe Gabrieli although very wealthy seemed more down to earth. I read today that he is all for opening casinos in ma, I personaly like that alot. I think it will earn more money that could be put towards public safety and create jobs for people in this bad econemy.

Some people think it will put a spike in the crime rate but the main thing that makes the crime rate go up is drugs and a bad econemy, anyone working law enforcement will tell you that. It would also create road details for cops and maybe O.T, more work all around. I also must say I like the fact that even though he might be wealthy he still realized that the elderly are on a fixed income and gass prices and property taxes are still going up, they like my grandmother are struggling.

When it comes to stem cell research I also support him on his support on the subject. The way I see it is that if we could maybe cure thousands of diferent life threatening health problems then why not do so. Some of these health problems exist in small children and they shouldnt have to suffer ,they are inosent. Who knows this could one day cure paralisis or cancer two things nobody diserves.

I listen Duval patrick and although he is very witty with words that is all he has going for him, other than that I never heard of the man intill now, so if he is so intrested in the well being of our state what has he done in the last few years besides try to rip a union apart for american airlines from what I'v read.

Tom Riley tried to take away the Boston Policemans quinn bill and is shady anyway. Boston is the buisiest dept in the state and the most dangerous to work for and he wants to take money away from them and he's law enforcement, discusting. Healy must go, that dont even need explaining. These are just my views and opinoins I respect everyones opinion on this matter but I think my minds made up. I always like to hear other peoples views maybe I will look at this different later.
First of all, gooday, what "bad economy"? Unemployment is as low as it can be: businesses are still advertising for help...anyone who is unemployed either is unemployable or does not want to work. The economy has slowed during the last couple of months...this is due to several factors, war and oil prices to name two. As for the gambling industry, I agree with the Howie Carr editorial from the 1980's when the state enacted the lottery: "...the lottery is the state's excise tax on stupidity...".
What makes you think that money generated by casinos would be applied to projects/policies that benefit law enforcement?

As for the elderly on a "fixed income": why should any of us have to subsidize people who failed to plan for their retirements? True, most were duped by FDR's "Ponzi scheme" (aka "social security") and misunderstood it to be their retirement plan, rather than a means to supplement their retirement plan. I saw it for what it was and began planning for my retirement when I was 16 YOA. I surmised that SS would not be available to me when I retired and planned accordingly (and advised my friends to do likewise). I'm no genius, just a regular guy...the proof was there for all to see that were willing to see. Finally, your granny is your responsiblity not mine...neither is my granny your problem: it's up to each family to care for their elder members...not the "government". By the way, all the modifications done to SS?: done by democrats, not republicans.

"Stem cell research". While it is true that adult stem cells have provided advances in the medical field, embryonic stem cell research has yielded NOTHING. But hey, why let that stand in the way of aborting "innocents" for their stem cells?

"Unions" have successfully all but destroyed our steel and automotive industries. Toyota is now the number three automaker in the US...and they are not unionized. Let's have more unions so we can further destroy our industrial base.

You need to read the following books:

"Human Action", Ludwig Von Mises;
"Das Kapital", Karl Marx;
"Economics in One Lesson" and anything else by Henry Hazelit;
anything by Milton Friedman;
anything by Murray Rothbard;
"Democracy in America", Alexis de Toqueville
"The Federalist Papers", various

The key here is that democrats are the party of special interests, not the "LITTLE GUY". They are socialists. Socilaism does not work (see "Europe"). As VI Lenin said, "...the goal of socialism is communism...".

Healey, for good or ill, is the only horse in this race.


Posted by: drewpopo

Responce from Deval Patrick in regard to the Quinn bill


Good evening, Thanks for your interest in Deval Patrick's position on the Quinn bill - at this time, he doesn't have a position on the bill.
We hope you will vote for Deval on September 19th!

The Deval Patrick Team


Posted by: FedCop

I will probably vote for Gabrieli.


Posted by: gooday

Did you see Keller at large? When Keller asked Duval Patrick if he would use reverse didcrimination in hiring people he answered, I dont think that exists. Anyone working law enforsement knows that it exists. When asked if he thought if people with african roots should recieve higher pay for the slavery of the past he said, I dont know how it would work. Now remember the arguments on, it should be the best man for the job, well that dont mean its a white guy or a black guy but the guy with best most experience, cleanest record, education, and highest score on the test. The Doc Hired off a part 10 list in the past which is a minority list and alot of people got skipped for there position due to this a few years back, Due to being white. Now if I score a 95 why should a guy with an 82 get the job over me because he or she is black, spanish, or anything else ,I would say that is reverse discrimination. And why do we call it reverse discrimination, discrimination is discrimination. Boston does this to, they higher a minority list and other, I dont know if they still do, would that not be segragation all over again. Now I am in no way a racist but I thought this Patrick guy was alright in that way although I would not vote for him, but it seems to me he will only take care of a cirtain group of people.He wants to hire a thousand new cops, are those only minority cops. Do I think its wrong NOT to hire someone due to the collor of there skin yes but its just as wrong TO hire them for the same reason. I hope this dont offend any minority officers on here because it was not meant for that and I think alot of them are some of the best officers out there, but not all, not all white either. But if you diserve the job you should get it first.


Posted by: JoninNH

Quote:
Originally Posted by gooday
Well then I was wrong ,thank you Frank for your input . Sorry for not proof reading , and now that I did I see what you mean. I'M sorry ,I was in kind of a hurry while posting. The family was hounding me to leave after waiting for them for twenty minutes. Then I got off line and waited twenty more anyway. I hope you understand. Bye the way Frank, the dog thing did make me laugh.
So why didn't you proofread your response?


Posted by: ferus fidelitas

the democrats gutted the Quinn Bill - the police academy will get you zero credits now.. they are attempting to discourage officers from obtaining a degree by forcing you to take numerous foolish and expensive courses. i'm voting for Kerry Healey and Reed Hillman - they truly support the police. Let's not forget how Gabrielli is now changing his tune now that he is looking for endorsements, how Reilley meddled with the OUI Vehicular Homicide case of a supporter's son and tried to squash it and how Patrick lobbied in support of a rapist and a cop killer - all 3 are wacko liberals


Posted by: SinePari

All of them keep hounding on a topic that really irks me. They've all said how Massachusetts is in trouble, and Massachusetts needs to turn around and this and that. Didn't we have somewhere in the neighborhood of a $300M surplus last year? That means tax revenues are doing well. The high cost of living means people are making money, and spending just as fast. That's good for business. So what's the problem?

So the thing they harp on is "Massachusetts residents are leaving by the thousands...population is decreasing". So what! Have they driven in Boston or on Rt 128, 495, 24 or 93 lately? If you're living here, wouldn't you want as much space as possible? Why would you campaign for MORE people and residents coming here being a good thing? Am I the only one who noticed this?


Posted by: CJIS

I don't like any of them...dem or rep. I personaly think they are all full of crap.


Posted by: kwflatbed

AP: Patrick wins Democratic nomination for governor; Reilly and Gabrieli concede
By The Associated Press BOSTON — Deval Patrick, a Democrat making his first run for elective office and a bid to become the state’s first black governor, beat two opponents in Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary to win a place in November’s general election.
Patrick, 50, headed the Justice Department’s civil rights division under President Clinton.
Boston venture capitalist Chris Gabrieli, 46, who spent more than $8 million of his own fortune on the campaign, was second, and state Attorney General Tom Reilly, once the prohibitive favorite, came in a distant third.
Meanwhile, in Washington state, freshman Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, considered by some to be vulnerable in November, and her GOP challenger, Mike McGavick, were expected to blow past their little-known rivals in their respective primaries.
If Patrick wins in November, he would be just the second black elected governor in the United States, after L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia in 1989. However, no Democrat has been elected governor in this bluest of blue states since Michael Dukakis 20 years ago.
Reilly and Gabrieli both conceded the race to Patrick before 10 p.m. EDT. With 35 percent of the precincts reporting, Patrick had 46 percent, Gabrieli had 29 percent and Reilly had 24 percent.
“Hey folks, we gave it everything we had. It just didn’t work out for us,” Reilly said.
Patrick “has my congratulations and he has my support. It’s time to end 16 years of Republican governors, and I will help him do that.”
Patrick will face Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, the Republican nominee, as well as independent candidate Christy Mihos and Grace Ross of the Green-Rainbow Party, in November. Healey faced no opposition for the nomination for governor.
Republican Gov. Mitt Romney decided not to seek re-election and is instead considering running for president in 2008.
Reilly, 64, started the year as the front-runner but took a beating after he acknowledged calling a district attorney investigating the alcohol-related crash of the daughters of a campaign donor. Then the state lawmaker he picked as his running mate quit after one day, following disclosure of unpaid taxes and student loans.
The Democrats clashed over taxes and immigration, with Patrick warning that a cut in income taxes would put pressure on property taxes and backing a proposal to allow the children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state college tuition rates.
In Washington state, Cantwell, like Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, faced a revolt from anti-war activists in her party. But she tried to distance herself from her vote in favor of the Iraq war, and she neutralized an anti-war rival by hiring him to join her campaign.
She was seen as the prohibitive favorite in the field of five Democrats. McGavick, a former insurance executive, was expected to roll over five GOP rivals.
The state generally leans Democratic, and Cantwell is favored in November.


Posted by: gooday

Bbelichick you where right and I learned this state is in for some trouble. Kerry Healy looks very good now. If she was smart she would reach out to all law enforsement especialy corrections because she has a fight on her hands. Her administration has not been kind to many but she has to get out of Romneys shadow of that. The department I work for is made up of mostly republicans including myself. The problem is how do you back someone that belongs to an admin that dont appreciate the job you do and not sign off on a contract with two's and threes. She better reach out to all the unions that where behind Gabrieli and Rielly. I know that the few that went with Gabrieli did because they were ussualy republican unions and he was the closest to a republican out of all other candidates besides obviously Healy. If anything Romney hurt her.


Posted by: Delta784

As an "unenrolled" voter, I did a solid for my man Deval by taking a Democratic ballot and voting for him. During the general election campaign, Sean Healy's money is going to expose Patrick for what he is....a whacko liberal moonbat.

I don't think Patrick's ass would hit the seat in the governor's office before he'd go after the Quinn Bill and police details. It's a no-brainer.....cops should support Healy. I'm not exactly thrilled with her, but the alternative truly scares me.


Posted by: no$.10

It continuously irks me when Duval Patrick is referred to as "the next Barak Obama". How so? Did Obama argue for a pardon for a death row inmate? Does Obama want to grant ILLEGAL aliens in-state tuition, driver licenses, and other priveledges?

Duval Patrick is NO Barak Obama.

To me, Mihos is worth looking into. I will be glued to the television Monday night. Does anyone know what time the debate starts?


Posted by: gooday

Well I am now 100% behind Healey, I hope she does well. Lets do it together now


Posted by: dave7336

Quote:
Originally Posted by gooday
Well I am now 100% behind Healey, I hope she does well. Lets do it together now
I won't vote for anyone that says illegal aliens should get free tuition to state colleges when most people have to work 2 jobs to put their kids through with as little tuition loans as possible. Let them become citizens the correct way like most people's ancestors did and then apply for loans like everyone else...or this could be a shock to the system....WORK FOR WHAT YOU WANT!!! don't look for a handout.

Not a big fan of Romney so that could hurt Healey...I agree that she needs to break free from his image and create one for herself...she could start by cutting back on some of the ridiculous fees that you have to pay for things...emt license, promotional exams, etc...

I am curious as to what Mihos has to say...he says 40% of the state's revenues should go back to cities and towns...just curious how he plans to make it work..


Posted by: NewEngland2007

[quote=Delta784]As an "unenrolled" voter, I did a solid for my man Deval by taking a Democratic ballot and voting for him. During the general election campaign, Sean Healy's money is going to expose Patrick for what he is....a whacko liberal moonbat.
[quote]

Oh, that's deliciously subversive! Clapping!


Posted by: gooday

Now what do we do if an ultra liberal gets in office. What are the pro's and cons. People say he is not pro law enforcement ,is this true. If so Healey better reach out to all the law enforcement unions for support and put her old problems between her and the D.O.C Eboard in the past and go to there members and not the Eboard and get there support.Then she must reach out to the local p.d's and sheriffs offices. We have to stand united now .An ultra liberal does not know how things in the real world are. Like I said before if she gives the corrections officers a little notice she can score them, and by getting the state police, town police , corrections and fire many more will follow.

The big thing that Romney did was to put all correctional officers in the same class as the D.O.C eboard that attacked them and did not acknowledge that we are different unions and put us all in the same class when alot of us have nothing to do with them. I will admit the state did throw some shots at them that were unproffesional. But that was the Eboard he must remember they have men and woman inside those walls with families at home that had nothing to do with that negativity. lets do it together and start fresh and see if she comes out of Romneys shadow. I hope some agree, I do not want to see our state turn into a crime ridden hell hole that the police will have no tools to fight and they get fribbles, pizza and full contact private visits if they ever do go to jail or prison.


Posted by: dcs2244

Quote:
Originally Posted by dave7336
Not a big fan of Romney so that could hurt Healey...I agree that she needs to break free from his image and create one for herself...she could start by cutting back on some of the ridiculous fees that you have to pay for things...emt license, promotional exams, etc...

I am curious as to what Mihos has to say...he says 40% of the state's revenues should go back to cities and towns...just curious how he plans to make it work..
Dave, those ridiculous fees were levied to prevent increasing taxes. I happen to agree with those fees: you want to own a gun? PAY; you want to be an EMT/Doctor/Lawyer? PAY. You want to drive on the Turnpike? PAY. Why should I have to subisidize your stuff? I'll gladly pay the fees to do the stuff I want to do. Why should any of us have to pay increased taxes to support (ie, subsidize) stuff someone else wants to do? You want it...PAY FOR IT! There is no free lunch! (unless you're a scumbag with a twelve page driving history whom we have to subidize at the proclamation of the state insurance czar so that the scumbag can "afford" insurance...no free market here...try buying progressive or geico...not available!).

40% back to towns/cities...how about 90% back to towns and cities? It is easier to control those scumbags at a local level than the ones at state/federal level. Hell, Ted Kennedy never answered for murdering that gal in his Olds back in the sixties...if it had been you, it would have been jail-city, citizen. Yet you continue to return him to office, and that plastic turd Kerry as well. Just swell.


Posted by: kwflatbed

"Hell, Ted Kennedy never answered for murdering that gal in his Olds back in the sixties...if it had been you, it would have been jail-city, citizen. Yet you continue to return him to office, and that plastic turd Kerry as well."



Any one who votes for this pair of pocket fleecers deserve everything they get. !!!!!

Typical Massachusetts election coming up not one of them worth a vote.


Posted by: Oscar32

Lets all do our part to keep the elephant in the office....My vote is for Healey due to her policies in the area of law enforcement. Some of her policies can be located @ www.healeycommittee.com and would be extremely beneficial to police officers when they are implemented.

Long live the G.O.P.


Posted by: dcs2244

Pity that what passes as the GOP here in Massachusetts is a bunch of RINO's. I will never contribute money to the GOP in Massachusetts until they dump the RINO's. Hey, I contributed $500.00 to Alan Keyes in his run against Barrack "Marx" Obama out in IL...I have disposable income...dream on, MA Repubs...Rockefellar douche bags: nothing for you.


Posted by: dave7336

Quote:
Originally Posted by dcs2244
Dave, those rediculous fees were levied to prevent increasing taxes. I happen to agree with those fees: you want to own a gun? PAY; you want to be an EMT/Doctor/Lawyer? PAY. You want to drive on the Turnpike? PAY. Why should I have to subisidize your stuff? I'll gladly pay the fees to do the stuff I want to do. Why should any of us have to pay increased taxes to support (ie, subsidize) stuff someone else wants to do? You want it...PAY FOR IT! There is no free lunch! (unless you're a scumbag with a twelve page driving history whom we have to subidize at the proclamation of the state insurance czar so that the scumbag can "afford" insurance...no free market here...try buying progressive or geico...not available!).

40% back to towns/cities...how about 90% back to towns and cities? It is easier to control those scumbags at a local level than the ones at state/federal level. Hell, Ted Kennedy never answered for murdering that gal in his Olds back in the sixties...if it had been you, it would have been jail-city, citizen. Yet you continue to return him to office, and that plastic turd Kerry as well. Just swell.

If all of those fees were used to prevent taxes, why did property taxes increase dramatically? Also, it is many of those fees that prevent small businesses from starting up in Massachusetts as the costs of doing business is too high. I am not against fees per se, but to see them go increase from $75 to $150 (100% increase) in one year is ridiculous. If he wants to use them to say he never increased taxes, that is smoke and mirrors...a fee is just another word for a tax. If as you say, you want to do a certain job, pay the fee...I will assume that you agree with police officers having to pay for a license to carry a firearm since this is part of the job. I know that you can carry on the badge, but some departments make it a requirement that you have a LTC..

I have NEVER voted for either Kennedy or Kerry in my life, so telling me that I keep returning them to office is incorrect. I would be more than pleased to see them both get out of here, but since this state is so liberal, it won't happen unless they decide not to run for office.

Also, I would love to see more money go back to the cities and towns, something Romney held back these few years. As far as the 40% plan, I saw Mihos saying it on Fox 25 news the other morning. I would just like to see the details of the plan.


Posted by: gooday

Lets pick a candidate and work together as law enforcement. I think Healey is now the way to go but I dont know much positive about Patrick and I know little about Mihos. What do all you guys think. Let me know your opinion.


Posted by: dave7336

Quote:
Originally Posted by gooday
Lets pick a candidate and work together as law enforcement. I think Healey is now the way to go but I dont know much positive about Patrick and I know little about Mihos. What do all you guys think. Let me know your opinion.
I agree that we should stick together...maybe one of the larger union groups such as SPAM, Boston Police Patrolman's Association, IBPO, Masscops, or the new union that is forming can get some information and either put it on this website or mail it to their respective membership..Maybe if the candidates see we are united, they will listen


Posted by: dcs2244

Quote:
Originally Posted by dave7336
If all of those fees were used to prevent taxes, why did property taxes increase dramatically? Also, it is many of those fees that prevent small businesses from starting up in Massachusetts as the costs of doing business is too high. I am not against fees per se, but to see them go increase from $75 to $150 (100% increase) in one year is ridiculous.
Dave, property (and school) taxes are raised by your local, not state, weasels. If you think the fees are stifling small business, just wait for the dems to raise the minimum wage! Like I said, I'd rather pay an increased fee for the stuff I do than to pay an increased tax to subisidize everybody's stuff.

85% of the elected offices in MA are held by communists. Of the other 15%, 99.44% are held by RINO's. They spent us into the budget crisis previous to Romney being elected governor...they are responsible for the states compromised financial well being.

Stop electing commies and RINO's: stop having to deal with financial bullhockey (and creeping socialism/communism). Period.

Vote for Deval: PAY. Vote for Deval: Surrender your firearms. Vote for Deval: Turn back the clock to Johnson's "Great Society": pay people to stay home, avoid work and welp babies.

We still have more choices than the soviets did...but not enough to say so.


Posted by: kwflatbed

Gubernatorial War Of Words Heats Up


Healey, Patrick Outline Key Issues

BOSTON -- Comments made by the head of the state Democratic Party has kicked up a war of words and a battle over what issues will define the campaign.

NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported that Deval Patrick and Kerry Healey agree on one thing -- winning the battle over what defines this campaign will determine who wins in November.

While Patrick met with University of Massachusetts researchers and graduate students to highlight problems in the higher education system, Healey counted how many dollars taxpayers have lost since the Legislature refused to lower the income tax rate to 5 percent.

"I want to roll back taxes to 5 percent. He doesn't. He wants to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. I don't. He wants to give illegal immigrants in-state tuition. I don't. He seems to be much softer on crime than I am," Healey said.

"She lacks information. She has been a theorist about criminal justice. I have been a prosecutor. I understand what that means. I understand how to do it," Patrick said.

But Healey said she believes Thursday's firestorm over statements made by state Democratic Party Chairman Philip Johnston isn't over. He said that Healey's handpicked issues border on race-baiting and hate-mongering.

"Deval Patrick is now the leader of his party. He won a resounding victory on Tuesday. If Phil Johnston's comments do not represent his views, then he needs to say that and he needs to call for Phil Johnston's resignation," Healey said.

"Phil Johnston speaks for himself. I understand he has retracted the comments that I think she is referring to, and he should have. As far as I am concerned, it is time for us to get back to the issues that concern our futures. We should talk about taxes, and we should talk about the ways in which this administration has been starving its public higher education system, our public higher education system, of the very resources that we need to make a way for people to go forward," said Patrick.

Patrick said education, health care and the Big Dig are more important issues to highlight than driver's licenses and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. Healey, however, believes it is a matter of principle that Massachusetts must stand up to those breaking the law and "discourage illegals from coming to our shores."


Copyright 2006 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Posted by: dave7336

Quote:
Originally Posted by dcs2244
Dave, property (and school) taxes are raised by your local, not state, weasels. If you think the fees are stifling small business, just wait for the dems to raise the minimum wage! Like I said, I'd rather pay an increased fee for the stuff I do than to pay an increased tax to subisidize everybody's stuff.

85% of the elected offices in MA are held by communists. Of the other 15%, 99.44% are held by RINO's. They spent us into the budget crisis previous to Romney being elected governor...they are responsible for the states compromised financial well being.

Stop electing commies and RINO's: stop having to deal with financial bullhockey (and creeping socialism/communism). Period.

Vote for Deval: PAY. Vote for Deval: Surrender your firearms. Vote for Deval: Turn back the clock to Johnson's "Great Society": pay people to stay home, avoid work and welp babies.

We still have more choices than the soviets did...but not enough to say so.

Maybe the local taxes got raised because he withheld money to the cities and towns and they had to make it up somehow...I want more money going back to the local communities..

Also, what campaign promises did he keep? I believe that the Mass Pike is still not under control of Mass Highway...I have less money in my check than I used to have, and that is with a raise...he hasn't cut the taxes even though the voters approved it..

Lastly, I did vote for him and I am sorry,...and if you read my first email, it says that I would never vote for someone like Deval...and I have no intention to


Posted by: kwflatbed

Candidates agree to western Mass. debate

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Western Massachusetts voters will get a chance to see the gubernatorial candidates debate in person early next month.
Democrat Deval Patrick, independent Christy Mihos and Green-Rainbow candidate Grace Ross have all agreed to attend the forum on October third at American International College in Springfield.
Republican Kerry Healey has yet to commit to the event.

(Thanks, Bill Erickson, WHYN)

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Posted by: j809

MPA already endorsed Healey/Hillman. Curious who MassCop and other Police labor unions are endorsing.


Posted by: kwflatbed

Healey blasted in first debate

Candidates spar on Big Dig, taxes
By David Kibbe, Standard-Times staff writer


DEDHAM — The four candidates for governor last night clashed on the Big Dig, immigration and taxes in their first debate, as they begin a six-week sprint to Election Day.
The two front-runners, Democrat Deval Patrick and Republican Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, rarely engaged each other directly. Instead, Healey faced withering attacks from independent candidate Christy Mihos, who accused her of "intentional indifference" to Big Dig problems until it resulted in a fatality.
And Green/Rainbow candidate Grace Ross frequently chastised her three wealthy opponents, saying they are ignoring core issues like the economy and health care that matter to everyday Massachusetts residents.
"They have no clue what the rest of us face," Ross told a televised audience from the Fox 25 News studio, which broadcast the debate in conjunction with the Boston Herald. The moderator was Chris Wallace, host of "Fox News Sunday." It was the first of at least four scheduled debates before Nov. 7.
The subject of the Big Dig provided the most contentious moments. Patrick and Mihos both jumped on the Romney-Healey administration, saying they failed to take responsibility for the safety of the Big Dig tunnels until a Jamaica Plain woman was killed in a tunnel collapse this summer.
Healey said her administration had tried for nearly four years to merge the state highway department with the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, an independent agency that managed the Big Dig. She said the proposal was repeatedly blocked by the state Legislature.
Healey said the administration had its hands tied until the state Legislature allowed Gov. Mitt Romney to take control of the Turnpike Authority on an emergency basis after the collapse. She said the administration is doing an independent "stem to stern" review of the tunnels.
Patrick, who has called for an independent auditor to take over the Big Dig, commended the administration for its actions after the Big Dig collapse, but said more interest should have been shown before it happened.
Patrick said there was "hardly any attention given to the (Big Dig) until a tragedy in July."
Mihos frequently interrupted Healey, who was seated next to him.
Mihos, who was a critic of Big Dig management when he served on the turnpike board, said the Romney administration could have had more oversight over the project before the doomed connector tunnel was opened but deferred to the project manager.
Mihos was fired from the Turnpike Authority by acting Gov. Jane Swift and later reinstated after state Supreme Judicial Court ruled in his favor.
"We knew reforms were needed," Healey said. "We wanted to have control, finally, over this autonomous agency that was overseeing something that was so out of control in terms of cost. We had no idea about the safety concerns at that point, although we were beginning to see that it was beginning to fall apart even as it was just being opened."
The candidates also vigorously debated a voter-approved tax rollback. The last phase would have dropped the tax rate from 5.3 percent to 5 percent until it was frozen by the state Legislature at the height of a fiscal crisis four years ago.
Healey said it was time to give the money back to the taxpayers.
Patrick said cutting the income tax would harm municipal services. He said the Romney administration had presided over a $1.8 billion increase in property taxes, while the administration proposed $985 million in new taxes and fees.
Ross said the debate about the income tax misses the larger point about the rise in property taxes. "We've had 16 years of no new taxes, and I am drowning under taxes," Ross said in a post-debate interview with Fox 25.
Mihos said the state is too expensive for residents and businesses. He supports both an income tax rollback, as well as devoting more revenue to cities and towns to lower property taxes.
The candidates differ on immigration issues. Healey and Mihos are opposed to granting in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants and granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
Mihos, a Cape Cod convenience store owner, said he would make it a felony to drive a car without a license in an attempt to deter illegal immigrants from driving.
Patrick shifted the debate to national policy, saying the United States needs to secure its borders.
Healey warned that Patrick's election would end 16 years of a Republican check on the Democratic-dominated Legislature.
But Patrick, a former corporate lawyer and civil rights chief in the Clinton Administration, said the voters "want an outsider in the corner office, someone whose experience is broader, who didn't grow up in the Beacon Hill culture."
Mihos made a pitch for his independent candidacy, saying both parties were beholden to special interests and had failed to accomplish tax cuts and reform state government.
On local issues, Healey said she has gone to Washington to fight fishing rules that are crippling the industry, which won her praise from Patrick.
Patrick said he would also seek to provide more treatment help for substance abuse addiction in fishing communities.
Cape Wind, the controversial proposal to place 130 wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, came up briefly. Patrick supports it, while Healey and Mihos strongly oppose it.
Mihos said he would fight Cape Wind to protect fishing rights, which led Healey to say she also opposes the project, while otherwise supporting renewable energy.
"I agree with you that Cape Wind is a bad idea," Healey said. "It's in the wrong place.


Posted by: j809

Quote:
Patrick said he would also seek to provide more treatment help for substance abuse addiction in fishing communities.
Oh, ya , you the man.


Posted by: kwflatbed

Patrick accused of 'stereotyping' fishermen

Patrick says substance abuse hurting fleet
By Jack Spillane, Standard-Times staff writer
Deval Patrick may not have realized it, but he waded into a touchy SouthCoast subject this week when he advocated for more substance abuse programs for Massachusetts fishermen.
Deb Shrader, a longtime local advocate for the New Bedford fishing industry, says she was surprised that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate would "stereotype" fishermen as addicts.
"If he wants to attribute drugs as a problem for society, fine, but to say the fishing industry in particular, I have a problem with that," she said.
Mr. Patrick, at the Fox 25 debate in Boston on Monday, agreed with Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, that federal fisheries regulations need to be reformed.
But Mr. Patrick said the problems with the area fishing industry are not limited to regulations that unreasonably restrict the fishing effort.
"There are other social issues that are devastating the fleet, as well," he said. "Drug and alcohol addiction is a very serious problem and making those kind of treatment-on-demand opportunities available is also key for the human element in the fishing industry."
Drae Perkins, executive director of Treatment on Demand, a local advocacy group for addiction issues, said he thinks Mr. Patrick was "accurate" when he said fishermen need more help with substance abuse problems.
"Fishermen, from my experience, had a long history of substance abuse. It dates back to alcohol," he said.
Mr. Perkins said he believes the industry does not want to speak out about the problem because of the effect it might have on insuring boats.
"If underwriters are under the impression the industry is inundated with substance abuse, they're not going to be able to write a policy," he said.
Mr. Perkins said some individuals with his organization are working for Mr. Patrick on their own time. The agency, however, has not talked to Mr. Patrick about substance abuse problems among fishermen.
The Patrick campaign did not return three phone calls for this story.
Substance abuse problems long have been thought to be a problem for the fishing industry, particularly intravenous drug use.
In 1996, The Standard-Times researched five years of death certificates in Greater New Bedford and found that fishermen accounted for nearly 30 percent of drug-related deaths.
The paper's investigation also showed that fishermen accounted for 12.3 percent of local AIDS-related deaths. The next highest profession was carpenters at 5.8 percent. Construction workers were third at 5 percent.
Ms. Shrader, who heads the fishing industry advocacy group Shore Support, said she thinks the statistics are outdated.
"A lot has changed in the industry since 1996," she said.
Federal regulation of declining fish stocks in area waters means that fishermen now work harder in smaller crews, she said. It would be difficult, she said, to perform the job and be an addict.
"The work is much more demanding than it was," she said.
Ms. Shrader, whose husband is a commercial fishermen, said there are different types of people in the fishing industry and not all of them are really fishermen.
"What's a fishermen?" she asked. "Someone who gets a job fishing every six months in order to get high, or someone who makes a living fishing every day and employing six people?"

Contact Jack Spillane
at jspillane@s-t.com
Date of Publication: September 28, 2006 on Page A07


Posted by: kwflatbed

Patrick refuses to say how he would have closed 2003 deficit

By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press writer

BOSTON — While lamenting $985 million in fee and tax increases he said the Romney-Healey administration proposed or used to close a state budget deficit in 2003, Deval Patrick refused yesterday to outline how he would have eliminated the $3 billion shortfall.
The Democratic gubernatorial nominee instead insisted that his solutions for coping with such a cyclical economic phenomenon are not as important as lifting the veil from what he calls the administration's "fiscal shell game."
Patrick said Gov. Mitt Romney and Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, who is the Republican gubernatorial nominee, portray themselves as conservative fiscal stewards, yet property taxes have increased $1.8 billion while they have been in office, and various fees and taxes also have increased.
Healey wants to roll back the state income tax rate from 5.3 percent to 5 percent, a reduction that Patrick says the state, municipalities and homeowners cannot afford.
"My point is that if we are going to talk about an income tax rollback, let's start telling the truth, and this administration didn't tell the truth," Patrick said during a news conference called to draw attention to his housing proposals.
"It continues to talk about how it's a champion of income tax cuts when, in fact, it's been responsible for sharply higher fees and taxes at the state level and at the local level, and if we're going to do this going forward, what people can count on from me is that I will tell the truth."
Asked to define the economic "truth" he would have conveyed to state residents in 2003, when the deficit was pegged at $2 billion to $3 billion, Patrick replied, "I'm not talking about going back. I'm talking about today."
He then walked away from the microphones assembled outside his campaign headquarters.
Romney, who has largely avoided comment on the governor's race, chafed at the fee criticism Tuesday. He said the administration had limited fee increases to $260 million, although the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation later said Romney and Healey were responsible for $700 million in tax and fee increases.
"What would Deval Patrick have done instead?" Romney asked. "If he didn't want to raise fees, would he have cut local aid by $260 million or raised taxes by $260 million? Which was the answer?"
Yesterday, Healey accused Patrick of dodging the question.
"Where would the state be today had Deval Patrick and his policies been in place four years ago, when we had a genuine fiscal crisis with a $3.2 billion budget gap to close?" the lieutenant governor said. "We did it without raising taxes. We made some tough decisions and we stood by those decisions."
During his news conference, Patrick applauded Romney and Healey for various policies aimed at expanding the state's housing stock, including "a very good" smart-growth policy aimed at creating housing near transportation hubs. He also applauded their efforts to insure local communities from increased school costs created by families moving into that housing.
Yet Patrick cited a new report by the Boston Foundation, a nonprofit group that issues grants for community development, which concluded that Massachusetts still is lagging in building affordable housing for young families and middle-income earners.
Patrick complained that only six of 30 smart-growth proposals have been approved.
"The question is, why don't we have lots of projects like that, given the urgency of the need?" he said. "I think we just have to put a lot more emphasis there."
On two other points, the Democrat outlined differences with the administration.
Patrick said he opposes a proposal, now being pushed by Healey, to cut the state's unemployment insurance rates, which at $688 per worker are now the highest in the country.
Healey wants to increase the time an employee would have to work before receiving benefits from 15 weeks to 20, and shorten the period they could collect benefits from 30 weeks to 26, the current federal standard. Healey says the changes would save $100 per employee.
"I don't think that stimulates more job creation," said Patrick, although he conceded that employers have complained to him about the cost. "I think that at a time when the economy is as fragile as this, and there are as many people either out of work or worried about jobs, is not the time to take up that issue."
On another point, Patrick said he supports tax incentives for job creation, but generally as a "closer" to making a deal. Romney and Healey have supported expanding an income tax credit to all manufacturers in Massachusetts, but the Legislature — controlled by Democrats — has limited it only to biotechnology and life science manufacturers.
"A company that makes an investment decision purely because of a tax incentive is a company on its way out of business. It's just too skinny a margin," Patrick said. "Having tax incentives in the portfolio of tools to try to get deals done is something I am interested in," but he also said the state should enforce "clawbacks" to reclaim credits from companies that do not fulfill promises — such as job creation — used to justify the incentive
.
Associated Press writer Steve LeBlanc contributed to this report.


Posted by: kwflatbed

Healey wants Patrick to probe critics' ad funding

By The Associated Press

BOSTON — The campaign manager for Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey demanded yesterday that Democrat Deval Patrick call on a labor-backed group that has been airing ads critical of his Republican gubernatorial opponent to disclose its financial supporters to the public.
Patrick promptly replied, "No."
In his letter to Patrick, Healey campaign manager Tim O'Brien warned: "If you refuse to demand that the Patriot Majority Fund disclose their records, it will be clear that you support their tactics, endorse their negative campaign and stand against full disclosure and transparency in our campaign process."
Patrick told reporters at a news conference that he would not make such a demand, even though he disapproved of the TV commercials.
The Patriot Majority Fund is a so-called "527," an independent political organization under the Internal Revenue Service code.
Such groups cannot expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a candidate, but they are used by partisans of all stripes to lobby voters for and against specific causes.
The fund was founded in 2005 and has been supported by the Service Employees International Union. Among those leading the fundraising drive for the anti-Healey ads is Warren Tolman, a former state senator and Democratic candidate for governor and lieutenant governor who now is in private law practice.
In its television ad, the group accuses Healey of using state employees to staff her political events. The ad also chastises Healey for "State Police escorts to avoid traffic jams."
Healey has run ads critical of Patrick and Chris Gabrieli, one of Patrick's challengers in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, but they have been under her own name and financed either with money donated by the lieutenant governor or a publicly listed group of contributors.


Posted by: gooday

Go to Patricks web page and read his proposal on law enforcement. There are a few things missing in some parts and other parts he is not so schooled on but I thought most of it was ok. But they all tell you what you want to here. Patrick claims he wants to change things in this state, but he is the only candidate that has not been involved in this state ever before. Mihos was with the big dig and has since fought to make it a better run project, involvement. Healey is Lt. Governor and has fought to do many things to, some thing people may not agree with but some things were very positive, bottom line, involvement.Patrick has lived in this state for years and has had nothing to do with it at all, no involvement. So why all of the sudden does he want to be governor and fix everything, he didnt care before, so he will only care as governor. Something about him I dont trust but maybe I'm wrong ,I'll have to see more of him. I was wondering what others thought of his public safety proposal on his web page.


Posted by: FedCop

Mihos is a damn joke and will only take votes away from Healey.


Posted by: dcs2244

D. Patrick is a commie.


Posted by: ferus fidelitas

She has my vote. "Higher Taxes For All Deval" is always vague. He blasts the current administration for the increased user fees - which those of us who don't use, are no longer forced to supplement, but refuses to explain how he would have gotten us out of the massive deficit that the democ rat controlled state legislature got us into... as it is, the democrats refuse to obey the will of the voters to lower the "temporary" income tax to where it was or to approve many of Romney/Healey's intelligent proposals.. wtf.. Democrats are soft on crime and hard on tax payers - bunch of dishonest, high tax loving faggots.


Posted by: Delta784

Quote:
Originally Posted by gooday
Go to Patricks web page and read his proposal on law enforcement.
Stronger Partnerships - Translation: More hack jobs for former state reps & senators.

Expanding Community Policing - A complete joke & total waste of money.

End Gang and Gun Violence - Translation: More feel-good, meaningless gun laws that do nothing, other than punish those who obey the law to begin with.

restore the law enforcement, public health and community-based strategies that worked in the 1990s - Those didn't work, that's why they no longer exist. The last thing we need is the return of midnight basketball.

limit gun purchases in Massachusetts to one firearm per month - Deval, if the majority of illegal guns are coming from outside of Massachusetts, as you claim, then what exactly will this proposal accomplish?

Any police officer who's considering voting for Deval Patrick needs to have their head examined.


Posted by: thelastsamurai

As Healey has said on Fox25 yesturday... the "only" real competition in the race is her and Patrick. Ross and Milhos can't complete in their level.

I agree that there is something fishy about Patrick... from being a Republican to a Democrat.. At times I think its just total BS coming out of his mouth..

End Gang and Gun Violence. = Good luck there. Sad to say, but it will never happen.

My other opinion that he's been spending more time in cities with ethnic groups.. such as Lawrence and Lowell.. so he can get votes of that.

So far my vote still goes with Healey.


Posted by: gooday

I also noticed that he wants to prevent crimes against woman ,children and people of color. I guess white men either are not victims of crime or he just dont want to prevent it.


Posted by: j809

Mihos wants payback for ROmney/Healey firing him, so he will take away votes from Healy and Patrick will probably win.


Posted by: kwflatbed

Patrick apologizes to fishermen, admits 'more to learn' about industry

By Jack Spillane, Standard-Times staff writer

Deval Patrick broke his silence about his comment linking substance abuse to fishermen yesterday, talking to The Standard-Times about the fishing industry and health care issues related to its economy.
Mr. Patrick — who has also been criticized in recent days in the Boston media for refusing to talk about how he would have solved the 2002 state revenue crisis — called the newspaper after it had reported for two days about whether he had stereotyped the fishing industry by saying the fleet has been devastated by drug and alcohol addiction, as well as other social issues.
"I did not mean to suggest last Monday in the debate that the issues of drug or alcohol addiction are any more severe in the fishing industry than anywhere else," he said.
Mr. Patrick acknowledged he is not an expert on the fishing industry, but said he had heard about the lack of health coverage for substance abuse and other problems from people "in the industry."
"It's an industry ... where folks are a lot less likely to have (health insurance) .... so getting the help people need has been an issue that people have brought to me," he said.
The problem, Mr. Patrick asserted, was that the Fox 25 debate format prevented him from putting his drug and alcohol addiction comment in context, he said.
"Had there not been somebody standing just behind the camera with a big red stop sign saying, 'Stop talking,' I would have elaborated," he said.
Mr. Patrick said the Legislature's enactment of a universal health-care law last year is a step toward helping fishermen, and their families, obtain health care for a variety of problems, including for substance addiction.
The new law, however, will have to be refined, he said.
"I think as it's implemented, there may be some special accommodations that have to be made for people in the fishing industry," he said. "I don't know what they are yet, but if they have to be made, we will make them."
Mr. Patrick said he had talked to individuals from Treatment on Demand in New Bedford about addiction issues, and to Dr. Brian Rothschild and former Mayor John K. Bullard about problems associated with the fisheries.
"I've got more to learn, to be sure," he said.
"I've heard a lot about issues of recruiting the next generation into the fleet, I've heard a lot about the way these rules make it so difficult to make a living at the fleet — you know, that you can only be out 30 days for certain species."
Mr. Patrick said he has also learned about the tension between environmentalists and fishermen, and sewage runoff into the harbor from the combined sewer-overflow system.
"What I do know is that life is not easy right now in the fishing industry," he said. "People aren't making money, they aren't making ends meet. And it's an important industry, economically and historically, here in Massachusetts, and it needs attention paid to it."
Mr. Patrick said that people in the treatment community across the state are concerned that cuts to detox programs have ended up causing expensive law enforcement, homelessness and health care problems.
"There's so many examples of that kind of short-sighted leadership decisions that I think have been made in this (the Romney-Healey) administration that I want to bring a real change to," he said.
Mr. Patrick confirmed that he has offered to meet with Deb Shrader — the head of a fishermen's advocacy group that had expressed concern he was stereotyping fishermen.
The campaign had wanted to meet a week from today when Mr. Patrick will be visiting New Bedford, but Ms. Shrader has a scheduling conflict, he said. The campaign will arrange another date.
Ms. Shrader said yesterday that she is satisfied Mr. Patrick had been given "misinformation" about the industry.
"He was very apologetic," she said.
She is viewing the opportunity for the fishing industry to meet with Mr. Patrick, as well as members of the treatment community, as an opportunity, she said.
"My goal is that everyone gets together and discusses it openly," she said.
"We're working on a compromise," about how to talk about addiction issues and the fishing community, she said.
The goal is to be able to "take care of the people who need care and give credit to the people who don't," she said.


Contact Jack Spillane
at jspillane@s-t.com

Date of Publication: September 30, 2006 on Page A05


Posted by: kwflatbed

Candidate defends stance on '03 deficit, taxes

By Jack Spillane, Standard-Times staff writer

Deval Patrick didn't just talk about the fisheries to The Standard-Times yesterday, he also addressed criticism that he walked away from a Boston press conference on Thursday without answering a question about how he would have solved the 2003 state revenue crisis.
"I didn't think I was walking away," he said. "Usually when the press secretary says, 'Thank you,' that means it's the end and it's over."
Mr. Patrick called press questions about what he would have done to solve the 2003 revenue crisis "fair," given that he has criticized the Romney-Healey administration for solving the crisis by enacting $985 million in state fees and corporate taxes.
"The question was, 'What would you have done differently?' and my answer is 'I would have been straight with people,'" he said.
Mr. Patrick has rapped Lt. Gov. Healey for criticizing him for supporting an immediate reduction of the state income tax from 5.3 percent to 5 percent. He says she is not being straight with the public because the Romney-Healey administration increased fees and corporate taxes during the 2003 crisis at the same time they were supporting a reduction in the income tax.
"I don't think you say that you're doing a tax cut out of one side of your mouth and then out of the other side, propose $985 million in new fees and taxes, and cause property taxes to go up $1.8 billion," he said.
Mr. Patrick said he would have taken more time than the Romney-Healey administration did in 2003 to find efficiencies that "squeeze savings out of the budget, before making those kinds of increases."
He acknowledged that efficiencies might not have been enough to solve the crisis but declined to say what else he would have done.
"I'm not trivializing the hard choices that had to be made in a moment of economic stress, I'm not at all. But the point is, I think people are entitled to be talked to straight," he said.
The issue for him, Mr. Patrick said, is what he would do about the revenue issues now facing the state.
"I think it's a mistake to roll the income tax back to 5 percent right now. Because it will cause the very sorts of things, the very kinds of consequences, that we've been talking about, in terms of the pressure on the property taxes, and on fees," he said.
Ms. Healey is running on a tax-cutting platform and she needs to be clear about the consequences of those tax cuts for state revenue and for property taxes in cities and town, he said.
"The point I was making is that, 'If you're going to lead, you have to be straight with people,'" he said.

Contact Jack Spillane
at jspillane@s-t.com

Date of Publication: September 30, 2006 on Page A05


Posted by: kwflatbed

Insider-Politics Accusations Fly In Gubernatorial Race

Patrick Voting Record Eyed

BOSTON -- There were accusations of insider politics in the Massachusetts gubernatorial race, and some past no-shows at the voting booth come back to sting Democrat Deval Patrick.

NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported that Patrick accused Republicans of playing games when he was denied access to a Melrose elementary school for a campaign event.

Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, who traveled to Plymouth to talk about level 2 sex offenders, lashed out at Patrick and his status with Beacon Hill insiders.

"I'm much more concerned that he was in secret meetings yesterday with the leadership. That says to me that when he says it won't be the same old, same old, it will be the same old, same old. Nothing's changed," Patrick said.

"The folks who I am beholden to, the people, the special interests that I have on my mind, are regular working people. And it is them I am working for, and it is for them I intend to deliver," Patrick said.

But Healey wasn't the only Republican giving Patrick trouble. After a meeting with parents at the Lincoln Elementary School in Melrose, Patrick was asked to leave.

"We were looking forward to coming out afterwards and doing a press availability, but the Republican city committee got involved -- more politics as usual -- and I didn't want to put the teachers and administrators in the middle of that," Patrick said.

Ironically, it was the same school that former acting Gov. Jane Swift used to announce her running mate, Patrick Guerrero, in 2002.

Melrose Superintendent Joe Casey said he was not in charge then, and he insisted that his decision Friday was not influenced by any Republican school committee members.

Meanwhile, Patrick deftly deflected a Boston Herald report that he has failed to vote in seven elections during the past decade, including two presidential elections -- compared to one missed primary election for Healey.

"My recollection is getting regular absentee ballots and filing them. If I've missed votes, shame on me," Patrick said.

Healey offered no criticism of Patrick's voting record, and her campaign denied any involvement with the decision to ask the Democrat to leave the school property after his private meeting.

Healey campaign's only comment was that "we were disappointed that the kids didn't have a change to hear how Deval Patrick wants to lower standards in our schools."


Copyright 2006 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Posted by: SinePari

Quote:
Originally Posted by j809
Mihos wants payback for ROmney/Healey firing him, so he will take away votes from Healy and Patrick will probably win.
He should run his own tv/radio show, like ex-MTA member Jordan Levy did. There is life after the Turnpike Christy, and stop tanning for crying out loud.


Posted by: Mr.90/24

Gooday,
I am not trying to start a war, but the State Police is 2400 strong, double the Boston Police. With that said, being the most dangerous is also up for opinion. The State Police has lost more Troopers in the last ten years then any other department. Every officer on the road should get the Quinn bill!! Boston is one of the largest PD's in the commonwealth and Boston is a dangerous place....thank god for the state police hammering in that city!! Good bless all..


Posted by: Delta784

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.90/24
I am not trying to start a war, but the State Police is 2400 strong, double the Boston Police.
At the beginning of 2006, there were 2,067 sworn Boston Police personnel. Now, I stink at math, but 2,400 is hardly double that number.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.90/24
With that said, being the most dangerous is also up for opinion. The State Police has lost more Troopers in the last ten years then any other department.
What other department would lose ANY troopers? MSP is the only agency that uses the title.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

The MSP, including MDC Officers, have had 35 LOD deaths;

http://odmp.org/agency.php?agencyid=2382

The Boston PD have had 69 LOD deaths;

http://odmp.org/agency.php?agencyid=375

Again, I suck at math, but.........

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.90/24
Every officer on the road should get the Quinn bill!!
Agreed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.90/24
Boston is one of the largest PD's in the commonwealth and Boston is a dangerous place....thank god for the state police hammering in that city!! Good bless all..
Now, I'm not trying to start a war either, but I'm a union guy, and tend to look at most things in that light. Did it ever occur to you that if the state police didn't send people into Boston, Springfield, or Brockton, the mayors of those cities would be forced to properly staff their police departments? I seriously doubt Tom Nee of the BPPA is thrilled about it, and I know the Springfield union is beside themselves.

I'm not trying to toss bombs, but I think the Springfield union has a legitimate gripe. What politician is going to refuse something that's going to save him money?


Posted by: SinePari

Quote:
Originally Posted by Delta784
Now, I'm not trying to start a war either, but I'm a union guy, and tend to look at most things in that light. Did it ever occur to you that if the state police didn't send people into Boston, Springfield, or Brockton, the mayors of those cities would be forced to properly staff their police departments? I seriously doubt Tom Nee of the BPPA is thrilled about it, and I know the Springfield union is beside themselves.

I'm not trying to toss bombs, but I think the Springfield union has a legitimate gripe. What politician is going to refuse something that's going to save him money?
Your math is correct, 90/24 just got off a mid shift...

Boston/Spingfield is apples/oranges. Springfield is bankrupt, and relies upon state and federal money for basic services such as police, fire etc. When they laid off 100 officers a few years ago, there weren't many alternatives for policing the city.


Posted by: Irish Wampanoag

I will vote for who ever funds our contract/s and that will not be Healey.

Money should be the only factor in deciding the governer!!


Posted by: kwflatbed

Mad TV: Dems fume as Healey uses them in her ad
By Kimberly Atkins
Boston Herald Reporter
Monday, October 2, 2006 - Updated: 02:17 AM EST

Do as we say . . . not as we said!
That was the message from Democrats furious that Republican gubernatorial candidate Kerry Healey would dare to use their recorded praise of her past deeds in a campaign ad.
To make matters worse, she’s now thinking about making a new ad out of yesterday’s press conference, after Democratic lawmakers said they stood by their initial remarks.
The Dems are demanding that Healey take the offending spot off the air, calling it a ploy to mislead voters into thinking they back her.
The ad, which debuted over the weekend, features Democratic Sen. Steven Baddour and Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley praising Healey’s work on criminal justice issues last week as Healey signed a tough new sex offender law.

Baddour said the ad “represents some of the worst things about politics. I’m thoroughly disappointed that her campaign would intentionally distort my role in this event.”
In the ad, Baddour is shown at the press conference saying: “She deserves a great deal of admiration and respect,” while Conley said: “Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey put in place a very good law.” The ad ends with a clip of Attorney General Tom Reilly’s pre-primary comments calling Patrick “soft on crime.”
Standing with Reps. Eugene O’Flaherty (D-Chelsea), James Vallee (D-Franklin) and Peter Koutoujian (D-Waltham) yesterday at Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick’s campaign office, Baddour said, “You can imagine my surprise as I woke up (Saturday) morning to find my image and words at that bill signing splashed across a political ad for the Kerry Healey campaign. This event was a bipartisan effort to celebrate the passage of a critical bill to protect children. It was not to celebrate the Kerry Healey campaign.”
All of the lawmakers backed Attorney General Thomas Reilly in the Democratic primary, except Vallee, who backed Chris Gabrieli.
In a statement, Conley said he makes it a point “to remain as free of other people’s politics as possible.”
“Giving credit where it is due is only right, and I stand by my public statement,” Conley said of his praise for Healey, but said he never expected to see them in a campaign ad.
Healey campaign manager Tim O’Brien said the ads will keep running. If fact, he said, “The comments (made yesterday) were so positive we’re thinking about cutting another ad.”
When asked about his praise for Healey yesterday, Baddour admitted to reporters, “She deserved credit for getting that bill backed and getting that bill signed into law. Quite frankly, going forward our children will be much safer under this bill.”


Posted by: kwflatbed

The Monday morning briefing
By Kimberly Atkins
Boston Herald Reporter
Monday, October 2, 2006 - Updated: 03:37 AM EST

The Week Ahead:
Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey called Christy Mihos her “hero” during last week’s Herald/Fox25 debate, then afterward referred to him as “noise” that needed to be stifled so she and Democrat Deval Patrick can be heard. But Mihos and Green-Rainbow candidate Grace Ross will be there for tomorrow night’s face-off, which will take place at Springfield’s American International College (which is Attorney General Tom Reilly’s alma mater, for you trivia buffs).
Meanwhile, television stations have been put on notice by Democrats who are crying foul over Healey’s latest ad, featuring Democratic lawmakers and prosecutors lavishly praising Healey. The Democratic Party wants the spots off the air. No word yet as to whether Healey or Gov. Mitt Romney will demand Christy Mihos remove his ad showing them with their heads somewhere other than the clouds.

Today’s Talking Point:


Who would benefit most from a two-person debate, Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey or Deval Patrick?


Democrats


Ben Alper: Voters want a governor who can feel their pain, not measure it. A two-person debate gives Kerry Healey the opportunity to show she’s more than Mitt’s Stepford wife. Minus Mihos, she has a better chance to connect with constituents. But if she can only attack Deval Patrick, her campaign is kaput, because no one ever roots for the robots.


Ben Alper is a liberal comedy writer and commentator.


Dwight Robson: Kerry Healey. Trying to erase a huge Patrick lead, Healey has reversed her earlier call for inclusive four-way debates, and now wants Patrick one-on-one. Such a forum would give Healey more time to speak; make it much easier to draw contrasts with Patrick; and eliminate important face time for Healey critic-in-chief - Christy Mihos.


Dwight Robson managed Shannon O’Brien’s gubernatorial campaign.


Republicans


Jim Rappaport: Patrick was helped by having Ross at the debate, making him seem moderate by comparison. In addition, since he was not a universal target, as Healey was, he benefited immensely. Healey was definitely hurt by having Christy there targeting the Romney-Healey administration on two of its biggest public relations/administrative problems, the Big Dig and its fee and tax increases. Thus, Healey would benefit most by having a two-person debate.


Jim Rappaport was a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in 2002.


Holly Robichaud: The voters would be the winner with a two-person debate. It would allow for an actual discussion between the two credible candidates running.At some point it is time to cut out candidates who fail to get even 10 percent of the vote when combining their support. Last week Healey stood up well to the three-person attack. A one-on-one fight should level the playing field for her and allow her to land more direct jabs on Patrick’s Dukakis type initiatives.

Politics by the Numbers:
$306,122.45. That’s how much candidates for governor would have to spend per day to reach the $15 million post-primary spending limit set by Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey. Under the $1.5 million limit Deval Patrick, Grace Ross, and Christy Mihos previously agreed to, the per-day breakdown would have been $30,612.24, but Healey’s proposed limit set the bar for all the candidates.
The Blog Buzz:
Despite her myriad legal run-ins, newlycrowned write-in recount re-election winner Sen. Dianne Wilkerson has the unflinching support of pro-gay rights groups such as MassEquality and the MGLPC. But pro-same sex marriage blogger Mass Marrier isn’t buying what Wilkerson’s peddling, though she said she’s done more than all other lawmakers combined. “Cut us a thin, very thin, slice of that one, Dianne,” he wrote on his Marry In Massachusetts blog. “It may be time for an ego-ectomy.”
The Mitt Watch:
Romney’s nation trotting will have to be put on hold at least briefly to deal with the $87 million supplemental spending bill lawmakers sent to his desk last week. No word yet on which parts of the “deficiency” budget, which also seeks to move $450 million from the state “rainy day” account into the general fund, will be met with Romney’s veto pen. He starts the week by launching the Commonwealth Care insurance program, part of the new reformed state health care system, today in Dorchester.


Posted by: kwflatbed

Gov’s race could bring ripple effect
By Kimberly Atkins and Michael Givens
Sunday, October 1, 2006

The race for the State House Corner Office is being watched nationally because it offers both blacks and women a chance for a rare coup: a U.S. governorship.
A Deval Patrick win in November would make him the state’s first African-American chief executive and the second elected black governor in U.S. history.
Preceding him is former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder, elected in 1990. Before that, the only African-American to serve in a governor’s office was Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback, who held the post as acting governor of Louisiana for six weeks in 1872.

“It would give an indication to people who otherwise would have thought African-Americans can only be marginal candidates that they can win,” said Lucius Parker, a Stanford University political science professor. “I think it could have a ripple effect resulting in more black candidates running for office and more voters backing them.”
A win by Kerry Healey would be significant as well. Massachusetts has had only one female chief executive, Jane M. Swift, who was not elected but served as acting governor from April 2001 to 2003.
There have been 19 elected female governors in U.S. history. Three of them served in New England - Ella Grasso (D-Conn.), Madeline Kunin (D-Vt.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).
Nine women are now serving as governors - eight in the 50 states and a ninth in the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
“I think Healey’s strategy is a relatively good one. I think it makes sense to hit her opponents hard using a strategy of telling the voters what (Democrats) may do if they’re in office, such as spending heavily, raising taxes and implementing costly programs,” said Robert E. Gilbert, a Northeastern political science professor.


Posted by: kwflatbed

Stick with Healey, or it’s Duke, redux
By Howie Carr
Boston Herald Columnist
Sunday, October 1, 2006

This is an important election. It’s so important that I’m not calling Kerry Healey “Muffy” anymore.
Two words sum up why this fight is so serious: Mike Dukakis.
Deval Patrick is Mike Dukakis without the tank helmet.
Pee Wee Dukakis, as we used to call him, was quoted last week as saying all the Democratic candidates came to see him, but “Deval listened.”
Think about that. Pee Wee was referring to his advice to Deval on building an organization of idle, rich moonbats, but the fact is, Dukakis spoke and . . . Deval listened.

No one has listened to Mike Dukakis since 1988, for good reason. Because Pee Wee came close to ruining this state, while listening to only two people - Kitty Dukakis and Billy Bulger, both of whom he was very afraid of, for different reasons.


And now Deval kisses the ring of House Speaker Sal DiMasi, a mob mouthpiece for 20 years, starting with Joe Yerardi, who was in Billy Bulger’s brother’s gang. Deja vu, anyone?


And did I mention that both Kitty Dukakis and Billy Bulger have ponied up cash for Deval? What do they know that we don’t - yet?


It’s clear the Dukakis-Bulger gang and what remains of their scurvy crew see Deval as the Restoration. These last 16 years have been but an interregnum, and now comes the ascension of the Duke’s dauphin, Deval.


Already, we hear the echoes of an earlier era, when no rapist was left behind. Deval gets caught on a Web site promoting the cause of a vicious rapist, Benjamin LaGuer. Shades of the Duke’s own Willie Horton. But unlike Dukakis, who defended his demented weekend-furlough policy to the bitter end, Deval immediately cuts the race-card-playing LaGuer loose.


The student has learned well from the master. Dummy up for now, but once Deval is governor, who knows how many get-out-of-jail-free cards he’ll be passing out. In 1988, Willie Horton said he’d vote for the Duke. Who do you think the Globe’s pet, murderer Joe Yandle, would pull a lever for this year?


Illegal aliens? Have you noticed that Deval never calls illegals “illegal?” Again, he’s a chip off the old Dukakis block. Remember the Duke’s infamous policy of issuing fake Social Security numbers to illegal aliens so they could go on welfare when they arrived in Massachusetts?


And who was Dukakis’ human-services secretary? Phil Johnston, although he has denied that he knew anything about the Social Security scam. Phil is now the Democratic state chairman who recently tried to chill free speech by claiming that any attack on Deval is racism.


Taxes? Recall, if you will, Dukakis’ underhanded attempt to slap a sales tax on services. He lied that it would only affect four services. Riiiiight. Now Deval says the state income tax can’t be cut because the money must go to keep down local property taxes. Double riiiiight.


Judges? Think how many “litmus tests” Deval will impose. Not just abortion, but gay marriage. If you liked Robert Bonin and Maria Lopez and Margaret Burnham, you’ll love whichever ACLU moonbats Deval picks.

This is not to say that everything has been perfect for the past 16 years. The Bulger mob still ran wild under Govs. Weld, Cellucci and Swift. It was Weld who promoted Judge Lopez, and Welducci are directly responsible for the horror that is Margaret Marshall.
Mitt Romney couldn’t sustain a veto, and Kerry Healey wouldn’t be able to either. But at least she’d have the bully pulpit to alert the working people, the way Romney did earlier this year with the free-tuition bill for foreign freeloaders.
With Deval, it will get very bad, very quickly. Muf - I mean, Kerry Healey might slow down the Moonbat Express. Maybe not, but if Deval gets in, we know exactly what we’ll be getting.
Just ask Kitty Dukakis and Billy Bulger.


Posted by: ferus fidelitas

What is wrong with the users of services paying for the time of the people who have to investigate/process their qualifications, etc for a license ? Before those fees, WE all HAD to pitch in to subsidize the applicant's endeavor. What is wrong with individual responsibility ? Before the fees were increased on those that seek these licenses, the state budget deficit was astronomical - that jeapordized the funding of many needed things that the working stiff expects from the state -The fee payers write it off as a business expense anyway. With the democ rats, your taxes would absolutely have been raised big time - money out of your pocket, to close that gap."Higher taxes for all" Deval does not dispute that that would have been his plan - And then the liberals would continue to overspend your tax dollars for questionable "programs", workshops, junkets, etc for the career able-bodied welfare recipients, criminals and other parasites .i'm voting straight Republican - the democ rats are untrustworthy liberal whiners and fools - they are positively no friend of the police, correction officers or other responsible people. Only a misguided dope would support putting both the state legislature and state administration solely in the hands of the big spending, soft on crime democrats - wake up and think you assanine liberals


Posted by: ferus fidelitas

it was 2 democrats - cohen and demarco - that pushed a bill that would have ended police details - deval patrick still has "no" opinion on police details and the quinn bill - kerry healey has a history of supporting both and has pledged to continue supporting police - deval patrick has a history of pushing unfair racial quotas and of advocating for both convicted rapists and cop killers . we see where his priorities are... don't be duped by the liberals


Posted by: Delta784

Quote:
Originally Posted by SinePari
Boston/Spingfield is apples/oranges. Springfield is bankrupt, and relies upon state and federal money for basic services such as police, fire etc. When they laid off 100 officers a few years ago, there weren't many alternatives for policing the city.
While I still think Springfield has a legitimate gripe, set them aside for a moment. Brockton has a slightly higher reported population than Quincy (94,000 vs. 90,000), yet the Brockton PD very often runs half the amount of cruisers we do, because the Mayor of Brockton can always point to the MSP CAT team.

From a union standpoint, you don't see a serious problem with that?


Posted by: Delta784

Quote:
Originally Posted by ferus fidelitas
deval patrick still has "no" opinion on police details and the quinn bill
Oh, bet the house he has an opinion. He's just smart enough to not make it public.


Posted by: SinePari

Quote:
Originally Posted by Delta784
While I still think Springfield has a legitimate gripe, set them aside for a moment. Brockton has a slightly higher reported population than Quincy (94,000 vs. 90,000), yet the Brockton PD very often runs half the amount of cruisers we do, because the Mayor of Brockton can always point to the MSP CAT team.

From a union standpoint, you don't see a serious problem with that?
Absolutely. The union needs to suggest to their respective mayor that the CAT team is NOT a substitute for adequate manning of their force.

Each CAT team is troop wide, is used at the discretion of the troop commander (except Springfield CAT is separate from B troop CAT), and is open to requests from cities within that troop.


Posted by: dcs2244

Delta,

Troopers are not in Springfield to seize turf...they are there because they were ordered there by the bosses and politicians. In any event, the Springfield CAT team is defunct.

The SPD guys may not like it (and that is reasonable), but they understand it...which is why SPD and MSP are able to work together. Sure, there may be ideological collectivists that hate the MSP presence, and they are right...Spfld should be policed by SPD. Unfortunately, democrat crooks have rendered this scenario untenable...they drove the city into the deck, not republicans...so we have this situation now.

So, people, vote Democrat and surrender your freedoms to the collective...and then STFU. Slaves.


Posted by: kwflatbed

Patrick takes aim at Healey on rail for SouthCoast

By DAVID KIBBE, Standard-Times staff writer

BOSTON — As the governor's race turned more contentious, Deval Patrick yesterday slammed Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey for her administration's record on bringing commuter rail to the SouthCoast.
Patrick, a Democrat, said he would create a timetable for completing the rail project in his first 100 days in office, essentially reiterating an earlier promise to set a timetable in 90 days.
Patrick and his running mate for lieutenant governor, Worcester Mayor Timothy Murray, responded to Healey's accusation that the state Legislature was responsible for a delay in getting commuter rail to New Bedford and Fall River. In a recent campaign stop, Healey, the Republican nominee for governor, said the Legislature adjourned this summer without authorizing bond money to complete negotiations over track that is owned by the CSX Corp.
SouthCoast legislators say they had never been told more bond money was required. They asserted the Romney administration has all the bond authorization it needs to launch commuter rail.
"The people of the south coast ought to see right through Kerry Healey's comments," Patrick said in a statement issued by his campaign. "Once again, this administration blames someone else for not doing what it was supposed to do. (Former Gov.) Bill Weld promised a SouthCoast commuter rail line, and every governor has since. None has delivered. Tim Murray and I will make it happen."
Healey's campaign stood by her previous statements: Her administration has made solid progress on commuter rail, and the Legislature slowed the process by adjourning this summer without authorizing more bond money for land purchases and capital projects across the state.
"The Romney-Healey administration has worked aggressively and continuously over the past year to bring this project to fruition, and we will continue to do so," Healey said in a letter sent Friday to two SouthCoast state representatives, Reps. John F. Quinn, D-Dartmouth, and William M. Straus, D-Mattapoisett, who had objected to her criticism of the Legislature.
"Passage of a bond bill authorizing land acquisition funding is crucial to this effort, and so I encourage you to join me in calling on leadership to convene a formal session at the earliest possible date," Healey said in the letter.
She outlined the $37 million the state has spent in recent years to upgrade the rail line and perform preliminary studies. But Straus and Quinn criticized Healey for summarizing the accomplishments of previous Republican governors, without specifying what her own administration had done.
Negotiations for the use of CSX track are crucial to the overall project, which the administration has said will cost at least $750 million.
Healey said in her letter that state transportation officials are in "weekly, sometimes daily communication with CSX as these delicate negotiations near conclusion."
The Romney administration has said the construction of the SouthCoast commuter rail line would start no earlier than 2011, saying the state cannot afford it any earlier.
Murray, who has been pushing to expand the number of trains to Worcester since rail service was restored to his city in 1994, said the Romney-Healey administration has not been responsive to rail.
Murray and Patrick have discussed creating a new position in the administration — a commissioner of railroads — if they are elected. The rail commissioner would oversee development of the state's rail system.
"Despite the huge demand and the clear economic and environmental benefits that come from increased commuter rail service, the Romney-Healey administration offers nothing but delays and excuses," Murray said. "I've worked with leaders in the SouthCoast region to help bring rail to their communities. To blame the Legislature for inaction is disingenuous and even laughable."
Yesterday, Healey unveiled a "Spend-o-meter," accusing Patrick of promising more than $8 billion in new projects while campaigning around the state. Healey said this would result in higher taxes.
The Patrick campaign called Healey's numbers "completely bogus."

Date of Publication: October 03, 2006 on Page A10


Posted by: kwflatbed

Questions raised about whether Healey is helped by latest ad

By STEVE LeBLANC
AP Political Writer


BOSTON (AP) -- The latest political ad to pop this campaign season features the smiling face of a politician who isn't even running for office - Gov. Mitt Romney.
The ad, paid for by the Romney-led Republican Gov.'s Association, shows him crafting balanced budgets, producing billion-dollar surpluses, and signing the state's landmark health care bill into law - all with Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey at his side.
It's also raising questions about whom the ad is designed to help more - Healey, the Republican candidate for governor, or Romney, who is weighing a run for president.
The ad refers to the "Romney-Healey administration." Healey is seen at Romney's side during much of the ad, except for a few seconds at the end where she is shown smiling and talking with students.

It began airing a day after a Boston Globe poll was released showing that about 45 percent of voters said Healey's role as Romney's lieutenant governor would make them less likely to vote for her while only 25 percent said it would make them more likely to back her.
"What it problematic for Kerry Healey is the poor numbers of Romney in the commonwealth and hitching your candidacy to someone who doesn't have good numbers," said Tobe Berkovitz, a Massachusetts political observer and associate dean of the Boston University College of Communications. "This ad reinforces that."
Tim O'Brien, Healey's campaign manager, said the ad wasn't coordinated with the Healey campaign and that he hadn't seen it until it began running on Monday.
"We didn't have anything to do with the production of the ad," he said.
O'Brien said he hoped the ad would remind voters how Healey helped pull the state out of its fiscal crisis and would counter some of the millions spent during the Democratic gubernatorial primary criticizing the administration.
Phil Musser, executive director of the Republican Governors Association, said the purpose of that ad is to talk about the accomplishments of the Romney-Healey administration and "all the good work Kerry Healey has been doing on the important issues of the day."
"We believe that this is a race that had the ability to take shape for us," he said. "We thought it was important to make sure that voters in Massachusetts understand the facts."
Musser said that while Romney is chairman of the association, he recused himself from decisions about the amount of spending on ads.
At a press conference called to highlight what she described as the runaway spending plans of Patrick, Healey said she was eager to make a fresh start if elected.
"I will be a new governor. I will be a different kind of governor than we've had in the past," Healey said. "The rest of this election, these next coming weeks, are going to be defining who I am and helping people understand what kind of governor I would be."
Asked after an unrelated press conference Monday about whether his poll numbers might hurt Healey, Romney said was confident of his popularity in Massachusetts despite the poll numbers, which he attributed in part to the fact that he hasn't had his own ads responding to the attacks.
"I'd have no problem being reelected," he said "But that's not relevant because I'm not running."
During her press conference, Healey stood next to a giant "spend-o-meter" - emblazoned with a sign dubbing her opponent "Spend It All Deval" - intended to show how much Patrick would spend if elected.
Healey said Patrick's proposals would cost $8 billion dollars. Healey said the number estimated how much it would cost if the state tried to send enough money back to cities and towns so they wouldn't have to raise property taxes. Patrick has said the kind of income tax cuts pushed by Healey are a "shell game" that force hikes in property taxes.
"He hasn't given us any details about how he would actually attempt to lower property taxes," she said. "What are the details of this plan? How on earth do you think this would possibly work?"
Patrick had no public appearances as he prepared for Tuesday's gubernatorial debate in Springfield.
His spokesman Richard Chacon said Patrick will be able to pay for his campaign proposals through a mix of existing revenues, $700 million in budget cuts and postponing the roll back of the income tax cut.
"She can have all of the o-meters she wants, but this is exactly the kind of government by gimmick and press conference that has gotten us into the situation we are today," Chacon said.
Questions were also raised Monday about a second television commercial aired by Healey in which Democratic lawmakers pay tribute to the Republican gubernatorial nominee.
A short snippet of Attorney General Tom Reilly criticizing Patrick in the ad was taken from an interview on WGBH-TV apparently without permission, according to O'Brien, who said he hasn't received any complaints from the station but would remove it if it was determined the campaign had broken any law.
---
AP Political Writer Glen Johnson contributed to this report.

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Local Politics
Oh brother! Sibling stiffs Mihos -- and contributes max $ to Healey
By Dave Wedge
In a vicious political backstabbing, Christy Mihos’ own brother and sister have thrown their financial support behind Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, with one sibling saying the convenience store magnate has “embarrassed” the family with “despicable” attacks on his GOP rival.
» Transcript of James Mihos letter to Healey
» The Daily Briefing: Bay State pols & politics blog
Local Politics