Women’s Right to Choose The Environment
The Housing SlumpCasino Gambling Jobs in the Bay State
Education
We need to address the socioeconomic conditions that affect many city and economically disadvantaged students across the state. This summer, I conducted a Listening Tour in the 10th Suffolk District. Boston schoolteachers are not getting the help they need in the classroom to deal with the negative effects of students living in unhealthy environments. This fact is not new. It is time to address such problematic student/home environments by working with the academic community, psychologists and social science experts to develop a realistic plan. Let’s end the focus on test taking and blaming teachers for poor academic performance and invest in a real solution.
I also support the implementation of a comprehensive integrated civic education for students in kindergarten through college. Children, high school students, and college students no longer learn the importance of civic participation or voting. That needs to be changed. For example, last legislative session I proposed a student voter registration bill that, if approved, would allow eligible high school and college students to register to vote when they register for classes. I’m convinced that if we teach young people that they have the power to bring about change and show them how to do it, then the changes will come.
Equal Marriage Rights
If I am elected, I would reliably vote against any constitutional amendment that revokes or diminishes a same-sex couple’s rights to full marriage equality. As a progressive Democrat, I strongly believe in same-sex marriage and feel that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court made the right decision in 2003 to extend marriage to gay and lesbian couples. I also support the Legislature’s vote and Governor Patrick’s signing of the legislation to repeal the 1913 law that prevented most out-of-state gay and lesbian couples from marrying in Massachusetts.
Women’s Right to Choose
I ardently support a woman’s right to choose per Roe v. Wade. A woman’s body is her own, and the government should not have the right to interfere in such a personal issue. Because of my stance on this issue, Pro-choice NARAL of Massachusetts board voted unanimously to support our 2008 campaign. I would work within and outside of the Legislature to build a progressive coalition of legislators and citizens, including social scientists, educators and students, to raise public awareness of issues of women’s equality and privacy and convince State government to act appropriately with regard to these issues.
The Environment
I support environmental protection through progressive policies, and will sponsor or co-sponsor new initiatives. My goal is to reach young people so that environmental awareness starts at an early age. For example, I will work with legislators and educators to establish a comprehensive civic environmental education curriculum for students in grades kindergarten through college.
I support Sierra Club efforts to pass the Updated Bottle Bill, which would expand Massachusetts’ current bottle bill to include sports drinks and other “new-age” drinks, increasing state revenue through unclaimed deposits and decreasing litter.
We also need to encourage new “green” building and provide incentives or educate the public about making their homes more energy efficient. One relatively simple effort I support is to encourage people to use their own bags when shopping, cutting down on the need for more plastic bags and reducing the litter from plastic bags.
One specific action I will take is to work for the passage of H. 33, “The Act to Protect Rivers and Streams.” More generally, I would work within and outside the Legislature to build a progressive coalition of legislators and citizens, including scientists, educators and students, to raise public awareness of environmental issues and convince State government to consider and approve all appropriate, pro-environment legislation.
The Housing Slump
I don’t think there are any easy fixes in an industry that has been devastated by speculative investing and predatory lending. Additionally, I think the cost of housing has been inflated and a correction had to occur at some point. However, a tax incentive for first-time homebuyers is one way to spur the market and weather the storm until the economy grows both locally and nationally. I think the real way to end the housing slump will be through the creation of more jobs and, though that is doable, it will take time.
Casino Gambling
I think bringing casinos to Massachusetts would be a mistake. The proven negative effects of casino gambling, including increase in addiction and crime, would override any financial benefit the state might gain and could cost the state more, in the long run, in added social costs and resultant increased spending on social programs. I don’t think the human toll is worth a short-term quick-fix solution to building revenue. We need a comprehensive approach for a long-term solution that brings good jobs and more revenue to the state. Focusing on jobs in the education, biotechnology, “green collar” and cyber-technology sectors makes more long-term sense – and that’s where there’s room for growth. Another way to raise revenue is to ask more of wealthy nonprofit institutions, such as colleges and universities. Nine schools in Massachusetts boast endowments of $1 billion or more yet they are tax exempt. A more progressive income tax system should be studied and considered. The present system is outdated. The Legislature needs to collectively critically evaluate the Massachusetts income tax system or continue to face unrealistic proposals to repeal the income tax system entirely.
Jobs in the Bay State
It is no secret that in today’s economy, jobs are a key issue. I see the current job market as a chance to establish Massachusetts as a haven for the new Green Economy. We can make Massachusetts the greenest state in the country, and create jobs while we’re doing it! From the manufacturing of solar panels to the installation of insulation, the green economy provides ample opportunity to create new businesses and new jobs while bettering our community and our environment. In addition, we can move to improve public transportation, creating new jobs for construction workers, drivers, administrators, and others. If we support innovation and entrepreneurship we can improve job conditions around the state. In some cases this will require job re-training, which is why I support building connections with state and community colleges to help out-of-work residents be trained for new careers at affordable costs.
