I am running for Governor’s Council in District 3 against Marilyn Devaney. We had two invitations to debate one another. Both cities ran debates for the primary, where Marilyn attended both debates. For this round of debates she has refused to debate me. Marilyn, I am willing to debate you anytime, anyplace and anywhere. I am willing to debate you at your home with you asking all the questions. I’m not surprised that you “chickened out” of the debates, since you looked so overmatched in the primary. How can democrats support someone who is pro-life (endorsed by a pro life organization in September) and now afraid to debate???? This is laughable.
Sincerely, Tom Sheff
Please share widely!
whoaitsjoe says
I’m sure you’re a nice guy and all, but you’re running for a position that really doesn’t need to exist anymore.
John Tehan says
We could be rid of it by 2016!
Trickle up says
Constitutional amendments are on a 4-year cycle, are they not?
John Tehan says
Can’t we just legislate it away?
centralmassdad says
Constitutional amendment would be required
centralmassdad says
To what? The legislature?!
methuenprogressive says
Their function is to give the lieutenant governor something to do every third Thursday from 3-3:30.
centralmassdad says
Also commutations and pardons.
You could have the governor sell judicial appointments to the highest bidder, and use the money to pay for hookers and heroin and it would STILL be less corrupt than letting the gang of unindicted felons in the General Court get their hands on it.
No. Thanks.
toms says
Hi All,
The reason why most people don’t like the Governor’s Council is because they either have an agenda or they don’t like their Governor’s Councilor. The logical step is to replace the members of the current Council. In my case, I am running against Marilyn Devaney. She’s been in the thick of every dispute, causing problems everywhere she goes. I promise I won’t be as bad as she is (that’s not asking for much).
If the will of the people is to get rid of the council then so be it. I obviously would accept that decision. All I ask is to get 2 years to prove I can do the job and the job is worth keeping.
For more information please go to: http://www.voyetomsheff.com or email me at ahhinc@hotmail.com if you have any questions. Thanks.
methuenprogressive says
Run on the platform of doing away with it, then someone might pay attention.
Jasiu says
And that’s exactly why we end up with who we have as Councilors. Given the reality that we’re not going to amend the constitution any time soon, either we start caring or quit bitching about the horrible job they do.
Personally, I’m considering a vote for Sheff.
fenway49 says
“I’m not Marilyn Devaney” is not sufficient qualification for the job.
jconway says
n/t
fenway49 says
I don’t know Mr. Sheff at all but I do know his first post here blasted the incumbent for being endorsed by Massachusetts Citizens for Life. Even if that’s true, I don’t know of any anti-choice judges being confirmed as a result, but if he’s playing that game it might be relevant that Mr. Sheff was endorsed by the vile Brian Camenker when he ran against Devaney two years ago:
Mr. Sheff, in addition to his two runs for Governor’s Council, seems to have run for mayor of Newton a couple of times. Last year he got about 5% and didn’t make the runoff. The local paper wrote:
toms says
Frankly,
First, Brian did endorse me two years ago. I don’t agree with his agenda, but we both come from Newton and he dislikes Marilyn (as do I) and he he knows I am open minded and accessible. I’ll talk to anyone (even you, lol). On a side note, I don’t go after endorsements, just because I find it a lot to ask to have someone crossover party lines, but I did go after Brookline PAX…a 52 year old progressive organization and I received their endorsement (you conveniently left that out).
I will make the council transparent. I am pro-choice, an independent and independent thinker, I am not beholden to anyone and I have legal education/background.
Marilyn is a democrat, Pro-life, endorsed by mass citizens for life (and I hear she is campaigning on that when it suits her) and has no legal background.
She recently voted against Berman due to his affiliation with the ADL. She just supported Wall who had nearly the same resume as Berman. She is inconsistent because has no background.
Lastly, she refuses to debate me, which should speak volumes to her conviction. I am willing to debate her anytime, anyplace anywhere. I will debate her after the election, if thats what it takes, but I suspect she will chicken out of that, too. Thanks.
Sincerely, Tom Sheff
toms says
I forgot to leave my website http://www.votetomsheff.com
Marilyn’s web site: www. oops missing. com
Good communication skills
toms says
I can’t let this go unanswered. The tab endorsement was way off during the Mayor’s race. I managed a multi-million dollar law firm. It’s one of the best in Boston then and now. yes, I am a cofounder of a startup non profit and it’s gowing slower than I wanted. The law firm had more than a few people.
Quite frankly, I never saw this part of the endorsement, only the part that they claimed I couldn’t manage a 3400 person municipality.
But, you conveniently left out that the same paper who said all this endorsed me against devaney 2 years ago. Also, the paper was in love with the incumbent, so I knew I wasn’t going to get their endorsement, justa matter of how bad it would be.
Lastly (again), the Mayor’s position is a management job and the Governor’s Council isn’t. The mayor’s position and the Governor’s Council position is apples and oranges.
why don’t you bring you’re candidate out here. I’ll do an open Q and A with her on the BMG. I’ll do anything where people can see us face to face.
Sincerely, Tom Sheff http://www.votetomsheff.com
methuenprogressive says
Aside from responding to your own posts?
toms says
I am cofounder/vice president of a startup non-profit called Second Life Computers. Thanks for asking
methuenprogressive says
Odd business model – you ask people to donate computers to you, which you then sell. How is that a “non-profit”?
toms says
You’re criticizing me in you’re heading of being vp and cofounder of a nonprofit of a 3 person operation??? Seriously??? You guys have become a bit ridiculous. I know I’m in the lions den, but comeon. Here is the list of large corporations that started in someone’s Garage:
Amazon, Apple, Disney, Google,Harley Davidson, Hewlett Packard, Lotus cars, Maglite, MAttel and Yankee candle…the list continues.
As far as Second Life computers being a non-profit: People donate their computers, they get a tax deduction. We take the computer, fix it up and put it back on the marketplace.
We save computers from going into landfills, we help the environment and people get a discounted rate for a rehab computer.
Next question, please.
JimC says
Granted, you got an unfair question, but that doesn’t make us the lions’ den, or a bit ridiculous.
Which is not to say that we never are the lions’ den, or a bit ridiculous, but aren’t you running for office? We’re the reliable voters.
toms says
jimc.
Methuenprogressive put in his subject line “You’re vice president of a 2 man operation?”
To embarrass me or make what I do any less important than what a person does in a large corporation. If I’m wrong in that feeling, I apologize.
I expected questions like what do you look for in a judge, not what times I brush my teeth.
I also apologize for calling you the lions den. I have talked to plenty of partisan dems and repubs that wont consider me because I am not a member of their party. I am hyper sensitive over this, because I always feel that if you don’t put the best candidate in office then you’re weakening the process.
And who is Daniel????
JimC says
Thrown there by the Romans, if memory serves. But God protected him by sealing the jaws of the lions.
(Or he had a whip — who knows?)
Christopher says
…by King Nebuchadnezzar in the context of the Jewish Babylonian Captivity. His story is told in the Old Testament book that bears his name.
The reference was obviously metaphorical, but the value of the Council is one of those issues where the consensus here is so overwhelming that it is uncomfortable to buck it. I downrated MP’s question for impertinent tone.
jconway says
Can we at least reform it so that only qualified attorneys can serve in the Governor’s Council? Maybe we could make it an appointed body that is unpaid and chosen by the BAR association upon recommendation of local officials, sort of like the judicial qualifications review boards in Chicago and New York that are closely tied to the bars in those cities. I feel like there is no reason this council should be an elected body with a salary made up of petty hacks who couldn’t get elected elsewhere.
And that legislature you demean is full of committed people like Sonia Chang Diaz, Jamie Eldridge, Pat Jehlen, and produced the likes of Barney Frank, Ed Markey and Tip O Neill. What great people ever came out of the Governor’s Council? Any councilor do anything of notoriety other than fuck something up or look like a laughingstock?
centralmassdad says
is full of well meaning people that put real power into the hands of a stream of corrupt, now-convicted felons.
The legislature, as presently structured, is a septic tank in need of a honey wagon.
Christopher says
The whole point is to elect people whose duty is to serve as a check and answerable directly to the public for their limited mandate and job description. Originally, the Senate chose the Councilors from among themselves, who would then vacate their Senate seats, and I think switching to direct election was the right thing to do. If they are appointed they are no longer the people’s watchdogs. I don’t think only the bar should have a say and there is something to be said for both lawyers and nonlawyers in the mix. I reject your premise and think only things like age and residency should be constitutionally restricted with everything else up to the voters. My own Councilor Eileen Duff I think is doing quite well and is better than her predecessor. I’m not demeaning the legislature and certainly those individuals, but they have a lot on their plate and by definition will handle this differently. So the short answer is no – I see no compelling reason for reform, unless of course you want to talk about STRENGTHENING the body!:) The salary is a drop in the bucket, but I wouldn’t mind moving the meetings so participation isn’t limited to those who can abandon their day jobs Wednesdays at noon.
jconway says
If you want the voter to have a check on the judiciary why not just have judicial retention elections? Why not elect the Supreme Court and skip the confirmation process? We already have virtual representation in the Senate-I entrusted Elizabeth Warren to vote to confirm quality judges to the federal bench. She successfully contrasted her approach with Scott Brown’s. The Bork hearings were nationally televised and forced a conversation. Has a Governor’s Council ever done that, outside of the times Devaney and other members made it a laughingstock for Globe opinion writers and Charlie Pierce?
Defenders have three arguments and they are all bad.
1) if you think the Governors Council is bad wait till the leg gets it’s hand on this
2) you wouldn’t want judicial elections would you?
3) if we just elected better councilors this wouldn’t be a problem
These arguments contradict one another. “If only we elected better councilors” could easily be cross applied to the legislature where elections have worked at electing better legislators. Sciortino and Chang-Diaz winning write in campaigns against entrenched incumbents. Ultrino scaring Fallon off, etc. I would argue the legislature is significantly more transparent than the governors council and people would use judicial votes as litmus tests like any other vote. Its a lot harder to get voters to care about the GC.
1) and 3) contradict one another, and 2) seems to contradict the supposed need for a democratic check in the process. Why not trust the voters? They’d certainly do a better job than Marilyn Devaney? Then we get Chicago style peddling, that’s why. So why not trust the legislature? Any major scandals out of CT or DE, two places that have legislative confirmation? Or the federal bench? I don’t think so. Legislators will do a better job, have better staff, and will be easier to hold public hearings open to public testimony like any other bill.
I trust Will Brownsberger, Pat Jehlen and Eileen Donahughe to make the right calls more than any GC member, and even Richard Ross will conduct himself with more integrity. If they can vote on issues of greater importance why not this issue?
toms says
I don’t know if there is a question in here or not, but I do see some openings for me.
I don’t believe there have ever been televised hearings for the GC, but if you read my website at http://www.votetomsheff.com that is something I want to do. I used to havea local cable tv show on newtv called Veracity. I learned how to use video camera equipment and one of my goals to open up transparency is to start video taping hearings, editing the hearings down to an hour – 1.5 hours and air them on any local cable access stations that want them. That means you’ll be able to watch what happened to parts of the Joe Berman open hearing without going to the statehouse. My goal for that is to bring transparency and trust into the process. I also am thinking about webcasting live and even skyping if it makes sense. I plan to bring current technology into an antiquated institution.
Elizabeth Warren is unique. You can’t trust anyone to be as good as she is (even me, lol) actions speak louder than words. Regardless of you’re post, I still maintain this is the best way to deal with judicial appointments.
If you give the responsibility to the legislature I don’t see them giving the issue as much time as the GC. The GC has one real important goal, while the legislature has hundreds of issues on their desk and hundreds of constituents knocking on their door. The legislature will also be trading their votes. Is it perfect? Of course not, nothing the government does is perfect. But in my humble opinion, it’s the best of whats out there.
I’m off to campaign, talk to you soon.
Christopher says
I also like having a body that can focus on this and not get into the rest of the politics. We see that in the federal system. The Council MUST act and it’s agenda is directed by the Governor. The Senate will act if/when they get around to it at the direction of the Senate leadership which may have its own agenda. The named individuals in the legislature I’m sure are capable of doing this, but they should do it from a seat on the Council. You simply still have not made what to me is a very high burden to propose amending the Constitution.