PITTSFIELD Andrea Silbert, one of three Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor, yesterday received the endorsement of Mayor James M. Ruberto and state Rep. Christopher N. Speranzo.
Silbert, of Harwich, is the co-founder and former CEO of the Center for Women and Enterprise, which helps women start small businesses and build successful commercial enterprises.
She is one of three lieutenant governor candidates competing in the Sept. 19 primary, and is running against Deborah B. Goldberg of Brookline and Timothy P. Murray, mayor of Worcester.
Ruberto said he endorsed Silbert because she “speaks to the major need in the commonwealth, and that’s economic development. She has demonstrated in her career the importance of creating jobs for people who have an entrepreneurial sprit and for people who have a true desire to advance and improve their quality of life.”
‘Job creation is number one’
Speranzo, D-Pittsfield, said he was impressed by Silbert’s interest in Pittsfield and in Berkshire County. He said he first met her at an economic forum in Pittsfield a year ago, where, instead of campaigning, she listened.
“She has experience creating jobs and she knows our issues.
I just feel comfortable with her background and I know that job creation is number one on her list,” Speranzo said.
In an interview yesterday, Silbert said she is expert at helping small businesses and entrepreneurs translate their visions into bricks-and-mortar reality and will use those skills to improve the Massachusetts economy.
Economic development
As lieutenant governor, she said she would take the lead on economic development, looking to nurture the resources that are already here.
Rather than try to lure Fortune 500 companies to Massachusetts, Silbert said, she would support small businesses and help emerging-technology industries, such as robotics and life sciences, grow.
That would include improving the transportation infrastructure. She said Massachusetts should lobby the federal government for help to build a train system like the one that connects New York City to Connecticut and New Jersey.
“Economic development happens in regions, not in cities, and you have got to create a community” by using rail to knit the state together and better connect outlying areas to Boston, she said.
Rail would bring affordable housing within commuting distance, she said, making it easier for young families to stay, reversing the trend of a declining Massachusetts population.
While she acknowledged that many politicians talk about jobs, she said she is different.
“I’ve done it. I know what’s out there … and there is nobody in the state who understands small businesses like I do,” she said.
Her plan includes finding the “jewels we have in Massachusetts” that already work to create jobs and “figure out how to help them and how to kick-start job growth.”
She said she would beef up the state’s Executive Office of Economic Affairs, increasing its budget to help it expand its role in Massachusetts and play the role of matchmaker, helping businesses find communities that want them.
When Andrea Silbert gets one Mayor and one State Rep endorsement it merits a 490 word post on BMG! So Deb Goldberg and Tim Murray should merit a book!
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SCORECARD (*according to candidates own website endorsement lists and Andrea’s 2 endorsements today):
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Congressmen: Goldberg: 1 Murray: 3 Silbert: 0
State Senators: Goldberg: 8 Murray: 11 Silbert: 1
State Reps: Goldberg: 28 Murray: 50 Silbert: 1
Mayors: Goldberg: 2 Murray: 23 Silbert: 1
City Councilors/Selectmen/Alderman: Goldberg: 31 Murray: 67 Silbert: unlisted
County Sheriffs:Goldberg: 2 Murray: 6 Silbert: 0
Unions: Goldberg: 5 Murray: 38 Silbert: 0
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If this election is about endorsements, Murray wins.
If this election is about total nomination signatures, Murray wins.
If this election is about Convention support, Murray wins.
If this election is about experience, Murray wins.
If this election is about qualifications to do the job you are running for, Murray wins.
If this election is about who has in-depth understanding of more than one issue, Murray wins.
If this race is about who will be the best ticket partner to win in November AND to help a new Democrat Governor move an agenda and succeed, Murray wins.
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If this election is about who has the most money to increase their name recognition in a race for an office no one cares about and in a field of virtual unknowns, Goldberg wins in a walk.
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If this race is not about anything but the fact that two women and one man are runnning and the 2 women cancel each other out…Murray wins.
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This is not rocket science. 99% of voters will not decide on Lt. Gov. until they are confronted with the names inside the polling booth.
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…for clearing everything up. /sarcasm
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Seriously, I am getting really tired of people complaining about other people writing posts about a candidate’s endorsements because their favored candidate didn’t get the same amount of ink. (Note, this is after I authored a similar post myself, and received similar comments)
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If you want equal ink for your candidate, be it Murray, Goldberg, Gabrielli, Galvin, Lieberman, or whomever …
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Try…writing it!
Your scorecard is still lame and 100% inaccurate. And this time, you should have known better.
Actually Will, you are the one that seems to be complaining whenever I point out that Ms. Silbert’s support is relatively thin compared to her opponents. You say the figures are “100% inaccurate” but offer no correction. The figures are public for anyone to gather. Public endorsements by elected officials and unions and organizations are public events that are reported in the press. I stand by the numbers. Anyone can go to the candidate’s websites to read the complete lists (at least you can with Murray and Goldberg). If you know of more endorsements that Ms. Silbert received that have not been announced publically, why not just post them so we can all be enlightened.
I think you forgot perhaps the most relevant qualification for the LG office –
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CEO experience: Andrea: 10, Deb: 0, Tim: 0
(of course I am only looking back about 20 years…)
Andrea has no experience at all with working to increase local aide to our cities and towns,fight for our seniors who struggle every day of fixed incomes, keep teachers/ in our classroom, police/firefighters on our streets. Yes, she is a smart person who has benefited from the a NONPROFIT STATUS allowing her to open up busniess.
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Mayor Murray has demonstrated that even in a weak form of government(like Lowell,Sprinfield and many other cities) he can work together to move a large city forward. Tim is a person who is committed to public service and his record is very,very clear. He would make a great team player as our next LT GOV.
we already have our state senators and representatives to do that. Why do we need one more? Are they advocating for less and need direction? In fact I think they just increased local aid quite successfully for next year.
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And yes Andrea has devoted her life to public service, quite succesfully, albeit from the non-profit side with her entrepreneurial education center. And quit calling it a business please. They teach people skills and provide advice. They do not ‘profit’ from it, we do. Their clients pay taxes quite well – about $20 million each year according to CWE. I agree that Tim is good at being mayor but 6 years as a part time mayor is hardly the caliber of experience the corner office requires to be effective and to hit the ground running.
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Any experience as an executive, especially 10 as CEO building a lasting institution, sure trumps none in my book. Besides I think the legislature needs more money in order to increase local aid and that is exactly what Andrea is great at doing. Andrea’s record speaks for itself and is well documented.
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Think about it – if we do get the corner office back we won’t need a cities and towns advocate anymore. It’s only because of the Republicans twisted sense of thrift that aid was cut to begin with. When we get the economy going it will be a wasted talent if that is all one brings to the job of LG.
It’s not that special. Government is a completely different animal than business as well.
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And as to whether we really need one more person fighting for local aid, well, don’t we? Have you seen your town’s cherry sheets from FY02 onwards?
ARe you kidding me??? Andrea has stepped up to the plate on our money, yes the state taxpayers. Mayor Murray has more knowledge on how to make government work then Andrea and Deb combined. I want one who will work with both R’s and D’s to make it better for all especially our children and seniors. Mayor Murray has done that in Worcester and will do it across the state if given a chance. GO PATRICK/MURRAY
do you know Smitty?
(didn’t I say that above?) but it tends to diminish when the state as a whole is down 160,000 jobs and $500 million in tax revenue every year. That is the central issue. Otherwise the legislature just fights over how to split up a smaller and smaller pile of dough. We solve that and lots of other issues get taken care of – environmental spending, healthcare, education, etc… Andrea has proven she knows how to do that.
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And yes I will admit she turns $250,000 of taxpayer’s money into $20,000,000 of tax revenue EVERY year. We could probably use more talented people like her in our state government.
I know alot of people who could if given a chance with state and federal money could make others profit. Be real, it’s all about talking from the the citzens. Leadership is being on the front lines when times are tough. Knowing how to handle and balance priorities so people don’t lose everything they worked for. Trying to make things better for everyone not just those with the inside track. Tim Murray has don’t this and has the skills to conintue to fight for those who don’t have a the “connections” like Andrea and her non paying business.
My town got more local aid when Jane Swift was governor.
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Local aid and support for public education is the prime issue before us. Mayor Murray has a track record and understanding for this critical issue. If anyone gets off the blogosphere and actually goes to Town Meeting, you will understand why Murray is so important in this race. We can’t afford amateurs with other agendas.
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Also, if you look at past elections, we have been croaked on the 495 belt and Worcester County. A Patrick-Murray ticket would be a very strong solution to our past problems.
but we (and they) probably agree on most issues.
in the Amherst area by a score of 1-0-0 so far. I’ve seen one sign on route 116 in Sunderland. Nothing for the governor’s race, just a few for governor’s council and several for court positions in Franklin County. Presumably a lot of people are waiting for Labor Day to post signs.
Just saw three lawns with Patrick-Silbert-Bonifaz sign combos in downtown Amherst — no surprise.
with most of what has been posted upthread about my mayor Tim Murray. I would like to say though, in this race I’m really enthusiastic about anyone but Deb. The best and only thing she offers, in my opinion, is her money…Which is nice, but certainly isn’t how I wish to choose my leadership.
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I do think Murray has a track record which spans a bit wider than Silbert’s. I want to like her, but I honestly feel like she is a small business growth candidate. Where else is her tangible experience? I’m asking honestly, I work hard for the gov race and other endeavors and I don’t frankly have the time I wish I did to commit to the Lt. race.
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Goldberg seems a lame and out of touch candidate with money. Not sure why she’s a Dem, to be honest. Silbert seems a very passionate and competant candidate who needs to expand her experience beyond the few issues she has. Murray has seen it, done it, and almost always done it well here in Worcester. If you know my city, that’s no small feat.