Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Gabrieli’s Globe Ed Board: Make No “Stupid Mistake” About It!

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Professor Gabbers on his personal “hero,” Bill Gates. . .

“Gates is a bit of a hero of mine, even though he’s a monopolist . . .”

Maybe by “monopolist,” Gabrieli doesn’t mean the kind of guy who would stifle the small businesses that drive our economy.  Perhaps he means that Gates is the kind of wild ‘n crazy guy who likes to party like a rock star by playing board games.

Professor Gabbers on the “upside” of outsourcing. . .

“Everyone focuses on the downside of outsourcing.  There’s another up side, which is there are Indian companies that earn a lot of dough.  I’m familiar with a fair number of them.  Many of them, at one point decide, they don’t have a U.S. operation center.  We are well positioned to be where they want to be.”

Folks, stop being so darn negative about outsourcing.  Outsourcing is our friend.  By exporting jobs to India we are actually creating the potential for affluent Indian companies to send a few back.  Think of Massachusetts as the Change Bank of jobs.  (Never fails to crack me up!)  Sure, we may be losing some jobs in the tradeoff, but we’ll make it up in volume!

Professor Gabbers on building ONE MASSACHUSETTS. . .

“I’m sick and tired of 300 cities and towns and the redundancies that are inherent with that.  That’s ridiculous.  You know, we’re the only state in the country that’s going toward fragmentation.  Everybody else is going toward county and regional government, for obvious reasons.”

. . .because, let’s face it, having 351 separate cities and towns just plain sucks.  Home Rule-shmome rule!  Honestly, don’t you think the residents of the unfortunately-named Belchertown would gladly merge into the great ubermunicipality of Gabopolis?

Professor Gabbers on outflanking the opposition. . .his own Party. . .

“I mean, if you look at Clinton’s biggest wins, he got it by going around the leadership of the Democratic Party and going directly to rank and file membership and Republicans.”

. . .by aligning with the exploding number of rank-and-file Massachusetts Republicans.  As a venture capitalist, Chris Gabrieli knows that you buy low and sell high.  So why not employ that reasoning in politics?  (Trav. . .Sal. . .sorry to play my trump card, but the GOP caucus has got my back on this one.)

Professor Gabbers on why he doesn’t believe in merit pay. . .but would support it “if teachers and schools want to do it”. . .even though his instincts tell him “it won’t work. . .”

“But that’s why when the teachers, when the unions ask me are you for merit pay, I say, look, my position is I don’t believe in merit pay. I’m skeptical, but I can tell you that one of the teachers unions, the locals, has told me he thinks the Denver Model is a really great idea. Well, I think if he goes to his jurisdiction and says let’s apply for that Gabrieli Administration, try to go to try this idea out, I’m for it, because if the teachers and the school want to do it and they think it will make a difference, let’s try it. It’s not – even though my instinct says it won’t work, and I certainly think the Governor is saying, if we were only like the private sector and gave people bonuses based on stuff, then everybody would work harder. I think that’s ridiculous, top down assumptions that traveling salesmen have the same motivation as teachers. However, if a district actually says, let’s measure this, I’m for it.”

Listen up, Teachers Unions!  There is a new sheriff in town!  If you come to me with a proposal that I simply don’t believe in, well, I just may support it! 

And last, but not least. . .

Professor Gabbers on not making “stupid mistakes” like Shannon O’Brien. . .

“I mean, Shannon O’Brien famously got into trouble on the gay marriage issue when she was asked, “What would you do if the legislature passed gay marriage? Would you veto it?” Now, she made the stupid mistake of answering a hypothetical question, right, and in her mind, when she was thinking about it. Well, a veto is a higher standard that what you would advocate for, so no, I wouldn’t veto it. That’s what was in her mind. I really believe that it wasn’t pandering. She knew it was being closely covered, right? You can’t explain that to people, that you see a different standard between veto and so on and so – I’m careful when I say it’s [in-state tuition for illegal immigrant children] not a priority for me. I have not said I’d veto it.”

You see, folks, the art of not making stupid mistakes is to simply play dumb and dumber.  Shannon O’Brien didn’t screw up by not disclosing her willingness to sign-off on gay marriage all along.  She blew it by not avoiding the issue long enough.

You can always let people know where you really stand after Election Day!

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Comments

  1. The gutlessness and stupidity on outsourcing got me.  Is Gabbers a Republican who meanders to the left sometimes?  It really seems that way, especially after he attacked the majority of Dem voters in the state.  Wonder what tactic Monday will bring?  Can you buy $7 million in ads in one day? 

  2. Professor Gabbers on building ONE MASSACHUSETTS. . .

    “I’m sick and tired of 300 cities and towns and the redundancies that are inherent with that.  That’s ridiculous.  You know, we’re the only state in the country that’s going toward fragmentation.  Everybody else is going toward county and regional government, for obvious reasons.”

    . . .because, let’s face it, 351 cities and towns just plain sucks.  Home Rule-shmome rule!  Honestly, don’t you think the residents of the unfortunately-named Belchertown would gladly merge into the great ubermunicipality of Gabopolis?

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    Gabrieli is against local government.  Clearly.

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    The town meeting and local elections, with local officials you can easily contact, makes local government accountable to the people.

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    Gabrieli wants a state run charter school sytem.  Now he wants to get rid of cities and towns.  Gets rid of all those pesky voters who can have an influence on what happens at the local level.

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    Perhaps that’s why Gabbers ran for Congress, Lieutenant Governor, and Governor, completely bypassing something like city council.

  3. And they blame it on Democrats and Republicans. It sure isn’t partisan. I could argue, you know, hey, it’s really Republican, you know. But they don’t see it as a single party issue at all, and that frustration is, I think, a reason to consider a candidate whose achievements are most — obviously, mostly not on the political side. I am the most — you know, I think I am the most experienced person in actually getting stuff done in government you could possibly be, who is a total outsider.

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    Meanwhile…

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    After serving as a law clerk for a year to a federal appellate judge, Deval joined the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) in 1983 where he devoted most of his time to death penalty and voting rights cases. It was at LDF that Deval first met then-Governor Bill Clinton whom he sued in a voting rights case in Arkansas. Clinton worked with Deval to settle the case and the two began a relationship of strong mutual respect and admiration that continues today.

    Deval left LDF in 1986 to join the Boston law firm of Hill & Barlow, where he became a partner in 1990. In addition to his private practice, he spent much of his time on pro-bono work, including a landmark lending scam case on behalf of Massachusetts’ senior citizens. He also served as volunteer Chairman of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s New England Committee and as a member of its National Board of Directors.

    In 1994, President Clinton appointed Deval Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, the nation’s top civil rights post. Deval worked on a wide range of issues at the Justice Department including the investigation of church burnings throughout the South in the mid-1990s, prosecution of hate crimes and abortion clinic violence, cases of employment discrimination, and enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

    Deval returned to private practice in 1997 with the Boston firm of Day, Berry & Howard. That same year, he was appointed by a federal district court to serve as the first chairperson of Texaco’s Equality and Fairness Task Force, following the settlement of a significant race discrimination case at the company. He and his Task Force carefully reexamined and rebuilt the company’s entire system of employment practices in a successful effort to create a more equitable workplace for everyone. Recognizing his unique ability to bring people together to get things done, Texaco hired Deval as Vice President and General Counsel in 1999, placing him in charge of its global legal affairs.

    Next, Deval joined The Coca-Cola Company as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. He was elected to the additional position of Corporate Secretary in 2002. In these roles he was responsible for the company’s worldwide legal affairs. He also served on the Company’s Executive Committee – its senior leadership team. After nearly six years of commuting to Atlanta and New York, Deval resigned his post at Coca-Cola last year.

    Deval has served on several charitable and corporate boards, as well as the Federal Election Reform Commission under Presidents Carter and Ford, and as Vice Chair of the Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Council by appointment of Governor Weld. He is the recipient of seven honorary degrees, including from Clark University in Worcester, Suffolk Law School in Boston, Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, and Curry College in Milton.

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    Good luck Gabrielli. Use your money. You need it. Emphasis all mine.

  4. These excerpts are essentially Chris explaining the innovation-cooperation approach to government as opposed to the black-and-white ideological conflict model that we all love so much. Seems like it’s hard for some to understand — I give voters more credit and think they get it. Let’s review:

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    Innovation and business climate drive economic growth more than K-12 ed does. (Does not imply K-12 is unimportant — look at his record for Chrissakes.)

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    Kool Aid Kritique: Why do you hate our children?

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    Outsourcing can go both ways. We should look to take advantage of the global economy by attracting foreign companies to set up operations here.

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    Kool Aid Kritique: Gutless and stupid. I hope Michael Moore makes a movie about you.

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    I admire the biggest philanthropist on the face of the earth.

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    Kool Aid Kritique: nuttin but a bunch of dirty tycoon robber barons!

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    Lets look at what other states are doing to reduce administrative redundancy among municipalities.

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    Kool Aid Kritique: Did da perfesser just say he wants to get rid of towns?

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    “going around the leadership of the Democratic Party and going directly to rank and file membership and Republicans.””

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    Kool Aid Kritique: Too many words for me; I only hear “Republicans.”

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    On merit pay, the innovation approach provides for suspending ideological judgment and allowing voluntary experiments in policy.

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    Kool Aid Kritique: This evil genius wants to perform experiments on our children!

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    Lots of legislative issues don’t lend themselves to the up-or-down tool of the veto but will be resolved by working with the Legislature.

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    Kool Aid Kritique: Can’t compute. Politics = shouting match. There is nothing else.

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