Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

When it Comes to the Environment, Tim Murray is the Real Thing

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Everyone says they’re for the environment.  When it’s the likes of George Bush, you know it’s greenwash.  Some candidates really mean it, and some actually have a track record.  As a long-time environmental advocate who serves on working boards of both local and statewide environmental justice groups, I want to point out that Tim Murray is one of the ones who’s for real, with quite a track record. 

Here are some of the things that we have been able to do with Tim Murray’s leadership as Mayor of Worcester:

  • Worcester was one of the first cities to sign on to the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign.  Joining this campaign includes a commitment to developing and implementing an action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Mayor Murray was instrumental in getting this resolution adopted. 

  • In 2004, Clean Water Action singled out two municipal officeholders from among all those in the state to honor for their leadership in support of their campaign for producer take-back of computer equipment, particularly CRT’s. One of these was Tim Murray.  Worcester was the very first city in the state to adopt a resolution in support of this effort.

  • As part of implementing the provisions of the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign, Mayor Murray really opened his doors to provide support and assistance to a graduate student who was doing her Master’s thesis on developing an inventory of the city’s energy use.  As a result, the City of Worcester now has this inventory, which provides ongoing useful information in developing strategies for energy conservation and renewable energy use. 

  • Tim Murray has provided hands-on leadership to push the city and its residents to convert to renewable energy use.  He helped us to pass a resolution in the Worcester City Council committing the city to 20% renewable energy use by 2010.  He brought the union folks and the environmental folks together when he took a whole group of people on a tour of a union-built wind energy facility in Dorchester so our city officials could see for themselves that it could work. 

  • Tim Murray has pushed for more commuter rail service in Worcester for years and years. 

  • As Mayor, Tim Murray convened a Brownfields Task Force which meets monthly to develop action agendas.  This has been a real working group and we are beginning to see some of its plans come to fruition. 

    I could keep going, but isn’t this enough for one post?  One of the first things I said to Tim when I heard he was running for Lieutenant Governor was, “can you help me find someone on the city council who will be as helpful on environmental issues as you have been?”  He said he would try.  But in any case, I’d  love to have this kind of leadership at the state level. 

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    • Comments

    1. Silbert isn’t the only “Progressive Environmentalist” of the race. And the real difference is that She is all talk and he is all action.

    2. This from my most recent blog, on Murray’s position on Cape Wind at the candidate forum at Jimmy Tingle’s:

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      His position on Cape Wind disappoints me. While I appreciate his general Wind position – to sprinkle wind farms across the state, and invest heavily in non-populated areas like the Mass Pike – his stance on Cape Wind itself was frustrating. Not only would he not take a stance on the issue, he didn’t see why we’d want to face the politically wrath of putting it in Nantucket Bay. If people held Murray’s Cape Wind view as their general philosophy, nothing big would ever be accomplished. NIMBYism shouldn’t be excused because it makes things hard. What’s right is right – and clearly, Cape Wind is right. Even a majority of Cape Cod’s citizens support it.

      Equally frustrating, Murray wouldn’t take a position on Cape Wind. He said there was an unfinished Coast Guard report that needed to come out before he’d be willing to support Cape Wind. Fine. However, if the only thing holding Murray back was the Coast Guard, he simply could have said, “if the Coast Guard says it’s fine, I say it’s fine.” He didn’t. Instead, he left himself some politically room – it was the one issue that he seemed to play politics on throughout the whole night. If Murray simply states, “I’ll support it fully when the Coast Guard okays it,” I’ll be a happy camper. That’s all he needs to do.

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      I like Tim Murray, I think he’d make a great Lt. Governor. I think his environmental record is great and I really do love his stance on wind in general. That said, Cape Wind is a huge issue – not only is it a huge symbol, but it would also power 3/4 of Cape Cod. So, for him to not have a position on Cape Cod is weak. Like I said in my quote, if it’s just the Coast Gaurd thing – fine. But then say “If the Coast Guard says it’s fine, I’ll say it’s fine.”

    3. putting together a nice primer on Murray’s environmental record.  His Brownfields Task Force work is important experience as many of the state’s cities struggle with brownfields recovery.  I’m very excited about Murray as Lt. Governor as I think he brings the right mix of experience to the job.  There is life outside the 495 belt, and Murray will be the best person to advocate for our needs. 

    4. Outstanding job Margot on a really substantive post. I love seeing people state such rich facts that can’t be argued with. It only personifies what I truly believe that Tim is a natural born leader. On these environmental issues he is very serious about changing how we look at things now, so in the future life will be alot easier. Again this is a proven track record of not only getting results but thinking outside the box. I only see a glimpse of this in the other candidates for LG.

    5. I was Jim McGovern’s Field Coordinator when he was first elected to Congress in 1996.  For those who may not remember, Jim’s elections was a major upset victory over two term Republican incumbent Peter Blute.  All kinds of political insiders and pundits wrote us off. 

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      We decided we needed to get someone who was a smart, committed, grassroots activist to coodinate our field in Worcester, by far the largest city or town in the district.  We went to and asked a young guy who had never run for public office, Tim Murray, a local Democratic Party activist with a track record of grassroots campaign leadership.  Tim accepted and he delivered.  McGovern carried Worcester with 62% of the vote and Blute was gone. 

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      McGovern has since gone on to become the second ranking Democrat on the powerful House Rules Committee.  He has been a champion on left liberal issues from peace to human rights to civil rights and civil liberties across the Board.  And he is the only member of the entire US House of Representatives with a 100% voting record from the League of Conservation Voters over the entire last decade. 

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      Citizen Tim Murray as a campaign volunteer is a huge part of how Jim McGovern got into office.  He has proven himself as an environmentalist and as a responsive local leader.  Worcester is on the move because of Tim.  He deserves our support!

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