So let’s get back to business here. If Deval Patrick were really “soft on crime,” would he be lining up endorsements from police and corrections officers? Including unions that historically back Republicans? Not likely.
As we noted the other day, the Mass. Corrections Officers Federated Union (MCOFU) is running anti-Healey radio ads, saying that she and Romney are “soft on crime.” MCOFU says they’re likely to back Patrick, though they haven’t formally endorsed yet.
Also in recent news, the Springfield patrolmen’s union endorsed Patrick. That was by no means a gimme:
U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, a former mayor of Springfield, said he was very surprised when the Springfield patrolmens union came out with an enthusiastic endorsement of Mr. Patrick last Tuesday. He called the endorsement historic in that the union had not endorsed a Democrat in decades. They backed Bush over Dukakis, he said of the 1988 election that marked the start of a long string of Republican police endorsements in Massachusetts.
And today, the Patrick campaign announced a new slew of endorsements from public safety officers.
Citing their strong commitment to ensuring safer cities and towns across Massachusetts, several leading police organizations announced they are endorsing Deval Patrick for Governor and Tim Murray for Lieutenant Governor. They join dozens of public safety and law enforcement officials from across the state that support Patrick and Murray as the strongest team on public safety issues in the race….
Hugh Cameron, President of the Massachusetts Coalition of Police said, We need serious leaders at the State level who will work in partnership with cities and towns and law enforcement to prevent, prosecute and punish crime. We believe that strong leadership will be provided by Deval Patrick and Tim Murray. Deval Patrick was a prosecutor. Tim Murray is a large city mayor. They wont just talk the talk, they will walk the walk and give law enforcement the tools we need.
Also on today’s list: the Essex County Corrections Officers, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, and the International Brotherhood of Correctional Officers. Said the president of the latter two’s parent organization (NAGE):
I am here today because I believe that Deval Patrick and Tim Murray have the leadership, vision and experience we need to restore safe streets to our neighborhoods, cities, and towns across the Commonwealth. I am also here today because I believe that Kerry Healey and the Romney Administration had the opportunity to make public safety a priority, but didnt. Under the Romney/Healey Administration, as crime rates went up sharply in the states largest cities, District Attorneys budgets shrank and huge cuts in local aid took police officers off patrol by the hundreds.
Who’s Healey got? Oh, right, the state police. Color me not shocked, since her running mate used to be the staties’ top dog.
You have seemed to forget an overlying principle of police unions, or all government employees.
<
p>
The cops endorsement of Patrick has absolutely nothing to do with who will fight crime better.
<
p>
It is who will most likely continue to pay their extremely high salaries, including their corrupt police details.
<
p>
When the cops, or all government employees, vote one way, I always vote the other.
<
p>
Thomas Jefferson
Lowell, MA
why do most of these kind of remarks come from anonymous newbies? probably for the same reason that Republican blogger was bagged for imitating a Democrat down in Connecticut, I believe.
<
p>
welcome Tom! or is it Tim? 🙂
isn’t surprising. These unions indeed watch out for their own and endorse accordingly. And many of these unions have historically endorsed Rs over Ds. Yet, they endorse Mr. Patrick and Mr. Murray. I think the reasons are obvious. First, the Romney-Healey administration, whom many public safety agencies endorsed four years ago, are dissatisfied with the degree to which the administration fought for them. Romney, as he has done with many of his supporters, has heaved them over the ledge in an effort to distance himself from the state he governs. These unions are now part of the “entrenched culture” as far as he’s concerned. I happen to agree with him now, but he didn’t feel that way 4 years ago.
But the biggest reason for the endorsement is that they no longer believe Healey can win. Why align themselves with someone who isn’t going to win? What is less obvious is what opportunity they see with Patrick. There has been no pre-endorsement public embrace of these unions, as far as I know, by Patrick and that usually is required. These unions did not support Patrick in the primary, largely because he ran against the culture in which they have prospered. Most of them backed Reilly and had done so early on in the race.
A cynic might argue that Patrick offered them a deal but, as a cynic, I strongly doubt it based on Patrick’s consistent stance that he will not and has not made any backroom deals (recall the Convention) and that the endorsement, at least from a policy perspective is based on his responses to the pre-primary questionnaire that led to their endorsement of Reilly.
Given this, if Patrick is our next governor, I strongly doubt that he will have the same level of endorsement of these unions as he enjoys today, largely because of what you write above. These unions will not be happy to be treated like everyone else in the state under a Patrick administration. And I couldn’t be happier with that prospect.
<
p>
You should break this news to Kerry Healey who, on her web page, touts her law enforcement endorsements. Have you dished your snark there as well? If not, you can guess what I have to say to you…
<
p>
And police salaries are high, and, if I could, I would make them higher. It’s a tough job. And, since Romney and Healey have tolerated a great deal of corruption (Hello! Big Dig???) on their watch, whatever police corruption you alledge, but do not prove, is less than a worthy reason not to take their endorsement seriously. I’m forced to take you less seriously for your warped sense of perspective…
That is a classic Kerry Muffy Healey talking point.
<
p>
Police in unions: bad.
Bad unions. Evil evil unions. Muffy hates unions.
<
p>
I once sat at a meeting where her budget guy said, “you cities and towns don’t deserve any more money, and you shouldn’t get any more until you get rid of your teacher pay scales.” She smiled.
<
p>
Most police want enough officers on the street to make the community safe. They see what it’s like to have insufficent officers to respond to calls.
<
p>
Note to Deval: Think television ads with lots of cops. Trash Healey for cutting cops. Make the point with force.
It was unionized, local police officers, firefighters, and EMTs that rushed into those burning towers on 9/11.
<
p>
If you don’t like police unions, don’t ever dial 911.
I’m proud to say that my brother, Rick, was one of the police chiefs who was present at today’s endorsement announcement in Boston. He called me a little while ago to tell me about it, and said that Deval, as always, was magnificent.
<
p>
Also present was Kevin Mearn, who is Chief in Milton. So, between the two of them, they had the state pretty much covered east to west (Rick is Chief in Stockbridge). Not sure if anyone from the Cape was there.
<
p>
Rick also told me there were a lot of sheriffs there. I’m assuming one of them was Andrea Cabral (Suffolk County Sheriff), though he didn’t name names. She was mentioned in the campaign’s press release.
<
p>
I look forward to the news reports. I less look forward to seeing the Muffy spin on this. I’m sure they’ll find a way to say this proves that Deval is soft in the head, or something.
You see, the comment by the guy with the headline, “Proud As Punch,” absolutely proves my point.
<
p>
The biggest supporters of Patrick on the crime issue are those
individuals who directly benefit from the extremely high salaries of the cops, including the details.
<
p>
He makes no points as to why he supports Patrick. Because the only thing he gives a damn about is exta money going into his families bank accounts.
<
p>
With regard to the guy with the headline, “Actually, with your perspective this,” your argument is well done. Good points, informative and intelligent.
<
p>
Quite a difference from the greedy other guy.
<
p>
Thomas Jefferson
Lowell, MA
is this the REAL Thomas Jefferson, back from the dead? Spreading his wisdom? What are the odds!
<
p>
Siiiiiiiiigh
You would know EXACTLY why MFW supports Deval Patrick, since he’s been here even longer than me and is a coordinator for the campaign. You might want to read through the hundreds of comments and posts he’s made before you judge his statement as baseless.
Most details go to the State Police, who work all of the highway assignments. They’ve endorsed Kerry Healey. Shall I assume you’re voting Patrick/Murray now? GREAT…See you at the rally tomorrow!
With regard to the guy with the BTW headline:
<
p>
I seriously question the State cops get most of the details. I
see an extreme number of details by Boston cops, Boston Housing cops, the Amtrak Polie, UMASS Police, the Environmental Police, and on and on and on.
<
p>
The point is, Patrick will be beholden to the cops if they vote for him. He will need to pay back the favor.
<
p>
And he will do it by taking away your hard earned money and give it to those who are already overpaid.
<
p>
Thomas Jefferson
Lowell, MA
<
p>
P.S. I am the real Thomas Jefferson, back from the dead.
This idea that Deval is beholden to every individual who endorses him is such a crock. Deval is going to be loyal to one group only: the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Deval knows where his support originated: the people who started listening to him in the late winter of 2005 (before he even officially announced). Deval gains supporters because people listen to him and like what he has to say; they read his position papers on-line and agreed with thoughtful strategy for change. For nearly two years Deval has been going all over this state talking and LISTENING to people and gaining support. Those are the people to whom Deval will be beholden.
<
p>
While endorsements are nice, I think it’s more in the interest of the endorser than the endorsee.
Kerry Healey is beholden to the staties, and to whoever else endorses her. That’s just silly, and you know it.
I’m not sure if you left out something in your post.
<
p>
My point is that Deval’s early support came from individuals rather than “The Party” or the “Special Interests” Healey is constantly throwing out (but never defining). Deval became the front runner by having thousands of conversations with individuals. His strategy is time consuming and a lot of work. I don’t think anybody would try to claim he hasn’t done the work on this campaign.
<
p>
In contrast, Healey seems to have done nothing. She doesn’t seem to have a strong volunteer base. She doesn’t seem to have a broad contribution base. She has a lot of money thanks to her husband and that plum adjunct gig she had at Endicott College (the North Shore’s answer to Pine Mattress). She hasn’t offered anything more than her 50 points (of light?) on her web site. She has a lot of ideas (her statement), but these ideas aren’t connected (they aren’t even grouped together in her list). She has no comprehensive vision. No real plan to accomplish the job creation, improvement in education, etc. she claims to want.
<
p>
So (in response to what I think you were trying to say) you can’t apply the same ‘logic’ to Deval and Healey. Deval has worked for broad based support; out of that have come the more recent endorsements. Healey’s support seems chimerical, at best diaphanous. I would argue that the endorsements she’s getting now are attributable to her status as the Republican placeholder more than anything she stands for, whatever that may be.
I was actually responding to TJ, not to you!
Sorry about the snark.
You are the real Thomas Jefferson, and you’re carrying out a grudge.
<
p>
See, TJ had trouble in the eighteenth century because a Massachusetts lawyer believed passionately in the integrity of justice, and had a forward-looking economic policy.
<
p>
But now, come back to life, you don’t have John Adams to kick around anymore. So you’re looking for another public-spirited visionary from the Bay State to kick around. And you found Deval. You wre a master of mean, baseless attacks back in the day, and you still are.
<
p>
But perk up Tom — France is our ally still, and you no longer have to sneak around if you want to sleep with a black (we call them “African-American” now) woman.
So bitter.
<
p>
Did you get a speeding ticket on the Pike recently?
<
p>
; )
Police chiefs don’t generally work details.