Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Final list of candidates for the 23rd Middlesex legislative seat

By

Democrats:

Jeffrey D. Thielman, 37 Coolidge Road, Arlington School Committee member.

Susan Lovelace, 20 Amherst, Arlington School Committee member

Sean Garballey, 45 Maynard St., Arlington School Committee member

Andrew E. O’Brien, 109 Hillside Ave.

Suzanne Gordon, 11 Ely Rd.

Republican:

John L. Worden III, 27 Jason St., former Town Moderator.

Independent:

Robert Valeri, Independent, 7 Wheaton Road

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  1. Insidemedford.com has links to websites of three of the democratic candidates, although only Jeff Thielman’s site is geared toward this race.

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    p>(Also note the map of the Medford portion of the 23rd Middlesex legislative district.  We’re a substantial part of the district, so please don’t forget us, candidates!)  

  2. and most pleasant, is Suzanne Gordon.

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    p>No idea what she has planned, but it seems to me that she can make a strong, progressive run on health-care and all its many ramifications; that plus whatever her husband can bring to the campaign makes her a real contender.

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    p>There is nothing about running for this seat on her web site.

    • It would be an interesting campaign in a normal circumstance.

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      p>However, Susan Gordon is not well known by voters in the district.  Other candidates have established voter loyalty among folks in the district.  Most important, the primary is February 5, and there’s very little time to get a campaign up, running, and into the victory lane.

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      p>What’s more, I am not going to vote for a candidate just because I like her husband.  No way.

      • other candidates may be known by voters all too well.

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        p>The three members of the school committee might split the vote evenly enough for an unknown to win the nomination. The SC has not exactly covered itself in glory recently, and even your guy (who would make an excellent legislator) has some baggage.

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        p>No question Gordon is slow getting out of the gate. It’ll be an interesting month-and-a-quarter

        • I am so not interested in studying Arlington school politics and sorting out heroes from villains.  If I can identify a great replacement for Marzilli who has not been a polarizing character in the saga The Superintendent, the Principal, the Teacher, and the E-Mails, that would be splendid.

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          p>I am impressed with how on the ball Thielman has been in the past two weeks since announcing his candidacy.  He’s got a suitable website, he has wandered into Medford to introduce himself to people, he has even sent me a letter asking for money.  Still, because of Gordon’s background and writings–and because I am wary of Thielman’s baggage–at the moment I am more intrigued by her than I am by him, even though I have been aware of her existence for only a day now.

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          p>Gordon has got to act quickly, but if she can establish her presence and positions in a very clear way in the next week, I think she will have as much a shot in this sprint as any other candidate.

          • If you don’t travel on the path of public service, you don’t have any bags.

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            p>Anyone coming out of the school committee, at this point, has public positions on the record regarding the superintendent and the principal.  So be it.

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            p>The situation came up in such a public manner that it was impossible to be neutral, and impossible not to anger some segment of town.  For me, I prefer to have someone who errs on the side of releasing public documents to the media, rather than someone who sides with the wrongdoers over the superintendent.

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            p>I also think Lovelace would have been the better candidate if she came out a bit earlier.  She’s absolutely great, but she lacked the fire in the belly to make a firm decision about running early enough to have a serious chance at the seat.

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            p>I pay attention to local politics, and know most of the players.  I have never met Ms. Gordon, and I would have very serious problems voting for someone who I haven’t met five weeks before the election.  It’s easy to lack political baggage in that situation, but her political instincts and character are thus largely untested.  Love them or hate them, we do know the strengths and weakness of the three school committee members.

            • Still…

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              p>

              I pay attention to local politics, and know most of the players.  I have never met Ms. Gordon, and I would have very serious problems voting for someone who I haven’t met five weeks before the election.

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              p>I pay close attention to local politics, too, but I live in the Medford portion of the 23rd Middlesex District, so my local politics is a different universe than yours.  I have not personally met any of the Arlington candidates, and so what I know about them I have gleaned from the internet.  Still (and as unfair as this may seem) I am as entitled to vote in this race as you are.  đŸ™‚  So I must do my best with the little time remaining.  Thielman has a two week headstart at introducing himself to me; this is no particular advantage.  (As an aside, his website needs greater elaboration with regard to positions.  For example, there is nothing there about environmental concerns.)

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              p>My hope is that we replace Marzilli with someone who is very much like Marzilli.  My fear is that a Democratic nominee who has made many Arlington enemies may provide an excellent avenue for election of a very nice Republican.  (Not being part of the Arlington environment, it may be harder for me to gauge whether or not this is a reasonable fear?)

              • Still, you haven’t seen Marzilli’s enemies list.  They are far more extensive than anything the school committee has compiled.

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                p>If a candidate were coming out of Medford, I would look to friends across the river for their knowledge of a candidate.  I really value civic involvement.  Granted, it is a little more difficult in a city than a town, but I want to know:

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                p>• what local candidates have you supported?
                • have you worked for a proposition 2.5 override?
                • have you been involved in volunteer work in the community?

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                p>Searching the campaign finance reports, she has given:
                $100 to Jill Stein (Green Party) 5/18/2004
                $300 to Rand Wilson (Working Family Party), three $100 contributions on 8/21/2006, 11/10/2006, and 11/28/2006.

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                p>Not exactly someone I would vote for in a Democratic primary.

      • Pablo is also a former member of the Arlington School Committee – at the same time as Jeff Thielman, going back before the election of Sean Garballey.

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        p>My disclosure is that I support Sean Garballey based on his support for special education including the importance of school libraries.

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        p>When “Pablo” and Thielman were on the board, they seemed to view school libraries and librarians as expendable – and I differ with both Thielman and “Pablo” on what should be the focus on special education in a number of areas.

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        p>I know that unlike “Pablo” and Thielman, Sean has a ground level understanding or ordinary folk, who don’t see themselves as genius types, and what their lives need to work.

        • They are far from expendable.

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          p>However, the problems we faced when Mitt Romney balanced the state budget by cutting state aid 20% forced the elimination of many things I strongly believe in.  We cut lots of important things, raised lots of fees, did lots of horrible things to close a state-imposed budget crisis.

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          p>As for special education, there have been very substantial improvements in SPED in the past three years.  We went from a system badly out of compliance with SPED and bilingual regulations, to a district that met state regulations, in just one year.  This is an amazing feat.

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          p>Arlington still has some SPED issues – too many children need to leave the district for services.  We’re working on it.

          • What admission/disclosure:

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            p>1.  That you were on Arlington’s School Commitee.

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            p>2.  From when to when you were on Arlington’s School Committee.

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            p>3.  Why you believe Arlington is now in full compliance on Special Education [NOT my understanding, by the way].

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            p>4. WHAT was considered rather than elimination of 100% of the elementary school librarians and libraries in Arlington.

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            p>5.  Why you think Arlington should eliminate out of district placements – and can still meet the extraordinary needs of students who require such placements [is this about money or student needs, AmberPaw wonders?]

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            p>After all, this is still the same district where more than 19% of students go private AND there is a refusal to consider the k-8 model used in nieghboring towns rather than the outmoded middle school model – which DOES give kids more time to mature before dealing with the factory school conveyor belt – so fewer might just have to leave public school.

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            p>I have far more concerns with your 23rd Middlesex candidates then “just” his anonymous leakyness, after all.

            • Sounds like you have lots of issues, and there’s not with Thielman, Pablo, or the school committee.  You’re inspiring me again.

    • No issues.

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      p>Pro-life?  Pro-choice?
      Marriage rights?
      Stem-cell research?
      Mass Transit?
      Charter Schools?

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