Do more analysis and visioning. Before an initiative is proposed the groundwork has to be laid – a strong rationale for action has to be set out. Too often, without sufficient groundwork, the Governor has lurched into the issue without adequately explaining why it is we have to do something about a problem. Give a speech on an issue explaining why action is called for – well before a proposal is actually made. Publish more reports on key issues that will influence thinking and set out possible actions that could be taken.
Strengthen the capacity of State Government – link to world-class minds we have in Boston. All of this leads to one conclusion – the quality, workforce skills and capabilities of State Government has to be dramatically improved. Does it have the skills necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century? No. We have world-class institutions surrounding Beacon Hill in every direction but too often this brainpower is not put at the disposal of the State and its people. Massachusetts deserves a Govt every bit as smart and innovative as its people and institutions. I think a great legacy of Patrick’s tenure in office would be to revitalize from the bottom-up, the skills and capacity of state workers and institutions. And, we should do much more to partner and channel the brainpower that our State produces to serve the State it calls home.
Build a stronger evidence base for initiatives. I am shocked at the poor quality of analysis our public policy makers depend on to tackle big issues. Too often, when a proposal is made, the evidence behind it is weak. This undermines the proposal’s credibility (casino’s being a good example and that is why the study could be worthwhile despite my antipathy to the proposal). But, this is the case on any host of matters the Governor proposes (for instance, I like the life sciences bill but have not seen anything suggesting $1 billion on that field alone is the right way to spur growth). The problem is, state govt does not have enough capacity or resources to do the homework it really should do before making such big decisions. If you can’t justify and show how a proposal will make a difference or achieve its objectives you will either make mistakes and waste lots of money, or lose the already diminished trust of the public. Building the capacity of State Govt to do rigorous analysis and produce evidence-based policy should be a key plank of Governor Patrick’s reform agenda.
Consult the public more thoroughly. Once the issues are set out – and possible actions are detailed, go out and ask the public what they think about it and whether they think we should do something and what options they like. As an example, Patrick wants to generate more revenues so we are not dependent on one-time reserves every year to balance the budget – that drove the corporate tax plan and casino plan. Why not put out a paper explaining in layman’s terms the State’s budget problem, why its bad for towns and the public – publish it and make it accessible (the Budget does not do the trick). Then go out and talk to all sorts of folks about the issues and ask them what they think we should do about it. Educate the public. Treat us like adults and have a real discussion about what we can do. Explain the tradeoffs. Of course people don’t want cuts or higher taxes, but if they know more about what we face and understand more about the real choices they may be more willing and engaged when Beacon Hill takes the remedies up. Patrick promised a new politics – this would be a big step towards one; an honest dialogue with the people. Make “Together We Can” more than just a slogan so you can say in a few years “Together We Did”.
Use the bully pulpit more effectively. The Governor can be a shaper of public opinion, can command press attention more than any pol in the State, a leader who sets a general direction and then works with others to deliver objectives. He needs to set out broad themes and challenge the people to consider the big issues facing our state, to get people involved, etc…He’s a really strong communicator but his voice has left him since elected. Just because you govern in prose does not mean you still can’t engage the public with words that will open minds to new possibilities. The chamber of commerce tour you propose sounds wise, but alone it will not provide the stage for Patrick to set out a vision and direction and inspire people. He needs a way to seize back the initiative – a forum(s) or venue(s) and a vision that is compelling. Sometimes you have to express the world you want to see, get people to agree to that vision and then once bought in, get stakeholders involved in details of taking us there. The Readiness Project could be one such example of how to do it (the jury is out) – I hope there will be others.
State principles, file Bills less. Every idea you have doesn’t have to become a Bill. So much of the Governor’s agenda has already been encompassed by legislation filed by others (so much of the Muni Relief has been Mayor Menino’s package since 2002, and most the criminal justice package has been filed for years by legislator’s themselves); I don’t see why Patrick has to then file his own duplicative proposals. For one, it looks like credit-mongering, especially when the idea has been someone else’s and you just take it and make it yours. Two, a Bill has to be set out in stark relief, in detail and there is no reason why the Governor has to bind himself to such a defined position so early in the process. It looks like he is saying that his is the best way to do it. And if he doesn’t get it all his way then it is often interpreted by the media as a failure. Instead, the Governor should set out principles for what he wants to see and priorities for what he wants to work on – then communicate these to legislators and the public without actually filing anything. Based on those stated principles, he and members of the Administration can then sit down with committee chairs and legislators to have a discussion about what could be worked on together.
Make legislators feel like the heroes. I’ve heard it said that you want to make legislators feel like heroes and not zeroes. Instead of filing their ideas, why not just get behind them – shine the spotlight on them and pledge your support for working with them on their ideas (and in the process shape them to meet your objectives – all the while keeping their name on the Bill). The Governor does this with Murray and DiMasi (transportation reform and energy legislation as examples) when they propose an initiative. Why not do it with back benchers and committee chairs more often – build a constituency in those chambers? On Beacon Hill, the person willing to let others get their name in lights is the most popular guy around. And every Bill that actually makes it through the sausage-factory to Patrick’s desk becomes his again. He just has to do what he can to get good policy made and good Bills to his desk, regardless of whether they started out with his name on it.
In Conclusion: All of this takes time and as they say, while a week may be an eternity in politics, a year (or four for that matter) is nothing in government. But, as you certainly know, governing is more than just a tick box of initiatives passed and battles won. It’s more than just a good headline in the Globe or Herald on a new Bill the Governor filed or a good news cycle or two. Good government is the painstaking work of learning, educating, experimenting, and engaging with the public and interest groups – all the stuff that will lay the foundations for real and lasting change.
Governor Patrick won a great victory in taking office and has worked
hard in his first year-plus. I know he feels the “fierce urgency of now” and is frustrated by the lack of response from Sal and Co. (the legislature is a conservative (small-c) institution and its default position is no, unless it can be convinced otherwise) – but when he hasn’t done the proper groundwork for his initiatives they have not been as successful as they could be. Taking time to get the answers and build an evidence base, refashioning State Govt into a world-class and self-improving institution, setting out the issues and possible responses, hearing people’s views, talking to legislators about what they care about, influencing public opinion and policy on Beacon Hill – all of it will ultimately pay off in the long-term, and I am hoping Governor Patrick is planning on being here for a while.
I know you and your colleagues are doing a lot of this stuff, as your post on BMG demonstrates, but never bad to hear it again. As you say, the 24-7 news cycle can knock you off course and it is good to see that you recognize that a tough week should not divert focus from the important progress to date and essential work still to come.
Why not shop initiatives to those kitchen cabinets first, before the speechs and forums?
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p>That process [using the “kitchen cabinets” effectively and consistently] tcould really eliminate rough edges and missteps.
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p>The attendees at these were all folks with constituencies – local elected officials, state committee members, representatives, select men, union local members or chapter officials, school committee members, activists of various kinds, not “big names” but all involved in governance in ways that meant that each has both local clout, and credibility with a niche constituency. Add all those niche constituencies up…and you build support as was done in 2006.
…and excellent advice for the Governor and his staff.
Thank you so much for taking the time to develop this post. You raise a number of really good points. We are working on some of these already, and others are timely as we continue to look for ways to improve state government.
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p>I will be sharing this post, along with a number of others, with our staff and the Governor. Thanks!
Please keep it up.
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p>You have to know that even when the rancor here get’s pretty hostile, the vast majority of us on BMG want the Governor to succeed – believe he’s doing a lot of things right and can do some great things in the future.
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p>I spent some time working on Beacon Hill and know the frustrations that come with the place. Its been said that “committees are a place where good ideas go to die” – and at my last count there were 33 standing committees in the General Court – a virtual killing field – death by study order.
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p>For a good idea to successfully run the committee and legislative gauntlet, it needs – and I will pathetically slip into football metaphor here – a great offensive line (a strong narrative and evidence to back it up), a story in SI (although if on SI’s front-page it could be jinxed, but media attention is generally a positive), fans that turn up in droves for every game (a broad and motivated coalition), receivers warmed up to catch the pass (a base of support in the legislature – in committee particularly), legs that will not tire (a rationale built to withstand scrutiny) and ultimately favorable referees (i.e. it still may get nowhere without Terry and Sal, who may call “holding penalties” on anything they don’t like).
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p>Of course if you don’t want a measure to run the gauntlet, or if all else fails, you can always just “buy-off” the refs (cut a deal) and then you may just run-back the opening kickoff or score the winner in OT.
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p>You know all that of course but thanks for listening.
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p>I think disappointment here is premature and represents less a feeling of idealism and more a creeping cynicism than many here are comfortable admitting to… But as Deval Patrick warned us in his acceptance speech, his job doesn’t involve being perfect and our job is to resist cynicism. Cynicism is both seductive and ineluctable in a forum as diverse as this such that if Governor Patrick falters occasionally, we fail completely by giving into it. That the people here, many who voted and worked on Deval’s behalf now place all the onus on him is but the first step towards that abyss.
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p>Or, did you think it was going to be sunshine and roses? When Moses led the Hebrews out of Eqypt it was another 40 years, a whole lot of geography and one golden calf of cynicism later before things were all that much better. I can’t fathom why you would feel entitled to a ‘get-out-of-the-wilderness’ free card.
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p>On the whole, and with zero in the way of doubt, I can unequivocally state that the first year of the Deval Patrick administration is by far the best administration in nearly 20 years. No one here can contradict this. The very fact that we have a Governor who believes in government (the first since Dukakis, by the way…) brings a smile to my face. Not only is that a victory in itself, it’s a fundamental agreement that the Governor and I come together upon. And frankly, a tactical decision, like skipping the vote to negotiate a book deal (a book I am intent upon purchasing) bothers me not at all. Of all the ideas and policies articulated by the administration, none rely upon voodoo economics or hinky math. Not a single one has relied on some silly argument about ‘originalism’ or pseudo-schizoid pap about ‘personal responsibility’. Gone is the vague hand-waving about ‘market forces’ or any other conservative/libertarian hoo-ha. The return of that crap, indeed, would be truly cause for disappointment.
Very much so. I think we are holding Governor Patrick to a very high standard because most of us really want him to succeed. The State needs him to. After years of Republican neglect, underinvestment and anti-governing, the Governor has a big hole to dig us out of. And I think he really wants to do it and can.
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p>The casino bill was a strategic and tactical misstep – but he can learn from it and rebound to greater things. In fact, good can come out of this – sometimes when you lose you win. For one, he get’s out of the political pissing contest with DiMasi the Bill has engendered. Two, he get’s to focus on other things and priorities. Three, he get’s to reengage with his base, many of whom are anti-casino.
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p>And he really has driven Beacon Hill to look at revenue proposals – corporate tax and cigarette tax to name but two. I really don’t know that DiMasi would have come on board the corporate tax reforms if he hadn’t felt pressure to do something on revenues while he killed casinos.
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p>And Patrick and his team will learn from this and be better the next time they pursue an important matter. On casinos they could have pressed the legislature to consider the issue, got some more research done on options and implications, engaged the public to look at the matter as part of efforts to secure needed investment, all without filing a bill and making it – at least in perception – the centerpiece of his agenda.
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p>As you suggest, we all should be wary of writing the Governor off so soon into his first term. While playing the role of friendly and sometimes harsh critic – we should all be doing what we can to see the Governor succeed – it really does matter for our State’s future. That is why it is great to see so much good and honest advice come out of BMG in the past few days – and its great to see the Governor’s team engaging in this way. I’ve never seen that before and its bodes well for their future success.
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Maybe our expectations were too high after 16 years of Republican stupidity and perfidity. Maybe governing is a lot harder than it looks. Maybe the legislative leadership is more entrenched and powerful than they look.
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p>But, I am most disappointed that the grassroots civic engagement movement has atrophied since the election. I thought it was the greatest thing I’ve seen politically in the 25 years I’ve lived here. I still think it/we can change the way Beacon Hill works, and for the better.
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p>Politics is like engineering: it’s about knowing and manipulating forces. If legislators feel no force from below they will bend to the forces from above, like ole Sal.
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p>The Gov needs to reenergize that movement, engage in true civic engagement, and shift the debate, and the forces, in his favor. Which is, ultimately, in our favor.
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p>There are ways to do that: town meetings/forums kind of things (we can figure out the details later) that would engage us all in a discussion about the priorities, and the realities, we face. Include legislators in the process so we all feel a part of it.
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p>Fire up that web site again, that netroots movement he had going. The state party web site is lacking in this area, badly. Look how much goes on here at BMG.
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p>The Gov seems to have gotten the message. We got a call on Tuesday that he wanted to have coffee with some of us today. First thought it was an April Fools joke, but it wasn’t. A bunch of us did have coffee with the Gov this morning in Mansfield. He was the Deval Patrick I remember from the campaign. Listening. Talking. Down to earth.
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p>There is a learning curve to this job. Some people get off to a slow – even a bad – start, and recover dramatically (JFK).
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p>We need to help the Gov. We need to hold him accountable. We need to get things done.