The criticism that is most concerning is the notion that we reached out for input on this issue, but have not been involving the grassroots on more substantive, policy issues along the way. My initial reaction after reading these comments was to respond by detailing all of the ways the Governor has kept his promise to the grassroots. These include many town hall meetings across the state, a monthly radio call-in show on WTKK, hundreds of volunteers participating in the Readiness Project, an aggressive schedule that regularly visits every part of the state and includes small meetings with local activists, the development of Commonwealth Corps, the Office of Civic Engagement and the Public Liaison Office, monthly meetings with staff and outside groups, Cabinet, Development Cabinet and Anti-Crime Council meetings scheduled in different parts of the state, an enhanced online constituent service and state government website, and regular interaction by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor with local leaders and activists. I dare say it might also include the helpful interaction I have had on this site with members of the BMG community.
Like I said, that was my first reaction, and I do feel strongly that the Governor has kept his pledge to bring grassroots governing to Massachusetts. And not just, as some have suggested, as a way to simply build “support” for his agenda. I can tell you first-hand that the Governor has benefited from many suggestions and comments he has received during Town Hall meetings or small local gatherings, and the insight gained from these interactions has made it into the thinking and policies of the administration. I can personally vouch for the many good suggestions I have received from the BMG community, in particular those that helped shape our thinking on the Governor’s 90-day economic stimulus initiative.
However, the more I thought about my initial reaction and the comments on the two Posts, the more I realized that there was something very important to learn. The Governor’s campaign showed the power of the grassroots – really, of people working together to change our state – and we in the administration have a responsibility to live up to a higher standard.
So, this is what I am saying – we can and must do better. And I am asking you to take responsibility by giving us suggestions as to how we can make it easier and more effective for citizens to engage and impact their state government. I’ve outlined a few of the ways we have been doing it so far, but I am eager for your suggestions for raising the standard of grassroots governing in Massachusetts.
(Oh, and by the way, I do fully support Liz’s decision to send out the email. Whether you are a supporter or opponent of the Governor (or somewhere in between), I do think it is important for the administration every so often to celebrate its successes. Change is hard work, and the people who are on the front lines deserve a pat on the back every once in a while.)
But I think part of the reason people have been unhappy is the fact that they view this state as having a lack of progress. Of course, given all the positive developments lately, that kind of viewpoint is at best ignorant and at worst almost insane. However, given the media’s mute response to the ongoing progress in everything from building bridges to passing green energy bills, I think it’s somewhat understandable. I will say that I think the administration’s role in the casino argument – and the very real press that got – certainly hasn’t helped, either.
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p>What the admin needs to push along the grassroots is a little success. We need to feel like we’re actually accomplishing something. I almost think that what we need, after passing life sciences and the green energy bill and maybe something else, is a big, happy party (even if it’s a metaphorical one) – a real burst of enthusiasm. People who haven’t felt a part of the administration since Governor Patrick was sworn in need to feel as though they helped make this all happen. We need the big ‘mo: I think it’s happening already, but we need to ride it to complete fruition, maybe in achieving something seen as a far-off goal that wasn’t expected.
food on peoples tables. Bridges while necessary don’t reduce the tax burden on families struggling to make a mortgage payment due to the predatory lending practices that Governor Patrick’s former company was engaged in. The priorities the governor has promoted such as the oceans bill, which I fully expect will be used to gut our near shore shellfish fishery in the name of “the environment”, just aren’t the priorities of the people.
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p>In fact the Governors new choice for the RMV is by an account in the Herald “cleaning house” asking for the resignation of managers. That’s the ticket let’s clean house at one of the few government agencies that actually works well.
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p>Tin ear Ryan, the governor and his staff have a tin ear. And his 56% disapproval rate shows it. I can’t wait until next month, the Governor is quickly degenerating into George Bush approval rating territory.
Maybe not tomorrow. But in the medium- to long-term, of course they do. What a short-sighted viewpoint, EaBo — I’m surprised. Or maybe not.
They ‘may’ therefore, they must. Nothing short of faith there.
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p>Here’s a deal. I can invest around $44K into a pellet compressor,
scamconvince the green machine that I’m going to pelletize high oil grass. I’m aware of the problems: 1) switchgrass is scarce 2) BTUs are low and 3) ash content is high. But, operate that thing for a year or so at a loss, retool to compress sawdust, and make some cash on wood pellets. Win-win-win. Green guys get all gushy at the mention of switchgrass; politicians get all gushy with the photo ops of a machine that making noise; I win (finally) when we switch to wood. Oh. Taxpayers lose.<
p>BTW, Evergreen Solar’s in the crapper. Mainly because Germany’s cutting subsidies for Solar. Well, at least they’re trying. (the last lament for a drowning man).
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p>Wind? Ever tried to get a small scale windmill up and running? First, the economics are terrible on a small scale. Second, the Town may or may not zone you and the neighbors will NIMBY the wind from your sales.
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p>Solar? Pesky arsenic.
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p>So will the Green Bills pay for themselves (cough, Synfuel Corp.)? Doubtful, they never have, but maybe. Or in the words of you religious zealots, of course.
On what do you bsae the “Evergreen Solar’s in the crapper”? Certainly not the stock price, which is about a dollar a share up from when Evergreen broke ground in MA.
Chart. High of 18, now trading at 10.
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p>Earnings. 5 years of consecutive losses. with C/Y loss of almost $19 million.
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p>Merrill says sell.
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p>It’s burn rate is high and nearing its end. Stock too low for the equity markets, debt is at junk bond status.
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p>”Crapper” is too kind.
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p>When a Banks says hold it means sell, when it says sell, it means holy crap, what a dog.
Germany:
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p>Germany is reducing their feed-in tariff gradually over time. This is a good thing, because it allows Germany to stimulate the industry (they are the leading solar market in the world) while signaling that they are not going to get stuck with an eternal subsidy (see: US Farm Bill).
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p>As it is, the current fee-in tariff in Germany is still quite high- the German market is not going to disappear any time soon.
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p>Evergreen:
If this is a dog, what’s your criteria for a good stock, Gary?
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p>Also of interest is the trend of Evergreen’s gross profit margin, which was 10% two years ago, and is now at 25%.
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p>I shudder to make the comparison, but Amazon lost billions before turning the corner, and now they make billions each year. Sometimes it takes awhile.
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p>Sometimes, Gary, you have to consider the future as well as the present. With every doubling of the PV industry reducing costs by ~20% (the learning curve, based on hard data), and the industry growing at 30+% a year (for more than a decade), and costs needing to come down ~50% to be pretty competitive, I’ll let you do the math on when solar might reach grid-parity.
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p>(Hint: Sooner than you might think)
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p>You apparently regard Evergreen a “good” stock.
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p>I (and also Merril Lynch and also Bank of America Securities and also Citigroup and also RBC Capital) regard it as a bad one and wouldn’t consider owning it, but thanks to Government largess and corporate welfare, I also own it via my tax dollars.
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p>2. If you don’t ignore them, you might want to notice that in the aggregate ESLR is considered a buy.
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p>My main objection, though, is to your characterization that “Evergreen Solar’s in the crapper.”
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p>Yeah, that’s what I’d call a company with a backlog of over 10x current sales
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p>I don’t have a strong opinion on what ESLR, the stock, is going to do over the next year or two. I don’t own any, though I often consider buying some. While I don’t have much concern over the company’s viability, it’s just hard to tell how profitable they will be vs. the current valuation.
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p>Gary, how about you short ESLR, I’ll buy some, and we get back together on this date on 2014 and see how we did?
The various boards, committees, outreach goups, studies etc are simply names on doors, letterheads and increased staffing, higher salaries, and an additional burden on the taxpayer.
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p>Why not have a 24/7, concerted effort on the part of the governor to reduce the size of government and increase to output? That is where you are going to get positive feedback from the elecorate.
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p>DP was elected at an inopportune time, he is not a politician, he had little to no experience in government, and the national economy is teetering on a precipice. All things working against him. What he has going for him, is that he is starting with a clean slate as Ed King and Bill Weld did. If the governor is willing to swallow the bitter pill, lay the possibility of not being re elected on the line and really wants to make a difference he can throw down the gauntlet and declare to the legislature that there is a new sheriff in town and there WILL be changes—-politics aside. He can then go before the Mass. electorate and state that there are tough times ahead and that he (the governor) will be at the helm 24/7. The continuous bandaid approach is going to blow up in his face. FDR did it. There is no such thing as I can’t. With sacrifice—you can do anything. If DP shows folks he will sacrifice more than they are, then they will follow. It’s called setting the example. On the flip side not showing up when the casino vote went down and the book deal was a PR catastrophe. Those two events will be the albatross until he puts things right.
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p>In my opinion, if you continue down the present road, it will result in two and a half years of mediocrity and then silently leaving after not being able to run for re election due to utter disaffection of the electorate.
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p>I am a retired commonwealth employee and know where all the skeletons are buried.
So far, there’s been too much partying and not enough done. Let’s emphasize what can be accomplished, then the party will happen without prompting when the time is right.
that’s why i said party, which I was mostly suggesting as a metaphor. To use grassroots, you need to get as many people involved, in ways that they’re willing to be involved. If you make their work all dull and drab, they’re going to stop showing up. Thats why I’ve always held that sign-holding events aren’t completely useless, because even if they’re not going to win any votes, they do keep volunteers in campaigns happy. So, “partying” could be setting up a big legislative day on Beacon Hill to advance the Governor’s agenda, where people are encouraged to show up in droves to speak with their local reps and senators, complete with Deval’s campaign folks steering them in the right direction, helping them know the right questions to ask and perhaps even giving them basic scripts and maps to find their legislator’s office (I’ve yet to go into the state house without being asked for directions – it is a confusing building, which does complicate constituent lobbying days.)
A space is reserved [the great hall, nurses hall, room 222, room xyz] and food is catered. Packets are made up in advance. Motivational speakers are scheduled – then the [court-appointed attorneys, friends of indigent defense, social workers, teenaged mothers – whomever the target group] gets about a months advance notice, and it is a “State House Party” and hob-nob day.
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p>Actually, it sounds like a good idea – but someone has to have the time to do it, the place to print and collate, and the money for the caterer – a coffee/donut “mess” is about $2.00 per expected person, and the pricing for food depends on menu. Been there. Done that.
Governor Patrick should plan something like this, through his own campaign committee. It would be a bold thing for him to do, but I think worth it. He’d just have to pick two or three issues and go at it. Also, he’d have to a) fund it and b) have his campaign committee organize it (or find volunteers willing to help do it).
Your suggestion is logical on its own grounds but makes no sense in the context. I don’t see anyone walking around saying, “Wow, I’ve been working so hard as a citizen volunteer for the Patrick administration these past months, I’m just starting to feel burned out.” The people haven’t even been put to work. (or so I hear)
Yes, he hasn’t organized volunteers as much as we’d necessary like, but a) that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy anyway (I’ve had my second political event in two days) or b) that the administration hasn’t accomplished much.
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p>A few comments up thread, I made the suggestion that the Governor help people realize that we have had a lot of success – even if the Boston Globe isn’t printing any of it. Secondly, I made a distinction that it isn’t necessarily a ‘party’ per say, but just a fun atmosphere where we’re all coming together. It wasn’t a point I made well at first, but I think the comment you replied to was a good comment. Just don’t divorce it from my other points.
so each comment must be taken both on its merit, but also with a grain of salt.
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p>The grain of salt that should accompany my comments is that I strongly support the Governor based on his vision for participatory government and the longterm outlook he has.
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p>But long outlooks sometimes have the problem with the more immediate concerns of the people. Therefore, for each long term project we must set intermediate goals, and be able to measure our progress against them. Currently, our national economy has raised immediate concerns for most citizens, so the State government is working against that tide. Can the Governor use his position with Barack Obama to initiate policies through a compliant Congress to address some national problems with benefits that flow down to the State? Energy should not be considered a product of our economy, but the fuel for it, and therefore it should not be an open market commodity subject to price based on speculation in the financial markets. In the short term we must change that, and give priority to finding better solutions for the long term.
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p>I don’t understand the Life Sciences bill enough to even speculate the advantages it will produce, nevermind when we should expect to see them. However, recent media articles decry the insertion of “pork” into the bill, bringing into question whether it will ever live up to its promise, whatever that is. This needs a lot of good marketing.
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p>I better understand what the Cape Wind project will create, but the progress seems all to slow, and any benefits are “over the horizon”, should I say. I believe the State must be more aggressive on the energy front, although my impression may be driven by the lack of media focus on that. I just signed up for 50% renewable source on my energy bill, and pay a small premium for that. Not that I object to investing in that technology, but with the price of non-renewables escalating shouldn’t we expect to actually save money on the renewable sources someday? When?
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p>The Governor has travelled the State in recent weeks announcing various economic stimulus programs. However, it is not obvious how they tie together to actually improve the State economy. This may be another example of the need for measurable milestones so that we don’t wait until the end to understand the benefits of any investment.
When Governor Romney signed the Health care reform bill chapter 58 I watched him sign it and he said “the next governor can change some of this law or all of this law.”Governor Romney must have known there would be problems all around.But Governor Patrick has done nothing.He and the State legislators have been called and written letters which they ignore.I find this arrogant.They at Beacon Hill work for the people we do not work for them.The health reform law is bad for state and bad for citizens.The poor and the wealthy get health care and not the middle class.Why don’t they change the law?Why don’t they answer citizens calls and letters?When I called my State Senator’s office and told them I could not afford the insurance I was told “too bad it’s the law” what kind of answer is that?What we have is a law to buy insurance,this is not a law for health care reform.
I actually respect you tremendously for adding:
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p>Because it says something about your management style and a desire to protect and reward those on staff.
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p>However, the email was tone deaf. Limiting a request for response to only the positive (with a by the way, we almost forgot to do this) is not exactly an invitation for two way dialogue or very complimentary to the audience it was meant to appeal to. It came off more as a requirement to join the cheerleading squad. I like Deval. I respect him. I’m not crazy about some of his decisions. The campaign is over (or just about to begin again).
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p>I commend Doug Rubin for his willingness to hear views from all corners. When staff and supporters are willing to consider all views they come up with the best policy!
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p>Some politicians live in an echo chamber where they keep hearing how great they are. We have a junior senator who lives in the echo chamber and do not need a govenor in one.
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p>Having a staff that listens is the first step to ensuring that the governor hears our voices. Whatever he or she ultimately decides to do.
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p>Doug Rubin, you are a courageous person and a dedicated chief of staff!
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p>A certain Junior senator should answer the following questions:
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p>Are you keeping the nation safe?
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p>When George W. Bush moved Francis X. Taylor, the Coordinator for Counterterrorism from the start of the Bush administration to almost a year after 9-11 to be assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security, did Senate Foreign Relations Committee member John Kerry do enough?
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p>Didn’t the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and then the full Senate need to confirm an assistant secretary of state?
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p>What was John Kerry and his senior foreign policy adviser, Nancy Stetson, thinking of?
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p>Wasn’t national security on their minds?
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p>Wouldn’t it have been important to the nation to highlight this action of George W. Bush to illustrate the Bush administration’s failures on national security?
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p>Wasn’t Senate confirmed Coordinator for Counterterrorism Francis X. Taylor the right hand man of then National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice?
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p>Weren’t there indicators that George W. Bush was not keeping the national security in mind before he led us to war?
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p>Isn’t Condoleezza Rice now Senate confirmed secretary
of state?
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p>Was John Kerry asleep at the switch?
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p>How is Frank Taylor , worldwide security chief at General Electric, doing after his stellar goverment service?
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echo!
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p>you like to hear your own words echoing between diaries i guess?
Doug – Civic engagement requires a dialogue. Not so much an exchange of paper airplanes – but real listening, with give and take, and feedback that makes clear both sides were heard.
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p>Your involvement here is that kind of dialogue. Those of us in the BMG community get responses; we know we were heard and listened to, which makes a difference.
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p>Because Deval Patrick began his administration with a promise to listen, and to involve the Netroots folk, and we believed him, the expectations for dialogue [not a mere exchange of broadsides, but real discussion] was greater than it had ever been.
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p>Plus, I am well aware of the hideous situation inherited by Governor Patrick in this state, with regards to the dismanted community mental health system, a lawsuit where out state was found to in fact not even meet Medicare standards in mental health care, the treatment beds for addicts having been cut from 100 to 500 under Romney [leading to massive increases in teen and other lockups in the criminal system] – the dangerous delays in maintenance of the infrastructure, and I could go on and on about the quagmire Deval Patrick stepped into as governor.
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p>Unlike some, I did not expect the first Democratic Governor in 16 years to have a magic wand like Cindarella’s fairly godmother! Please.
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p>But I did have the [probably unrealistic] expectation that when I mailed in a White Paper in an area, such as the need for explicit standards under G.L. c. 119 for the “reasonable efforts’ required prior to removal of a child to foster care, that SOMEONE would respond. Tell you what – I will send it directly to you, Doug and you can tell me what you think, and whether anyone ever saw it when I sent it in before!
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p>So, I guess, to sum it up, improving the “two way” conversation, just like you are doing here, is what I think is most needed – why?
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p>Because I continue to have great expectations even though I don’t believe in magic.
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p>2. The mental health failure was with regard to adolescents, per Rosie D. v. Romney. I can provide cites on these; I have posted about them before as most here know.