As it turned out, lots of people were impressed with Ken Donnelly. In a race featuring three sitting state representatives with significant local followings, he placed second overall. He topped the ticket in Billerica, and was a strong second place finisher in every other municipality in the district. This is significant, because it demonstrated that Ken Donnelly was able to build support in communities that are very different from each other. He did it without downplaying his strongly-held beliefs in economic and social justice. He spoke of a need for strong public schools and vibrant communities that are affordable and attractive to young people. He spoke of alternative energy and improved public transportation as the keys an economic future that is currently in jeopardy due to a reliance on foreign oil. He spoke of the need for single-payer health care. He spoke of the need for a graduated income tax. He spoke with clarity, compassion, and conviction, and gained tremendous respect across the district.
Ken Donnelly has a very deep knowledge of the workings of state government. Most important, he has a strong knowledge of the workings of the boards, commissions, and agencies that fly under the radar but have a significant impact on our lives. I have no doubt that he will be able to master the details of the job, and will be a very capable representative of the hopes and dreams of the people of the Fourth Middlesex district.
Ken Donnelly would be a very capable senator, but also has the potential to become a transformational leader. Here is a man who has a photo of Caesar Chavez, Martin Luther King, and John F. Kennedy in his office, and can speak progressive values with conviction well beyond the usual suspects. He is the kind of person who can bring people together to support the difficult but necessary decisions required to make Massachusetts competitive in the future.
I hope you will join me in voting for Ken Donnelly in the Democratic senate primary next September.
I was also impressed with Ken Donnelly, and the way he ran his campaign during the special election. In addition to his experience in running a statewide Board, I consider his peole skills to be extremely good, and his track record as a coalition builder and team player impressive.
<
p>I believe that Ken Donnelly would be an effective senator who has extensive experience in governance.
Come to Ken Donnelly’s kick-off in Arlington on Thursday, June 19!
<
p>Thursday, June 19, 7:30 p.m., Sons of Italy, 19 Prentiss Road, Arlington.
79 from Alewife, 77 from Porter/Harvard. 77 runs until after 1 AM.
Ken Donnelly combines the best of the Labor and Progressive Movements as a candidate that deserves support in this race.
Liking what I’ve seen so far. Hoping to make it to the kick off.
because he was collecting campaign contributions from public sector unions as far away as Colorado. He also had a number of campaign volunteers come in from outside the district to beef up his presence in various key precincts.
Ken’s impressive performance last year is in part because he beat expectations so handily, and yet still lost.
It was an article of faith within the Marzilli campaign that the special primary last year would be a showdown between Jim and Burlington Rep Charles Murphy with DiNatale and Donnelly fighting for third and four place. Ken Donnelly’s subsequent second place finish surprised everyone and is therefore a key element of his current political momentum.
<
p>I’ve seen Donnelly in debate I can’t say I was impressed. He has a bad habit of shouting into the microphone and is very very long winded on the subject of police and firefighter pensions a topic of militant disinterest to 85% of the district’s voters.
<
p>But I’ll give him and Hurd a fair hearing before making a decision.
Glad to see you’ll give both a fair hearing. How very fair of you. Can you be equally fair here on this forum? Do you have an equal amount of critcism for both? You only make comment on one candidate. It’s too bad your comments are based on his speaking style and his immense knowledge of the public pension system. Dumbing down the system is difficult, and for most, comprehending it is a futile effort. The content should trump all else, so I’ll forgive any percieved unusual speach patterns.
Stephen DiNatale is a representative from Fitchburg. Patrick Natale represents pieces of Reading, Stoneham, and Woburn. The latter is the person who ran in the 4th Middlesex Senate special election.
Pablo, you’ll have to work harder to convince me that Donnelly is “the” progressive choice. He might be “a” progressive choice; he’s clearly “the” choice for you; but it’s a logical leap to say that he’s “the progressive choice.” You haven’t made the case. Convince me that Donnelly has something progressive that Hurd doesn’t.
<
p>Here’s my real concern: Donnelly looks like he’s union first, everything else second. Look at his fundraising from his run last year – 80% of his $108,000 came from firefighter unions or individual firefighters. (You can look at the Office of Campaign Finance or my analysis from last year to verify the numbers). Is he going to support things like modifying the police detail rules? Is he going to support increases in pensions paid for by the taxpayers of the future? Is he going to support education reform – even the kind that threatens teachers’ unions?
<
p>Donnelly comes across as a nice guy; I also like a lot of the things that he’s said. But I keep coming back to the union question. Do we really need another union voice on Beacon Hill?
If you think Ken Donnelly is not more progressive then Jack Hurd your obviously not a progressive. I do not see how Ken receiving money from the people who know best and for what he stands for as a man some how disqualifies him as a progressive or a liberal Democrat interested in the people of the district. Isn’t it a testament to the man who is supported by his friends and co-workers that he has remained true to his convictions that hey are willing to support financial aid to his political campaign? No I think your just trying to throw dirt on the wall to see what sticks because a good man has raised his hand to try and help make change. There is no room for this in a race as important as this, you should be ashamed to call your self a Democrat. If you were a real Democrat and not in name only you would know better.
<
p>Union issues like minimum wage, a living wage, working to create good paying jobs with fair benefits have long been the basis of the Democratic Party and certainly are echoed with new energy in the progressive movement. Ken has repeated time and time and time and time again his support for education from early intervention through the need to better find Higher Education. The need to invest in R&D that will foster good paying jobs, Health care that includes everyone. Over and Over again the history is there if you look at it.
<
p>Yet I have found neither comments, nor historical data on Mr Hurd taking a stand or better yet initiating a single progressive piece of legislation or even a resolve as a Selectman in Arlington. There is just no fact or history to claim he is a Liberal much less a Progressive.
<
p>On the other hand we have History on Ken Donnelly at the forums in Lexington and Arlington last fall. His positions have not changed from those he took then and advocated for in his career. Ken Donnelly is not the kind of candidate to try and change his history or his stands on tough issues just to run a political campaign he has been true to the issues that he raises and lives with every day and has for the last 50 years. I think when people take a look and especially look at the history. Ken Donnelly stands as true Progressive Democrat and not a candidate trying to remake himself just to win an election.
<
p>I do support Ken because of his stands on Education, Green Economy, Local aid, Retaining our children by keeping Massachusetts strong in Job growth and making housing affordable.
<
p>I hope everyone who is truly a progressive and a Democrat who believes in the core of our Party will attend his kick off and support the only Progressive-Democrat in the race for the 4th Middlesex District
<
p>As Usual just my Opinions
It’s true that I think unions in Massachusetts need to be reined in a bit. I believe that unions play an important and valuable role in public policy. But I think the pendulum has swung too far in their direction; the public good is best served if they take a smaller role than they do today.
<
p>The rest of your post has a bunch of ad hominem attacks – I should be ashamed, that I’m not real, etc. They don’t contradict my main point.
<
p>My main point still stands: Donnelly’s previous run for the seat was financed by unions. Can Donnelly convince me that he can stand up to unions, even though they’re paying for his campaign? And, if not, do we need another union voice on Beacon Hill?
Sorry I’m coming to this conversation so late (only a month or so) but you state:
<
p>
<
p>My question is what about casinos? Donnelly supports casinos. Is that progressive?
<
p>I’m also curious to hear what Mr. Donnelly’s stance on the “Green Economy” you mention might be. Having read his materials and the issues page on his website all I am aware of is that I should “Please check back soon.” During the special election he seemed to express a love for hiking but I’m not certain how that becomes a stance on environmental issues.
Talk to the man before you post assertions here. I am a union firefighter and I can tell you he is “NOT” running on that platform. It simply is what he did for 30 plus years. When he speaks to a group of firefighters or individuals like myself, he makes it clear that his being a Senator will not be about helping firefighters. His campaign is based on social and economic issues that effect all of us, union member or not. Ken garnered union support due to the respect he has within his union. No one else would stand to be supported by so many of his peers. Who better to know what type of man he is than the men and women he’s worked for and with? It should be no surpirise nor conjure up any notion of union favoritsm, that those who know him best, support him the most. If you were to run, wouldn’t you get support from those that know you? If you didn’t, then what kind of man would you look like? If he didn’t get support last year, you’d know what his “narrow base” thought of him. Your three union issue questions are straight from the the front pages of the Herald. You ask them here and infer that he will lean towards the unions perceived stances. Why not ask the man and then report the answers instead of impugning him by dangling dubious and suggestive questions?
I respect Donnelly.
<
p>I know that the people who know him, his friends, also respect and support him. I don’t have any complaint or distress because he gets support from his constituency.
<
p>Still, it is perfectly reasonable for me to believe that he will be a proponent of the union agenda on Beacon Hill. With a donation sheet like his, any reasonable person would expect him to take pro-union positions in public policy. As I said in a previous comment, I think unions in Massachusetts need to be reined in a bit.
<
p>P.S. Thanks for rating my previous comment as “worthless.” Is it because it was poorly written, or just because you disagreed with it? Very classy.
In your reply post to Mr. Quinn you once again post an unfairly suggestive question. You could ask a similar question of any candidate, then not answer it, in order to shed a poor light upon them. Example: Will Deval support the special interest causes of his grass-roots campaigners even though he knows they are too expensive? I don’t answer it. I just put it out there to make you think Deval will do right by his supporters no matter what. You can see where someone might object to such dubious and suggestive questioning.
<
p>I said it before and I’ll say it again. Why not ask the man and post the answers here? You really diminish the strength of your argument without that type of research. And it’s simple. Ask him. Get answer. Post it here. The more you post silly questions here the more you look silly. I have talked to Donnelly. And as I said before, his number one stance is that he is NOT going to tow the Union line on Beacon Hill.
<
p>With that said, he may never convince YOU that he will stand up to unions. You say “stand up to unions” like standing up to Unions will save the world. You attempt to be conciliatory but you are contradictory. You say “I believe that unions play an important and valuable role in public policy.” But then you follow with “But I think the pendulum has swung too far in their direction; the public good is best served if they take a smaller role than they do today.” First of all, what do you think the role of unions is? You have no idea what unions are about. Fair wages and benfits. Safe working conditions. Job protection. I ask you; don’t you want these? Much of what non-union employees have today was fought for by Union employees yesterday. Secondly, what do you base that comment on? I find that the unions have lost the influence they had in the past. We are continuously ignored in public policy debate. Don’t you think you need the actual people that do public safety on a public safety policy committee? We have lost commission seats. And where we have maintained representation on commissions or are included in public policy debate, we are woefully outnumbered to a point where it’s just an appeasement to sit at the table, but not be heard.
<
p>In your original post you ask “Is he going to support increases in pensions paid for by the taxpayers of the future?” Again, you don’t ask him. You just hang it out there as if to say “Of course he will. He’s Union.” I can tell you point blank the answer is NO. The question is ludicrous. 99.99 % of the public employees aren’t hoping to get a bigger pension. They are praying that it doesn’t get taken away. The pension system works. Social Security should be modeled after it. It’s the cities and towns that under funded it in the 70’s and early 80’s. A court ruling made the municipalities pay their fair share and to have it fully funded by 2028. Blame the local politicians, not the unions for the assessments that the municipalities have to pay today in order to make up for skimping in the past. Stop reading the Herald and the Globe and ask someone who knows, like Donnelly. I will agree that there are some bad apples that try to swindle the pension system. Go after them. Not Unions as a whole.
<
p>You say you “respect Donnelly” and that you “know that the people who know him, his friends, also respect and support him. You continue with “I don’t have any complaint or distress because he gets support from his constituency.” To contradict not having a complaint or distress you then complain “My main point still stands: Donnelly’s previous run for the seat was financed by unions.” Well, Union members are his friends. Friends financed his campaign. So you either have problem with it or not. I believe you do have a problem with it. I also believe that a couple of people responded to your previous post and answered this concern quite logically. Yet you ponder this still. So ponder no more. The people who know him, his friends, respect and support him. Therefore they will give him money. It’s only logical. Do you expect Mitt Romney’s gang to fork it over for Donnelly? Of course not. They do not stand for the same ideals that Donnelly does. I also find the respect you have for Donnelly to be false. Saying that and then following it up with the smears that you have only makes you sound like a liar, thus, reducing your stature more.
<
p>You say “it is perfectly reasonable for me to believe that he will be a proponent of the union agenda on Beacon Hill.” Wrong. It is perfectly reasonable for you to ASK IF he will be a proponent of the union agenda on Beacon Hill, not believe that it is so with out asking.
<
p>p.s. I rated your post “worthless” for all the reasons above and because there wasn’t a “bunk” rating.