Blue Mass Group

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Live blog with Governor Deval Patrick

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Live from the Big Tent in Denver — Governor Deval Patrick talks with us, and answers your questions.  And when we say “answers,” we mean “answers” — the Gov himself is doing the typing!  Join in the discussion in the comments.

UPDATE (By Bob). The Governor is here. Right on time. Here we go! Check out the comments for the discussion.

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  1. Sorry I’m late.  Just arrived at the “blogging tent” in Denver.  We are having a powerful and positive convention. What does it look like from your perspective?

    • No politician worth his salt is ever on time. Much to the chagrin of their handlers… 😉

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      p>That’s mostly because they take more time than allotted to meet people along the way. It’s networking.

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      p>Plus, it sounds really hard to get around in Denver. I’m not so sure I envy David and the gang any more…

  2. Governor Patrick. It’s great to see you here, typing away yourself! All of the other leaders who have come to the Big Tent have been in the corner in front of the cameras. Here you are typing in the middle of the blogger pool.

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    p>Any observations about new media versus “traditional” media at the DNC.

    • First, I try to be on time and even left the last event early, but the traffic is nuts.  We had to walked the last few blocks.  I have to leave in about 20 minute for the roll call vote on the floor, too.

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      p>Bob, the visit to the Big Tent is fascinating.  This is how a lot of people get their information and become engaged today.  So, those of us who want to broaden and deepen the democracy and civic engagement generally had better learn how to use this.  I am just learning (which is why it takes me a while to get you a response),  But Doug Rubin, my chief of staff, is as you know quite an expert now!

  3. with questions already posted will be used?

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    p>I’m too lazy to cut and paste (plus I’m working at the same time).

  4. Governor Patrick, your speech last night was great.

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    p>This isn’t about the convention per se. But I wonder how important you think it will be this fall to increase voter registration and turnout. Is it essential to an Obama victory? And you think there will be attempts at voter suppression, or incompetence with voting machines, etc., as in 2000 and 2004? Is the Obama campaign prepared for this? Is there a POLITICAL strategy to handle it, in addition to possibly legal strategies? (sorry for the caps, for emphasis)

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    p>thank you–

  5. Carl Thut in Cape Cod just telephoned in a question to his buddy, who came over and tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to post this for him: “What is your biggest challenge going to be in running for re-election.”

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    p>The questions are starting to come in thick and fast now, so we’ll see how many His Excellency the Governor is able to address.

    • Thanks for setting it up, guys. (And for the Governor for agreeing to do it!)

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      p>By the way, you should find out if this is a historic first – a sitting Governor live-blogging.

  6. Governor Patrick, what advice would you give to a newly-elected President Obama, based on your successes and challenges as governor thus far?

    • Virginia,  Thanks for compliment re the speech.  On your question, increasing voter registration is ALWAYS good.  For present purposes, I think it also helps assure an Obama victory — in large part because the same people who feel unengaged enough not to vote are also the folks to whom many of Obama’s policy ideas are directed.  That’s why I say we get the government we deserve.  Jefferson put it differently:  “We don’t have government by the majority.  We have government by the majority who participate.”

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      p>There will be both political and legal strategies for dealing with the voting booth/box shenanigans come November.  Not sure yet who is in charge of that, so I can’t direct you to the right person to get the complete answer.  But I know there will be strategies — consistent with the exceptionally sense of organization and preparation in the campaign.

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      p>Carl, thanks for your question, but the reelection is still a couple of years away.  By then I think we will build on this legislative record we ave started, started to rebuild the economy and public schools, invested deeply in our public infrastructure and continued to drive health care costs down.  We will see what other concerns are on people’s minds by then, but on those points we will certainly have progress to show.  And if there is an Obama administration to partner with us — to share the infrastructure investment, to join us on education reform, to leverage our experience with health care reform — what a thing to behold.  

      • …one reason it is important to put civics back into the curriculum, as well as heft into student governments, generally.

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        p>Both student government, back in the 1960s and model United Nations were formative for me.

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        p>Seeing yourself make a difference, while still a student, and learning how governance works is, I think, critical.  I continue to think the decline in voting percentages is related to the demise of hands-on teaching of civics.

  7. Governor, here are some questions from the thread we posted to collect questions earlier this afternoon. Your hard-working constituents took time out of their working afternoons to post these …

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    p>Gas Tax

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    p>The MBTA and public transit agencies across the state, despite increased ridership and environmental benefits, are in fiscal crises. Clearly, a new funding source is needed, and state revenues aren’t exactly booming. If Massachusetts had gas taxes at the level of California, we would have roughly $600,000,000 in additional gas tax receipts last FY-enough to eliminate the yearly deficit and build a Fall River-New Bedford extension every three years.

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    p>Do you support attempting to increase the gas tax, and if not, what are other funding solutions to MBTa problems? Do you see fare increases and service cuts as inevitable?

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    p>-Danny Moraff

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    p>Youth Representative to Lexington’s Transportation Advisory Committee

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    p>While restructuring the MBTA’s debt will obviously do a lot to improve the situation, if it works, what does the Governor think about the current structure of the quasi-fiscally-independent MBTA and does that need to change…and how would it need to change?

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    p>Left in Lowell: cuz why read the Lowell Sun if you don’t have to? 😉
    by: Lynne @ Wed Aug 27, 2008 at 16:56:12 PM EDT

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    p>If Question One fails, is this a good opportunity to push for a progressive income tax in MA?

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    p>1. What should we do about the MBTA’s debt? (0.00 / 0)
    As well as the Turnpike’s issues?

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    p>2. Also, has the climate on Beacon hill softened at all on the issue of local meals/hotel taxes? I imagine these types of taxes might help the Cape as well as Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and other towns.

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    p>3. A completely different issue, but I recently saw that MA was listed among the states that supposedly does not allow corporal punishment in schools However, last time I checked we allow electric shocking of diabled kids at the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Canton. Isn’t this corporal punishment, and shouldn’t it be banned? I know you’ve received campaign contributions from Matthew Israel, director of the center, but how do you yourself feel about the administering of painful electric shocks to children?
    by: Farnkoff @ Wed Aug 27, 2008 at 16:57:47 PM EDT

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    p>Whatever happened to

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    p>the $10 million plan to help end homelessness? Where is that initiative now? What steps are being taken to implement it? Who is in charge of that plan?
    by: afertig @ Wed Aug 27, 2008 at 17:19:32 PM EDT

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    p>Pensions…

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    p>Public employees can now retire with full pensions in their 50’s and T workers in their 40’s.  Are you in favor of changing this system–grandfathering in current employees–but reconizing that we are all living longer and this system can not afford itself?

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    p>Are you in favor of limiting the “double dipping” by people taking a state pension then going back to work (often with the state) and getting a full salary?

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    p>What other measures are you infavor of to reform the pension system and give taxpayers a sense that the system is not “wired” for a bunch of insiders playing the system?
    by: Frank Skeffington @ Wed Aug 27, 2008 at 17:20:44 PM EDT

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    p>How about a local options on the gas tax?

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    p>You’ve talked about hotel tax, but how about a local options gas tax, where the city or town could levy an additional few cents per gallon, and the revenue shared between the town and some combination of the state and the MBTA?
    by: stomv @ Wed Aug 27, 2008 at 17:26:32 PM EDT

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    p>Bottle deposit?

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    p>Given that recycling rates for aluminum are tightly positively correlated with the expansiveness of a state’s bottle deposit law, non-returned bottles pad the state’s budget, and the natural litter reduction caused by a bottle deposit reward, why shouldn’t Massachusetts expand the scope of the bottle deposit law to include water and non-carbonated soft drinks, and maybe even bottles of wine and spirits?

    • Mass Pike Tolls and Gas Tax

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      p>Due to the rising cost of construction materials, the Mass Pike is increasing bad financial straits and there’s talk of the state taking on its debt obligations.  I see this as the perfect opportunity to eliminate the Mass Pike and all the tolls on it and make up the revenue with a higher gas tax.  

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      p>A gas tax is much easier to collect than tolls and would spread the cost of road construction evenly throughout the state. Also stopping to pay tolls wastes fuel and increases traffic delays.

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      p>What do you think Governor?  Romney proposed ending tolls west of 128, though this was widely viewed as political posturing.  Do we have the political wherewithal to eliminate this archaic and inefficient way of generating revenue?  

    • Bob has pasted a bunch of the questions that came in in advance.  I will try to reply to as many as possible in this one post, if that’s OK.

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      p>Danny wrote about the gas tax.  I am not hostile to the gas tax, but it’s not my first choice.  But I think we owe the public every attempt and strategy to get savings and efficiencies out of the systems before we go out asking for broad-based tax increases.  I also question whether the gas tax will produce the level of new revenues that have been projected, when we are at the same time pursuing strategies to reduce emissions and gain fuel efficiencies.

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      p>Lynn, on the quasi-public transportation agencies, without singling out the MBTA, I make no secret of the fact that I think the structure is unwise.  Until we came to office, the quasis pursued completely unconnected initiatives: that’s how a couple of years ago we got the Turnpike was moving to eliminate tolls at the same time the MBTA was looking to increase fares.  The two initiatives create competing incentives in the public.  Under current rules, I am unlikely to get control of all the various boards of those quasis until sometime in my second or third term.  My preference would be to collapse all those bureaucracies into one and prsue a more coordinated transportation strategy, even allowing ( as their financial health improves) for cross subsidization.  We are working on such a project now, called “MassTrans.”

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      p>Afertig, on the homeless initiative, I am proud to ay that the Legislature approved the $10 million to start the effort to end homelessness when the budget was approved last month.  We have begun to hard work now of implementing.  I am hopeful.  The LG has the point, keeping the various agencies that have a stake in the related services working together.

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      p>Frank Skeffington asks about pension reform.  I am all for it.  As you know, it’s not simple.  My understanding is that the Treasurer is taking the lead and I will be anxious to see what he comes up with.  The reforms ought to be recognize the work and contributions of public employees within the long-term fiscal health of the Commonwealth and without being punitive.

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      p>Several people have asked about revisiting local option meals or hotel taxes. It’s still on the table and the legislature has not acted on it.  I still think it is a good idea, but I am open to others.  The point is that we have to give cities and towns other revenue sources that reduce the reliance on the property tax.  If someone else int he legislature has a better idea, then let’s hear it.

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      p>Gotta’ go.  Thanks everybody!  


  8. The Governor Draws a Crowd to Observe Him Blogging

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    p>
    The Governor and David read some questions

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    p>
    The scene in the main room of The Big Tent

  10. We have compiled them into one big batch, and he is working his way through each one right now.

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    p>Stay tuned for a lot of answers direct from His Excellency.

  11. A large collection of traditional media have assembled, waiting for the Governor to finish blogging.

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    p>The general atmosphere here in the Big Tent is a sort of controlled chaos. The place is absolutely jammed, people are constantly bumping into each other, and there is a whole lot of blogging getting done.

    • That means that I pay extra for my electricity, since it is renewably generated – the extra money I pay is made available to my town in the form of renewable electricity grants from the Renewable Energy Trust, so it’s a win-win all around.  

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      p>It’s a great program, but only 32 households in my town participate, so the money in the trust grows very slowly.  I’d like to see a carbon tax on people who don’t use Green Start, with the money flowing to towns in the same manner – if the 10,000 households in my town each paid a $5.00 tax, we’d have $50,000 per month to spend on renewable electricity projects, enough money to actually get something done.  Your thoughts?

      • For the record, I pay about $20 per month extra for green electricity, and I offset that by installing CFL bulbs and shutting off the TV and lights when they’re not in use.  I broke even on my electric bill – it’s a great way to raise money for renewable projects and encourage conservation at the same time!

    • Are holding the impatient traditional media reporters at bay so he can finish talking/writing to you. They are circling looking a bit angry that he is typing and not talking to them.

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      p>I forgot to mention that it is also extremely noisy and very hot in here. A sort of sweatshop of wordsmithery, if you will.

      • To see how serious Governor Patrick’s administration takes citizen blogging/journalism. We have appreciated Chief of Staff Doug Rubin’s participation, and now had the Governor himself answering questions live.

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        p>Thanks to the Governor!

        • … to see such thoughtful and insightful answers given ‘off-the-cuff’ as it were, amidst what I’m told was a very chaotic atmosphere.   You go Guv!!

  12. … I just want to thank the Governor for doing a good job.  Keep up the good work,  Governor Patrick and thank you for all your efforts.  

  13. Thanks for all the green energy bills, Governor. It was an exclamation point to a fine, fine legislative session.

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    p>I’m looking forward to tackling education this next year. Most of the Readiness Project is excellent, in my opinion, and here’s hoping we can get most of it passed.  

  14. I worked on Beacon Hill for a number of years and if there was something I always thought was a struggle up there – it was attracting and retaining the best and brightest to State Govt service.  

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    p>I know you have brought countless talented individuals into your Administration, people who share your belief in the power of progressive and effective government to change lives, and it is showing in the innovative policy ideas being generated by your team and enacted into law.  But, while committed and skilled people do come in and out of state service – I never thought the collective bandwidth of State Govt was ever sufficient to manage our State to its fullest potential in the 21st century.  

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    p>You’ve emphasized the importance of the knowledge economy.  And your Administation has demonstrated how government can be an effective partner in harnessing it.  The thing is, you won’t always be there.  After you have served three terms and move on to a distinguished career the U.S. Senate, a new Administration will take up the reigns in 2018 and what will they find the shape of State Govt to be?

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    p>Will it be as smart as it could be?  As creative?  Will it attract people to govt service?  Will it be a font of ideas?  Will it have the right personnel in the right positions to do the job?  

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    p>I know bureaucratic reform is not exactly a big vote winner.  But, I’d implore you to take a comprehensive look at the capabilities of the State Govt workforce and bureaucracy.  Think about how its potential and that of its people can be maximised as a force for excellence and innovation.  Think about how if State Govt attracted the best and brightest it could answer the tough questions, provide you and your successors with the best advice and analysis and use the power of information to empower the people of Massachusetts.

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    p>You sit at the top of a big pyramid of more than 70,000 people (and even more if you consider local govt in the mix).  The view from that perch must be daunting and there is only so much even a Governor can hope to achieve while in office.  But, one way of passing on a progressive legacy, behind the laws enacted and the important policy victories, would be to pass on to your successors a State Govt as good as any in the nation – a State Govt as smart as the people of Massachusetts, a State Govt that people want to be a part of.  

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    p>I’d implore you, that as you drive the ship of State toward a better future, you consider taking a look in the boiler room.  There is a lot of potential in making that engine the most effective it can be.  

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