“I am running for State Representative for the Fourth District of Suffolk County. I am excited about the opportunity to represent you, to work alongside you, and to work for you in our neighborhood and on Beacon Hill. I love our neighborhood and I can also see its potential for being even better than it is today. We face real challenges in our neighborhood and I want to be an advocate for our concerns on Beacon Hill. Over the next few months, I will be out in the neighborhood of South Boston, Harbor Point, and Upham’s Corner. I will meet many of you and I am looking forward to hearing your concerns and ideas.
I live on East Broadway in South Boston. I am a graduate of Boston College High School, Trinity College, and New England School of Law. I am an attorney at Morrison Mahoney LLP on Summer Street in South Boston. I am a neighborhood activist and proud volunteer, working with groups such as the South Boston Neighborhood House, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the Paraclete Foundation, the West Broadway Neighborhood Association, the South Boston Arts & Cultural Center, a West Broadway Revitalization group, South Boston Grows, and most recently as a coach in our South Boston Youth Football program. I am a Democrat and I proudly represented Ward 6 at the Democratic State Convention. My local activism has taught me that much can be accomplished if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and go to work. That is what I have been doing for our neighborhood for years as a volunteer–organizing neighbors, pressuring elected officials, planting trees, raising money, mentoring kids–all to make our neighborhood better for all of us. As your State Representative, I’ll work just as hard as the advocate for our community.
Whether you have lived in South Boston or Dorchester your whole life, or you just moved here in the past few years, we all have a stake in our neighborhood. We all share the same concerns. We want excellent schools to send our kids to right here in the neighborhood, a lively and growing local economy, good public transportation, and safe and clean streets. Our shared concerns will be my priorities.
I look forward to the campaign and to talking to you more about the issues that face us all.
Thank you.”
Best regards,
Mike McGee
Mike was a great help at the state party convention, and hustled in our effort to get a fair-minded amendment on education onto the platform. Our failure to get the requisite 250 signatures was despite his hard work.
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p>I’m not able or ready to say anything comparing Mike to Brian Wallace, but I can and will say that he is knowledgeable and invested in public education, and from what I’ve seen he is not a bit afraid of hard work.
It was a pleasure to work with you at the 2009 Mass. Democratic Convention. You should be proud of your efforts to propose the education amendments. I know that you will continue your hard work for the party and important issues in education.
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p>Please keep in touch. Thanks again.
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p>2. Why should the current state rep. be replaced?
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p>I’ll hang up and listen to your answers off-air.
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p>Thank you.
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p>2. I’m running because I am excited about the opportunity to advocate for my neighborhood at the State House. I have been working to make our community better and I think that I have great ideas to solve important neighborhood issues.
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p>Please feel free to call me if you have any additional questions.
Just saying.
Mr. McGee is being gracious. I think we should encourage more of it.
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p>People have a dizzying array of reasons for supporting an incumbent, many that have very little to do with the performance of the person in question (family or neighborhood loyalty, for example). Running “against” an incumbent is sure to gain public opposition from that incumbent’s supporters, even if they privately support and vote for you.
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p>A far better strategy is to, as this candidate has done, run for something. It conveys a more positive message while simultaneously providing cover for support that you’ll peel away from the incumbent. Those who already oppose the incumbent are already yours for the taking.
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p>This approach promises to attract far more votes than it loses. It’s good, smart politics — and it leads to a more civil campaign.
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p>Congratulations, Mike. Welcome to the circus.
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p>In the interest of full disclosure, I note that I do not live in Boston, cannot vote in Boston, and therefore am purely a bystander/fan.
A few points:
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p>1. Even a rude question can be answered gracefully.
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p>2. This question isn’t rude as much as blunt. His victory would result in replacing the current rep.
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p>3. I’m always slightly puzzled when a question is put to a visiting candidate, and a participant answers it.
I agree about encouraging civility.
Mike:
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p>How will you differ from the incumbent State Representative on both progressive and neighborhood issues?
BrooklineTom….a couple of points. Whenever a candidate runs against an incumbent, the first thing they need to do is convince the public that they should “fire” the incumbent. Only then can the candidate move on to step 2, convincing the public that they are a good replacement for said fired incumbent. Think about it, if you can’t tell me why I should fire my current rep, why you would be better, I’m going to stick with whoever is in office because I know them and they (arguably) have seniority and there is no reason for me to replace them. This is probably even more true in a intra-party race because most are going to think as a default that the candidates are the same or similar on the issues, so the challenger really needs to stress how they are different and better.
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p>Having said that, I think a challenger can do the above and remain gracious. You don’t have to be negative or make personal attacks against an incumbent. But you will have to show how you would be different and better than the incumbent.
What neighborhood or town. Where did you live while going to BC High
Mike, Why did you decide to coach in the South Boston Youth Football program and what do you and the kids take away from that experience?
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p>If you played the game, can you tell us a little about that and what you took away from it?
What do you think of Belichick’s decision to go for it on Sunday night?
I loved it. Not every gutsy call works. We rarely question coaches when they make wimpy calls which backfire (like punting, when the punt is muffed, blocked, returned, or the other team marches downfield and quickly scores).
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p>There’s a recent rumbling about punting (and kicking FGs) in general. Perhaps the most complete peer reviewed investigation is David Romer’s “Do Firms Maximize? Evidence from Professional Football” where he investigated punts in the first quarter (closer scores, no racing the clock of the half). It turns out that in almost all cases, you’re expected results are better in going for it than for punting.
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p>His simplest example: 4th and goal on the 2 yard line, FG or go for TD? Teams always kick the FG in the first quarter, even though the expected value is exactly the same (a hair under 3 points). Here’s the thing — if you go for it and fail, the other team gets the ball at approximately the 2 yard line; if you kick off (FG or successful TD) they get it at somewhere near the 20. Therefore, better to go for the TD because the expected return is the same in terms of points, but the expected field position for your opponent on their next position is worse (for them) if you go for the TD.
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p>Bottom line: coaches tend to be risk averse, to the detriment of maximizing wins. Part of the reason: punting the ball doesn’t garner criticism from fans or the media quite the way an aggressive call does.
but I would have punted.
so maybe you’re right and Belichick was wrong đŸ˜‰
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p>Didn’t the Bantams just play the Cardinals last Saturday in the season finally? The Lord Jeffs finally earned a win in Billsville, the first one since 1985. What a great league NESCAC is … where athletes are students first.
Neil:
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p>I played football for twelve years, including four years at Trinity College. I was also a senior tri-captain at BC High. Football provided me one of my first opportunities to be a leader on and off the field. I learned valuable lessons about working hard to achieve individual and team goals. Football also provided structure in my life that, I believe, lead to academic success.
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p>Having played Pop Warner football, I always wanted to coach someday. I was fortunate to meet Dan and Bob Ferrara, who founded and run the South Boston Youth Football program. They asked me to be the head coach for the South Boston E Team (7 and 8 year olds). Despite losing some games (ok – all the games), the kids learned fundamentals about how to play the game; they learned how to be respectful team players and show good sportsmanship; and they had fun. It was a very rewarding experience. I look forward to coaching next year – in between doorknocking!
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p>On a related note, I am now coaching 7 and 8 year old basketball players on Saturday mornings in South Boston. It was nice to hear “Hey Coach McGee” last week.
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p>I relate to that. I think athletics provide a strong incentive to a lot of young students who haven’t learned the importance of their education as well as the other benefits such as social skills, discipline, hard work and the enjoyment of participation.
Hey Mike,
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p>I live on East 7th Street and happen to be BC High ’01. Good luck in the race!
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p>I’m wondering how you would have voted on the recent bill to give the Governor the power to appoint an interim Senate replacement had you be in office at the time. Also, going a little farther back, how would you have voted on the bills to ban gay marriage or put it on the ballot?
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p>Thanks Mike!
RyanBC:
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p>- I would have voted yes to appoint an interim Senate replacement.
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p>- I support gay marriage and support the action the legislature took to keep the ban off the ballot.
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p>I would love to have another Eagle on my team. Please contact me at CommitteeForMcGee@gmail.com or (617) 752-1832.
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p>Best,
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p>Mike
Hi Mike –
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p>We were classmates (’99) at BCH, and I’m glad to see another Eagle in the political arena. I’m a great supporter of any campaign that makes the idea of community a central point of focus.
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p>I’m also glad RyanBC asked about a couple specific past vote positions, but I’m concerned about those that are ahead… ie, current issues in front of the House. Can we hope to see a list of positions and/or plans on your site, Mike?
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p>Thanks