What seem like little problems in the grand scheme of things are never “little” to the people dealing with them, and being able to be there for people when they need you is the most important part of being an effective legislator. What made giants like Ted Kennedy great? Their commitment to serving the people who elected them. That’s something that’s always at the forefront of my mind.
Getting back to my father’s practicality, I also see constituents as an elected official’s best resource – you know about problems I’ve never encountered and you have ideas to fix them that I might never think of. That’s why I believe in a proactive approach to both empower you and listen to your input. I’ll make myself and my staff available to meet with local leaders, public officials like police and fire chiefs, school principals and teachers, as well as concerned citizens at every level. You will have access. My father would also want me to point out that I don’t know everything, but that’s exactly why your ideas are important. I intend to keep you, my constituents, front and center as your next State Senator.
We’re in the final stretch of this campaign, and I know many of you are making up your minds about which candidate deserves your vote on April 13th. If you’re still undecided, I encourage you to visit my website to learn more. My Five Point Jobs Plan as well as my detailed issue positions can be found there. If you are already a supporter, I want to thank you for your commitment and ask you to take the next step – you’ll also find a variety of ways to help listed on the website. Even if you’re supporting another candidate, I want to say thank you to you for being involved. Politics was never meant to be a spectator sport, and I appreciate that you care enough to take action.
Tim Flaherty
This is just about exactly wrong. The “heart of the job” is legislating. What made Ted Kennedy great was legislating, not doing favors for constituents. Tim Flaherty, I don’t live in Charlestown and I really don’t know anything about you, but I would reflexively vote against any candidate who says that constituent service is the heart of the job. Sorry to be so negative, but really!
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p>TedF
that legislating is the brains of the job and constituent services is the heart of the job.
I have to emphatically disagree. While legislating is an important part of the job, constituent services is the most important and lasting thing a legislator can do, at whatever level.
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p>Senator Kennedy WAS known for his excellent constituent services (which is why the state is lost up the creek without a paddle with Scott Brown but that’s another matter.) A friend of mine interned for Senator Kennedy’s Boston office. On a daily basis they would receive literally hundreds of calls from constituents on anything from Social Security and Medicare problems, to heating issues, to student aid requests.
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p>As someone who works on constituent services at a more local level I can tell you it is the most crucial part of the job.
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p>Yes crafting legislation on things like Education reform, CORI, expanded gaming, or the budget is imperative, the most lasting way to have an impact on constituents (the people who elect legislators, the people they are supposed to represent) is to help them with their problems and be an advocate and a partner in their day to day struggles and triumphs.
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p>This is the problem with some people in politics. It’s not about changing the world in a day. It’s about helping people when they come calling for help.
I don’t disagree with you that constituent service is politically important–it’s what incumbents do to stay elected. And Senator Kennedy was, as you say, good at it. But just because constituent service is a political necessity to stay in office doesn’t mean it really relates at all to the job the people send you to Washington or Beacon Hill to do. The constitution (both the Mass. and U.S. versions) vests in the legislature the power to legislate, not the power to try to iron out someone’s social security problem or get someone a job. That’s my two cents, anyway.
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p>TedF
There is a major difference between handing out political favors and offering guidance to confused constituents. I am supporting another candidate in this race but I do feel you are being unfair to Flaherty on this. One particular case comes to mind about a resident who was having issues with his immigration documentation and the resulting mess was so confusing that it drew in his local officials, state legislators and his congressman because of the complexity of the issue. Nobody “pulled” any strings but they all helped him get untangled so he could go on with his life.
What does Chalestown have to do with your comment? Tim Flaherty doesn’t live in Charlestown. Are you confusing him with someone else?
Well, I believe you! The most prominent item on his website is a promise to save the Charlestown library, so I assumed he was running in Charlestown. Now that I look at his site, I actually find it difficult to figure out which district he’s running in.
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p>TedF
is part of this Senate district.