Today I received a phone call from Mike Lake asking if I’ve made up my mind about who I’m supporting at the Democratic State Convention in June. Although I truly appreciate the personal ask, I still haven’t made up my mind, and I know many others haven’t either.
Conversations with friends and opportunities to both listen to speeches from Lake and candidate Suzanne Bump over the past few days have led me to have a basic understanding of who each of these two candidates are. But, I’d like to hear thoughts from the BMGer’s. Specifically:
1. Have people been seeing a lot of Glodis on the campaign trail? I haven’t yet…
and,
2. Who are people supporting and why?
I’m interested what people’s thoughts are on each of the candidates. Thank you.
Please share widely!
I thought it was leading to a report that candidates were starting to attack each other. As for Glodis, I’ve probably seen him out and about more than the other two. Suzanne Bump is my candidate primarily due to her experience in state government.
Hi Chris,
thanks for your reply. No, I meant because I’m getting personal contact directly from candidates.
I am an active democrat in Plymouth County and a big supporter/campaigner of Bill Keating for Congress, and as I go around to the various town meetings/elections this Spring for Keating, I have noticed Guy Glodis volunteers and coordinators at every town meeting and town election with big visibilties. I have not seen Suzanne Bump (except for 1 town commitee meeting) or Mike Lake anywhere. I know Bump grew up on the South Shore and maybe she feels she has this part of the state wrapped up. As for Mr. Lake, I have not had a chance to meet the man. I have seen the same Republican volunteer for Connaughton at a couple town meetings, but that’s it.
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p>I have personally heard Glodis speak at a dozen town commitee meetings thoughout the South Shore. He clearly is trying to focus his energy in my neck of the woods. (I believe he is from Worcester.) At a recent Plymouth County Democratic League event (around St. Patrick’s Day), most of the people in the room had Glodis lapels on. So it’s obvious to me he is doing the work in the South Shore. I don’t know how he is doing around the rest of the State.
Let’s be clear about it – Guy Glodis is, unquestionably, a dogged, determined campaigner. But he is also, unquestionably, a reactionary, right-wing Democratic hack of the highest degree. From his right-wing, extremist student activism in his college days at U. Mass. Amherst, to his strident opposition to gay rights, to his neanderthal fulminations against Muslim-Americans after 9/11, Guy Glodis represents everything that is wrong with the Democratic Party in this state.
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p>Yes, Guy Goldis is everywhere, and he has been everywhere for years. How many of us who have been delegates to the Democratic State Conventions or Ward Committee members have received his calendars and Christmas cards, curtesy of Worcester County taxpayers? And how many of his signholders, parade marchers, and signature gatherers are real supporters as opposed to his employees? Believe me – Mary Connaughton prays every night for Guy Glodis to be her Democratic opponent in November.
http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws…
She has run a major state agency, passed workforce reform as a legislator and has a great reputation as a manager and political advocate. She will be a real change-maker in the Auditor’s office and a state leader of note for years to come. Hopefully you can give her your vote.
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p>Guy Glodis is a dogged campaigner but from what I know combined the worst of hack politics and conservative populism. When he was in the State Senate he never wanted to reduce state worker pensions but also never wanted to vote for the taxes needed to fund them. Hack conservatism is a bad mix. It was crass hypocrisy. His immigration views (English-only and banning bilingual education) were also reactionary. I’d like to see him stay running jails or getting out of the game.
At least Suzanne Bump got me my unemployment checks with a rather straightforward process. Granted, that’s a weak reason, but none of the others ever did anything for me personally. [Sometimes constituent services wins the day.]
I’m supporting Suzanne Bump. I see it as a difficult task for me to change my support, but I haven’t gone quite so far as to endorse. I do like Mike Lake and signed his nomination papers (as well as Bump’s), and I like the concept of auditing energy consumption in the state, which is one of his big ideas. Suzanne Bump, though, is really the only person in this race who I believe has the professional experience to do the job. Thankfully, she also brings a lot of fresh ideas to the table — auditing and keeping tax credits accountable chief among them (especially given that we spend $1.7 billion on tax credits to businesses per year).
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p>Glodis, on the other hand, completely turns me off. Not only do I agree with the premise of the diary — he just hasn’t been out there — but I can’t get past the idea that a guy running for State Auditor has an office which is currently being audited by the state auditor office. No thanks.
being audited doesn’t in itself imply guilt — or even suspicion. As to whether or not his office’s actions raised suspicion is something I do not know.
but I don’t think that is in and of itself a good reason to vote for someone. Plus, I’m not so sure he or his office have violated any laws, but from what I’ve been told, it seems highly likely that there’s been a little too much wasteful spending going on in that office.
Mike Lake’s big idea — auditing energy consumption by the Commonwealth — is actually a reason to doubt his viability. Think about it — the State Auditor hiring energy auditors. Just what the Commonwealth needs? There is no question but that the State Auditor should investigate what the Commonwealth is doing to conserve energy — but I understand that the Patrick/Murray Administration is already ahead of the curve. Our State Auditor should insure that our state government does what we pay taxes for it to do, not create another duplicative, wasteful bureaucracy. Maybe Georgia needs energy auditing from its State Auditor, but it’s an irrelevant, and probably wasteful, issue here in Massachusetts.
There’s a lot of room for efficiencies in the system, and it’s a lot cheaper to conserve energy than it is to increase the amount of energy available. I’m not saying its the bestest idea ever, but I’m not saying it isn’t, either. That said, the notion that Massachusetts is “ahead of the curve” may or may not be true on this matter, but it’s sort of beside the point: we’re no where near where we need to be. We could absolutely save 20% of the energy we spend in this system in short order without having to dramatically alter our way of lives — and government is the best vehicle from which to get that party started, both because it’s the biggest and because it’s sheer size can help make those efficiencies cheaper and more available to citizens, non-profits and private businesses. How much of that can or should be done from the Auditors office? I’m not sure, but it’s Lake’s job to make a compelling argument.
Let me try to do a better job explaining what I mean. In April 2007, Governor Patrick issued an Executive Order — No. 484 — requiring the Commonwealth to take concrete steps to conserve energy. Go online, to mass.gov, click on Governor Patick, find Executive Orders, and check it out. You will quickly see what Governor Patrick actually proposed. It’s a remarkable document, far-reaching, and way ahead of the curve in comparison to other state governments, or even what Mike Lake or the State of Georgia can even imagine. Our State Auditor should hold the Patrick/Murray Administration accountable for the promises in that Executive Order. I certainly support energy conservation and efficiency. But, unlike Georgia, we don’t need another bureaucracy to undertake energy audits. Our State Auditor is supposed to hold our State Government accountable for what the General Laws of Massachusetts require and what our elected officials promises. Mike Lake, for all his promise, just doesn’t understand that fundamental premise.
We’ve got lots of those in the Commonwealth, detailing how processes are to be run, books to be kept, assets to be managed.
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p>And, we’ve got an auditor who’s job is to, well, audit those processes.
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p>So does it make sense to audit the energy efficiency stuff put forth in 484 and other places? Youbetcha.
Let’s be honest here, do you honestly think politics didn’t play a role in DeNucci auditing Glodis?? Joe has been rumored to support Bump, so he goes after Glodis. Just plain dirty politics, and though I like Joe personally, it’s well within his realm of possibility to attack someone politically by auditing them.
Bump or Lake. I like Bump’s experience; I like Lake’s youth and drive. Both did well at the event I saw (for which Guy Glodis had an, ahem, scheduling conflict).
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p>As to which… I’ve got time for that. I might vote at the convention for whomever of the two appears to have less support at the convention… I want to encourage both of them to stay at it.
when I worked as a reporter for the local weekly I interviewed him about his current post. The consensus from our readers was he was doing a pretty good job in a position that had been held by an utterly corrupt predecessor for decades.
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p>In fact, I think he’s doing such a good job I’d like to see him stay there.
Nothing against Mike Lake, who I like and will hopefully make an excellent candidate for other offices in the future, but I am supporting Suzanne and think she’s the best candidate for the job.
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p>Of all the candidates, I feel Suzanne has the best grasp of the nitty-gritty of state government, having worked as both a state legislator and Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development. I also like her progressive record as a state legislator, including support for gay rights at a time when it was hardly a universal cause. Suzanne spent a long time in her cabinet position working to overhaul and improve state agencies, and that kind of diligence and attention to detail will be key for the position of State Auditor.
I just can’t support Mike Lake, as he has been outed for embellishing his credentials and has instead very little experience in government.
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p>Suzanne Bump does have the legislative and administrative experience, but she also worked as an insurance lobbyist in both DC and in Boston. Not exactly defending taxpayers’ best interests. I would wager she worked AGAINST taxpayers at every turn as a lobbyist.
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p>Guy Glodis was in both the House and Senate, so he’s got the Legislative experience, but I particularly like his blue-collar, get-it-done approach. I’ve read some impressive things about his accomplishments at the Sheriff’s Office. Is he more moderate than the other two? Definitely, but if we want to keep seats this year, that’s the way to go.
Where was Mike Lake “outed”??
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p>The only thing you could be referring to (and doing so in error) was a David Bernstein blog piece in the Phoenix that investigated Mike Lake’s claims and discovered that they’re completely true.
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p>If you’re going to try and smear Mike Lake, you need to do a better job.
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p>Experience in government’s a good thing, unless you make so many friends that you don’t audit them.
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p>Oh, and about this year in politics – keeping seats this year isn’t about being “moderate” – ask the retiring Blue Dogs about that – you’ll never out-Republican a Republican in a Republican’s eyes. Keeping (and winning) seats this year is about not being associated with what people see as the corrupting influence of government. That means a clean, fresh face.
His plan is to put every penny of state spending on the web in usable formats – including every expense, bid, contract and “economic development” tax credit. He will audit everything and let the people see it. He’s an info-tech executive who wants to use technology to increase transparency and enhance our democracy.
I’m supporting Suzanne Bump for auditor for the same reasons that I have seen above – she has experience in state government as Secretary of Labor & Workforce Development as well as her experience as a legislator.
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p>I had the opportunity to meet Mike Lake and Suzanne Bump at my local town committee meeting.
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p>Guy Glodis had a “scheduling conflict” but a surrogate spoke on his behalf and handed out “Guy Glodis for Auditor” nail files. Since then I have read plenty of information about why Glodis is not the right person for the position.
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p>I liked Mike Lake, I talked to him for a while, and was really impressed. I think he earned something like four degrees simultaneously from Northeastern, worked in the White House, etc. All very impressive. He certainly proved his intelligence, but it wasn’t clear that he had solid experience as a leader, which is what a major part of the job is as state auditor – you’re leading and managing a staff towards goals. I believe I read somewhere that in his current position at Northeastern he doesn’t have a staff yet, so I don’t know what experience he has as a leader. He certainly is an “outsider” in state government, but I hardly think that the position of auditor is a place for an untested leader to learn how Beacon Hill works. I’m passing on Mike Lake, but I look forward to supporting him in future campaigns for different offices.
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p>Suzanne Bump made clear during her stump speech that she understands the intricacies of the Auditors office. She discussed how the job of the auditor is not only to find issues in state government, but to recommend the implementation of solutions. She discussed how the Auditor’s management letter is the most important part of the audit report (as an accountant-in-training, this obviously excited me…) and how the results of the audit are just as important as correcting and preventing the issues in the first place.
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p>Finally, at the end of her presentation, Suzanne made the case for voting for the strongest candidate at the convention and at the polls: If Mary Connaughton (or any Republican) is elected to the office of State Auditor, she will have the opportunity to make everything a battle in state government. She will have the opportunity to audit and disparage all of the programs we care about… Do we really want that? I want an Auditor who will work with Democrats to maintain and improve State Government, not someone who will use her position to push her agenda to make government smaller and tolls cheaper.
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p>Sorry for rambling, but that’s why I’m voting for Suzanne Bump. She’s the strongest candidate, with the best experience and the fewest skeletons hiding in her closet.
I am a delegate on the South Shore. The majority of my delegation is behind Guy Glodis. He is working hard on the campaign trail, but with a state-wide race, any candidate is easy to miss.
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p>Glodis inherited a mess when he was elected Worcester County Sheriff. He balanced every one of his budgets. Of the candidates, he has the most experience in dealing with budgets, cutbacks and streamlining.
I am trying to decide who to support in the upcoming State covention for Auditor. A longtime democrat (from Brockton) told me that Suzanne Bump voted out of office by her constituents. She didn’t elaborate on the details of why she was voted out. Then I was told the person who beat her in that election, Joe Sullivan, (the current Mayor of Braintree) has endorsed Guy Glodis for Auditor. Why would he not get behind Suzanne?
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p>Is there something I should know about Suzanne? She seems very nice. The convention is right around the corner, I would appreciate only the facts…no haters please.
I asked a friend’s sister about this – her family has lived in Braintree for a long time and was there during Suzanne’s tenure as a state rep.
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p>Turns out Suzanne, along with a bunch of other good Reps that year, lost her seat because she supported a tough but necessary tax package right before an election. She’s no stranger to budget crises, I guess! Maybe that’s one of the reasons she’s running for Auditor . . . making all those no-win decisions, about cutting essential services or raising revenues, and then paying the consequences in the voting booth would be a powerful motivator to overhaul the way state government thinks about spending money. That may be the best qualification I’ve heard for this job, in fact!
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p>I would guess Mayor Sullivan’s decision is just a political one – Suzanne hasn’t lived in Braintree or been a political force there for a while, but Worcester and Norfolk counties share a border and Glodis is probably a bigger force politically in his area. So much of “who supports whom” is just a question of CYA, unfortunately.
Does the AFL-CIO support her? I am an out-of-work (6 months) Sprinkler fitter and wondered were organized labor is on her candidacy.
From Mr. Glodis’ website, it looks like he has a lot of strong labor organizations behind him: NAGE, SEIU, Utility Workers, Steel Workers, Teamsters, LIUNA, etc. Glodis was a labor Democrat in the Legislature.
Is Joe DeNucci endorsing in Auditor’s race? Does his endorsement help or hurt?
Only one candidate has fiscal training as a CPA and is a professional Auditor. Mary Connaughton.
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p>Would you elect somebody Attorney General who isn’t an attorney, but is a really nice guy who sent you a Christmas card and used to have a job near a lawyer’s office and ate lunch with lawyers and knows a whole bunch about it? Or would you support a lawyer?
Indeed, only one candidate has fiscal training as a CPA and is a professional Auditor. Mary Connaughton.
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p>In fact, only one candidate has ever had Chief Financial Office experience in a Constitutional office. Mary Connaughton.
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p>But most importantly, only one candidate was CFO of the Mass. State Lottery during the period in which six Lottery employees were imprisoned for their part in embezzling over $9 million from the department’s Unpaid Check Fund. Mary Connaughton.
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p>Mary Connaughton. Proven record. Proven results.
I have read your comments on Mary Connaughton being the only “professional” auditor. On the surface that maybe true, but it take more than someone who is accountant to run a 400 person agency with a $14 million dollar budget.
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p>She has no experience balancing a budget.
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p>She has no experience managing personnel.
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p>She has no investigative experience.
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p>She has no public management experience.
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p>She has no procurement experience.
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p>She has no experience negotiating contacts.
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p>She has no experience in the collective bargaining process.
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p>Massachusetts state government is a huge business with soooo many departments and agencies. We need to elect a qualified Auditor who has the best knowledge and understanding of the functions, missions, and goals of the State’s department and agencies and not someone whose only qualification is filling numbers into accounting ledgers. Remember, the State Auditor is the manager of a statewide agency, not necessarily just a bean counter.
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p>Simply said, Mary Connaughton does have enough public administration or management experience and we cannot afford exposing our tax dollars to the potential litigation costs due to mismangement of staff or the misuse or mismanagement of the offices resources.