My letter in the Arlington Advocate supporting Deval Patrick for a second term as governor.
As many here know, I do not agree with Governor Patrick about everything, most certainly about indigent defense or court funding. However, his willingness to take responsibility for failures as well as successes AND lead from the front, in the field with his staff and volunteers has won my respect.
Further, the other candidates have not taken personal responsibility for issues in their political pasts. I refer to Baker’s history as a political insider on Beacon Hill – and what he did on Beacon Hill during Republican administrations, or as a CEO. Whether it is as Chief of Administration and Finance or as Chief of Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan to me it looks like Charlie Baker is 100% interested in the well being of Charlie Baker and the rest of us are a shadowy chorus line. I have also never seen Charlie Baker admit to an error, or lead from the front, or extend himself compassionately. Maybe I missed something and links to Charlie Baker admitting error or being compassionate towards the disabled, towards struggling single parents, the unemployed, towards anyone who is not in a golden inner circle exist. If such coverage of Charlie Baker being compassionate and extending help to anyone exists, I certainly haven’t seen it.
While I enjoy Tim Cahill’s feisty and pugnacious manner much of the time, I sure have never seen Tim Cahill say, “Sorry I was wrong.” Ever. Even when he clearly had made errors. I also have not seen any evidence of compassionate behavior towards the disability community, struggling single parents, foster kids, or the unemployed from him.
The truly strong are unafraid to admit error. Once an error is pointed out to a strong and confident person, that person admits the error, and fixes the problem. Thus, in my eyes, admitting an error or problem and fixing that error or problem shows strength and the ability to lead in tough times. In case ANYONE has not noticed we are living in tough times.
Any so called “leader” who can never and has never admitted to an error, even a clear and obvious error might just drive the bus of state over the cliff.
Anyway, so I am supporting Deval Patrick for a second term. I hope he or his staff will read and respond to issues I have raised in the past about court funding and indigent defense.
I will continue to raise these issues with Deval Patrick and others in government:
1. Indigent defense and the strength and value of the current system for indigent defense;
2. Kids in foster care, inadequate foster care compensation, services for struggling families, and social worker case loads;
3. The reality that children in state care age out and this state is creating about 800 legal orphans a year and we must do better for those young people for “we can pay now or pay later”.
4. That the current attack on indigent defense by the DAs is pure baloney. Attorneys are appointed for wards of the state like foster kids; more than 30% of CPCS budget is for cases where no ADA ever lifts a finger because the executive agency involved is the Department of Children and Families, or the Department of Mental Health, etc.
In this letter you hold up Patrick as someone who’d admit to mistakes more readily than Baker and Cahill. That is certainly an admirable quality.
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p>Given a choice, though, between a candidate who’s right on policy but never admits mistakes and a candidate who’s always wrong but freely admits it, wouldn’t you vote for the first candidate?
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p>Policy matters a lot.
On some policy issues I agree with Gov. Patrick, on some I don’t. Probably this is true as between you and I as well. After my “political PTSD” following John Edward’s implosion, I look for indicia of character – and hope I was not fooled.