Today’s Cape Cod Times brings the news that State Senator Dan Wolf (D-Harwich) will not seek re-election to the Senate in 2016 and that he will be issuing a statement about his plans in the near future.
Here’s hoping that those plans include running for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2018. It is always nice to vote for somebody who thinks the Democratic Party in Massachusetts should stand for something more than its perpetual numerical majority.
The Ethics Commission has removed the barrier that derailed his run for 2014, so that’s not an issue.
Plus, the 2018 ballot might also include the initiative petition that RaiseUpMassachusetts is fighting for to amend the State Constitution to raise additional revenue for education and infrastructure. A great cause to pair with a great candidate – what’s not to like?
While I also have been quite impressed with the leadership of Mayors Joe Curtatone and Kim Driscoll, I think Wolf has the right combination of management and legislative experience to make a competitive race with Gov. Baker. He is a business executive who clearly comes from the progressive wing of the State party, and is committed to getting things done. He intuitively understands why we need to make critical investments in our state to remain competitive, that greater equity builds the foundation for broader prosperity. He should give it a shot!
Kim Driscoll couldn’t be worse on K-12 education. I want someone who will reverse Baker’s privatization policy, not accelerate it.
Here’s a Ethics Commission link (I had trouble with the one in the thread-starter).
This is good news, I like what I’ve seen of Dan Wolf.
The actual Ethics Commission advisory is here.
fixed the link in the post, too.
I have a question about this. In fact, this is my greatest disappointment in Sen. Wolf.
If this was wrong, why was no bill ever filed to correct it? All that was done was to create an application for an exemption, which screams selective enforcement.
It was also never clarified why an exemption to run for statewide office was treated like a Papal dispensation to run again for local office; arguably, the ability to effect the entity contracted with was actually greater at the Senatorial level via appropriation than it was at the executive level. But the exemption was treated as if it was for person, a swell guy, than for the office.
Don’t kid yourself. It is still a barrier – but only for those who ‘deserve’ to have it used against them.
1. The Legislature had given the Ethics Commission the authority to promulgate regulations creating “reasonable exemptions” from the conflict of interest laws, so it makes sense that this change would have been made through Commission regulation instead of Legislative enactment.
2. The change the Ethics Commission made didn’t create an “application” for an exemption (susceptible to selective enforcement); it created an exemption — anybody who qualifies for one gets one.
3. Papal dispensation?
Sign me up!
I met Dan Wolf on the campaign trail with my friend, Mike Lake, then a candidate for Lieutenant Governor.
I was immediately impressed with his oratorical skills and further charmed with his personal charisma and then got fired when I saw his passion for all the progressive causes we believe in.
Run Dan, run !
Fred Rich LaRiccia
Mike couldn’t fire me because I was working pro bono as his volunteer senior advisor. đŸ™‚
Fred Rich LaRiccia
As a DSC member from C&I, yeah I would love to see Dan run for the corner office. He has been our leading and vocal elected of the Warren wing. He’s proven that with his business background, he can attract voters that might not otherwise go D. I fervently hope his plan is to get around the state now, something that an election campaign on the Cape, would not allow.
When I heard him speak in the 2014 cycle before he declared my hope was that he would seek an office for which I had not already committed.
I am a new constituent of Wolf’s (Falmouth) and am heart struck this great guy won’t be mine in the future.
His district ends in Mashpee. Your Senator is Vinny DeMacedo, and had been Therese Murray (depending upon how long you’ve been there).
here on the Cape and elsewhere in MA so I can claim multiple political representatives. And Vinny is a genuinely sweet guy, just someone I disagree with on most major issues. But that damn screaming eagle he had parked at the rotary near the Bourne bridge last year, or the Otis turnoff? Yuck.
Your official legislators are those who represent the address at which you are registered to vote.
I remember it years ago at the Hanover exit when it was Chinese restaurant. It is his brother Ollie’s mascot when he runs for County Commissioner.
(where DO you live? That is your rep. You sound like Trump bragging about how he owns so many pols)
…that supposedly focused on wealth and income disparity, Dan Wolf was the only person I met who was truly focused on that and ran the only breakout session dealing with it. If he runs, I’m backing him. If he does not, I’m asking him to.
I appreciate you returning my check last time, after the Ethics Commission blocked you from running. Can’t wait to write it again, and do what I can to help you win.
Sorry I never could vote for him. Stuck with DeMacedo. Who is not a smart man.
The behavior of my town’s Democrats at the time of the last Gubernatorial election was embarassing, and many of them are still stuck on that song about having a woman – this time in the White House. We lost a chance to offer Berwick because of that fiasco.
If Dan runs, I’m there, for sure.
…to a song about having a woman about?
Like it or not, Coakley was the duly elected nominee and Berwick was a dud of a candidate.
One thing that disappointed me about the Berwick campaign (and I say this as a former volunteer) was how bad the campaign’s ads were. If you have low name recognition, then the TV spots you use to introduce yourself to the public are of huge importance. And neither of them worked at all.
I think it wasn’t the year to run on single payer as an issue, especially with Vermont’s proposal imploding at the same time. He could’ve emphasized his extensive management experience along with his progressive views on education, both of which I think would’ve been more broadly popular with the full primary electorate and not just the activist community.
He wasn’t wrong to emphasize single payer, but it really kept him as a single issue candidate in a year where other issues were more important to the voters. The ad where Coakley and kids were running around was particularly bad in retrospect, since it didn’t tell us anything about who he was.
Day after the convention, Grossman wins, Coakley virtually ties with a new comer Don Berwick who gave the best speech and had the most energized volunteers……and the Boston Globe tells us it’s going to he Martha Versus Charlie…
To bring it back to the OP, I do think Dan Wolf has a strong background as an innovative business leader that should appeal to independents, as a fair wage CEO that will appeal to unions, and a voting record that appeals to activists and bread and butter Democrats as well. And he would offer a stark contrast to Charlie Baker, matching him on his perceived strenghs (competency and management) and hitting him hard on his weaknesses (lack of care or concern for the vulnerable, we can’t cut our way to prosperity).
At a recent public hearing, he said that while he supported a $15/hr wage for places like fast food stores, he couldn’t afford to pay it at HIS business.
I would infer from that that he is not currently a fair wage CEO, except in sentiment.
I also made my comment back in September when it was unclear what he would do. It’s obvious he is gunning for the Don Berwick slot in the next Democratic primary. Time will tell if he catches fire or not, though I am glad the issue from last time was cleared up.
I will not vote for any gubernatorial candidate that does not support $15/hr wage. Period.
A CEO who claims that his or her business “can’t afford” to pay $15/hr in Massachusetts is, in my opinion, making a clear statement of personal values — personal values that, in my opinion, disqualify him or her from serving in public office.
The legislation from Madaro and DiDomenico (H 3923, S 2125) would phase in the minimum wage increase over three years, bringing it to $12 this year, $13.50 the next and $15 in 2018……, Wolf said his company has “set an operational goal and is working on a timeframe” to get all its employees to at least a $15 wage.
He wants little franchises to pay up now, even though they are legally separate from the corporation, but wants an exception for himself as he tries to eventually get there.
It sounds to me like he needs to work on getting his company to pay what he advocates for others in the same timeframe as provided by the legislation he supports. He did not ask for an exemption from any current or proposed law.
But that does not fit into the “conservative” paradigm.
…that he OWNS the company? So it’s kinda up to him.
Employee Owned company
He started out with 100% and had to give away shares to settle unpaid taxes.
Paying taxes and sharing the equity?
No more smears against Wolf or Cape Air please. Here are the first few graphs of an article in the CCTimes explaining how you are mistaken in your smear.
http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20110317/BIZ/103170310
Yes, he is free to get ahead of the law, but you said he was trying to get an exemption to not adhere to it.
that is targeted only at “big box” and fast-food employees? The exemption is baked into the bill.
..which would require a $15 wage for businesses at Logan. That is the one he can’t afford.
He fully supports requiring the wage for individually owned franchises and burger joints, though. Because everybody knows how big the profit margin is in the restaurant business
His business is an airline?
But if I read you correctly, he wants McDonalds to pay $15 an hour, but his AIRLINE can’t afford that?
I’m curious because, if this is true, I will never vote for this guy for ANYTHING.
n/t