[Editor’s note: BUMPED – I am here this morning! Hit me up if you want to meet up – @bluemassgroup or charley at blue mass group dot com — Charley]
Many of us will gather in Worcester tonight and tomorrow for the Democratic State Convention. I suppose I’m not one to talk, but I’ve hardly seen anything about our candidates on BMG whereas other years this site has been very active with candidate promotions (and occasional detractions) right before the convention. Tonight we will re-nominate by acclamation Senator Elizabeth Warren, AG Maura Healey, TRG Deb Goldberg, and Auditor Suzanne Bump. Tomorrow we will endorse candidates for Governor (Jay Gonzalez v. Bob Massie), LG (Quentin Palfrey v. Jimmy Tingle) and SoC (Bill Galvin v. Josh Zakim). My understanding is that there will be a unified ballot conducted in both traditional and electronic formats, and since no races have more than two candidates we are guaranteed endorsements on the first ballot. Maybe this means we will adjourn at a reasonable hour tomorrow. Please use this as an open thread on all things convention, whether it’s to weigh in on the candidates or comment about the events and logistics.
I’ll see you there!
All of our strong and unopposed candidates were renominated last night enthusiastically, though Suzanne Bump generated audible boos when she discussed her audits of the social safety net since some apparently think only a Republican would dare do that. There were a few shots taken at Charlie Baker.
She deserves those boos so long as she demonizes people on welfare and ignores the constant corporate welfare that comes out of Beacon Hill. Audit the T. Audit the Probation Department. Audit the State Police. There are plenty of legitimate targets out there to go after people like my intellectually disabled nephew who rely on a strong safety net to stay independent, or the single mothers of my students juggling multiple minimum wage jobs while GE gets tax breaks and everyone who knows Bobby and Marty can get a nice paying government job.
Amen.
I guess we’ll use comments to express agreement for awhile. I added this paragraph because the editor complained that “Amen” by itself is too short for a comment.
She does not demonize people on welfare. She seeks to ensure the system really does work for those who need it and not scammed by those who don’t.
Yeah, sure.
And the Civil War was fought over state’s rights. The reason why white cops who beat and kill blacks is that blacks don’t show the proper respect.
Honestly, Christopher — you really just refuse to admit flagrant racism when it’s right in front of you.
I am not arguing EBT fraud does not exist or is not important. What I find perplexing is that this is the one issue she seems exclusively focused on as Auditor. The one issue she is using her offices many powers to single out. The savings are paltry when compared to the glaring waste fraud and abuse in many other state agencies. Nepotism and cronyism in Probations, the T, and the State Police. Sweetheart tax breaks to the wealthiest corporations in America. Keositis and the T parking meter management company are prime examples of failed privatization.
Where’s the Auditor for those cases? Busy busting some small
time crooks and giving lie to the myth that people on welfare do not want to work and are cheating the government. A lie that makes it harder for progressives to make the case for single payer, for family leave, for universal college, and for government more broadly. A myth that perpetuates racist lies started by Ronald Reagan and continued by President Trump. It’s really not a good look and I will continue blanking my ballot.
Where the heck to race come into this discussion? I certainly didn’t make any comments about it and Bump herself holds no problematic racial views. The majority of welfare recipients are white. I wouldn’t be surprised if the majority of scammers are as well. So it appears you and jconway really do adhere to the opinion that only a Republican would dare try to address fraud. See also https://www.mass.gov/news/auditor-bump-focuses-efforts-to-strengthen-public-benefits-programs. Remember fraud ultimately hurts most those who need the safety net. I know Suzanne Bump well enough to assure you that she does not and would not demonize welfare recipients. BTW, between this and you comment about the party just being out for itself and being useless and corrupt you seem awfully bitter today:(
The dog whistle she is blowing, whether intended or not, is something along the lines of “welfare costs are bloated by lazy undeserving blacks soaking (white) working men and women”.
Of all the economic issues facing this state, welfare fraud is near the bottom.
What Ms. Bump is doing is pandering to a racist electorate that would rather complain about welfare fraud than face the real issues.
Her personal opinion about welfare recipients is irrelevant. What matters is the effect of her priorities.
OK, so what is your politically correct approved way to make sure that the social safety net is efficiently administered that would not result in calling out the self-appointed racial sensitivity police? YOU seem to be the one hearing a dog whistle here.
Nothing needs to be done right now.
There is approximately as much need to “make sure that the social safety net is efficiently administered” as there is to make sure that massive voter fraud is not occurring.
There is a long list of things that are far more important and far more urgent for Ms. Bump to address.
Hope Zakim gets endorsed and would pay to see the look on Galvin’s face.
Would just say that I’ve seen a lot of Zakim pins here …
I voted for Zakim for many reasons. His step father called me one evening and asked me to support him. I’m a real softee when it comes to that. Apart from a mailer, the Galvin campaign never reached out to me. I listened to both speeches.
Our party is dire need o fresh faces and renewed image (and I include Senator Warren and Attorney General Healey in that category who are just what the party desperately needed).
Josh is a passionate young man who does not want to wait for the gears to grind out what comes next. He wants to ditch the machine and get things done. I’m with him.
He did, to the tune of 55% and I’m still trying to get my jaw back up off the floor. No word on what Galvin’s face looks like.
RESULTS
Governor: Jay Gonzalez 70%, Bob Massie 30% (expected Gonzalez to be endorsed, but surprised by the spread)
Lt. Governor: Quentin Palfrey 59%, Jimmy Tingle 41% (about what I expected)
Secretary: Josh Zakim 55%, Bill Galvin 45% (absolutely gobsmacked that an incumbent was upset; when this vote took longer to count than others I assumed it was because of a question as to whether Zakim got 15%)
Also, resolutions supporting a law to crack down on wage theft and supporting the DNC unity report approved overwhelmingly viva voce.
Zakim defeating Galvin at the convention is hopefully a harbinger of the primary result. Galvin needs to go and we need an activist Secretary of the Commonwealth committed to modernizing that office and fighting for ordinary voters and consumers.
Maybe, and I think the debate is worth having, but Galvin also acquitted himself well yesterday speaking of the slow and steady progress his office has been making, and his efforts to defend the integrity the elections from either foreign powers or Trumpian interference.