Vote tomorrow
I posted my endorsements for the Massachusetts 2018 election on my business blog. These are the first endorsements I’ve ever done.
Here, I add a few last statements about the ballot you cast tomorrow.
Question 3 is about civil liberties. It is not about public safety. Vote YES.
A YES vote supports a law that says it is legal for a transgendered person to use public and civic spaces. This includes transportation, parks, retail establishments, medical facilities, restaurants… you got it, everywhere! We have a history in the country of not allowing these liberties. It wasn’t pretty.
Major organizations who work with abused woman support a YES vote on Question 3. Why? Because Question 3 YES supports rights of women at risk of abuse . It does not contribute to increased danger for any women.
Please vote Yes on Question 3.
Governor
In the past year, people who care about immigrants had to mobilize, in large numbers. Charlie Baker intended to send material support to the effort to separate families at the southwestern border. He was barraged by calls, letters, and postcards, then changed his mind and put the best spin on it all. This was not a single incident. Charlie Baker is a Republican; he is inclined toward supporting the practices of the current National administration. Those values and goals do not match the values of most people in this Commonwealth.
What Charlie Baker is doing that goes against my principles and probably yours: link
Charlie Baker ran and governed saying he was taking care of the Commonwealth’s economy. Experts who do bond ratings have downgraded Massachusetts’s financial health for the first time in almost 30 years.
Democrats are the majority in the legislature in Massachusetts. Many voters have been content to have a liberal Republican governor in place, as a check against the legislature doing as it pleases. In current times, this is a mistake.
A vote for Jay Gonzalez, even if he doesn’t win, will make Charlie Baker think twice before rubber-stamping repressive actions by the Federal Government. For those concerned that the changes Jay Gonzalez supports are unrealistic, remember that he is governing within a system that will force compromise on his aspirations. Would you rather have a Governor who aspires to lock up children on our borders or one who wants to make higher education more available?
Please vote for Jay Gonzalez.
Senate
Senator Warren has a vision based on deep knowledge of the economy. Her specialty is how economic pressures affect middle class families. Her Senate committee appointments correspond to the areas that she is strong in: Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP); Energy and Natural Resources; and the Special Committee on Aging. Does Massachusetts, and the country, need an educated voice on those committees? Hell, yes.
Her opponent, Geoff Diehl, is unlikely to win. His issues are not consistent with Massachusetts. He is anti-immigrant (and uses rhetoric that equates immigrants with criminals). He sees regulation as the cause of the decline of the fishing industry (not environment or overfishing). His candidacy gets an A from the National Rifle Association. (Guess what Elizabeth Warren gets? An F.)
Strong support for Elizabeth Warren is a vote of confidence that Massachusetts stands with immigrants, for the environment, and against gun violence.
Please vote for Elizabeth Warren.