Patrick for Governor

As the midterms draw near, candidates caught in dead-heat horseraces once again enrapture the nation. The Massachusetts race for governor is no exception, with incumbent Democratic Governor Deval L. Patrick ’78 just lightly leading Republican challenger Charles D. Baker, Jr. ’79 in the polls. As it portends profound impacts for the state, this contentious race deserves the utmost consideration. In our estimation, Patrick has done a fine job as governor; we endorse the incumbent candidate because we agree with his positions on the issues that distinguish him most from his opponents, with particular attention paid to his admirable stances on energy and immigration.

We recognize the inflamed discourse against the interests of immigrants in this country; given this political climate, Governor Patrick deserves praise for resisting the pressure to adopt this rhetoric. We commend him for remaining true to his principles by including immigrants in the provision of social services like healthcare. It is here that Patrick separates himself from his opponents.

We also appreciate Patrick’s commitment to pursuing energy independence and alternative energy. He is alone in the race in his support of The Cape Wind Project and has proven over his last term that he is willing to make Massachusetts a leader in clean energy.

In addition, Patrick best recognizes the structural problems afflicting the public school system, and we believe that he is most fit to fix them going forward. The governor understands that the achievement gap is a pressing obstacle to improving the overall quality of education in the state and has taken promising steps to ameliorate this issue. We are confident that Patrick has the experience, passion, and political will not only to prioritize our children’s learning, but also to strive for the best school system possible.

Patrick is also correct to stress the need to reduce property taxes. In these bleak economic times, the finances of families across the state are understandably strained. Lower property taxes would provide much needed relief. With that said, leaders should be cognizant of the important correlation between property tax revenue and funding for public education. There exists demonstrable evidence that a substantial portion of property taxes goes to school districts; hence, any drop in property taxes must be accompanied with a concerted effort to sustain education funding.

However, none of this is to detract entirely from the other candidates in the race. In fact, Patrick would do well to incorporate some of his opponents’ positions into his own platform. In particular, we support Independent candidate Timothy P. Cahill’s plan to reauthorize the nuclear plant in Plymouth. Patrick should not hesitate to appropriate his opponents’ most sensible ideas.

Additionally, President Barack H. Obama’s recent rally for Patrick in Boston did not go unnoticed. We call on Obama to continue rallying for his fellow Democrats, especially as the election promises to hand his party near-historic losses. We find the President’s stances on education and energy mostly agreeable, and we echo his championing of health-care and financial reforms. As such, Obama remains a premier figure to galvanize Democratic support in this upcoming election. Perhaps unsurprisingly, on this issue we again find common ground with the president: namely, our endorsement of Patrick for governor of the state of Massachusetts. Come election day, it is our hope that the incumbent candidate musters the requisite votes to continue his service to the citizens of the Bay State.