I’ve had the opportunity to both work with Jack Hurd and watch him from a distance. He’s a good person, an excellent listener, a good communicator, and wise in his decisions. I’m proud to support him for State Senate.

I first watched Jack when I was new to Town Meeting, the spring of 2002, and every year since then. He’s covered dozens of issues and covered them well. His website does a better job than I do of detailing his accomplishments.

I first worked with Jack when I started trying to improve the town’s IT department. I had been frustrated with the town’s Data Processing Advisory committee, and was working with Annie LaCourt to get a citizen petition before Town Meeting. Jack met with us, listened to us, and helped us get a compromise that was supported by the selectmen and passed through Town Meeting. He turned what could have been a confrontation into a compromise that moved the town forward. The end result was the consolidation of the town’s IT department under a CIO. That change is reaping huge gains in town productivity.

The skills Jack has demonstrated as Selectman will serve us all well in the State Senate.

Why I’m Not Voting for Ken Donnelly

By all reports, Ken is a nice guy. His stated positions are very similar to Jack’s – you can compare them here.

I will not vote for Donnelly because I fear that he will be a union mouthpiece. In the last year, he’s received more than $100,000 from unions and union members (you can verify this yourself by reading the state filing reports, or read my analysis, or the Arlington Advocate).

In private discussions with Donnelly supporters, they’ve told me that the unions are supporting him because he’s a good guy, not because he’s going to be totally pro-union. I just don’t buy it. These unions are not shelling out this kind of money because he’s “a good guy.” They’re shelling out this money because they think he’s going to vote their way in the Sentate.

Do we really need another legislator who thinks we need police details at every road construction sites? Why hasn’t the state reined in the Boston fire department? Why does the teachers’ union successfully continue to block any reform efforts that are linked to teacher performance? Why does the state permit the SEIU to bully teaching hospitals?

I think unions have a positive role to play in the state. I support them, in general. However, their role needs to be balanced. The state government is already very pro-union; we don’t need another union voice on Beacon Hill.

My bottom line on Donnelly: he’s going to be a very big friend of the unions, and the unions already have big enough friends.