LiveBlogging LG Forum

I'm watching the stream because I couldn't make it to Lowell, so this will have to do!

Refresh for updates.

2:30: looks like I have a stream!

2:34: head over to the LTC website where there will also be a chat that you can participate in.

2:36: and we're off!

3:00 minute openings:

1. Silbert up first. Opens with comment about enrolling her kids in school. Then gets to jobs. wants to bring her skills as a proven jobs expert to the job. A bit shaky start, but got to her point.

2. Kelly: Education, health care and guarantee of a job. I'm an indivdual that tries to get people to a healthier place in live.

Plan to help local aid: buy drugs from Canada. I'll lead that charge immediately.

I can connect dots on our historic healthcare plan and navigate waters to make sure you have affordable, quality health insurance.

Need to restore confidence and credibility in corner office.

A decent start, hints of a clearer message (Czar to implement the new HC bill)

3. Goldberg: what's happened in Lowell w/ floods is why I'm running for LG and why we need dems in Corner office. We didn't see it in Greenfield (stolen line from Deval!).

Talking about background, how S&S kept profits low (1% margin). She talking about her background, her budget experience, but doesn't say where she's from or what she's done!

4. Murray: thoughts go out to flood families. (His lapel sticker is reflecting light).

Frontline of govt = local govt.

Talks about experience in Worcester w/ what he's done.

Focus should be on keeping people in MA.

says he's running to be voice for regions not otherwise heard.

Probably tied w/ Silbert for best opening statement.

Questions:

1. To SIlbert from Marie Sweeney: what is role of FedGov in Flood. Did Romney act qucikly enough, how would you handle?

Answer: Govt. is about anticipating problems. We had 5.7 million in peabody, but Romney vetoed. When $4 mill. program for womens biz was slashed, she rallied nationwide. to save and grow program. We need to get more back from DC for us. And then you have to be there immediately.

Kelley Response: agrees we need to be prepared. "I've been involved in disasters all my life" - not sure he wanted to say that!

Goldberg response: role of LG is to be interface bet. local communities and state govt. as local official, I've had to be in that position before.

Murray: slams Healey for lack of performance here.

Summary: GOldberg wins this round. Silbert's story about bringing $ back was solid too.

Kravetz to Kelley: how do we control costs of new healthcare plan?

Kelley: task force to negotiate prescription drug deals for towns. Do away w/ prior authorizations.

I missed a part of this answer due to barking dog.

Goldberg: 38% of healthcare costs are admin. Create statewide database to
Murray: munic. budgets: health ins. huge, and increasing faster at local level. Towns should be able to opt into GIC, but keep local bargaining rights.

Silbert: daughter of 2 VA docs, now I buy my own health ins. 3 things: invest in preventative care, crete jobs from investing new tech, and force people to buy more generics.

Quite concise on all fronts, with SIlbert and Murray doing well.

Question: Role of LG

Goldberg: I'm here for the long run, want kids to stay here.

My model is Duke/O'Neill: a lot to do. Right hand to gov. as local liaison. And also right hand to regional growth of economy. Work w/ Fed. Gov. to expanding rail (hello, could you be stealing any more from Silbert and Murray here?)

Invest in Comm. Colls. We don't have oil wells. We can't be 47th in national funding.

Murray: i want to be a real liaison for cities and towns. Don't want to use local officials as props. Also focus on comm. rail and cleanup

Silbert: fresh ideas, new vision, true partner. 3 things: lead econ development, bring back more fed. $, help disadvantage: end hunger and homelessness.

Kelley: glad Romney is leaving. work on healthcare to bring bulk prescription drug purchasing and make new law afford. and accessible.

Summary: Murray beats Goldberg on local issues, but SIlbert has clearest message.

Kravetz to Murray: can we afford more local aid and increasing rail service?

Murray: CT did it by dedicating portion of oil tax and raising other fees. Cabral's bill last week did it. Might involve tax increases. we need to talk about how to pay for it. Romney hasn't ID'd how to pay for it. Don't support rollback.

Don't let Healey say she hasn't raised taxes.

Silbert: regional rail important - from Maine to CT. Second, we need to increase jobs and wages which fund income tax receipts. I'm only one who's created jobs.

Kelley: must rein in costs of housing and improve access to healthcare.

Goldberg: all these are great ideas, this is a 5-10 year plan (local aid and rail expansion). You need to have local experience and employer experience. I have those skills.

Summary: Murray did well, SIlbert's message is clear.

Next: Kravetz to Silbert: talk about your plan for statewide wifi.

Silbert: we should be leading the charge. Too bad Philly won. We need to lead nationally on this topic. I was able to work from home. it doesn't cost a lot. A woman who started ZipCar now wants to have wifi networks in cars.

Kelley: there may be Fed. issues for state doing it.

Goldberg: great idea, but how do you get it done? We need local experience, I brought in competition in Brookline.

Murray: ditto. Romney dropped the ball.

Summary: No one answered how to pay for it. I'm curious about that car thing!

Sweeney to Kelley: do you support new payroll tax to fund Trav's paid familiy leave proposal?

Kelley: grow revenues.

Goldberg: I'm an employer right now: all 7 of my staffers get dental and health.

Murray: As Dems, people opposed us on Soc. Sec, etc... we need to support Trav's concept and a payroll tax to do it.

Silbert: as a mom of 3, nothing is more important than maternity leave. I don't know if payroll tax is the right way, and 12 weeks at home is key.

Roundup: Kelley didn't answer. Others did. a clear difference between Murray and SIlbert emerges, perhaps.

Next question: Cape Wind.

Goldberg: MA residents need to be beneficiaries on this. And there wasn't bidding on this. (Sounds like Reilly, a bit). Initial reaction was favorable, but now wants to create a system. EIS must finalize.

Murray: work with colleges and green buildings. This is a public nat. resource, need to

Silbert: oppose giving veto to Gov. Finish process. If no red flags in the enviro review, let's go for it.

Kelley: cell phone towers should be windmills.

Summary: Silbert was clear, but no one took a position.

Next: Are we fooling ourselves about public schools?

Murray: Romney/Healey are by underfuding ed reform. Compact there was broken. I know what local budgets are dealing with.

Silbert: I went to public schools, my kids will, we must make them work. Education has a cashflow problem now, so if we don't create to jobs to get more $$ in the budget.

Kelley: me too. Early childhood ed. is the key.

Goldberg: R/H has used smoke and mirrors to fund education. Need to put direct $ into reducing class size and increasing teacher #s. We added teachers in brookline.

Summary: Murray knows his stuff, Goldberg does too. Sam good on Early ed., Silbert brings it back to her message.

Lightening Round:

1. Silbert wants to look more at Slots
2. Kelley on charter school cap: didn't answer.
3. Goldberg says increased Ch. 70 and local aid can help avert prop taxes.
4. Murray: Romney correct not to suspend gas tax. Election year false promises, bad leadership. God help us.
5. What has this admin. done right? Silbert: Helathcare: legis. did some work.
6. Seatbelt law: Kelley suports its enforcement.
7. What one bill would you get through? Goldberg: Increased education funding.
8. Auto insurance reform, favor?: Murray: expand State Police fraud unit.
9. Silbert: judicial appt.s should be diverse, not put forward as partisan choices. Opposed to Repubs packing courts.
10. Regional Greeenhouse gas initiative: Kelley: supports. Notes he is an environmentalist.
11. Goldberg on State Parks: open space at a premium, we need to improve so that people can ring cows to Boston common.
12. Murray on what Gov can do to bring back afford. housing: Comm. Rail is key. Helps outlier cities, "limited strategic investment."
13. MCAS: support it? Silbert: shouldn't be necessary in every case. Have to test to know what kids need. More important issue: why are kids dropping out?
14. Kelley on capping public college fees: everything more expensive now. In favor of reducing costs.
15: Goldberg on debating Hillman: I was police and fire commissioner. Reed doesn't own public safety issue. We're also competing against each other.
16: Murray on first suggestion to New Gov: make sure LG plays a key role.
17: Howe: I'm chair of citywide parent council. New Bedford School. Comm. on this. Each, one minute on this:

Silbert: we need to know how our kids are doing, but we have to make sure the test is testing the right thing - critical thinking skills, not just rote knowledge. But I want to get to the source of the problem: is MCAS causing higher dropout rates? If so, it's a huge problem.

Kelley: I take care of kids for a living. Teens are worried about mcas, leads to depression, and yes, they do drop out and take a GED. It doesn't measure hope, aspiration.

Goldberg: I stood with lang on this. A rifle kills people, schools save lives. Mel Levine says that you can't judge every kid on one stndard. (What is she talking about here - rifle? I don't get it.)

Murray: Worcester and Lawrence have added value added tests, but people aren't willing to put money where mouth is.

Open Round: talk for 2 minutes:

Silbert: Zip Car is great example of what I did at CWE. I helped her raise $$ to get started. IRobot - Roomba: helped them get started. (She DID? Wow! i LOVE my Roomba.). Christine Dolan: precious cargo is her biz, transporting kids to and from day care. (This is a GREAT story.)

Kelley: states his liberal credentials.

Goldberg: practical experience w/ Dem. values - what we need. I come from S&S, where we had values, and I put them to work in the public sector. Bridge to legis. and Gov.

Housing: focus on multiuse development. Capture expiring use properties.

Murray: Government can't do it all, but can do things that biz can't do. Public higher ed is one area. these grads fuel the state. We need to produce graduates to serve the jobs we want to create.

All were great!

Closing Statements:

Silbert: We're all progressives in this field, so what's the difference among us? I've walked the walk: saw a problem (Feminization of poverty) and made a big difference. I've had an impact on 100,000 of lives. Now, how do I impact millions? By running for office. New ideas, fresh voices. I can point results - people whose lives have been impacted by my work. Finally, I NEED to make this state better because I have kids.

Kelley: I've worked all of my life taking care of people. We take care of 1000 people per day at MSPCC. I'll hit ground running to bring back local aid. I take care of people. And #3, I'm the only person who can connect the dots to make sure the health care reform plan work for everyone.

The karl Rove playbook will be thrown at us. I have studied him and push out our values.

Goldberg: we need tested people in Govt. I know how to make govt. work. I took my private experience and used it effectively in the public sector. You need to get diverse people to the table and work together. I rose to that challenge. We need that more than ever on healthcare now as we figure out how to pay for it. I know how to get insurers to the table to make sure that 100% of people are covered.

Murray: 3 great candidates for gov. But we need someone with local experience, that understands that cities towns, teachers feel. I've created great partnerships in Worcester. We need people who know how to make people work togther. We need people who know the names of the legislators and what districts they represent. Our governor and lt. gov. don't know basic lessons of shcoolhouse rock -- coeqal branches of govt.