May 28, 2010

Memorial Day

Hi everyone,

Memorial Day week-end is the unofficial beginning of summer for many folks here in Massachusetts, and I hope everyone has a chance to get outside and enjoy the sun.  But it’s also very important for us all to remember that this is, in fact, MEMORIAL DAY week-end – our annual opportunity to remember and honor the servicemen and women who have died protecting us and this great country of ours, and their families.

For folks like me from Swampscott, that means honoring the memories of the three kids from Swampscott who lost their lives fighting for us in Iraq – Jennifer Harris, Jared Raymond and Justin Mooers.  It means thanking the young men and women from Swampscott who’ve served in every conflict and lost their lives.  And it means remembering and honoring the brave men and women – and their families – who have given so much to us with their service and their collective sacrifice.

I thought I’d also take this moment to share the remarks former candidate for Congress Don Hussey gave at the St. Patrick’s Day breakfast in Scituate back in March.

Don is a civic minded guy.  He’s run for office before – twice that I know of in primaries against State Senator Bob Hedlund – and is a lifelong Republican.  He was also one of the first people to get into the race against Congressman Bill Delahunt – before U.S. Senator Scott Brown’s victory, and before anyone thought Delahunt might be vulnerable, or might not run again.

Don was the last person to speak in Scituate that morning, but he was, by far, the best.  He stood at the podium and talked about his family and his son – who is in the Army, and is now stationed in Germany – between tours of duty in Afghanistan.  Don said he’d recently learned that his son would be going back into Afghanistan in May or June, and that he simply didn’t think he could focus on a race for Congress at the same time he would be focusing on helping his daughter-in-law with his grandchildren, and worrying about his son.

Don showed us a journal he’s been keeping for the past year – mostly writing to himself and his son – after his son was almost killed by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) during his last tour in Afghanistan.  Don said he started writing the journal because he didn’t know if his son would be coming home again, and he wanted something to remember him by if he didn’t.

By now, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room, and Don closed his comments by repeating the back and forth he had had with his son at the end of their last phone call…”I love you boy…I love you dad…”

I can’t recall ever being so moved by such a short speech.  I got all choked up when I hugged my 19 year-old son and sent him off to college.  No matter how proud a parent must be – and Don is as proud of his son as they come – I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to send a child off to war.  God Bless you Don, God Bless your son, and God Bless all of our sons and daughters in harm’s way this Memorial Day week-end.

Charlie Baker

May 17, 2010

Had Enough?

Today we’re kicking off our weeklong bus tour of Massachusetts to talk to people about what they’ve had enough of. For us, it’s simple. We’ve had enough of the tax hikes, the broken promises, the insider deals, the special interests controlling what gets done on Beacon Hill, the unwillingness to make tough decisions that will help cities and towns save money, the lack of meaningful reforms. I could go on and on. But to me, this is the important stuff that is the reason I got into this race.

When I started this campaign almost nine months ago, I did it because Massachusetts deserves better. Our kids deserve a better future, and we deserve to feel good about the direction we’re heading in as a Commonwealth. People should feel good about the schools. People should feel that the streets are safe. We’re not going to get there though by raising taxes. We’re going to get there by coming together to make the tough decisions that right now Beacon Hill refuses to do. We can no longer ignore the local health care and pension reforms that will save cities and towns millions of dollars – and save schools from losing good teachers, save police and fire departments from losing good men and women, and save taxpayers from having to dig deeper year after year.

We are never going to find the savings we need to without doing things differently. Our campaign is about more than grabbing headlines and making empty promises. It’s about bringing real reform to state government that will save taxpayer money, shrink the size of state government, and give cities and towns the tools they need to make the reforms they need to.

Massachusetts is better than this, and we deserve better than this. We’ve had enough of lofty promises without any action, and people across the state are telling us they have too.

Now it’s your turn – two quick things you can do to help:

May 6, 2010

The Facts About Deval Patrick’s Spending

This past weekend, the Globe published an editorial that warned of a $2.5 billion operating shortfall facing the next Governor. Governor Patrick set Massachusetts on a path to financial ruin on his first day in office by reinstating $383 million in spending that the previous Governor had cut. With that action, Patrick set Massachusetts on a path to end FY2007 with a $305 million deficit, instead of a $77 million surplus. Governor Patrick’s first term has been marred by aggressive spending and government expansion all while the state’s self-proclaimed CFO, Treasurer Cahill, has sat idly by. Watch our web ad on the Governor’s spending spree here:

This is why I proposed Baker’s Dozen, 13 reforms to save taxpayers $1 billion. Beacon Hill must be reformed and the current leadership team of Patrick and Cahill lack the political will to make the difficult decisions necessary. Patrick and Cahill have had the last four years to put Massachusetts back on strong financial footing and have failed. Taxpayers can’t afford four more years of the status quo.

To read more about my reform proposals, please click here:

http://www.charliebaker2010.com/issuesGovReforms.php

May 4, 2010

Baker’s Dozen – 13 reforms to save taxpayers $1 billion

Today, I unveiled my Baker’s Dozen, 13 reforms to save the taxpayers $1 billion. The next Governor is going to face a $2.5 billion budget shortfall and Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill have failed to deliver the necessary reforms to get government spending under control.

Among the reforms I’m proposing are:

1. Reduce construction costs by increasing competition; all public construction projects should be open to all bidders to ensure the best deal for the taxpayer

2. Empower cities and towns with substantial municipal relief by allowing localities to join the GIC

3. Implement real pension reform

4. End union control of public contracts

5. Consolidate and shrink state government – there are more than 100 state agencies administering over 1,000 licenses, certifications and permits, there should only be one

For more information, please visit my website at http://www.charliebaker2010.com/issuesGovReforms.php

In the last four years, Beacon Hill has given us increased taxes, increased spending and zero reform. Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill have been on Beacon Hill for a combined 12 years and their failure to propose basic reforms to save taxpayer money during difficult economic times shows a lack of strong leadership.

These 13 reforms reflect the first of many reforms my Administration will enact if elected. The job of restoring Massachusetts’ fiscal house will take time and plenty of hard work, but if we’re willing to make the tough choices, we will be able to give the taxpayers the smaller, more efficient government they deserve.