By George Derringer
Wed Jan 23, 2008, 12:02 AM EST
Swampscott - All five candidates for state representative were quizzed by Swampscott officials Tuesday night in a public forum; the questions clearly reflected the concern of town selectmen and School Committee members.
The public, however, stayed away. The overwhelming majority of the 80 to 100 people in attendance were members, formally and informally, of the candidates’ campaign committees.
Seven of eight questions, four prepared by the School Committee and four by the Board of Selectmen, reflected a common theme: Money or, perhaps more accurately, the boards’ desire for more money.
Discussion centered on how to get more of it, mostly from state coffers but with a short diversion to discuss local “options” like a meals tax or elimination of tax exemptions for the land on which utility poles are placed.
There are two Democrats, Cesar Archilla of Swampscott and Lori Ehrlich of Marblehead, in the race, along with Marblehead Republicans John Blaisdell and Tanya DeGenova, plus independent Mark Barry of Marblehead.
The party-affiliated candidates will seek their party’s nomination in a Feb. 5 primary while Barry will advance directly to the March 4 special election.
Opening statements
Each candidate was given a couple of minutes for an opening statement. Archilla described his background in business, government and more recently as an attorney in private practice and said he’s running because “it’s time someone advocated for this district.”
Ehrlich described her background as an accountant as well as her role in founding two environmental organizations, including the Swampscott-based group HealthLink. She said she’s running because of “my love for this community and my passion for the people in it.”
Barry noted his varied background in plumbing, then his decision at age 40 to go to college and then at age 50 to get a law degree. He said he’s running because he wants the towns in his district to get their “proper share” of towns, despite the fact they “appear to be wealthy.”
Blaisell, a retired Marblehead police officer who now runs his own mortgage company, also said he’s running because of his “love for community service.”
DeGenova told of her 25 years of work with the FBI, sometimes in tandem with the CIA, and said, “If I can get the FBI and CIA to work together, I believe I can bring Democrats and Republicans together.”
Question: No. 1 priority
Next, co-moderator Adam Forman, chairman of selectmen, asked the five what would be their No. 1 priority. Their answers were similar.
“State aid is No. 1 in Swampscott,” Ehrlich said, noting that the town doesn’t get the 17.5 percent of its foundation school budget from state funds as promised. Legislators now say they will provide that much to every community – by 2011.
“Chapter 70 (state aid to education) is the problem,” Barry said, noting that, in his words, “a Democratic governor and a Democratic House can’t seem to agree on ways to get more money to cities and towns.”
Blaisdell said his priority is to listen to the town officials and bring their views and problems to Beacon Hill and said, echoing a comment by Barry, that a proposal to use $450 million from the state’s $2 billion “rainy day fund” to help cities and towns is a top goal. Swampscott’s share of that would be a little over $600,000; Marblehead would get $650,000 and Lynn $8.8 million.
DeGenova said the state doesn’t have the money for municipalities because of “foolish spending” and should “close the Chapter 70 gap now. Then, beginning a theme she would carry all night, she said the state wastes money “charging in-state tuition rates (to state colleges) to illegal aliens.”
Archilla called the No. 1 problem “the anemic economy” and said the 8th Essex District needs “a vocal, vociferous advocate” to be sure of getting “its share.” He said a promise to provide 17.5 percent to towns in five years means “a kid going into kindergarten has to wait five years to get proper (school) services.”
Question: Engaging youth
Candidates were asked how students could be “engaged to participate in public service.”
Barry said they need to see the difference one person can make. Blaisdell said he’d go to the schools and ask “the professionals” there how he can help and how he can explain the process. DeGenova said she worked in a Boston “community outreach” program in Boston from 1996 to 1999, encouraging volunteerism and involving other students and even retirees in public service.
Archilla noed it’s not just young people who seem disaffected. “This room should be packed,” he said. The Swampscott High School auditorium has 850 seats, few of them occupied Tuesday. But he said, government needs to be “accountable and accessible.”
Ehrlich described a community involvement program she created at the Marblehead Village School that brought in people to speak and work with fifth-graders, engaging them in a variety of interests.
Question: GIC
Next, candidates were asked why legislation passed last summer that allowed cities and towns, with approval of 70 percent of union members, to switch from their current health insurance plans to the state employees’ Group Insurance Commission plans had attracted only five of 351 Bay State communities. Swampscott would have saved about $800,000 in the municipal budget.
Blaisdell said the time was too short and said that as a town retiree, he would be affected himself by the switch. “I have no problem with that,” he said.
DeGenova said “bickering” sunk the ship and said people on both sides need to meet each other halfway but, if that fails, “over time, I’d mandate the GIC.”
Archilla said the GIC offer was “a missed opportunity” in Swampscott that “should have occurred, though the devil is in the details.” He said he could help because of his skill “in getting people to build consensus.”
Ehrlich faulted the Legislature for “dragging its heels” before passing legislation on July 25, then giving towns only until Oct. 1 to come up with an agreement by the unions. “The process is flawed and the policy is flawed,” she said, noting that “missing this opportunity to save millions … translates into lost jobs.”
Barry agreed with Ehrlich and said that there was not enough time. He questioned, however, whether “unions should be the ones to balance the budget.”
Question: Force the GIC?
Candidates were asked if they would vote to force all municipal employees into the GIC this July 1. Only DeGenova said yes. They were also asked if they’d take money from the Rainy Day Fund, the $450 million proposal floated by House Republicans and quickly panned by Democrats.
DeGenova said yes. Archilla didn’t quite answer, explaining that the fund is a “stabilization fund” that should not be “raided” annually. Ehrlich, breaking party ranks, said she’d vote to take the money and quoted Dave Whelan, chairman of the School Committee and the other co-moderator, when he said “It’s raining.”
Barry said he’d vote to take the money “as long as it goes to the cities and towns.” Blaisdell made it nearly unanimous, saying, “It’s raining heavily in Swampscott.”
Question: Special education
Candidates were asked if the state should pay for all special education costs, including transportation, which is costing Swampscott $483,000 this school year.
Easy question: Five “yes” answers.
Question: Casinos
Ehrlich said the first question people ask her these days is whether she supports casino gambling; Tuesday’s questioners made that query of the candidates No. 7.
All the candidates were unenthusiastic about a casino at either Suffolk Downs or Wonderland, especially because of the transportation and infrastructure problems. Barry summed up the feeling of four candidates with his words, “I support casinos, but not in my backyard.” They also said the money should be dedicated to local aid to cities and towns.
DeGenova stood alone as an opponent of casinos. “What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas,” she said, parodying Las Vegas’ current advertising campaign.
TV replays
Tuesday’s forum will be shown many times between now and the primary election on Swampscott’s government access TV channels, Forman said.
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