A Quiz for Voters
Even though President Bush has two years left, 2006 is a critical election year. Test your knowledge by taking this short quiz.
1. When does Massachusetts next elect a Governor?
2. When and how is the Democratic candidate for Governor chosen?
3. What do Romney, Swift, Cellucci, and Weld have in common?
4. What do our President and Governor have in common?
5. What is the importance of our Governor nationally?
6. Why does the choice of Governor matter?
7. What will the next Democratic governor have in common with Clinton, Carter, Johnson, Kennedy, Truman, and FDR?
Answers:
1. Tuesday, November 7, 2006.
2. The September 19 primary determines which candidate becomes the Democrat on the November ballot. If you’re a Democrat or a voter who hasn’t chosen a party, you can vote in September to help determine the outcome.
3. Weld, Cellucci, Swift, and Romney have all been Massachusetts governors. They are all Republicans.
Each became bored with the Governor’s work, declaring “mission accomplished.” Each shares the Republican philosophy that private incentives are the automatic solution to most of society’s problems.
They projected an image of competence. It’s hard to think of accomplishments. It’s far easier to see evidence of what they allowed to slide.
Since they served one after the other, for 16 years they’ve hired the leaders of state agencies and many other employees, spanning a wide array of services: public health, public higher education, revenue collection and distribution to cities and towns, public safety, highways and bridges, environmental protection.
In most of these areas, we’ve gone backward during their 16 continuous years of “leadership.”
We’ve lost jobs and population. Public health and environmental programs have been cut. Public colleges are increasingly unaffordable. Bridges are in disrepair. Community hospitals have been closing, and more residents are without health insurance. Cuts in local aid have left municipalities struggling.
4. Our President Bush and Governor Romney are both executives responsible for the effectiveness of public services. Both are Republicans and promote the Republican philosophy of government.
5. Governors have political clout on the national scene. As Governor Romney said recently, “Having more Republican governors means more Republican congressmen, senators and better support for the presidency.”
6. Like the President, Governors are responsible for appointing the leadership team of the executive branch.
They can work hard to improve services or they can let things drift.
Governors determine priorities and the effectiveness of services.
Their threatened vetoes can suppress progressive legislation.
They decide how to allocate funds appropriated by the legislature, which projects to push and which not to push.
They can use the “bully pulpit” to promote their agenda, since a single voice and face are easier for news organizations than scores of legislators’.
7. Like our next Democratic Governor, the last six Democratic presidents (four had been governors) were chief executives known for moving our society several steps forward, for the Common Good.
Roosevelt planned and won a mandatory war, led the formation of the UN, created Social Security, unemployment insurance, minimum wage.
Truman increased the minimum wage, expanded Social Security, desegregated the military, and signed the Marshall Plan.
Kennedy was responsible for the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Peace Corps, scientific advancements.
Johnson gave us Medicare and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, expansion of federal aid to education, and antipoverty programs.
Carter’s administration was responsible for an increase of 8 million jobs, a decrease in the deficit, a national energy policy, expansion of the national park system, strengthening of Social Security, appointing record numbers of women and minorities, and an emphasis on human rights.
Under Clinton, the largest budget deficit in American history was converted to the largest surplus, 22 million new jobs were created, the unemployment rate was the lowest in thirty years, and higher incomes benefited all types of workers, not just those at the top.
All chief executives are constrained by conditions they inherit – including the economy and the composition of the legislature – as well as the length of their time in office.
In spite of challenging circumstances, all these Democratic chief executives made our nation stronger, and our lives more prosperous and secure, because they worked for the Common Good.
Their Democratic values can be seen in what they chose to make priorities.
If you agree that on balance our country made progress under Democrats Clinton, Carter, Johnson, Kennedy, Truman, and Roosevelt, doesn’t it make sense to try out a Democrat as governor for the first time in twenty years?
