CLT's position
by Barbara Anderson
The coming year will be very interesting on Beacon Hill.
And the first interesting thing that will happen will be the House leadership fight between
Speaker Tom Finneran and Rep. Byron Rushing (D-Boston). Here is a heads-up on that
battle, and CLT's perspective.
You may recall that we recommended a Yes vote on the non-binding question appearing
on 18 local ballots, asking the state rep. to vote against Tom Finneran for Speaker in 2003.
We had supported the long-standing term limits for Speaker, and opposed its repeal
earlier in the year.
Voters in all 18 districts (including mine and Chip's here in Marblehead) voted Yes. Our
state rep, Doug Peterson, is following his voters' mandate and working for Byron Rushing
for Speaker. Some of yours will do the same.
In the past, CLT has stayed out of leadership fights. Our attitude was usually, "it's none of
our business" or, "can't they both lose?"
This year it is our business, though we're not happy with the choices. Under Speaker
Finneran, the initiative petition process was assaulted and may be on life support. He led a
year-long strategy to halt our income tax rollback, and repealed the voter-passed
charitable deduction. Of course, Rep. Rushing voted for these too.
Although he doesn't respect the will of the voters, the Speaker does have a reputation
among some -- especially some Republicans -- as a "fiscal conservative." For the past
several years, he has run the commonwealth. On his watch, state spending increased a
billion dollars a year, we had the biggest tax increase in our history, and are now, according
to many analysts, in the worse fiscal crisis since the Great Depression. It's time for the
Finneran Republicans to get a clue! Denying that the income tax hike of 1989 was meant to
be temporary, Finneran actively opposed the one tax cut -- our income tax rollback -- that
could have prevented the present fiscal crisis had it been done earlier.
We understand that some conservatives support Finneran because he is a conservative on
some social issues. This is a valid decision, as long as no one confuses it with concern for
taxpayers, which is CLT's primary interest.
Yes, Rep. Rushing is a liberal. He has an appalling lifetime rating with CLT of 8 percent.
Finneran's lifetime rating is 23 percent. This is an improvement from his rating when he
first ran for Speaker, when it was 9 percent.
When he became Ways & Means Chairman in 1990, his first major act was to try to change
Proposition 2½ and raise property taxes. We defeated his first attempt, but he persisted. Fortunately Gov. Weld vetoed the next two or three
tries, or the allowed Prop 2½ levy limit would have doubled.
Rushing is running on the attached platform. We have seen this platform before, when
liberal George Keverian defeated allegedly "conservative" Tom McGee. During the
Keverian years, Democrat Chairmen like Jack Flood and Bob Cerasoli felt free to join with
Republicans in taking on Governor Dukakis. This small "d" democracy is the only thing
that prevented total fiscal meltdown during the end of the Dukakis term.
On the other hand, Rushing voted against reformers on an important vote last year, to
appoint all committee assignments before the rules reform debate so reformers wouldn't
be punished for attempting some changes.
The Republican, media, and business community support for
Finneran, who can certainly talk a "fiscally conservative" game, has made him an especially dangerous foe to us
taxpayers. While the House dissidents probably cannot defeat him, a valiant effort can
have the same effect that almost passing Question One had on House morale: look, the
people are watching and paying attention!
It's true that liberals will want to raise taxes. But they will usually not get their way by
blackmailing voters through cuts in programs for the mentally retarded and mentally ill. It
takes the "hack pols" who are in this for their own gain and power to attack both the
people in need of services and the taxpayers at the same time, while supporting business
as usual with the powerful special interest groups on the Hill. It's time for reform, and we
certainly support Byron Rushing's platform. This does not mean he would be our first
choice for Speaker of the House, but if he does better than expected and gets the reform
ball moving, perhaps someday a real fiscal conservative will step forward. As with
Question One, a message will have been sent.
I expect to be discussing this issue on New England Cable News at 8:00 tonight, and
wanted to let you know our thinking before you were shocked!
Barbara Anderson --
Byron Rushing's statement of principles:
1. The House of Representatives belongs to the people of Massachusetts through their
elected representatives. We believe that the citizens of the Commonwealth are not being
fully represented and it is time to give them back the House.
2. Legislation that has broad support should be brought before
the House for debate and a vote by the membership. Too many bills are buried in committees.
3. Members should have the right to vote according to their best judgment without fear of
punishment or reprisal.
4. Assignments to committees and commissions should be based on
members' talent, interest, and experience and the makeup of each committee and commission should reflect
the broad diversity of the membership.*
* Barbara's note: I think this "diversity" means political and
ideological, not just race and sex etc.
The Boston Herald
Tuesday, December 17, 2002
Rushing challenges Finneran:
Battle brews over speaker
by Elisabeth J. Beardsley
House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran said yesterday he's "confident" he can hang onto his powerful leadership post, despite a newly announced challenge from a small group of dissident lawmakers.
Rep. Byron Rushing (D-Boston) formally announced his plans to run for speaker yesterday, complaining that the House is a secretive operation where the rank-and-file are kept in the dark about the budget and members are punished for crossing Finneran.
But Finneran pointed to last year's budget process as "my exhibit No. 1" - citing the formation of working groups and closed-door meetings that brought more members into the decision-making loop.
"It was done to almost universal acclaim," Finneran said. "The fact that somebody is trying to now rewrite history and say it was not a democratic process, quite frankly it's a falsehood."
Pledging the creation of a "reform caucus," Rushing vowed to allow members to vote their mind on every bill without fear of retribution from leadership, an accusation Rushing and his backers hung on Finneran.
"I believe in a Legislature where there is no fear," Rushing said. "Elect me and there will be no fear."
The dissidents point to the example of Rep. Doug W. Petersen (D-Marblehead), who lost his Natural Resources Committee chairmanship after defying Finneran on the Clean Elections campaign finance law.
Finneran scoffed at dissidents' claims of heavy-handed punishment, noting that Petersen "did not lose a penny of pay, did not lose a penny of staff and was actually promoted to what is considered to be a more substantial committee." Petersen became vice chairman of the Taxation Committee.
"When my critics are asked to bring forward evidence, they struggle a little bit," Finneran said. "They from time to time will conjure up an incident here or an incident there."
While Finneran was fully confident in his public remarks to the media, he took the behind-the-scenes step of blitzing all House members with a two-page missive lauding his own leadership.
The letter reminds House members of their new inclusion in last year's budget debate, and points out the House's potential clout in upcoming negotiations with Gov.-elect Mitt Romney and presumptive Senate President Robert E. Travaglini - both leadership novices.
The dissidents said they hope Rushing's candidacy will encourage civil disobedience from the 18 lawmakers whose constituents voted for referendums opposing Finneran as speaker.
But Rep. Cory Atkins (D-Concord) said she told her constituents flat-out during the campaign that she intended to defy the referendum. "A lot of my constituents have said they wanted to send a message," she said. "After the elections, they weren't in such a big rush to take the last standing Democratic leader out either."
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The Boston Globe
Tuesday, December 17, 2002
Rushing launches bid for Speaker post
Finneran defense record amid colleague's challenge
By Stephanie Ebbert and Rick Klein
Globe Staff
As state Representative Byron Rushing launched the first-ever challenge to his iron-fisted leadership, House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran responded yesterday with characteristic command, saying that he's worked hard to lock up support among members and reciting a list of accomplishments during his six years in the House's top spot.
But in a slight nod to those who see the Rushing challenge as a way to force Finneran to share power with a broader circle of members, the speaker expressed humility and vowed to serve the interests of all voters and their representatives.
"I'm not overconfident. I look to earn every member's consideration and every member's support," Finneran said. "I can only say... I'm fairly confident of the outcome."
Finneran spoke with reporters outside his State House office a few hours after Rushing formally announced his candidacy for speaker outside the House chamber. Rushing, a South End Democrat, stood beside nine of the 12 House members who have publicly pledged to support him. There are 160 members in all.
State Representative Carol A. Donovan, a Woburn Democrat, handed Rushing an oversized golden key - to help "open up the process" in the House, she said.
"The citizens of Massachusetts want the House of Representatives back," Rushing declared. "I will do everything in my ability and in my power to restore democracy for them, so that they - average citizens of Massachusetts - can know that they will have access and power in this House of Representatives."
Rushing appealed for support from the representatives in 18 districts whose constituents voted in a nonbinding referendum for Finneran's ouster. He often is criticized for leaving rank-and-file members out of discussion and for stifling debate on legislation he dislikes.
But in a sign of just how steep a climb he faces, Rushing cannot even count on support from most of the 18 legislators whose constituents asked them to overthrow the speaker. Yesterday, half of them said they would continue to back Finneran, while two said they had not decided yet and three could not immediately be contacted. Only three of the 18 - representatives Doug Petersen of Marblehead, Peter Kocut of Northampton, and Paul Demakis of Boston - have pledged their support to Rushing.
Robert Coughlin, a freshman Democrat from Dedham who defeated Finneran ally Maryanne Lewis in November, said he would not vote for Finneran. But he had not decided yet whether to vote for Rushing and said he simply may abstain by voting "present."
"The ballot question instructed me not to vote for the speaker - it didn't tell me who to vote for," said Coughlin. "Before saying I would vote for someone else, I want to make sure they're the right person for the job."
Those who continue to back Finneran cited his experience in budget management during tough economic times.
"This isn't an academic question - there are real people at the end," said Representative Cory Atkins, a Concord Democrat who plans to rebuff her constituents' directive. "There are policies we spent a decade trying to implement, education systems we're trying to build. This isn't a popularity contest. There are phenomenally complicated issues at hand and it is going to take the best out of each and every one of us to meet that challenge."
As Finneran reminded reporters yesterday, he has built his reputation as a fiscal conservative, drawing lines in the sand on spending, setting aside money in a "rainy day" fund, and calling for better budget forecasting. Rushing, by contrast, is one of the chamber's most liberal members, supporting increased funding for affordable housing and human services.
"Quite frankly, this particular group would tax us back to the Stone Age if they had their way," said Representative David Torrisi, a North Andover Democrat, who also said he would reject his voters' referendum and back Finneran.
It was an image that reform-minded legislators sought to combat yesterday. Representative Charles A. Murphy, a Burlington Democrat who is more moderate than many of Rushing's supporters, backed Rushing while acknowledging that he disagrees with some of his positions.
"This is not simply a liberal or progressive moment," Murphy said.
Indeed, Rushing cast his candidacy not in terms of issues, but in terms of opening up the House rules to allow members to "vote their conscience" on all measures that come before the House - a reference to Finneran's efforts to punish members who vote against his wishes.
"Legislation that has broad support in this House should always come to the floor of this House for a vote and debate," Rushing said. "If I am speaker, members will have the right to vote according to their best judgment on every bill."
Finneran said he has run a more open House than his predecessors, denying that he once punished Rushing for his votes by removing his committee chairmanship, and vowing to seek input from a broad range of representatives.
"Some of them actually seem amused that I would actually take the time to ask them for their support, but I view the office as a huge honor and I never take it for granted," Finneran said. "And I don't think the office is mine. The office is the members' and it's up to the members to confer it upon one of their choosing."
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