Ray Gottwald's Blog

Salute to Mary LeClair

Salute to Mary LeClair

Last Thursday, I was part of the 250 plus crowd that attended a tribute to former County Commissioner and Treasurer, Mary LeClair at the Coonamesset Inn in Falmouth.

 It truly was a bipartisan group that included speakers; Senator Therese Murray, Sheriff James Cummings, County Commissioner Sheila Lyons, Governor's Councillor Carole Fiola and District Attorney, Michael O'Keefe.

Each ot the speakers talked about her many "endearing qualities." Mary was described as "passionate, committed, a tireless advocate and the type of public servant we should all strive to be."

One of the interesting comments of the evening was generated by Michael O'Keefe.  He described Mary LeClair as not a member of the Republican or Democratic Party, but the "Cape Cod Party."    Her long time record of public service and commitment to the needs of the families of the Cape has made her a popular figure across party-lines.

Perhaps part of Mary's success and broad-based appeal is the brand of Republicanism she has represented. I have a bit of a geographic connection to Mary since we both lived in Upstate NY---very Republican country. Back than the Republican party was the party of  former Vice-President and NY State Governor, Nelson Rockefeller, US Senators Jacob Javits and  Kenneth Keating and  NYC Mayor John Lindsay.

The Republican Party was the party of strong public-higher education, pro-environment, supported civil rights and believed in fiscal discipline. In many ways this was the formula articulated by former Massachusetts Governor's William Weld, Paul Cellucci and Jane Swift.

Elected official's  like Mary LeClair whose goal is always trying to be the best public servant she can, not matter what challenge she faces is something all of us should strive to live-up to; no matter what our background.

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It's Just Politics

IT'S JUST POLITICS

I'm a bit confused about political standards? Aren't you?   Watching the presidential primary race this past winter and spring and now the general election, I'm often thinking how much "slack" we give candidates and their campaigns.

 I mean we 're  supposed to totally forgive candidates for their lapse's in ethical standards and values; accept things we would find hard to forgive within our own families. Have we degenerated to the point that we have no standards or values in politics?

One of my core belief's  is that, "a candidate and their campaign is a reflection of the candidate."

I view myself as a spiritual and religious person but I hear an awful lot of rhetoric from those who talk about their religious values. This goes for candidates on both sides on the aisle. What has happened to a civil discourse and a debate on the merit of the issues? Is it any wonder that so little get done in Congress with all the party bickering.

One of my core belief's  is that, "a candidate and their campaign is a reflection of the candidate."  If they compromise our sense of  "right and wrong" and our own personal values, we don't have to support them." What someone is about-----their inner core, their reason for running for office is just as important as their stand on the issues.

As  Senator Joe Biden said, "elected officials are no more important than the citizens who put them in office."   Maybe we should stop elevating them and treating them as members of a privileged class.  A  good number of our elected officials and candidates should stop acting like they are better than the rest of us. My dad the late Joseph Gottwald always told me "that humility is important in life and don't take yourself too seriously." Thanks for giving me good advice Dad.  

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The Last Day of July

THE LAST DAY OF JULY

I was surprised to read in one of the Boston newspapers that July 31st is Governor Deval Patrick's birthday.

 I also had the same reaction when I worked for state government and received a birthday invitation to former Governor Weld's birthday celebration which also happens to be July 31^st.

 You see I also happen to be born on July 31^st, so of course right away one ponders,  what do I have in common with these two Governor's I share a birthday with?  Is there really some sort of truth to Astrology and those daily horoscopes many of us read?

 Besides the obvious passion for public service and politics , what else do we have in common?

 We all love the seashore, but also enjoy spending time in the mountains.You may remember Governor Weld loved his time hunting and fishing in the Adirondacks and Governor Patrick relishes his time in the Berkshire.

 I grew up in Schenectady, NY  so a lot of my childhood time was spent vacationing in the Berkshires and Adirondacks which were at most a hour's drive. Athough having a father who worked for General Electric my guess is that the places we stayed were perhaps a bit more modest.

 One thing that the two Governors seem a bit different on is their mode of dress. I remember former Governor Weld bragging about the holes in his shoes in his campaign for US Senate against John Kerry. I detect that Governor Patrick is a bit more attentive in this arena. And where do I fit in? Well when I worked in Boston I wore a lot more suits, but were on the Cape after all and I prefer the casual look except for special meetings and occasions.

 And my bi-partisan family background and birthday I share with two Governors from different parties fits in with my own. My mom is a Democrat and my dad is deceased but was an active Republican . I find that sometimes works to my advantage in building consensus and finding the middle ground.  

 And just think on my birthday-July 31^st,  I could be on the state house at this very moment with the last minute feeding frenzy going on in the House of Representatives, with issue after issue being voted on quickly and without very little debate or public input.

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Join us at the Debate on Wednesday Night

Join us at the Debate on Wednesday Night

I hope you will join us in Harwich on Wednesday night as the five Democratic candidates for Barnstable County Commissioner engage in their first debate. The event kicks-off at 7:00 p.m. at the Harwich Community Center, 100 Oak Street.

Only two of the five Democratic candidates will be nominated in the primary scheduled for September 16th  to face Republicans Brad Crowell of Dennis and Ric Baros in the November 4th final election.

Look for incumbent; Lance Lambros of Sandwich, Tom Bernardo of Yarmouth, Mary Pat Flynn of Falmouth, Sheila Lyons of Wellfleet and Greg Milne of Barnstable to address a number of issues of concern to the voters of Cape Cod; Regionalization, the Cape Cod Commission, Human Services and funding for the Sheriff's office.  

This is the "HOT" race to watch this election cycle since there is no primary for state constitutional offices this fall and the other local contested races in September are for the Republican nomination for Register of Probate and the House of Representative's Primary for Eric Turkington's seat.

Yes, folks this is a debate sponsored by the Harwich Democratic Town Committee, but all are welcome and I wouldn't be surprised to see a number of Republican elected officials and activists in the audience, not to mention a healthy dose of Independents who are the clear majority of voters.

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Carter to Vote for Obama

From the CNN Political Ticker

April 3, 2008 Carter hints at supporting Obama Posted: 01:05 PM ET Carter hinted Wednesday he'd likely support Obama.

(CNN) - Former President Jimmy Carter all but said Wednesday he plans to cast his superdelegate vote for Barack Obama.

Speaking with a Nigerian paper while in Abuja, Carter noted several reasons why he might be leaning toward the Illinois senator.

"Don't forget that Obama won in my state of Georgia," Carter said. "My town, which is home to 625 people, is for Obama, my children and their spouses are pro-Obama. My grandchildren are also pro-Obama."

"As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for but I leave you to make that guess," Carter added.

The Carter Center confirmed to CNN the newspaper did quote Carter accurately.

Responding to the comments, Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson said Thursday, "Both Senator Clinton and President Clinton have a great deal of respect for President Carter and have enjoyed their relationship with him over the years, and obviously he is free to make whatever decision he thinks is appropriate with regard to presidential choice."

Wolfson also acknowledged "people will be interested in the choice that he makes."

Carter's remarks are the latest from the former president that suggest he is backing Obama over rival Hillary Clinton, although he has made no official endorsement. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in January, Carter said Obama's campaign has been "extraordinary and titillating for me and my family."

He also said then that Obama "will be almost automatically a healing factor in the animosity now that exists, that relates to our country and its government."

- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

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Send The Money to New Orleans

SEND THE MONEY TO NEW ORLEANS

In the past several weeks, there have been many suggestions within the ranks of the Democratic Party for re-votes in Florida and Michigan. Several prominent and wealthy Democrats have stepped forward to state that they would help pay for new primary elections . The price tag for both states is estimated in the range of $25-30 million. 

I can't believe with all the problems facing our country and how state and local budgets are hard pressed to fund services for our citizens that such an outlandish amount of money would be spent. If the wealthy donors to the DNC can't figure out how to spend their money, send it to New Orleans which is still suffering two and a half years after Hurricane Katrina hit.

 Both Michigan and Florida knew the rules of the game and they proceeded anyway.  What frankly is frustrating to everyone, no matter which candidate your support is that the Democratic National Committee hasn't been able to come up with a compromise solution?

First of all under no circumstances should the two states not be represented at the convention. The DNC should give them both a penalty and seat half their delegates. This has been done in the past by both parties.

The second trickier question is how you divide up the delegates? In Michigan, Clinton's name was the only one on the ballot and she got 50%. That makes it easy give 50% to Clinton and 50% to Obama.

In Florida, Clinton also got 50% and the Obama and Edwards vote was close to 50%. Therefore give Clinton half the delegates, the % Obama got to him and the % that Edwards received goes uncommitted at this point.

The reality is that based on Obama's lead among elected delegates it's next to impossible for Clinton to catch up with him unless she starts winning the rest of the primaries by a 65% margin.   

We need to put this to rest and move toward selecting a nominee.

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Crowded Field for Mary LeClair's Seat

Crowded field for Mary LeClair's seat

County Commissioner's seat up for grabs

With long serving county treasurer and county commissioner, Mary LeClair stepping down at the end of this year; the race to fill her seat is getting very competitive.

In addition to one open seat, current County Commissioner Lance Lambros a Democrat who was elected in 2000 is running for re-election.

Former Speaker of the Assembly of Delegates and aide to State Rep. Demetrius Atsalis, Tom Bernardo is planning another run for County Commissioner, having waged a campaign for the seat in 2006 against Commissioner Bill Doherty.

With all the discussion regarding regionalization, voters need to look at the candidates very thoroughly to analyze who has the best vision and experience for moving our county government forward. Others who have announced their intentions to run or will announce shortly include;  Mary Pat Flynn.  Currently, Pat Flynn serves as a selectman in Falmouth, Co-Chair of the Falmouth Democratic Town Committee and is the former Chair of the Cape Cod Economic Development Council.

Also, throwing her hat into the ring is Sheila Lyons of Wellfleet. Lyons is a first term member of the Assembly of Delegates and Chair of the Wellfleet Democratic Town Committee.

Rumor has it that Barnstable Town Councillor, Greg Milne who ran as an Independent for County Commissioner in 2002 is thinking of running again, this time as a Democrat.

On the Republican side of the aisle, Ric Barros a member of the Republican State Committee and candidate for State Senate in 2006 has announced his intentions to run for LeClair's open seat.

In addition, sources indicate Brad Crowell the former chair of the Cape Cod Commission is also planning a campaign.

Troy Clarkson, the former selectman from Falmouth has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for the county commission.

With all the discussion regarding regionalization, voters need to look at the candidates very thoroughly to analyze who has the best vision and experience for moving our county government forward.

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Right on Target

I have included a recent opinion piece coined by Andrew Sullivan of Atlantic Monthly. Its right on target about this election and the future direction of the Democratic Party and our country.

By Andrew Sullivan-Atlantic Monthly 

"The new meme is that politics has returned to normal and that this election will now be run by Clinton rules. Many are relieved by this. You could sense the palpable discomfort among many in Washington that their world might actually shift a little next year. But if elections are primarily about fear and mud, and who best operates in a street fight, Beltway comfort returns. This we know. This we understand. This we already have the language to describe. And, the feeling goes, the Clintons can win back the White House in this atmosphere. What she is doing to Obama she can try to do to McCain. Maybe Limbaugh will help her out again.

What I think this misses are the cultural and social consequences of beating Obama (or McCain) this way. I don't mean beating Obama because the Clintons' message is more persuasive, or because the Clintons' healthcare plan is better, or because she has a better approach to Iraq. I mean: beating him by a barrage of petty attacks, by impugning his clear ability to be commander-in-chief, by toying with questions about his "Muslim past", by subtle invocation of the race card, by intermittent reliance on gender identity politics, by taking faux offense to keep the news cycle busy ("shame on you, Barack Obama!") and so on. If the Clintons beat Obama this way, I have a simple prediction. It will mean a mass flight from the process. It will alter the political consciousness of an entire generation of young voters - against any positive interaction with the political process for the foreseeable future. I'm not sure that Washington yet understands the risk the Clintons are taking with their own party and the future of American politics.

The reason so many people have re-engaged with politics this year is because many sense their country is in a desperate state and because only one candidate has articulated a vision and a politics big enough to address it without dividing the country down the middle again. For the first time in decades, a candidate has emerged who seems able to address the country's and the world's needs with a message that does not rely on Clintonian parsing or Rovian sleaze. For the first time since the 1960s, we have a potential president able to transcend the victim-mongering identity politics so skillfully used by the Clintons. If this promise is eclipsed because the old political system conspires to strangle it at birth, the reaction from the new influx of voters will be severe. The Clintons will all but guarantee they will lose a hefty amount of it in the fall, as they richly deserve to. Some will gravitate to McCain; others will be so disillusioned they will withdraw from politics for another generation. If the Clintons grind up and kill the most promising young leader since Kennedy, and if they do it not on the strength of their arguments, but by the kind of politics we have seen them deploy, the backlash will be deep and severe and long. As it should be.

He has a million little donors. He has brought many, many Republicans and Independents to the brink of re-thinking their relationship with the Democratic party. And he has won the majority of primaries and caucuses and has a majority of the delegates and popular vote. This has been a staggering achievement - one that has already made campaign history. If the Clintons, after having already enjoyed presidential power for eight long years, destroy this movement in order to preserve their own grip on privilege and influence in Democratic circles, it will be more than old-fashioned politics. It will be a generational moment - as formative as 1968. Killing it will be remembered for a very, very long time. And everyone will remember who did it - and why."

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Winning is Everything

According to the Houston Chronicle, it appears the results in Texas are an even split with Obama and Clinton both picking up 107 delegates. When you add up the totals from all four contests on Tuesday, Clinton picked up 12 delegates. The overall totals now stand at 1567 for Obama and 1462 for Clinton with 2025 needed for the nomination

 One of the interesting comments Clinton made on Tuesday night was that she" has won the big states including Michigan and Florida."  Can someone explain to me how you claim victory in Michigan when your name was the only one on the ballot? Comments like that by Clinton remind me exactly why I am not supporting her. She and her husband will say and do anything to win. Need we mention the 3:00 am red phone ad? A recycled version of an ad Walter Mondale used against Gary Hart in 1984.

 Back than Gary Hart had the lead with elected delegates, but the super delegates gave Mondale the win at the convention based on the experience argument and that he was the stronger candidate. In the end Reagan won in a landslide and Mondale didn't even win Massachusetts.

Clinton claims experience but somehow her campaign and the staff she has put in leadership positions hasn't shown me, to be a sign of particularly good judgment. Their pick and choose strategy of only campaigning in certain states, begs the question; will she be President for all of the United States or only the big states? At least Obama has campaigned in all the states. Maybe that's why he has the most delegates and has the lead in the popular vote.

Also, is there something in the water in Florida? You would think after the 2000 Presidential Election, that they would get it right this time, but no the Democratic Party in Florida decided to violate the rules of the Democratic National Committee and have created another potential public relations disaster.

Now, while I believe in states rights and that all the states should have delegates at the convention, Florida and Michigan knew what the rules were as did Obama and Clinton.  With former Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe in her corner Clinton has no excuse for trying to change the rules to her benefit. But as Vince Lombardi, the long serving coach of the Green Bay Packers said-" winning is everything."

I and many other voters; Democrats, Independents and Republicans are watching how the game is played and if any questionable tactics are used - don't expect automatic support should you win the nomination.

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Time to Regionalize?

Some of you may have been following the CCTimes articles and letters regarding the regionalization of some of  our services in Barnstable County. I submitted the letter below and would love to hear your thoughts and ideas of  town services and functions that would be good prospects for regionalization.

 To the Editor:

 Great article in the paper today regarding regionalization.    I totally agree that more town health department functions could be picked up by the County's Dept. of Health and the Environment. First of all they already have a very effective infrastructure in place and secondly they already provide back-up services to the towns.  

 Also, one of the things that has been discussed on the Assembly are the individual town grants programs for Human Services. Most of the towns on the Cape have all volunteer Human Services Committee's with individual grant applications processes. There really isn't much coordination across town lines on which agency gets funding and are the particular agencies receiving funding from many other sources. I think it would be great if the County's Department of Human Services could generate one common grant proposal and see if resources are being allocated in the most effective manner.  

 Finally, I think its time the County Commissioners, Assembly of Delegates and Cape Cod Selectmen's and Councillor Association organize public hearings in each town to ascertain specific functions that make sense to regionalize and to generate public support for those changes.  

Sincerely,  

Ray Gottwald

Deputy Speaker, Assembly of Delegates 

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