Less than a year ago, the people of Massachusetts heard President Barack Obama speaking in Boston about why Martha Coakley was the right choice for senator of Massachusetts. History seemed to replay itself this past weekend as Obama stood before the people of Boston on Saturday in an attempt to rally support from an unenthusiastic Democratic base for the re−election of Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, under pressure from Republicans who are speaking out and showing tight polling results to support it.
With travel expenses covered by our tax money, the President has once again left behind his job in Washington, D.C., to travel to Boston and rally for one of his fellow party members. In the rally this weekend, he talked about the need to move forward, the same concept he used in his speech in January to support Democratic Senate candidate Martha Coakley. Speaking to a crowd as some sort of a celebrity, while 63.5 percent of Americans believe America is on the wrong track, according to "direction of the country" polls, he explained that Deval Patrick would be the right choice for governor of Massachusetts.
After hearing his speech and the reaction from Tufts students in an article that appeared in the Daily on Monday, I find it tough to understand his logic and that of the people who follow him. It made me wonder whether perhaps the 2010 gubernatorial race in Massachusetts is following the same path as the Senate election only a few months ago in which Scott Brown won "the people's seat" of our state.
Obama praised Gov. Patrick for the state's highly rated health care system, a system he failed to acknowledge was overhauled by former Gov. Mitt Romney, not Gov. Patrick. In carrying out this bipartisan health care bill created by the Romney administration, Patrick has overseen the institution of a health care program with fewer options, more mandates and higher costs to be absorbed by the state. This system is strangely reminiscent of the highly debated and unpopular health care bill that arguably lost Martha Coakley the Senate seat in January.
In the Monday's article in the Daily about Obama's stump speech for Gov. Patrick, the co−chair of Tufts Students for Deval Patrick was quoted as saying, "What it will come down to on Election Day is how many folks appreciate [Patrick] and what he's doing and really realize that it's important." When looking at the facts about the condition of the state of Massachusetts, one must wonder what exactly it is that "he's doing."
Along with countless other forms of government spending, Gov. Patrick raised the salaries of government workers, idly standing by as the unemployment rate increased to its highest in 34 years in Massachusetts during Patrick's term and now remains, as of August, at a high 8.3 percent. Despite Patrick's vowing, "I have no plan to raise taxes," he raised taxes eight times while in office, causing a one billion dollar increase in taxes. Even this outrageous tax increase could not keep up with his uncontrolled spending. Patrick entered office with no deficit, yet the current Patrick administration is slated to leave behind a $2.5 billion shortfall, according to Mike Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. Meanwhile, Obama claimed at his speech in Boston that a conservative economic agenda "turns record surplus into record deficit." Please, take a look at our state, Mr. President.
This same Daily article also quoted the president of The Tufts Democrats as saying, "The reason they're having the rally is because there's an enthusiasm gap" between Democrats and Republicans. Many in the Democratic community, including Obama, seem to be somewhat confused by this "enthusiasm gap" and are approaching the problem by trying to "fire up the base." It seems, however, that now, just like in January, the underlying problem is not just a lack of enthusiasm, but rather a change of attitude and an understanding that these liberal policies simply are not working. The people of this state demonstrated this by electing Scott Brown to the "people's seat" in the Senate. If this attitude holds true, I see no reason why they would not, despite Obama's desperate, repeat rallying efforts, elect Charlie Baker as governor of Massachusetts.
"Governor Patrick is a champion of our system. … That's why Tufts, and [its] forward−looking student body, is really behind it," continued the co−chair. Upon hearing this bold statement, I wonder, if perhaps we need to reconsider what "moving forward" and "moving backward" really mean. Is a state moving forward when its deficit is projected to increase by $2.5 billion in only four years? Is a state moving forward when its governor does not take action and only continues to break his promise by raising taxes to make up for his outrageous spending? Is a state moving forward when it sees the highest rate of unemployment in the past 34 years?
What kind of a "champion" is this?
Please, Tufts, let us look at Gov. Patrick's performance and reconsider what will move Massachusetts forward and what will hold us back.
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Willem Sandberg is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.
