Roosevelt Promises Job Creation, Welfare Reform

State Rep. Mark Roosevelt '78 (D-Beacon Hill) is a moderate Democrat who has a bone to pick with current Massachusetts Gov. William F. Weld '66.

In this respect, he resembles his closest his rival for the Democratic nomination State Sen. Michael J. Barrett '70 (D-Cambridge).

All the candidates place a high premium on the strength of the Massachusetts economy, and Roosevelt is no exception. A "no-new taxes" Democrat, Roosevelt says he plans to campaign heavily on economic issues, which he considers Weld's weakest area.

Massachusetts has lost 350,000 jobs in the past five years while Weld watched passively, Roosevelt says.

Though Roosevelt doesn't claim that Weld was single-handedly responsible for job loss in Massachusetts, he does blame the governor for allowing the state's flagging economic situation to deteriorate.

"Weld's rhetoric on economic development has been fine," Roosevelt says. "It's his performance that has been lacking."

Roosevelt's plan to create new jobs includes offering tax credits to companies creating new full-time jobs, increasing job training programs and establishing regional economic development offices.

Roosevelt, who supports both abortion rights and the death penalty, plans to revitalize the state in other ways as well.

He proposes to prevent crime by increasing aid to cities and towns for police officers and enforcing a tougher "three strikes, you're out" policy for repeat offenders.

As part of his crime prevention platform, Roosevelt opposes Weld's plan to legalize gambling in Massachusetts, calling the proposal a "tragic mistake to make Massachusetts the Las Vegas of the East."

Roosevelt is also a proponent of welfare reform. He advocates setting a two-year time limit on welfare benefits, but extending Medicaid and child care aid for an additional two years after recipients have begun to work.

Roosevelt emphasizes education as the key to Massachusetts' economic future, and it's no wonder: Roosevelt, chair of the Legislative Committee on Education, Arts and Humanities, recently authored a bill which reformed the state's public education system.

The Education Reform Act of 1993 raises the standards that students and teachers must meet, and reduces the role of property taxes in financing public education.

"All children deserve a chance to make the most of their potential," Roosevelt said when he announced his candidacy last month. "And...our greatest attraction to business as a state is our work force. So I will make sure we have the best schools in America."

Roosevelt also authored the Massachusetts Hunger Relief Act in 1992 and the Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Bill in 1989.

Roosevelt says his greatest strength as a candidate is his effective leadership, evidenced by the passage not only of his Education Reform Bill, but also of the Hunger Relief Act and the Civil Rights Bill.

"I have a much better record of getting things done than [Barrett] does," Roosevelt says.