BACHRACH

If George Bachrach wins the gubernatorial race in November, the governor's office at the state House next year will be missing something--a Harvard diploma.

Bachrach, a former state senator from Watertown, is the only candidate running for governor who did not graduate from Harvard and is thus without the Crimson sheepskin.

But college choice is not the only characteristic that distinguishes the 42-year-old Boston lawyer from his challengers. As the only liberal candidate in the race, Bachrach has resisted the centrist politics of his Democratic opponents, State Sen. Michael J. Barrett '70 (D-Cambridge) and State Rep. Mark Roosevelt '78 (D-Beacon Hill).

Bachrach criticizes both Roosevelt and Barrett for their political platforms, which he says are too similar to those of Republican Gov. William F. Weld '66.

"I don't think the Democratic party can win by being more like the Republican Party," Bachrach says. "It troubles me when we try."

"If I am disturbed by the course of this Republican Administration, I am equally disturbed by the course of the Democratic Party in recent years. I have not a clue as to what it stands for," he adds.

This is not the only time that Bachrach has been disenchanted with the Democratic Party. In 1980, he became the first Independent candidate to win a seat in the state Senate Four years later, he sought to change what he considered "the least democratic institution" in the state by challenging incumbent William M. Bulger (D-Boston) for the Senate presidency.

After failing in his bid against Bulger, then losing a 1986 election against Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Cambridge) for the eighth district congressional seat, Bachrach hopes to have better luck in this year's race.

In order to improve his chances during the campaign, Bachrach has emphatically distanced himself from Weld, as well as his Democratic counterparts, Barrett and Roosevelt.

On one of this year's banner issues, Crime, Bachrach criticizes the popular "three strikes and you're out" proposal, which is supported by Weld, Barrett and Roosevelt, as well as by President Clinton.

Bachrach says the "three strikes" proposal--which would sentence violent criminals to life in prison after their third felony conviction--is not tough enough on first- or secondtime offenders.

"It's a terrific bumper sticker but terrible public policy," he says. "I won't wait for 'three strikes' to jail dangerous criminals. I want them off the street now, not after their third violent offense," he says.

Instead Bachrach supports a "two strikes and you're out" plan, but even after a criminal's second offense, he would not sentence him or her to life in prison.

"Its ridiculous to run geriatric wards for toothless old criminals who are no longer dangerous," Bachrach says.

Bachrach says the way to deter crime is to focus on reducing drug and alcohol abuse, joblessness and hopelessness. He also supports expanding funding for the Department of Youth Services.

And unlike Weld and Roosevelt, Bachrach does not support the reinstitution of the death penalty in Massachusetts, a state where capital punishment has not been used since 1947.

"The death penalty has nothing to do with the system of justice," Bachrach says. "The death penalty is not a deterrent, but an act of vengeance."

Bachrach also stands apart from his opponents on the issue of education reform. In fact, he says the Massachusetts education reform bill--a piece of legislation largely authored and passed by Barrett and Roosevelt--is "deeply flawed."

And unlike Weld, Barrett and Roosevelt, Bachrach does not support a school choice proposal allowing parents to choose what school their children can attend.

"School choice is the death knell for urban education in America," Bachrach says. "School choice is merely... an escape valve that will destroy urban public education."

Instead Bachrach favors charter schools which would "offer creative ideas and sensitivity to different issues."

On the issue of welfare reform, Bachrach says that Roosevelt and Weld are unfairly attacking the poor through their proposal to reduce welfare benefits for mothers who have children while they are unemployed.

Bachrach believes that job training and day care programs are essential in helping mothers break welfare dependency.

"We will engage in new job creation in partnership with the private sector," Bachrach says. "We will offer training and day care in order to finally break the cycle of poverty that frustrates the poor and all of us as well."

As the last candidate to enter the race formally and as the most liberal one, Bachrach understands the risk involved in the campaign he is running.

"Popular or not, I will not follow, I will not compromise my principles, I will not pander even though it may be politically expedient," Bachrach says.

"This is a high-risk campaign," Bachrach says. "Either I'll resonate and I'll rise, or I'll sink like a stone."