Patrick: The Right Kind of Leader

Intangible leadership ability, an inspirational life story, and a message of hope won Deval L. Patrick ’78 the Democratic nomination for governor last month. These qualities continue to set him apart, but in the upcoming election, Patrick’s main draw is his focus on key issues affecting the state. In contrast to his major opponent, Lieutenant Governor Kerry M. Healey ’82, his policies will move Massachusetts in a new and positive direction and provide tangible benefits for students.

The Republican model of lowering income taxes, which Deval Patrick ardently opposes, has starved the state’s cities and towns of necessary funds. Infrastructure costs do not decrease with income tax breaks; money to educate children, put police on the street, and maintain public places has to come from somewhere. Without state assistance, property taxes have become the primary alternative source for local revenue and have skyrocketed. This is alarming because high property taxes put a disproportionate burden on those with the least means or fixed income—the poor and the elderly. High property taxes also hurt students looking for affordable housing during college and after gradation.

Lowering the income tax, as Healey proposes, is fiscally and socially irresponsible because it disproportionately helps the most fortunate while placing an even greater burden on the already struggling local governments. Patrick, on the other hand, supports increasing state aid to cities and towns, which will lower regressive property taxes while increasing the quality of our cities’ infrastructure and children’s educations. He also plans to expand housing developments to aid those who are most affected by the prohibitive costs of the Massachusetts housing market.

Patrick will also take advantage of the wealth of educated and driven people in Massachusetts to transform the Commonwealth into a center for economic growth in promising markets. Massachusetts is home to some of the best institutions of higher education in the country, but many of the most talented and promising students leave after graduation. Patrick is committed to curbing this trend. He has innovative ideas and common sense solutions for making Massachusetts a world leader in technological innovation and socially constructive business, especially in biomedicine, biotechnology, and renewable energy. Examples of his ideas include building a biofuel factory in Springfield, expanding agriculture in Western Massachusetts, and reviving stem cell research in the Boston/Cambridge area. In each case, Patrick is surgically targeting key elements of the stagnant state economy while at the same time hewing to his ethical and environmental values.

A long-term commitment to renewable energy development is only part of Patrick’s plan to be environmentally conscious. To reduce pollution in the short term, he wants to expand investment in public transportation and give tax breaks for fuel-efficient cars and home appliances. He is also committed to clean energy. In fact, he was one of the earliest supporters of the Cape Wind Project, which will build a wind farm off the coast of Nantucket, when it was unpopular and politically risky. Patrick’s commitment to his values—in this case protecting the environment through renewable and clean energy—always comes before politics.

Patrick holds few values higher than equality and fairness. He is decidedly in favor of marriage equality and reproductive rights. He worked as the assistant attorney general for civil rights during the Clinton administration and was a lead attorney for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Legal Defense Fund. Throughout his legal career, he has spent a considerable amount of his time working pro bono.

Patrick’s commitment to the poor, the disadvantaged, and minority groups comes from his belief that they should have the same opportunities that he enjoyed as a young man. He grew up poor on the south side of Chicago and, through intelligence and determination, won a scholarship to Milton Academy before attending Harvard. Since graduation from Harvard Law School, he has served the country in a presidential administration and fought for social justice across the country–from Coca-Cola’s boardroom to the halls of America’s courthouses. One of the great strengths of Harvard is its extensive socio-economic diversity; Deval Patrick’s range of experience and passion for representing people from dissimilar backgrounds makes him a rare candidate who can represent the diversity of both Massachusetts and the Harvard campus.

Deval Patrick represents the traditional strengths of both parties. He understands the value and skills needed for strong business but does not compromise on ethical issues. He represents minorities and has a history of always seeking justice. He makes common-sense decisions, knows how to collaborate, and will pragmatically implement his vision for Massachusetts. Patrick has run a campaign based on a message of hope and positive change that, with your help, will bring a much needed infusion of energy and common sense into the corner office of the State House.

Margaret C. Jack ’09 is a history and science concentrator in Dunster House. She is director of Students for Deval Patrick and a member at large of the Harvard College Democrats.