Over the past five years, Chris and Massachusetts 2020 have launched a number of innovative programs to improve the educational opportunities for our children, like the Boston’s After-School for All Partnership, the School Sites Initiative, Literacy Coaching Initiative and the Middle School Initiative.
The results of all of these initiatives are better educated children who are more prepared for college and the challenges of a competitive global economy.
The Fund seeks to reduce the liability by investing these funds in a diversified portfolio of investments ranging from real estate to stocks and bonds, and international investments.
In 2003, working with State Treasurer Timothy Cahill, and a team of investment experts from McKinsey and Co. Chris led a project to determine whether the state pension fund could apply a small portion of its assets toward economic development projects in our Commonwealth without hurting investment performance or sacrificing returns.
A: Yes, I support same-sex marriage. And no, I strongly oppose the proposed constitutional amendment. Same-sex couples deserve all of the rights and responsibilities of marriage as heterosexual couples, and I will strongly oppose any proposals that seek to limit this right.
A: This is a serious problem - but there’s not a “one-size-fits-all” solution to it. Each community has its own needs and will need its own solution - and it will require the state, local governments and families to work together to get real results. One of the things we need to do is make school interesting and fun for students. Different students have different interests, and extracurricular programs such as sports, arts, music and vocational courses are being cut. We need to keep our kids engaged, and often that means finding something other than reading, writing and math that keeps them interested in school. As Governor, I will encourage the growth of these programs to keep kids engaged, I’ll fund drop-out prevention programs, and I’ll work with local school districts to develop plans that work best for them.
A: College tuition is skyrocketing across the state, but the state is not paying its fair share. Instead of investing in our colleges and universities, the state’s investment in higher education has actually decreased over the last five years. As Governor, I will work to adequately fund higher education and to increase access to financial aid. I’ll also help families out by making contributions to State College Savings Plans tax deductible.
A: Yes, I support the Cape Wind project, although I do have some questions about the leasing of land. Once these details are worked out and the Environmental Impact Statement comes back positive, I expect the project to move forward. Unfortunately we’ve allowed this one project to dominate the debate over renewable energy. Massachusetts needs a comprehensive policy including greater investment by the state in renewable energy.
A: It’s a good first step. It helps increase access to health care for Massachusetts residents, and the next Governor is going to play a major role in figuring out the details to make it work. Now we need to turn our attention to the out-of-control cost of health care. As governor, I’ll work to bring down the cost of health care for Massachusetts families, starting with making sure that big companies are paying their fair share.
A: I have experience creating jobs. As a businessman, I’ve actually helped create over 100,000 of them. I’ve also worked with the State Treasurer to invest in economically targeted investments, like affordable housing and business development projects. The results speak for themselves--millions of dollars invested in local businesses, creating new jobs and expanding home ownership right here in Massachusetts.
A: I support responsibly rolling taxes back to 5.0%. The people voted for it, and middle class families need the relief. Over the course of this campaign, I will lay out a plan tied to specific revenue benchmarks that will allow us to get to 5.0% over a reasonable period of time, and without burdening local communities.
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The above quotations are from Survey of Gubernatorial campaign websites, 2001-2009.
Click here for other excerpts from Survey of Gubernatorial campaign websites, 2001-2009. Click here for other excerpts by Chris Gabrieli. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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