thePULSEHead to Head
Who’s who in the 2004 election
October 2004 – The signs of autumn are here — car bumpers covered in stickers, mailboxes flooded with direct mailings, door mats worn thin, lawns staked with signs and banners. The election season is in full swing.
Whether you don’t do politics or can’t get enough, the PULSE has your inside guide to this year’s elections. Don’t know who’s running? Or maybe you’re still on the fence? Our candidate guide tips you off to who’s promising what and who has promise.
We sat down and spoke with Massachusetts State Senate candidate Ed Augustus, who is a chief advocate for issues that affect 18 to 30 year olds. We also spoke to a number of twenty-somethings who are helping local candidates and forming political student organizations.
In our College section, look for information about where to vote, how to register and how to get an absentee ballot. In Outtakes, find out why Harriette Chandler, Bob Spellane and Ed Augustus are names you should know.
We’ll see you at the polls on November 2. We at the PULSE encourage you to not only vote in this election, but to get involved year round.
– Sasha Hnatkovich, Editor
Choosing, not losing
It’s been said before and this election year is no different — 18 to 24 year olds are relatively uninformed, ignorant or simply indifferent when it comes to politics and political issues. Who says? Signs are everywhere that young-voters are more active than ever, especially when it comes to volunteering for political campaigns, running political chapters at local colleges and keeping up to speed with hot issues. Here are just a few stand-outs who prove that 18 to 24 year olds really do have a clue.
Shane Early, 22
Volunteer for the Campaign to Elect Ed Augustus
Shane says he just wanted to “stay out of trouble” after graduation because he had a lot of free time on his hands. And since politics have always piqued his interest — he once did an internship with the Connecticut State Legislature — he ended up working with the Ed Augustus campaign.
“I’m doing a variety of different things here, from folding up letters to knocking on doors,” he explains one afternoon while taking a break from campaign duties.
What attracted him to volunteer and, come November, vote for Augustus? He points to the candidate’s prior work for Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern. Such face to face interaction with Washington lobbyists, Shane says, makes Augustus a shoe-in for State Senate. “To have to deal with lobbyists in Boston after you’ve dealt with them in Washington, not to belittle them, is a lot easier,” he says. “For someone who hasn’t been there, that’s something that can really make [a legislator’s] head spin.”
Shane also closely aligns himself with Augustus’s views on affordable healthcare for seniors and his proposal to increase public higher education spending, as well as provide the option of pre-school ing for all children.
And though he has spent considerable time volunteering with Augustus and seems to have a firm grasp on the issues, Shane says he hasn’t yet decided if a career in politics is something he wants to pursue. “I just think [volunteering for a campaign] is a good way to spend your time and inform yourself about things,” he says.
Adam once did an internship with the Secretary of the Senate on Capitol Hill and was employed last summer in Congressman Jim McGovern’s legislative office. He is a government major, an active member of Clark Democrats and someday hopes to pursue a career in PR or “on the Hill.”
“I’m a Democrat because they help people in need,” Adam says. “The Republicans’ approach is not working. Giving tax breaks to the rich and trickling down works if you have a 40-year phase, but we don’t. We have today.”
Adam Freuberg, 20
Volunteer Coordinator with the Augustus campaign
Shane says he just wanted to “stay out of trouble” after graduation because he had a lot of free time on his hands. And since politics have always piqued his interest — he once did an internship with the Connecticut State Legislature — he ended up working with the Ed Augustus campaign.
“I’m doing a variety of different things here, from folding up letters to knocking on doors,” he explains one afternoon while taking a break from campaign duties.
What attracted him to volunteer and, come November, vote for Augustus? He points to the candidate’s prior work for Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern. Such face to face interaction with Washington lobbyists, Shane says, makes Augustus a shoe-in for State Senate. “To have to deal with lobbyists in Boston after you’ve dealt with them in Washington, not to belittle them, is a lot easier,” he says. “For someone who hasn’t been there, that’s something that can really make [a legislator’s] head spin.”
Shane also closely aligns himself with Augustus’s views on affordable healthcare for seniors and his proposal to increase public higher education spending, as well as provide the option of pre-school ing for all children.
And though he has spent considerable time volunteering with Augustus and seems to have a firm grasp on the issues, Shane says he hasn’t yet decided if a career in politics is something he wants to pursue. “I just think [volunteering for a campaign] is a good way to spend your time and inform yourself about things,” he says.
Adam once did an internship with the Secretary of the Senate on Capitol Hill and was employed last summer in Congressman Jim McGovern’s legislative office. He is a government major, an active member of Clark Democrats and someday hopes to pursue a career in PR or “on the Hill.”
“I’m a Democrat because they help people in need,” Adam says. “The Republicans’ approach is not working. Giving tax breaks to the rich and trickling down works if you have a 40-year phase, but we don’t. We have today.”
Fighting for you
Ed Augustus pulls for under-30 voters
Just take a walk through Ed Augustus’s campaign headquarters on Worcester’s Grafton Street and it’s clear where his priorities are – there’s barely a face over 30. “One of the things that distinguishes this campaign from others is that it’s filled with young people,” Augustus explains on a rainy afternoon just days after the primary for Massachusetts State Senator from the 2nd Worcster district.
So it’s no surprise that Augustus, who is only 39, has taken it upon himself to fight for the rights of young people — giving them a voice and getting them involved in the campaign process.
If elected to the State Senate, Augustus vows to lobby for increased investment in public higher education. His aim is to make state colleges and universities more affordable; he sites a recent report that ranked Massachusetts last for per-capita public higher education spending.
He also hopes to offset cutbacks — nearly $150 million in the past three years — which have limited course offerings at state colleges and universities. “In a lot of cases, people are taking 5 or 6 years [to graduate],” he says. “Not because they want to, but because they can’t get all the courses they need for their major.”
And because nearly 80 percent of state college and university graduates stay in the Commonwealth after graduation, Augustus points out that an investment in public higher education essential commerce for Massachusetts. “To ensure that [college students] are prepared for the jobs of the future is an investment in our economic health and vitality as a state,” he comments.
This dedication to Worcester County’s younger residents has not gone unnoticed. Coupled with his stance on affordable healthcare, his support of the research and development of renewable energy sources and his support of a woman’s right to choose has caused insiders to describe him as a “political consultant’s dream.” His popularity with the younger crowd, his down to earth persona, his extensive work with Congressman Jim McGovern and his ability to translate political jargon into layman’s terms are assets that could undoubtedly win him the race.
And he doesn’t seem at all intimidated by his Republican opponent Roberta Blute or her rather sizable bank account, compliments of Governor Mitt Romney. “The one thing she will not be able to do is out-work me or the people in this campaign,” he affirms. “That’s my advantage.”
For more info, visit www.edaugustus.com or call the campaign headquarters at (508) 798-6755.
Who’s who
PULSE guide to the candidates
This year Republican Governor Mitt Romney is attempting to shift the Democratic regime in Massachusetts by financially supporting several Republican candidates. Although a number of district State Representatives, including James Leary, Bob Spellane and Vincent Pedone, are running unopposed, many other races are heating up.
This whirlwind of action might make your head spin, so here’s all you need to know about the big races when you go to the polls.
National Race
U.S. President
John Kerry (D)
Supports: Expanding Medicaid to cover more uninsured Americans, gun control, raising the minimum wage.
Opposes: Supreme Court judges who will outlaw abortions, organized prayer in public schools, The Patriot Act.
Experience: Three terms in the U.S. Senate, military service in the Vietnam War.
Incumbent George W. Bush (R)
Supports: Organized prayer in public schools, privatization of Social Security, tighter immigration controls.
Opposes: Allowing gays to openly serve in the military, capping payments to the wealthy, rolling back tax cuts implemented during his administration.
Experience: 43rd president of the United States, two consecutive terms as Governor of Texas.
Local races
Worcester County Sheriff
Guy Glodis (D)
What he will do: Reduce spending at the jail, eliminate the sheriff’s residence benefit and use the space for a post-incarceration transition facility.
Experience: Served three terms as Massachusetts State Senator, former Correctional Officer at Worcester County Sheriffs Department.
Frank Beshai (I)
What he will do: Develop programs that assist inmates once they are out of jail.
Experience: 14 years with Straight Ahead Ministries, a locally funded organization that sponsors programs for youth lock-up facilities in 14 states.
William McCarthy (R)
What he will do: Apply for grants that will fund a sex offender tracking system, implement programs that will assist just-freed inmates with housing, training and education.
Experience: Former state police trooper.
Best bet: Glodis. He shocked the county with his landslide defeat of incumbent Sheriff John Flynn in the primaries and has led a high-profile campaign.
U.S. Congress
(Massachusetts 3rd district)
Incumbent Jim McGovern (D)
Supports: Creation of new jobs to stimulate the economy, increased access to healthcare and increased funding for education in Massachusetts.
Experience: Four consecutive terms in U.S. Congress
Ronald Crews (R)
Supports: Family and traditional values, the sanctity of marriage and legislation to outlaw abortions.
Experience: Three terms as a state legislator in Georgia, 26 years as a pastor.
Best bet: McGovern. Crews, who is as conservative as they get, is probably too conservative for voters in Central Massachusetts.
State Senate
(2nd Worcester district and southern Worcester County)
Ed Augustus (D)
Supports: Increased funding for public higher education, research and development of renewable energy resources and affordable access to healthcare.
Roberta “Robi” Blute (R)
Supports: Backs abortion rights and strongly opposes gay marriage.
It should be noted that Independent Jane Burdzel of Leicester is also running, but her grassroots campaign seems to be virtually unknown by voters and un-chronicled by the press.
State Senate
(1st Worcester district and northern Worcester County)
Harriette Chandler (D) vs. Stephen Paige (R)
Best bet: Chandler. She is a local favorite. She is a well-known political entity in Worcester and an excellent fund-raiser. She has served 6 years in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and has helped to pass legislation that increases access to community health centers and provide funding for AIDS/HIV prevention education.
State Representative
(16th Worcester District)
John Fresolo (D)
Supports: Over the last five years, he has secured $495,000 in community policing funds for his district and plans to continue that fight.
Experience: Three successive terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Scott Cashman (R)
Supports: Increased grants for community policing, neighborhood safety and legislation to decrease tolls on the Mass Turnpike.
Experience: Tax and business law attorney in Worcester, Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves.
Best bet: Based on his experience, Fresolo will probably be re-elected, but Cashman’s vow to decrease Mass. Turnpike tolls may appeal to many voters and Melissa Murgo’s grassroots campaign briefly gave the incumbent a run for his money during the primary.
