An Open Letter to Jeff Jacoby

Rav Casley Gera — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 10:34:00 +0000

In response to his article, “The tall and short of it”

Dear Jeff Jacoby,

I’m going to have to take a little umbrage at your article, “The tall and short of it,” in today’s Globe.

You ask of Deval Patrick, “is there anything there?” Were you watching the same debate as I was? Maybe it’s because from my seat in the JFK Jr Forum I could only see the candidates on TV, but I heard Patrick make a range of numerated, precise policy statements.

On the Marie St. Fleur issue, he avoided getting embroiled in the heated debate, made the point that matters to voters - that Reilly appears to have lied - and then moved on - a pragmatic and sensible response, not that of a firebrand or dreamer.

He didn’t just blather about fraud cuts - he pointed to a quantified plan for $735 million of savings. You can disagree with his numbers, but you can’t say he hasn’t crunched them.

Gabrieli’s position is to work towards a cut in the future; Patrick’s is to aspire for one in the slightly longer-term future. This is hardly the chasm you make out. Yes, the 5% rate was approved by the voters. But Patrick has been clear about his position and, if elected, will have been so on the basis of it - just as democratic, just as much a moral mandate. He’s done this not because he wants to spend and spend, but because he believes relieving pressure on property taxes should be the state’s priority, and thousands of us believe he’s right.

You flag up Hiller’s question, “is there anyone you’ve just said no to?” - and Patrick’s answer, which you don’t feel the need to discuss, was clear. He’s taken a pragmatic, measured approach to the needs and demands of his core constituencies to balance their needs with those of the state’s taxpayers.

On the Big Dig, he didn’t just gripe, he made a clear policy proposal - for an independent review.

And Patrick did more than just ask not to be labelled. He made it clear he fully expected to be - “everything but a child of God,” if you recall. But he demonstrated that for all the brickbats thrown at him, his program combines traditional liberal and conservative thinking - more rehabilitation, and more police, to use one example.

Look at the stem cell section of the debate. Reilly’s position - all power to UMass - predictably silly. Gabrieli’s - let the whole market compete for the funding - very market-oriented, and it has some merits. And Patrick’s - a long-sighted position between the two extremes: fund stem cell research, sure, but see this in the big picture: out underfunding of public higher ed, right across the board.

Again and again, while Gabrieli and Reilly bickered, Patrick came through with a thought-out, moderate, practical proposal - and, unlike Gabrieli, he can place those proposals in the context of a wider vision - for funding public higher ed better, in this case.

You’re not so keen on Patrick’s long-grass timetable for the income tax cut. But who was the only candidate promoting a timetable for healthcare reform? Reilly: sometime. Gabrieli: sometime. Patrick: six months to a year.

Granted, Patrick made mistakes. It was a mistake for him to seem to be defending Ameriquest, and going after Fleet. But to say there’s no substance behind the vision isn’t true. The “vision stuff” is the velvet glove in which the - if not iron then at least hard- fist of detail lies.

Gabrieli offers a bunch of scattershot schemes, and a lot of numbers, but I don’t see a coherent vision for government. And contrary to popular fear amongst the national DNC, that’s what voters respond to.

Remember how Gore lost in 2000 - by seeming like a grey policy wonk. There’s the real electoral risk.

Sincerely,

Rav Casley Gera

***UPDATE!***

Very prompt and polite response:

Thanks very much for your response. It sounds as though Deval Patrick has a strong supporter in you, and I recognize that there are qualities in him many voters are attracted to. I don’t happen to be one of those voters, though, and last night’s debate only confirmed that feeling for me.

Fortunately, there’s room for all of us in the marketplace of ideas — and we all get a vote on Election Day.

All the best,

Jeff Jacoby

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that, as a UK citizen, I actually don’t.