Democrats pressed the need to generate more revenue and create jobs and Republicans called for a more bipartisan approach to governing on Beacon Hill and greater efforts at government efficiency as the five candidates for state representative from the 13th Norfolk District debated the issues in Needham Thursday night.
Sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the evening was split into two debates - one for the three Democratic candidates, Needham Selectmen Denise Garlick and Jerry Wasserman and sales executive Gary McNeill; the other for the Republicans, John O’Leary, a former Romney administration official and a research fellow at Harvard University, and Joshua Levy, a medical researcher.
Just under 200 people attended the Democratic portion, while about 70 people watched the Republican forum. Most audience members were from Needham, but the district also covers Dover and parts of Medfield.
The Democratic candidates focused many of their answers on increasing revenue for the state with Garlick saying that developing revenue and creating jobs would be her most important goal, if elected.
“Everything depends on the ability to generate state revenue,” she said. “We must work together regardless of our viewpoints.”
Wasserman said he agreed jobs are important, but he said he would not focus on a single goal but work to improve healthcare, education and infrastructure, as well to attract business. He argued throughout the debate that he has a record of achievements in his years of service as a selectman and chairman of the Suburban Coalition proving he can accomplish his goals.
Garlick, a former president of the Massachusetts Nurse Association, said it is important to contain health costs She also said that the state needs to invest more money in job-creating infrastructure projects and developing and maintaining an educated workforce.
McNeill argued that he can best represent constituents because he is not a politician and has no vested interests. He was the only Democratic candidate to support casinos as a badly-needed source of revenue and jobs.
Garlick and Wasserman both said the potential revenue from casinos in the state would not be worth the costs of building them and the social consequences.
“I don’t believe the income projections will be anything close to what they’re saying,” said Wasserman. “They’re not good, long-lasting jobs, and the competition is not good for communities.”
McNeill was the only Democrat to say green technology was not one of his highest priorities.
“The financial factor burdens us from enacting changes,” he said. “People choose alternatives that are more cost-efficient.”
Garlick and Wasserman both said incentives for green technologies are crucial, and making Needham energy-efficient has been a priority for them. Wasserman said Massachusetts can give technology advice and towns can help show what works in terms of wind or solar energy.
On the Republican side, both candidates emphasized the need for more GOP representation on Beacon Hill, where Democrats overwhelmingly dominate the Legislature.
“If you like how the government is serving today, vote for the other party,” said O’Leary. “If you want to see change, consider Joshua or myself.”
Levy said that, if elected, he would endeavor to work with Democrats to forge bipartisan solutions to the state’s problems. O’Leary agreed that bipartisanship is a good course, saying: “I want to be an articulator on a different set of positions.”
Both candidates emphasized the need to correct government inefficiencies and to lower taxes to attract businesses and create jobs. O’Leary said lowering taxes, establishing “reasonable” regulation and improving education was the secret to creating jobs and improving the economy.
The Republican candidates also agreed casinos might help bring in revenue for Massachusetts.
They disagreed on establishing climate change legislation as a priority. O’Leary said the Federal government should worry about its debt before trying to tackle climate change, but Levy said wind and solar power are important parts to making the state sustainable.
“We really do need to make sure climate change, global warming and our environment are in a condition we can live in,” said Levy.
O’Leary said that he would support behavior-changing legislation such as a tax on gas and oil or adding a 5-cent deposit to non-carbonated bottled drinks to create incentives for people to drive less, as long as income taxes were reduced at the same time.
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