Left In Lowell

I’m really busy today and tomorrow, but I did receive a press release from the Deval Patrick campaign regarding his economic plan. I thought I’d share some of it:

With his “Moving Massachusetts Forward” program, Patrick’s plan comes at a critical time for the Commonwealth. Massachusetts has lost nearly 192,000 non-agricultural jobs since December 2000, compared to a modest increase nationwide. Out-of-state conglomerates have acquired longstanding Massachusetts businesses such as Gillette, Hancock, Fleet and Polaroid, moving jobs and civic leadership out of state. As a result, Massachusetts is the only state in the nation to have lost population in each of the last two years – nearly 60,000 people between 2003 and 2004 — mainly young families who can no longer manage the high housing costs.

“Massachusetts is losing her future,” Patrick said.

The Democratic candidate for Governor proposed the following initiatives in his economic growth plan:

• To cut energy costs for consumers through conservation and to make Massachusetts an incubator for investments in renewable energy.
• To expand and develop facilities for stem cell research by issuing state bonds, the proceeds from which would be invested in research facilities and faculty development in public universities.
• To streamline the regulatory process so that it moves at the speed of business, consistent with good environmental stewardship, and to work with local authorities to pre-permit development sites so that they are development-ready.
• To provide start-up capital for new enterprises across the State, with an emphasis on small businesses, by leveraging state funds with private capital.
• To invest in workforce development and training, brownfields redevelopment, and cultural facilities, by signing into law proposed legislation to stimulate the Massachusetts economy.
• To support technology to assure wireless Internet access anywhere in the State.
• To engage personally in attracting new businesses to Massachusetts and encouraging those here to expand, including by supporting a marketing program to stimulate investment in and relocation to Massachusetts.
• To increase the minimum wage.
• To pre-permit multi-family housing development sites throughout the State, and to provide additional support to local public schools to address the impact.
• To deliver an affordable quality healthcare program for every resident.

There’s obviously some big, specific stuff in there with the more general. Like getting wireless everywhere in the state (“don’t forget us!” says the western half), increasing the minimum wage, and obviously, the healthcare aspect. There’s not as much in there to address the insanity of housing costs, except improving the multi-family housing process, so I wonder if that will be addressed in more detail in the future. Seems to me that it would be central in an economic plan, over-priced housing being one of the reasons for population decline (the others being a loss of jobs and the nasty winters). So I hope to hear more about solutions for that as well. But a good start, and an indication we’re getting into the thick of the campaign season.

[Addendum: Patrick also invites people to his website to comment and give feedback on his plan. He says, “my policy team will be compiling your ideas along with those of your fellow citizens. Together, we can move our Commonwealth in a better direction.” His next event, where he will speak about his plan, is on Saturday, 9am, at their new campaign headquarters at 56 Roland Street in Boston.]