Jill Stein for Secretary of State (+)
by: The Editors
Fri Nov 03, 2006 at 10:29:23 AM EST

When we started BMG, we expected that we'd support Democrats almost all of the time. We are, after all, Democrats, and we support much of what the Democratic party stands for.

But, as we all know, some Democrats suffer from a serious case of incumbentitis. And in some instances, the condition is terminal.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin, as we explained when we endorsed John Bonifaz, has not only pretty much stopped doing his job, he's gone off the deep end in his desire to keep it. In addition to allowing things to get to the point that four federal voting rights investigations are ongoing simultaneously in this state, Galvin outright refused to debate John Bonifaz, even standing up the Medford Democratic City Committee which was expecting him. Now, perhaps in light of Green-Rainbow candidate Jill Stein's growing list of endorsements, he's agreed to debate Stein for five minutes. I can barely say that out loud -- "a five minute debate" -- without bursting out laughing.

Furthermore, the debacle of Galvin's failure to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) would be comical if it didn't mean that some disabled citizens might not be able to vote next week. Remember, HAVA has been on the books since 2002, and the deadline was the 2006 primary. Four years seems adequate, doesn't it? Yet Galvin recently informed us that not only did he fail to meet the deadline for the primary, he won't make it for the general election either.

And the reason? Well, gosh, it turns out that people with different disabilities face different challenges in voting. What a revelation! And we're sure it took a four-year study to figure out that blind voters face different obstacles from voters in wheelchairs. Honest to God. Where the Phoenix got the idea that this guy is "good, and he’s serious," without even mentioning any of these painful failings, is a mystery to us.

Jill Stein is running on a platform that emphasizes openness and transparency in government (including limiting the use of outside sections in the budget process), clean elections, independent redistricting, and Instant Runoff Voting. Good ideas all. She's racked up a bunch of newspaper endorsements, including most recently the MetroWest Daily News and the New Bedford Standard Times. She's a serious person and a serious candidate, and we're pleased to endorse her for Secretary of State.

The Editors - www.bluemassgroup.org