Bob Trane mailer

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

I received this in the mail from Bob Trane.  Is Carl Sciortino really the recipient of "thousands of dollars from lobbyists, special interest groups and powerful politicians" ?

If so, it's curious that in my neighborhood the Trane yard signs, stickers and posters outnumber the Sciortino signs by a margin of roughly twenty to zero.  You'd think Carl might want to spend some of those thousands on visibility though perhaps he's saving his money for the stickers.

Can anyone comment on this mailer?  Does anyone have any opinions about the race itself?


from Sciortino's Campaign Manager, Kevin Lownds:

Carl has earned the support of the nurses, teachers, police, social workers, and environmental, gay rights, and women's rights groups. He is also quite willing to let the voters know where he stands on the issues important to the community. If you take a look at the campaign websites, www.electcarl.org and www.bobtrane.org, you'll see the difference."

Comments

[ron_newman]

I have yet to hear a single issue where Bob Trane claims he would differ from Carl Sciortino. Has he explained this at all?

[agnosticoracle.livejournal.com]

I think Bob Trane has promised never to endorse anyone running against Bob Trane. I believe that is the key issue for Bob Trane.

[gilana]

You'll note that the mailer doesn't actually come out and SAY that Carl Sciortino is the recipient of "thousands of dollars from lobbyists, special interest groups and powerful politicians" -- it just asks if you're tired of politicians who are. You are, of course, free to draw your own conclusions. Classy.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

But in the sixth paragraph Trane says we "can be sure" that the lobbyists (they're worse than terrorists this election cycle it seems) will work hard to try to elect Sciortino.

I've sent an email to the Sciortino Campaign for comment. I'll post any response I receive.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

I think he also plans to kick sand in Sciortino's face, since you actually have to write the guy into the ballot.

He's not implying that about Sciortino directly in the language though. He's just saying he won't be one of those politicians, although I'm not really sure just how much lobbying a local politico would receive around here (I'm assuming some but we're not talking K Street here).

I'm writing Sciortino in. I have yet to see any sort of difference between him and Trane, and I actually spoke in person to one of Sciortino's canvassers, who was exceptionally polite and sent me a handwritten postcard the next day.

[gilana]

Sciortino himself actually came door-to-door to my house -- that always impresses me. I've heard nothing but good things about him (well, except from Trane) and I've got my sticker ready.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

I'm such a fan of stickers I think I would endorse any candidate running on a sticker campaign.

[ron_newman]

That would have been a bad idea when Vinny Ciampa was running on stickers against Sciortino a few years ago (in the general election, after losing the primary to Sciortino)

[ron_newman]

A reminder: tomorrow is the last day to register to vote for this primary! Somerville City Hall is open until 8 pm tomorrow for this purpose, and I assume the same is true in Medford. I'll make a separate post about this.

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

If you're registered normally, you're registered for the primary right?

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

And BTW, Sciortino's been seen in public in the company of KNOWN THESPIANS.

[entrope.livejournal.com]

and he FREQUENTLY MASTICATES IN PUBLIC!

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

I live literally right next door to his parents so my whole street is full of trane signs, ugh.

[reverend-jim.livejournal.com]

In that case, whatever you do....do NOT look at his website!

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

I have some strong opinions about the choices of fonts on that flyer. ew

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

And let's not talk about that photo either.

[cos]

I wonder if he's referring to MassEquality. He wouldn't name the directly because he knows MassEquality is quite popular in the district, but they are definitely an "interest group" that supports Carl Sciortino, and their members are known to donate money to candidates they support.

On the other hand, I gave money to Carl too, maybe he means me :)

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

The puppet master steps from behind the curtain!

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

I would LOVE to vote for a winning write-in candidate for the second time in my life...

[ron_newman]

Who was the first?

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

You can reject both of them and vote for the Republican (I hope there is one) :)

[ron_newman]

There isn't. The Massachusetts Republican party is the very definition of lame, failing to run any candidate at all in most districts (including all of Somerville's).

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

Bob Trane came personally to my family's home, apparently greatly impressing my father (who's a moderate with some socially liberal tendencies), and also personally responded to a call my mother made to his campaign...but, frustratingly, I have not been able to figure out what the hell his stand is on any of the issues. Is he pro gay rights? Pro gay marriage? What's his position on health care and the status of the government subsidized programs in this state? All I've been able to turn up for sure is that he favors casinos and criticized DiMasi for opposing them.

So, in the absence of any kind of summary of Trane's positions, I'm probably going to vote for Sciortino. But if anyone can point me at any kind of scorecard or report on just what the hell Trane stands for, I'd be very grateful.

[derekp.livejournal.com]

Bob has always been very responsive to me as my alderman. One one particular issue, he pointed me in the right direction for assistance, greased the skids with the people I was to talk to and even followed up via email a week later to see how things went. I've only had one occasion to reach out to Carl (and Pat Jehlen) and was disappointed to receive no response following an email and a follow up voice mail for both.

I haven't decided who to vote for yet, but if as Ron says the two do not really differ on the issues, I'll vote for Bob.

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

Do the Teamsters count as a "special interest group"? Bob may have some 'splainin to do...

Ron - have you been able to locate any campaign reports for Trane on line? Do such creatures exist for local races? If not, we may have to wait until the September deadline for filing.

[ron_newman]

http://www.mass.gov/ocpf/ is where to look. I haven't done so (yet, anyway) since it's not my district.

don't trust politicians with horny looks on their faces

[genesayssitdown.livejournal.com]

Re: don't trust politicians with horny looks on their faces

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

I'm seriously concerned for the welfare of that dog.

[somervilleguy.livejournal.com]

I'm not a big fan of Bob's Union ties but it’s necessary in this area to have organized labor on your side sometimes. I am a fan of his response time though when it comes to ward issues such as dealing with our not so friendly neighbors that show up every year about this time (it's getting earlier every year) and having the police dedicate a patrol to this area most of the time during September and October. I do wish sometimes Bob would portray a more congenial personality when dealing with people but he is what he is, straight forward with people and if you disrespect him he’ll let you know he’s not happy. I’ve seen him do that with police officers or students that don’t take him seriously and I appreciate his advocacy even though its not always projected in the manner I wish it was.

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

Which is kind of odd, because it appears Sciortino has pretty much locked up the labor endorsements for this round (except for the Teamsters, which appears to have more than a whiff of casino support about it).

Here's an odd thought: given Vinnie Ciampa's attempt at a write-in campaign in 2004 after losing the primary, does anyone see the loser of the primary running again (as a write-in candidate) in the general election?

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's a neighborhood thing; there's tons of Carl stuff on the streets near me, and maybe 1 Bob Trane thing.

[julishka.livejournal.com]

call me oblivious, but how come carl has to mount a write-in campaign? did he miss a deadline or something?

[cos]

No. He got plenty of signatures in, on time, and certified.

There are two deadlines: First you get the signature papers certified by the cities and towns, then there's a later deadline to turn them in to the state. He got more than enough signatures certified by Medford and Somerville before the deadline, but then before he turned all of them in to the state, some of the were taken. By that point, the first deadline had passed, so he couldn't go back to Medford or Somerville to get more signatures certified. He did go to each of the voters who had signed initially on the missing sheets (Somerville & Medford had a record of who they were), and got notarized signatures from them saying they signed his nomination papers, and took that to court, but the court said sorry, we don't have the power to remedy this, the law just says you have to turn the actual original certified sheets into the state.

[nalz.livejournal.com]

Ugh - I don't know which phrase is worse. "Dear Neighbor" or "my friends.."

Candidate who won't list out where they stand on issues doesn't get my support either way. I just need to make sure I get a sticker so that I am not left to spell my candidates name badly..

[craigindaville.livejournal.com]

I got a visit from Carl last week that I probably just missed (he left a note and a flyer), and then within a day got the Trane mailer outlined above. Carl's flyer: all about what he's done, what he stands for, who he is. Bob's mailer: bashing the incumbent through thinly-veiled connections that don't seem to exist. For all I can tell, the "outside interest groups" are just MassEquality, which is upsetting. If he thinks that a gay man being supported by a gay rights organization is somehow dirty politics, I'd like to see him try that with the NAACP with a black candidate and get away with it.

So, it came down to this for me: I got a visit from the incumbent. I got information from and about the incumbent. I got a rather nasty mailer from the challenger, and no information about his positions or priorities. His campaign, it seems, is just a bit of revenge on behalf of the old school. I hope he gets trounced.

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

"Just a bit of revenge" might be putting it mildly. I knew Trane was upset at Sciortino for endorsing his opponent in the aldermanic election last November. What I had forgotten about were the Ward Committee elections during last February's primary, where Trane (ostenstibly) lost six seats to a PDS-backed slate:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/town_info/your_vote/x1514483642

which includes Trane showing his, um, views on the electoral process:

- - - -
Trane said the Ward Committee was not worth the trouble to which the slate went to get on the committee.
“How much did they spend?” Trane said. “Thousands of dollars on a mailing? Handing them out in front of polling places?”
- - - -

Combine this with Trane's "planning for the inevitable" as far as casino gambling coming to Massachusetts, and I've got serious concerns about Trane's views regarding the citizenry or hoi polloi, or however he views his detractors.

Who said "Pray for the dead and fight for the living"? I'm looking for a little bit of that right now.

[fefie.livejournal.com]

I don't live in the district Sciortino and Trane are running in (I live in Provost's) but I've contributed to Sciortino's campaign anyway based on his record so far which benefits all of Somerville. Reading this flyer of Trane's makes me want to send Carl another check. Bleh. Anyone here live in Trane's district-- can tell us about his record as an Alderman and why he should be supported for Rep?

Is Carl Sciortino really the recipient of "thousands of dollars from lobbyists, special interest

[larrylandlord.livejournal.com]

groups and PACS? Well yes.

This is from the Mass. OFPC http://www.efs.cpf.state.ma.us/SearchReportResults.aspx?cpfId=14185

7/30/2004 Freedom to Marry PAC (80726)
325 Huntington Ave., Unit 88 Boston, MA 02115   $500.00

6/2/2004 Gay Pennies for Politics (80729)
343 South Huntington Ave., #12 Jamaica Plain, MA 02130   $500.00

9/3/2004 Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund PAC (80590)
1705 DeSales St., NW Ste. 500 Washington, DC 20036   $300.00

10/15/2004 Massachusetts Federation of Teachers Pol (80227)
38 Chauncy St. Boston, MA 02111   $500.00

/15/2004 Speaker Finnerans House Victory Fund PAC (80504)
112 Water St. Boston, MA 02109   $400.00

10/19/2004 Bay State Gay & Lesbian Democrats PAC (80550)
PO Box 837 Pepperell, MA 01463   $500.0

12/27/2004 Boston Teacher's Union
180 Mount Vernon St. Boston, MA 02125 Secretary-Treasurer $500.00

/29/2005 Boston Carmen's Union, Local 589 PAC
295 Devonshire St. Boston, MA 02110 Recording Secretary $100.00

12/13/2005 Local 509 SEIU (80224)
400 Talcott Ave. Watertown, MA 02472   $100.00

12/12/2007 MA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS POLITICAL EDUCATION FUND (80227)
38 CHAUNCY ST BOSTON, MA 02111   $500.00

11/16/2007 MASSACHUSETTS NURSES PAC (80109)
340 TURNPIKE ST CANTON, MA 02021   $250.00

11/1/2007 MASSEQUALITY PAC (80736)
398 COLUMBUS AVE, 198 BOSTON, MA 02116   $500.00

2/7/2007
SEIU LOCAL 509 PAC (80224)
400 TALCOTT AVE, BLDG, 131 EAST WATERTOWN, MA 02472 
$100.00

11/7/2007
SEIU LOCAL 509 PAC (80224)
400 TALCOTT AVE, BLDG, 131 EAST WATERTOWN, MA 02472 
$100.00

Re: Is Carl Sciortino really the recipient of "thousands of dollars from lobbyists, special interest

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

I think I can afford to buy a local politician at these bargain prices! :)

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

I actually had my Carl Sciortino lawn sign stolen from my yard this morning ... real classy Bob Trane fans ... real classy. Makes me wonder what else you might have stolen.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

Funny you should say that... there is a sea of Trane signs in my neighborhood, but yesterday on my walk home I noticed that the one solitary Sciortino sign that my neighbor had in their yard was suddenly no longer there. I wondered if perhaps they'd taken it down.

The Finneran Felon Fund

[larrylandlord.livejournal.com]

The date for the Finneran Felon Fund donation to Rep. Sciortino (D - Somerville/Medford) was 9/15/2004, one day after the Primary Election won by Sciortino over the incumbent Vinny Ciampa by 84 votes.

9/15/2004 Speaker Finnerans House Victory Fund PAC (80504)
112 Water St. Boston, MA 02109   $400.00

Priot to last week I had never heard of this PAC and a search of the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald for "Speaker Finnerans House Victory Fund" and several variations of the name yield no results. The PAC has been in existence since 1993 and there is no mention of it in the major Boston newspapers. Why not?

The FFF donated $500 to Vinny Ciampa that year and this should be no surprise as BOTH Finneran and his Lieutenant Ciampa were extremely and openly anti-gay marriage.

What the donation to Sciortino, one of the four openly gay legislators, reveals is that Finneran's Democratic Party loyalty trumps his own moral convictions, if he even had any. I wonder how many Finneran supporters would have donated to his PAC if they knew it was going to a gay candidate.

And it also tells us a little about Sciortino's character. On his first day as the nominee for State Representative, he accepts a donation from the most powerful and most anti-gay marriage member of the House of Representatives, who at the time was under a federal investigation for corruption and lying. I also wonder how many Sciortino supporters would have approved of him accepting this money.

Thirteen days after the donation to Sciortino, Finneran resigns in disgrace on 9/28/04. Several Democrats return the money from Finneran but Sciortino never returns the money even after Finneran is convicted of a felony in a plea bargain years later.

The fund does not end with the departure of Finneran. It is a "Perpetual PAC," a real PP.

Speaker DiMasi takes over the fund after Finneran's departure and the only things that change are the name of the fund and the address.

http://www.efs.cpf.state.ma.us/SearchReportResults.aspx?cpfId=80504

Filer:80504
Speaker DiMasi's Committee for a Democratic House PAC
Category: PAC
Organization Date: 9/15/1993
Committee Name: Speaker DiMasi's Committee for a Democratic House PAC
Treasurer: William G. Ferullo
Committee Address: 101 Tremont Street Boston

In 2006, Sciortino donates $75 TO the new and improved DiMasi PAC.

6/20/2006 Speaker DiMasi's Committee for a Democratic House PAC
11 Beacon St. #325 Boston, MA 02108 Campaign Contribution $75.00

And how can we forget this donation to Sciortino FROM:

10/24/2004 Buonomo, John
31 Arapahce Rd. Newton, MA 02465 Registrar of Probate
Commonwealth of Massachusetts $200.00



Sciortino returned the favor with a donation TO:

12/10/2007 Buonomo Committee
31 Arapaho Rd Newton, MA 02465 Donation $75.00


And finally we have the donations to Sciortino from one of the alleged Tufts embezzelers. This money should be returned to her to help with her high legal expenses!

7/29/2004 Nealley, Jodie
32 Howard St. Waltham, MA 02451 Administration
Tufts University $50.00

10/19/2004 Nealley, Jodie
32 Howard St. Waltham, MA 02451 Administration
Tufts University $50.00

Scorecard through 12/31/2007:

Donations to Sciortino from convicted felons - $400
Donations to Sciortino from alleged felons - $300

So here we are in '08 with the Speaker of the House under investigation, a sticker campaign in the works and thousands of dollars in PAC money going back and forth from MOST campaign accounts. It's deja vu all over again.

Speaking of high legal expenses, Sciortino's legal expenses for his failed court cases to get his name on the ballot this year are estimated to be over $40,000 and with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance reporting period ending yesterday 8/29/08 and the reports due out no later than 9/8/2008, we shall soon see where his money came from and went this year.

Some people might call this a campaign issue!

Where DO you people live? This is SOMERVILLE!

[oekosjoe.livejournal.com]

Debates about small donations (and anything less than $500 is small) are really trivial in a city where real money moves around with the grace and speed of a gazelle, or, for a better example, a tank. Carl Sciortino is an excellent state rep, who responds well and attends much more closely than his predecessor to a wide range of community, city, and state business. There is no comparison conceivable between Ciampa and Sciortino, and, ironically, only the most trivial of comparisons between Carl and Bob.

The way politics and money move in Somerville is much more like Bob's brother's business interests with Comcast, RCN, Verizon, and other telecommunications firms. Why they don't replace phone poles when they've been updated; why they don't pay taxes on the access we provide them; why they pay the absolute minimum to SCAT and nothing to the schools for media education. That is Paul's business specifically.

But the way real money moves is how the city paid $500,000 for 100 emergency phones for the cops and firemen. On a no bid contract. With Paul's firms clearly advantaged. And with Bob's very eager support on the Board of aldermen.

The most notable result of that transaction - besides phones that now, less than two years later, don't work at a price nearly 20 times the most expensive cell you could buy - is that the Board of Aldermen changed their ethics ordinance. Before, any family member with $100,000 or more in city business had to file. Now, after Paul's very successful sale, the limit is $1,000,000. I guess he's got more phones to sell. And those may be to the state, particularly if Bob gets in.

Now that does put campaign contributions of $300 or $400 into some perspective. Stop looking at the little stuff when the big stuff is jumping out in neon.

Re: Where DO you people live? This is SOMERVILLE!

[cos]

It's been so long since this got posted, that I think most people won't see your comment. You might want to make a separate post.

Just got another mailer from Trane.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

If anyone would like to see it let me know and I can scan/post.

Re: Just got another mailer from Trane.

[cos]

Like I said to the commenter above, I think it's been long enough since this post was made, that very few people are still checking for new comments. If you have more to say about it and want people to see, you might want to make a new post.