Davis: I Can Make a Difference For My District

On Reasons For Running

Andy from Cohasset: Resources are scarce for down-ballot candidates this year and there were already two in the race. What prompted you to jump in?

Genevieve Davis:  The reason I am running for the senate at this time in my life is because all that I have experienced makes me the perfect candidate to problem-solve and get this done. I am not hampered by anything. I am free at this point to put all of my energies to giving back and serving in the senate.

Patch: Can you please tell us a little about yourself and why you are running for State Senate?

Genevieve Davis: I have and MBA and years of experience working in education, human services, the arts, minority organizations, LGBT organizations, the environment, affordable housing - the list is vast and it has given me a firsthand education on what individuals, famalies and communities need. I problem-solve, I have a successful record of doing it for 40 years. I will take this to the senate where I can make a difference for my district and the state.

South Shore Voter: Genevieve, is there anything you think can be done about the slow pace of the economic recovery at the state level?

Genevieve Davis: The recovery is slow because of unemployment and underemployment. I also believe people who have money to spend on goods and services are repairing their balance sheets. They are getting their assets and liabilities into a better ratio and that will take time. I think we need to concentrate on where there is demand and that is the constant need for infrastructure repair. That will bring jobs. I will also help to create jobs for the district and the state by closing the gap between the workforce skills and the workplace needs. This will be done through a dialogue between employers and educators.

Guest: Can you tell me what you would propose to create jobs in MA?

Genevieve Davis:  There is an existing and growing gap between the workforce skills and the workplace needs. I am familiar with this problem through the work I do as the CFO at the New England Board of Higher Education. I have the knowledge and the connections to bring a dialogue between employers and educators to train personnel for jobs thereby attracting employers to our area. Employer will go to where they can find the educated workforce

South Shore Voter: Genevieve, funding our schools is very important to everyone but the costs are going sky high. State and federal funding have been decreasing. What would you do to help fund our schools?

Genevieve Davis: The revenue for elementary and secondary education is a combination of state aid and local resources. Since the financial collapse is 2008, funds for education have been severely limited because of the lack of state revenue. New revenues will be created as the economy improves. Until that time, I will review the outdated formulas that are used to allocate local aid.

Patch: Sen. Bob Hedlund has been in favor of allowing restaurants to offer “Happy Hour-like” discounted beverages to compete with casinos in Massachusetts. Do you agree with him?

Genevieve Davis: I spoke about this early in my campaign when I was interviewed on WATD. I think the effort should be to get happy hours out of casinos instead of expanding it to restaurants and bars. Sen Hedlund is still a champion of this expansion effort yet he sponsored Melanie's Bill, an anti-drunk driving bill. That is a lack of allegiance. You cannot favor both. I also believe he has a conflict of interest as an owner of a restaurant. He just spoke in favor of expanding the relaxed drinking rules at the ABCC public hearing but most of the other restaurant and bar owners are not in favor of it. He is not speaking for the majority.

Carolyn from Marshfield: What is your position on casino gambling? Can Massachusetts compete in this environment?

Lee in Scituate: The whole casino thing has exploded in Massachusetts. Genevieve, what is your position on casino development?

Genevieve Davis: For the two questions on casinos in Massachusetts, I think the state is too late on this issue. Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are both on the brink of bankruptcy. Opening up more casinos will not make that situation better. The only way to make it successful is to market the expansion of casino gambling toy the general population. That is not the appropriate course to take nor is it socially responsible.

Tracy in Norwell:  Property taxes are increasing at an alarming rate. Do you expect that to continue and is there anything that can be done at the state level to slow that increase?

Genevieve Davis: Property taxes are a local issue. I do not believe that the state has a role in it. What the state does do, however, is use a town's property values in the formula for local aid. Housing prices are inflated. I would work to make sure that the state is not using inflated values in our district, something that gives us lower aid

South Shore Voter: Genevieve, healthcare costs are increasing faster than I have ever seen. What do you think of MA Romneycare? And US Obamacare? Is there any improvement in the situation that you would champion?

Genevieve Davis: I think the thing we all have to realize and have patience with is that it will take years to reform health care. I am very proud of what has happened here in Massachusetts. I believe it was started in 2006 and we have now succeeded in getting most of the MA population covered. Now the state is tackling the reduction of costs. The thing that I would do as senator is find out the resistance to the single payer option which is an administrative piece that will save millions.

Genevieve Davis: It upset me that this did not pass. I do not agree with the House's position that it is a tax. It is a deposit. If people want to get this money back, they can. If they do not, it is money that goes back into the economy through people who do collect the bottles and redeem them. It also cleans up the environment. The bottles that would have been litter would be picked up.