On Balance

When something is wrong, how quickly we point the finger at Democrats or Republicans. Right or wrong we look at who is in charge, and if we do not like their politics we condemn their whole party; often to justify our own beliefs. One might point out that the deeply red state of Mississippi’s lack of spending on public education has lead them to the second lowest rate of adults with bachelor degrees and the lowest incomes in the nation, and then conclude that Republicans are to blame for undervaluing education and equal opportunity. There are conservatives out there who use the law enforcement deaths in Massachusetts as a dystopian example of what happens when judges are soft on crime… then naturally blame Democrats.

I offer a different view which does not jive with the dogma of either party. I do not blame Democrats or Republicans for these failings. I blame the lack of intellectual balance in states that are either deeply red or deeply blue.

Do you know which state is the polar opposite of Mississippi in the two categories I mentioned earlier? Massachusetts. We lead the nation in both income and the percentage of adults with bachelor degrees. A deeply democratic Beacon Hill can take credit for what I view as a wonderful achievement: getting it right on education for a very long time.

But with this massive brain trust we call the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, there should be no issue we can't tackle. With all of our education, income and having the Democratic Party largely in control of the state, shouldn’t we have been able to solve problems like the cost of healthcare, the cost of housing and the opioid crisis already? Police Officers, both human and canine shouldn’t be shot by repeat convicted felons out on low bail.

Republicans point their finger at the Democrats. I do not. I blame the lack of balance. Ideas need to be challenged, discussed and debated. Only in this process do effective answers to difficult problem evolve. There is quite literally, no other way for human beings to be effective.

If we look to our science community, we see an ancient and sacred tradition: the scientific method. Ideas are generated, tested and published in transparency. Other scientists challenge these ideas and test them, publishing their results and often refining what we think we know into virtual certainties. Is it a perfect process, no… science is challenging, difficult and often messy… but so is government. Without peers to challenge the ideas of political rivals in DC, Jackson Mississippi… or Boston, our laws become soft, unchallenged assumptions. The things we are good at, we get right and the things we neglect become problems for the people.

I am a moderate. Much like our Governor, I am pro choice. I am a business Republican because I am a business woman. I built two successful chocolate businesses which bring delight to our customers and employment to our community. Commerce requires balance: workers who earn enough money to afford to live in the communities they serve and spend money in. Businesses need employees of all kinds close at hand and can afford housing. Government needs tax revenue to keep these communities safe but must not place an unfair burden on individuals and business to the point where they can no longer participate in the economy.

I’m running to help restore balance to our legislature. That high income and education I bragged about earlier, is coupled with an extremely high cost of living: fueled by run-away heath care and housing costs. If you are a young person, particularly one of color, it is far too easy to become trapped in our judicial system for a first time offense, meanwhile if you are a repeat, violent felon, it is far too easy to get out of that same, broken system. If you are a woman, your ability to defend yourself against sexual assault with a stun gun or pepper spray is highly restricted.

Friends, neighbors, coworkers and fellow sports fans of the Commonwealth, we need balance on Beacon Hill to fix our problems. I don’t want to suffer from the same issues of one party rule as Mississippi. I also don’t want the crippling partisanship and toxic rhetoric coming out of DC to echo through the chambers of Beacon Hill. We do not need more politicians from the fringe, and we do not need more of the same. My opponent is more of the same.

We need moderates, we need fresh ideas and we need a balance not necessarily of political party, but of philosophy of governance. Massachusetts is home to the highest rated Governor in America: because we aren’t afraid of electing a moderate. We lead the nation by example.

Winchester, Wakefield, Malden, Melrose, Stoneham and Reading: let us too lead by example. Let us foster balance, statesmanship and good faith. Let us resurrect debate, respect and professionalism in our political process.

I am a business woman, a mother and a moderate. I am Erin Calvo-Bacci, and I am running for State Senate.