??Meet the Candidates Governor Deval Patrick and gubernatorial hopeful Charlie Baker break down their candidacies-right down to their caffeine intake-in a warm-up for Super Tuesday. By, Andrea Fox
It’s been a hot, dry summer in Massachusetts for a change. But with Beacon Hill up for grabs come November, it’s sure to be a sticky autumn. Recently, Northshore caught up with the campaign’s frontrunners, incumbent Governor Deval Patrick (D) and North Shore native son Charlie Baker (R), to bring you a side-by-side comparison of the candidates on topics from their hometowns to health care.
The Issues
health care
Patrick: Universal access and affordability.
Baker: Make it more affordable through transparency and reforms.
environment
Patrick: Massachusetts is now a national leader in clean- and alternative-energy policy, and our efforts to create green jobs are already having a significant impact.
Baker: Make [green initiatives] more affordable and utilize cost-effective options already available to Massachusetts, like Hydro Quebec.
taxes
Patrick: Nobody likes taxes, but they are the price of civilization . . . Our total tax burden is in the lowest third of the country.
Baker: Too high. I’m a 5-5-5 guy: return income tax to five percent, sales tax to five percent, and lower corporate taxes to five percent.
gaming
Patrick: Massachusetts will receive the most jobs and economic activity in the form of destination resort-casinos . . . Everything must be competitively bid.
Baker: Slowly, one casino and a limited amount of slots, all of which needs to be put out to bid.
top priority
Patrick: Jobs, jobs, and more jobs-at every level of the economy.
Baker: Creating jobs to get people back to work.
At press time, the Rasmussen Massachusetts Poll indicated Patrick at 38 percent, Baker at 32 percent, and Timothy Cahill at 17 percent.