jackiedoherty.org

So much for “having a stake in our neighbor’s success” and other inspiring phrases used by Governor Deval Patrick during speeches while campaigning and since getting elected. If Thursday’s Globe article regarding the governor’s unwillingness to use his authority to push the in-state tuition agenda is accurate (also discussed here on Blue Mass Group), it shows a disappointing lack of courage and a betrayal of promises he made. No wonder people have checked out, don’t bother to vote, and consider politics a slimy profession. (Even as an elected member of the Lowell School Committee, I confess to being uncomfortable with the term politician and prefer to think of myself as an activist.) Look, I know it’s not easy. As an elected person, you’re always faced with the pressures of being popular and trying to make everyone happy, but true leadership demands that you put those concerns aside and do what’s right. And sometimes, just like parenting, doing the right thing may be unpleasant. In-state tuition rates for youngsters who meet residency requirements but don’t have documentation is fair and economically smart—especially for the Commonwealth, a state whose greatest asset is its educated workforce (it’s certainly not the weather or the cost of living) and whose population, other than its immigrants, has been steadily decreasing. So where is the governor who campaigned on change, together we can, economic stimulus, and education reform and equity? History has shown that real leadership, the kind that creates lasting, positive social change from ending slavery to advancing suffragette and civil rights movements, requires courage, action, and at the very least, being true to your word—all qualities lacking in Governor Patrick’s recent decision.