Lt. Governor answers to Lowell fifth graders
Back in town today for the third time in just over a week, Lt. Governor Tim Murray started his morning by taking calls on WCAP, Lowell’s local talk radio show. He then traveled to city hall where he met with City Manager Bernie Lynch, Mayor Bill Martin, City Councilor Jim Milinazzo, Supt. Karla Brooks Baehr, Assistant Supt. Jay Lang, school committee member Connie Martin and me, as well as other members of Lynch’s staff. It was an informal meeting over coffee and donuts where discussion focused on the Hamilton Canal project, state support for housing initiatives, the proposed school building projects in Lowell, and the governor’s municipal aid proposal.
It was, however, at the Lt. Governor’s next stop that his skills were really put to the test when he had to answer questions from fifth graders at the Rogers middle school. After about 20 minutes of questions from these future voters, he read the children a book about the American Revolution. As an observer who happens to live with a fifth grader, I was impressed by the students’ thoughtful questions and polite attention to his answers. They were also an excellent audience as the Lt. Governor read the lengthy book, interjecting some questions of his own. The students and their teacher, Mrs. Erin Rourke, are a shining example of the quality and caliber of people of all ages in the Lowell Public Schools. Below are some of the students’ questions and his answers:
What made you want to be lieutenant governor? As mayor of Worcester, the second biggest city in the state and similar in a lot of ways to Lowell, I was frustrated with the executive branch of state government not doing everything they could to have better relations between local, state, and federal governments, and not doing more to help cities and towns.
What was the hardest obstacle you had to overcome to be Lt. Governor? I am the first person from Worcester to get elected to a statewide office in more than 50 years, so I needed to convince people that I could do the job, and I needed to raise one million dollars. Do you know how much a 30-second television ad costs? It costs about $1,500. As much as I travelled all over the state and met people, I was not able to meet six million people—I had to use TV and radio.
What will you do to help immigrants become citizens? Looking at all of you reminds me of classes in the Worcester schools. Lowell, like Worcester, is a place where a lot of immigrants settle when they first come to the United States. Immigrants are what made this country great. They are some of our hardest workers. Three of my own grandparents were immigrants. The federal government is in charge of immigration, and I will urge our congressmen to support legislation that encourages legal immigration. I also want to give people currently here a chance to become legal citizens and not blame or punish them. Do you all realize the folks who came over on the Mayflower were immigrants?
What is the part of the job you like best and find most interesting? I like getting out around the state, listening to people’s thoughts, and figuring out how we can solve problems. Every day is different. If you approach every day with the perspective that you are going to learn something, you have fun.
Are some issues hard for you to decide on? If so, can you give an example? The toughest decisions usually involve the budget—the state has a $27 billion budget. With any issue, it’s important to get as much information as you can and to understand the consequences your decision will have on people’s lives. As mayor, the toughest decision I ever made was closing schools because of lack of money. Even though we didn’t want to close schools, it was the right decision because it saved teachers’ jobs.
How has your life changed since you became Lt. Governor? I was busy as mayor and I’m still busy, but now instead of just being in Worcester, I travel all over the state. Now I have state police with me everywhere I go. I enjoy the job. It’s a challenge. It’s nice that I don’t have to run for re-election for four years. When I was mayor, I had to run every two years.
How does it feel to be the Lt. Governor of Massachusetts? It is a great honor to be lieutenant governor and I know that I need to work hard every day to follow through on my commitment and people’s expectations.