About 20 People Attended the Event at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley
By Ted Siefer
The Jewish Advocate [Wellesley Hills MA]
May 24, 2006
http://www.thejewishadvocate.com/this_weeks_issue/news/?content_id=1280
Attorney General Tom Reilly spoke to members of the Jewish community last week at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley Hills, one of four meetings with the 2006 gubernatorial candidates organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council.
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Reilly was introduced by Alan Solomont, a longtime state Democratic Party leader and former chairman of Combined Jewish Philanthropies.
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| Attorney General Tom Reilly |
Reflecting on the failure of the Democrats to produce a winning gubernatorial candidate in the last four elections, Solomont said: "We're very good at picking candidates that have strong appeal to our Democratic base, but that falls short with independent voters, who could determine the outcome of this election."
Of the four candidates, Reilly has "the broadest appeal among moderate Democrats and independents," Solomont told the roughly 20 people who had turned out on a drizzly Thursday evening.
Before outlining his positions on a range of issues, Reilly recounted his hardscrabble upbringing in Springfield.
"My experience shows the power of education and what a wonderful country America is, where if you have an education and are willing to work hard and take some risks, you can be anything you want to be," said Reilly, who was the only child in his family who went to college.
Reilly described a trip to Israel as one of "the most profound experiences" in his life, singling out a visit to the children's memorial at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum.
"You realize the enormity of the tragedy, that a good part of a generation was extinguished. It left a lasting impression on me," he said. "It also reaffirmed the belief instilled in me by my friend Lenny Zakim [the former ADL director], that we are all in this together."
Reilly added that the experience was particularly poignant for him because his political career grew out of a desire to provide a better life for children.
"What motivates me is the future of our children," he said. "Massachusetts is at a crossroads. We're the only state that has in the last few censuses lost population. If you look at the ages of those leaving, 25 to 35, young people are voting with their feet."
Reilly also emphasized his role in investigating and prosecuting clergy sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in Massachusetts.
"I'm a Catholic and my faith is very important to me, but when members of the Catholic Church and clergy stepped over the line and abused children I stepped up," he said. "We conducted the most comprehensive investigation of abuse by members of the clergy anywhere in the world."
Asked where he stood on legislation, such as a bill proposed last year, that would compel religious institutions to make public financial disclosures, Reilly said: "Filing the information is one thing, but telling a church how to spend its money is another. It's a thing you have to be very careful about."
Following Reilly's speech, members of the temple asked four questions: concerning care for the elderly, health care reform, affordable housing and education.
On the subject of health care, Reilly applauded the passage of the comprehensive health care act earlier this year, but said that one of the greatest challenges for the next governor would be bringing down health care costs.
To mitigate the state's shortage of affordable housing, Reilly proposed investing in the commuter rail system so that the housing markets in towns in the southeastern and western parts of the state, such as New Bedford and Worcester, could be better integrated into Boston metropolitan area.
Audience members queried Reilly on a range of subjects, from his stance on the custody rights of fathers, which he supports, to his position on the development of a wind farm off Nantucket Sound, which he opposes.
He was also asked about his position on the death penalty, which he supports "in certain circumstances."
The next candidate forum will be held on May 22, when Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, a Republican, will speak at Beth Elohim. Independent candidate Christy Mihos will speak on May 25. Democratic candidate Deval Patrick had spoken the previous week.
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