Burr, Livingston emphasize differences as primary nears

After spending most of the summer getting to know the voters in the other nine communities in the Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth district, state senate hopeful Bob Burr thought it would be fitting to spend the final week before the September 14 primary campaigning in the place where it all began: his hometown of Canton.

Bob Burr

Burr, a Canton selectman since 2004 and a 1985 graduate of CHS, is one of two Republican candidates vying for the opportunity to challenge incumbent Senator Brian Joyce (D) in the November 2 election. His opponent is Richard Livingston of Milton, a longtime town meeting representative with a record of public advocacy work, most notably for asbestos victims and their families.

Both men have taken a similar campaign approach thus far, having canvassed dozens of neighborhoods and shared their ideas with thousands of prospective voters. They also share similar views on a number of key issues — from their desire to lower taxes to their vocal opposition to Chapter 40B, the state’s affordable housing law. Yet there are enough differences between them, the two insist, to allow voters to make an informed choice at the polls come Tuesday.

One such difference, according to Livingston, involves his opponent’s affinity for home, as he fears that Burr, if elected, would focus mostly on the needs of Canton, whereas Livingston, by his own account, would “represent all ten towns equally.”

“I will show my compassion for all of the citizens of this district,” promised Livingston, a self-proclaimed “average Joe,” in an interview last week. “I will work tirelessly on any issue brought before me, and I will have fun doing it.”

Burr, meanwhile, readily acknowledged his loyalty to Canton, but he disputed Livingston’s assertion that it would come at the expense of the other communities in the district.

“I think he’s just grasping at straws,” said Burr, adding, “There’s nothing that scares me about being uninformed in another community because I’ve spent a great deal of time in each one.”

Besides Canton, the district includes the towns of Avon, Milton, Randolph, Stoughton, and West Bridgewater, as well as select precincts in Braintree, Easton, East Bridgewater, and Sharon.

Burr said he has drawn heavily on his experiences as a selectman throughout the campaign, but only because he considers those experiences relevant and believes that Canton could serve as a model for other communities within the district. He pointed to the town’s success in attracting and retaining businesses such as Reebok and Organogenesis, and the Board of Selectmen’s ability to negotiate over $1 million in health care savings as examples of proactive steps that other towns could emulate.

“I don’t make any apologies— Canton is one of the best run communities in the state,” Burr said. “I trumpet Canton because I’m proud of it.”

Richard Livingston

Both candidates said they had overwhelmingly positive encounters on the campaign trail, and both were impressed with the high level of political interest throughout the district.

“The people have been fabulous,” said Livingston, who shared numerous instances where his message of job creation and his willingness to listen earned him potential votes.

He said voters appreciated his passion for public service and his ideas for improving the state’s economy, headlined by a multi-pronged plan to bolster the local film industry. Part of that plan involves offering tax credits to film studios; however, he stressed that any deal would include a “clawback provision” that would allow the state to recoup its investment and then place the funds into a revolving account earmarked for future tax incentives — effectively eliminating the burden on taxpayers.

“We have to think outside the box going forward in order to create permanent revenue streams and add jobs to this state, and this would do it,” Livingston said, adding that he supports casinos for the same basic reason.

Burr has also prioritized economic improvement, calling it his number-one goal. He said the difference is that his plan focuses on eliminating the “redundancy in state government” while at the same time preserving local aid and restoring power to local communities. Burr said he favors an “aggressive reduction in both state taxes and state government spending” as the “only way” to create private sector jobs and keep Massachusetts competitive.

Burr said he also supports health care “plan design,” which would give municipalities the authority to make cost-saving changes to deductibles and co-pays — an admittedly unpopular move with town employees’ unions that Burr said the legislature is afraid to touch.

“The real crime is that state government has that power over its own employees,” he said.

Both candidates said they had major questions about the state’s Group Insurance Commission, which purchases health insurance for state employees and is often touted by legislators as a cheaper health care option for cities and towns. In addition, both would prefer to keep the MCAS system intact, fearing a lowering of educational achievement if the state adopted the new national standards.

Both are also newcomers to the Republican Party, with Livingston switching from the Democratic Party six years ago and Burr changing his unenrolled status last fall.

As far as experience goes, however, Burr believes he has a distinct advantage, having not only been a public servant but also having been self-employed in the financial services industry for over 24 years. Burr, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Boston College, said he understands firsthand the importance of private sector investment as opposed to Livingston, who is employed by the MBTA, a public agency.

Burr said his experience as a selectman has also provided him with a working knowledge of state government and a far greater understanding of the role of a state legislator. “It’s like selectman to the tenth power,” he joked.

Meanwhile, Livingston believes that he, too, has the requisite experience to serve the district as its state senator. Besides boasting 17 years of legislative experience as a town meeting representative in Milton, Livingston, who holds a bachelor’s degree in legal educational service from UMass Boston, points to his long track record of public advocacy as proof of his ability to serve others and achieve results.

Livingston has also guaranteed that he would step down from his post as a division clerk with the MBTA to devote all of his time and energy to the needs of his constituency.

“Most people retire and dabble in the garden or go fishing,” he said. “I want to retire from my job and become a full-time constituent service advocate in the state senate.”

Burr, on the other hand, plans to continue to balance both his private and public responsibilities, but he dismisses the notion that he is taking on too much. “I’ve found in public service that any one of us will treat this as a full-time endeavor,” he said.

As for their predictions on who will prevail on Tuesday, neither candidate was comfortable declaring victory just yet, although both said they are confident and will walk away with no regrets.

“It’s been a daunting task, but it’s been a lot of fun,” said Livingston. “I’ve run a clean campaign; I’m coming into this as a gentleman, and I’m going out of it as a gentleman.”

“I’m very proud of the fact that we came up with a game plan and we stuck to it,” said Burr. “Every night I go to bed knowing that I could not have done anything more to win this [election].”

For more information on Burr’s campaign, go to www.voteburr.com. For more information on Livingston’s campaign, go to www.richardlivingston.com.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Sep 9 2010. Filed under Features, News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.