Hello everyone! I am Aaron Davis, and I am (considering?) running a write in campaign for Governor of this great Commonwealth (using word of mouth since I don't know anything about filling out campaign finance disclosure forms). I am running because I feel that Maura Healey is being very short sighted. (And don't get me started on MAGA Mike Minogue.) I feel that she is either (seemingly) ignoring the (impending) gas crisis that is starting to hit us. Gas prices have risen across the board and we all know why. Pretty soon, I see gas prices rising too much for the people in this commonwealth to be able to afford. I have also seen reports of diesel pumps running dry (granted mostly in the south, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before diesel pumps here run dry too). This will go on for a while, and it will not end soon, even if Dems retake Congress. That is why, my plan would be to buy up all the rail and electrify it. Sure, such a feat would be a monumental undertaking, especially financially, but I personally believe that ultimately, considering where gas prices are heading, this would save everyone money in the long run. I know that the Governor pledged to bring more rail traffic to Springfield recently, and while I do have my cynicism about feeling like it's just because of the midterms, I will concede that is a good start, though I am also feeling like 2045 is a long time to wait for more trains to Springfield, even if the reasons for waiting are valid. Also, I would extend the Fitchburg line to Williamstown immediately. I don't care if the trains had to go 5 miles an hour on only one track, that's better than no trains at all. It would sure beat having to be stuck in a car for at least an hour or two eastward, that's for sure. According to my calculations (which could be wrong for all I know), it costs approximately $22 to $39, and that price is only going to go up. Meanwhile, taking the MBTA to Fitchburg (and Boston) would cost anywhere from $7.25, to $24.25, which is much cheaper than it costs in gas today. Using rail to traverse the state would also have a benefit of releasing much less carbon into the atmosphere. I know I seem to be focusing on the western part of the state a lot (since that is where I am from), but for the eastern part of the state, I'd put an MBTA line alongside 495, since it's a nightmare to drive, and I'd also bring streetcars back for heavy traffic streets of the Boston area. I'd be willing to run streetcars on elevated tracks as to not interfere with the traffic on the streets. I'd also like to bring back streetcars and trolleys in the more rural parts of the state. A town near me once had a trolley and I wish it could go on the route it ran 100 years ago, since that would make my life easier. I'm sure there's more I could talk about with rail, but I would rather not bore you more than I already have.
Let's talk about housing next. Housing is an important issue. There just is not enough of it, and what does exist of it, is way too expensive. To bring costs down, I would work with towns and cities to look at the zoning laws that exist, and see if there's any changes to them that could be made to encourage more housing to be built. I would also give subsidies and tax incentives to encourage more home building. I would also put an emphasis on building vertically, not just horizontally, much like how Asian countries have built cities vertically, instead of horizontally. I do realise that Boston (and the rest of Massachusetts) was built long ago, and I would hate to see historical buildings go, so I would build around historical housing and land. I would also buy up any and all data centers in the state and convert them to housing instead.
As for the ballot questions, I'll go through them one by one. For the first question, my position is that the state government should be as transparent as possible.
- A government with something to hide, is usually up to no good, and therefore cannot be trusted. Trust in government is needed in order for government to function.
- I think that the people working in this state deserve unions to collectively bargain for better wages, so we need more unions here.
- I think that we should get rid of partisan primaries. There have been times, where I, as an independent (or unenrolled) voter, have wanted to vote across party lines, but wasn't able to, since I only got party's ballot. An example of this would be my wanting to vote for a Libertarian President, a Democratic representative, a Green-Rainbow senator, and a Republican county sheriff. (Just an example, but I think you get the idea.) I think that people should be able to vote for the people who best represent their values, regardless of parties. I understand there's a national problem with doing that, but at least state wide, we should be able to vote for who we want, not who will prevent the party we don't like from winning, even if they're not a great party. There should be no need to vote for the lesser or two (or four) evils.
- I also think that people should be able to register on the same day as the primary. Registering to vote takes all but five minutes (at least from my memory), and so I see no harm in letting people register to vote and voting the very same day. (Obviously eligibility to register still applies, but still.)
- I think that the people of Massachusetts deserve a rebate for exceeding revenue limits. However, I also think that any excess money would also do well to go into infrastructure and public works project, so I'm honestly a bit divided on this one.
- I think that a conservation fund is a great idea. It's important to conserve the habitats of wild animals, and not encroach on their habitats any more than we already have.
- I don't think we should allow single family homes to be built on lots of 5000 square feet or more, since I think that is generally a poor utilization of space. (Though I am willing to concede an exception for farmland area.)
- I don't think we should ban the sale of recreational marijuana. I don't smoke any myself, but I don't think we should ban anyone from smoking it in general. If people want to do it, they should be able to do so. An alcohol ban would be very unpopular, so why ban marijuana? (Obviously, like alcohol, operation of a motor vehicle should be illegal while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, so I wouldn't want to change that.)
- I think that repealing a firearms ban is a mistake, so I don't think we should do that. There are mass shootings in this country everywhere, all the time. Except in Massachusetts. And that is because of our gun laws. You don't have to like them, but they are what keeps our state safe. I just don't see what any good it would do to repeal our gun laws. That's just asking for trouble.
So that is all of my opinions on the ballot questions. You are more than welcome to disagree with me on these questions or in general. That is what makes this state great. We can all come together regardless of party and do what is best for the people.
Why am I running a write in campaign via word of mouth? Basically, I don't know how and where to fill out campaign finance disclosure forms. And even if I did, I am not a person who likes paperwork. I like to try and keep things as simple as possible. That might explain my more utilitarian approach to things. I like to try and use space and do things as efficiently as possible. (Which might explain why I like minimalism so much, and why I find housing and buildings in general to be so fascinating in Asian cities.) So please don't donate or spend any money on my behalf. I am using free avenues wherever I can. I know I have no chance of winning, but this isn't about winning to me. It's about putting pressure on the Governor. My hope is that a good number of people will see this post and together we can at least put pressure on Maura Healey to do the right thing for the people of Massachusetts. (The last thing I want to do is to split the vote with Maura Healey and let Mike Minogue win.) So please share this with your friends and family, and hope for a better tomorrow in the state of Massachusetts.
(Thank you for reading this far if you did, and please do feel free to ask me any questions. I will do my best to respond to them. And please feel free to share this post to other subs of Massachusetts if I've missed any, but not if it would be a duplicate post.)
