What is an Endorsement? Should you care?

By Charles Bailey, III

Candidate for State Representative

In the last several very busy weeks, I have had a chance to meet hundreds of Franklin and Medway residents. They don’t endorse candidates, they vote.

And I know the two top things on their mind are, first, the inflation that is making daily life difficulty and forcing many people to abandon their future dreams; and second, taxes.

When my opponent talks about all the endorsement he has received, many from groups that represent great people, including my colleagues in the fire service, what does that really mean? I can tell you that it means less than it seems. It’s the leadership of those many organizations, not the members, that want to line up for perks and benefits and know that in return they need to provide endorsements and “support” when Roy wants to pass legislation. A powerful, entrenched politician like Jeff Roy can reward and punish – the leadership knows it. It is a vicious circle that few have the courage to break free from.

As a former leader of a union, I have “seen how the sausage is made” – how political deals are cut locally in in our towns and on Beacon Hill. It isn’t pretty and it doesn’t necessarily benefit you or me or even the members of the unions.

I am different. I am far from being a career politician, as my opponent is, with his decades in elective office. I have spent my life doing difficult and thankless things that needed to get done; as an Army infantryman and as a firefighter/first responder. I learned to learn fast in order to survive and accomplish the mission I was tasked with.

Your vote for me says it is okay to put people first. That we don’t have to do what Beacon Hill tells us to do, that Beacon Hill should do what we tell IT to do.

What does this mean in concrete terms?

For starters, I would make sure to get to know every legislator to learn about their priorities and share mine. I would let leadership -- the bosses of Beacon Hill -- know that their power is immense and that I will always work with them to get important work done, but I will not vote in lock step, as my opponent has done year after year.

Right now, we face not only terrible inflation that impacts the cost of everything. There is also the cost of energy to provide electricity and to heat our homes and businesses; it is skyrocketing. If we have a severe winter, people could literally die.

Nobody doubts the importance of working on climate goals but adults know life is always a matter of tradeoffs. I might want a new car or a bigger home but I have to make sure I can afford those things. Jeff Roy has led us to a dangerous place with his endless push for an immediate switch to solar and wind when he must know the grid isn’t ready and the systems aren’t in place. It’s a gamble and we all may end up losing.

I think we can and should set ambitious climate goals and push toward them but we also need to understand what is practical, what everyday people can afford, and what even better alternatives might be emerging on the horizon.

Our energy policy can no longer be all or nothing as it has been under Jeff’s leadership.

Then there’s the way we look at the world. As a first responder, I have been in the homes of the rich and the poor – at the most difficult times in their lives. No matter who you are, you want to be treated fairly. Some people need a helping hand now and then from the government. But most people don’t need or want it all the time.

Roy has endorsements from people who seem to believe the only way to make the world better is to take something from one person and give it to someone else, whether it’s boosting benefits for certain people and not others or subsidizing parts of the economy. Jeff’s focus has been on playing Robin Hood to different groups of voters while forgetting about everyone else. He has even done this with manufacturing by taking a few high-profile actions without looking at the big picture – which is that high energy costs and high taxes make it hard to start and keep a business here.

The big picture is that everyone in Massachusetts wants a government they can trust to tax them only as much as is really necessary, a government that won’t make it next to impossible to start a small business by multiplying the requirement needed to get off the ground, and a government that doesn’t burden people with taxes on everything – taxes that make it difficult to save money and live everyday life.

I will be the candidate that represents Franklin and Medway; not Washington or Beacon Hill. I hope you’ll give me a chance. If you do, I will come back to you in two years, not with endorsements from unions and big organizations but with endorsements from people like you!

Incidentally, I prayed at mass today and received the backing of Jesus Christ, the largest union ever.

For more information please go to https://charlesbaileyforstaterep.com