Patrick hears constituent concerns on key issues

Serghino René

A statewide coalition of faith-and community-based organizations met last Thursday night with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick to discuss health care, public safety and crime throughout Massachusetts.

The meeting was held in the basement of Roxbury Presbyterian Church on 328 Warren Street. Leaders from Boston, Springfield, Worcester, New Bedford, Brockton, Framingham, Lynn and Greater Boston area were present.

Lt. Gov. Healey was invited to the meeting as well, but she failed to attend. According to Rev. Jeff Brown, the coalition contacted Healey and her campaign before the primary election to meet on these issues to no avail.

Brown said they reached out again, offering five different dates, but received no commitment or alternative times.

“We have been working with the Romney-Healey Administration,” said Brown, who led the state’s efforts to help Katrina victims here in Massachusetts. “It would seem obvious as the hand in front of my face that she would want to continue that work. It is so strange that she has refused to do so.”

Although Patrick was alone, he was not complaining.

The discussion began with health care. Patrick has supported making the premiums offered under the state’s new health care law more affordable. Right now, employers meet a fair standard plan if they pay only 33 percent of their employees’ health insurance plans to 25 percent of their employees. Those present asked Patrick about setting a fairer standard — employees paying at least 50 percent of the cost of their health insurance and employers covering at least 50 percent of their workers.

Patrick listened to Bethany Farrell, a member of Church of the Advent and Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO). A recent college graduate, she is maintaining two part-time jobs, working about 50 hours per week and making only $22,000. She can’t afford health insurance and she is faced with the tough decision of whether or not she can stay in Boston.

Patrick made it clear that he wasn’t making policy by instinct. “I am just commenting right now,” said Patrick. “My instinct tells me that a 50/50 plan makes no sense because we need employers who are not providing insurance to pony up if we’re going to pay for everyone who needs it.”

Maybe not quite what the people wanted to hear, but he continued saying that through further discussion a fair policy could develop.

But the main area of interest shifted and stayed around public safety and crime. Attendees were interested in hearing Patrick’s views on prevention, including restoring funding for programs and determining methods and strategies for reducing crime in urban areas across the commonwealth.

Patrick was attentive when Brandy Crawford of Roxbury Presbyterian Church told her story about how her life came to a screeching halt when she lost her fiancé to gun violence back in September of last year. Today, she often wonders “what if,” imagining the life she and her fiancé could have had.

“I can’t help but think that things could have been different for my fiancé and me. Not only if he had grown up in a different neighborhood, but if the neighborhood he had grown up in had been different.”

She is hoping that the next governor will help Boston and surrounding areas create a safer environment that encourages a better quality of life.

Patrick was compassionate. “When I think about crime and crime prevention,” Patrick said. “I can’t come to it just from a perspective of more laws. That’s part of it, but not all of it.”

Event chair and social activist Reverend Hurmon Hamilton decided to give up on his 20-year commitment to living among the people to whom he ministers with his wife Rhonda and son Jonathan. Last spring, they decided to leave Roxbury and move to Woburn for the sake of their son and to escape the ongoing violence in their neighborhood. Unfortunately, most of his parishioners don’t have that option.

Patrick has made a significant commitment to law enforcement efforts by pledging $80 million to cities and towns to hire 1,000 police officers.

“I called for 1,000 cops on the street because I know community policing works,” said Patrick. “We have to implement the strategies that we know work.”

Mona Howard of Mattapan was at the event and was impressed with Patrick’s presentation. She left with a better reason to vote for him.

“He didn’t tell us what we wanted to hear,” said Howard. “He told us the truth and I believe he will fight for what’s right to the best of his ability when he is in the State House.”

The organizations that are part of this coalition are: Black Ministerial Alliance of Boston, Boston Ten Point Coalition, Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, Dorchester Youth Collaborative, Jewish Community Relations Council and the Massachusetts Communities Action Network and its affiliates around the state — the Brockton Interfaith Community, Essex County Community Organization (encompassing Lynn and Gloucester), Worcester Interfaith, the Metro West-based Metropolitan Interfaith Congregations and United Interfaith Action of Southeast Massachusetts (New Bedford and Fall River).