Melvin B. Miller
Editor & Publisher

Let Deval be Deval

One of the hazards of becoming an elected public official is the loss of privacy. Political opponents and the media assume the right to pry into every aspect of the official’s private life. But just as offensive, supporters often develop a fancied image of the official, and expect him to conform to their fantasy.

When he was elected governor, Mitt Romney wanted to give the impression that his election would save the taxpayers money. His first move was to reject the governor’s salary and become a $1-a-year man. No money was spent on refurbishing the executive office — probably because Romney did not plan to spend much time in town.

Michael Dukakis accepted the salary, but rejected all of the other perks of office. As governor, he rode the T to the State House. He was critical of providing favors for supporters, lest he appear to be part of the old standard of cronyism. In fact, to donate to his campaign often placed the donor at a disadvantage.

Deval Patrick has a very different temperament from both of these predecessors. Patrick is very fastidious. Even when casually attired, he is well dressed. An experienced chef, he would always prefer coq au vin to peanut butter sandwiches. He understands the importance of ritual. Patrick’s statewide inauguration celebrations had great symbolic significance. And he is not shy about appointing friends and confidants to key posts.

Patrick chose to hang in his office the portrait of Gov. John A. Andrew, the governor who organized the black Massachusetts 54th regiment in 1863. This was no accident. It is also appropriate for the décor of the governor’s office to be compatible with the disposition of the governor. The expense for redecorating is entirely appropriate to create a supportive working environment for Patrick.

Unfortunately, however, Patrick’s supporters do not understand the importance of form and appearance to the governor. Some have objected to the expenses of his office.

The greatest public protest over expenses has come from Patrick’s selection of the more expensive Cadillac DTS over the Ford Crown Victoria as his mode of transportation. While it appears that the lease cost of $1,166 per month has not been vigorously negotiated, there seems to be little basis for objection.

Such pettiness is one of the reasons the public often finds itself in difficulty. People have protested Patrick’s choice of automobile, but there has been no public outcry over the report in the same Boston Globe informing people of Patrick’s expenditures that 25 Boston police officers made over $200,000 last year. This is more than the $166,731 earned by Mayor Thomas M. Menino. The cost of police is a great drain on the public budget.

As governor, Deval Patrick plans to propose new ideas for resolving the state’s problems. It is unwise to misdirect his efforts on petty issues. The time will come in four years for the public to assess the effectiveness of the Patrick administration.

Hillary’s inconsistencies

It is only March 1 — 20 months before the 2008 election — and already four prominent Democrats have withdrawn from the pursuit of the presidency. Tom Vilsack, former governor of Iowa, was the most recent dropout. Sens. Evan Bayh of Indiana and John Kerry of Massachusetts have joined Mark Warner, past governor of Virginia, as former contenders.

The strategy at this time is to acquire all of the funds available for campaign contributions and dry up the well for others. One would think that Sen. Hillary Clinton would have an insurmountable advantage over all the other Democratic candidates. But last week, Sen. Barack Obama was able to raise $1.3 million at a party in Los Angeles. Obama is also doing well in New York, Clinton’s home turf.

Clinton also has another problem. She refuses to renounce her vote for the war in Iraq. Despite this, she wants Obama to renounce David Geffen’s unflattering remarks about the Clintons. Geffen was the co-chairman of Obama’s very successful Los Angeles fundraiser.

The battle lines are drawn. So far, Clinton has been unable to tarnish Obama’s rock star charisma.

“I know the state will save money, but is this appropriate for the governor…?”