Reilly's openness stands out (in the Massachusetts gubernatorial field)

[TaleWgnDg]

(Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Attorney General) Reilly's openness stands out

by Scot Lehigh, op/ed, Boston Globe newspaper, Friday, March 31, 2006

The average guy in a field of well-heeled and well-housed gubernatorial candidates, Tom Reilly is sitting at the dining room table in the modest apartment he calls home, making a point about financial disclosure. If you want to be governor, he says, you should release your income tax returns. "It's time for high standards and openness," he declares. "Governor is a damn important job."

Reilly is exactly right. Indeed, such disclosure used to be pretty much standard practice in Massachusetts gubernatorial campaigns. Then, in 2002, Mitt Romney broke with tradition by refusing to release his tax returns.

. . . snip . . .

Deval Patrick, now Reilly's principal rival for the Democratic nomination, has seeded his effort with $300,000 and holds out the possibility of adding more.

"It is even more important in cases of someone from the private sector, self-financing their campaign," the attorney general (Tom Reilly) declares. "Where is the money really coming from? Are there any conflicts? These are things that people would want to know about a person before they vote."
. . . snip . . .

Patrick, who claims he's no ordinary leader, sounds pretty much like politics as usual here.

. . . snip . . .

On Wednesday, Reilly gave me a tour of the second-floor Watertown apartment where they have resided since 1990, save for a year renting in West Roxbury awaiting repairs after a September 2003 fire that claimed all their possessions except for some photographs.

. . . snip . . .

That's Tom Reilly: a lone stoic in the gubernatorial field. And, on this important issue of public disclosure, the only forthcoming candidate among them.

. . . more at . . . http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/03/31/reillys_openness_stands_out?mode=PF

(bold-faced type emphasis added by TaleWgnDg)

Tom Reilly and his wife own a modest home on Cape Cod. His wife inherited it. Reilly has divulged all in his financial disclosures. As opposed to Deval Patrick's undisclosed financial status (including the sources of his finances).

However, the Boston Globe has given Patrick's situation some light in past Boston Globe newspaper articles, as well as other prior Boston Globe investigatory reports regarding Deval Patrick's employment, business associations, their timing, as well as the possible relationship of his past/present business associations with his mortgages:

1.) http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/02/07/ga_bank_delayed_recording_patrick_loan?mode=PF

2.) http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=158&topic_id=7565&mesg_id=7565

3.) http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2064058

4.) http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/01/24/reilly_urges_consumers_to_avoid_ameriquest?mode=PF

5.) http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/02/11/reilly_assails_envoy_post_for_loan_firm_chief?mode=PF

6.) http://www.mail-archive.com/[e-mail]/msg00065.html

7.) http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_go2208/is_200405/ai_n6308258

8.) http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/11/17/union_is_pressing_patrick_to_renounce_bush_nominee/

It's obvious to all except Deval Patrick that he should be forthcoming and disclose his income tax returns. After all, what's there to hide?

We, the voters of Massachusetts, deserve to know if Deval Patrick has any present (or past) conflicts of interest that would impact his run for governor and his occupying Beacon Hill's corner office as Governor. As Tom Reilly is quoted as having said about income tax disclosure, "the president does, the vice president does. So it is not an extraordinary thing."

[Ian David]

1. If you're against Deval Patrick, then you hate freedom

I'm kidding you.

I think we can manage to keep this civil on DU.

At least, until Deval crushes Reilly like a worm.

Muhahahahaha!

[Kat45]

2. I know Reilly's landlord.

I remember when they had that fire, but at the time I had no idea that Reilly was the tenant.