30 May, 2012
Today, as the Massachusetts House debates an election reform bill, Marty Lamb, Republican candidate for State Representative in the Eighth Middlesex District, challenged his opponent, State Representative Carolyn Dykema to sign a Clean Campaign Pledge.
"My campaign is going to be about the issues," said Lamb. "I think the voters of this district will appreciate the effort to reform the campaign process here locally."
Lamb's pledge proposes that all campaign materials, press releases, and other communications be limited to issue-oriented and voter education information only. Personal attacks and name calling would be strictly prohibited. Like U.S. Senator Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren have banned outside groups from advertising in their race, Lamb's pledge calls for the two campaigns to also refrain from accepting outside help with electronic advertising and mailings. If one of the candidates breaks the agreement, then that candidate will be required to donate 50% of the cost of the advertising to a charity.
"I am hoping that Mrs. Dykema will agree. We can agree to disagree on the issues without resorting to personal attacks," said Lamb. "By signing this pledge, we are showing our commitment to the people of the district. During these tough financial times, the voters deserve debate strictly on our visions for the future."
"As the House debates the election reform bill today, we have an opportunity to lead by example," added Lamb.
Last week Lamb endorsed the Keyes Plan to restore integrity to the legislature. Not only does Lamb want to clean up the legislative process but he also wants to improve transparency and the integrity of the legislature.
The Keyes to Good Government Plan includes:
- End the legislative exemption from the public records law.
- Prohibit the passage of controversial items at informal sessions. Once a Senator or Representative has submitted a written objection to the respective leaders of their chamber, then that item cannot be taken up during an informal session. In previous years, Senator Murray tried to push through the controversial wind energy bill during informal session.
- Require the State Auditor to conduct a comprehensive audit of the legislature yearly.
- Stop the bundling of amendments. This will create more transparency within the legislative process and within our state budgets.
- nd the legislative exemption for the Open Meeting Law.
- End the legislative exemption from the Fair Procurement Law.
- Require bills to be in print and online for 72 hours before voting on them. Last year the final version of the state budget was passed at the last minute. After it emerged from the Conference Committee, the bill was not in print for 72 hours.
- Subject the judiciary branch to the public records law for administrative records only.
- Require the Ethics Committee to be bi-partisan. Right now the membership of the Ethics Committee is bi-partisan but is dominated by the majority party. Keyes wants equal membership for the two parties. This will ensure accountability for legislators rather partisan perfunctory investigations. As it stands now the committee is just a rubber stamp for the majority party.
- Prohibit legislative members from serving in a leadership if he or she has been indicted. After Senator Jim Marzilli was accused of sexual assault, he was allowed to collect his extra pay as Chairman for months.
- Require that committee votes are recorded and published online.
- Prohibit felons from collecting pensions while incarcerated.
- eform the public records law so the Governor's administration and state agencies have to comply not avoid it. The Pioneer Institute has long complained about the lack of compliance with the public records law. "Simple requests can take a year or more to fulfill, search and reproduction fees climb into the thousands of dollars and government offices claim dubious exemption all leaving the public in the dark and denying their basic right to know."
Mr. Lamb graduated from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in 1985 and received his Bachelor of Arts from Hampshire College in 1982. He has an extensive background in real estate law, formerly with Adelson, Golden & Loria, P.C., Edward A. Sokoloff & Associates, and Lamb and Browne, P.C. and is currently with Lamb and Associates, P.C. He is a member of the Real Estate Bar Association of Massachusetts. An active participant in community affairs, Mr. Lamb sits on the Board of Directors of New England Region of United Synagogue and is a past president of Temple Beth Torah in Holliston. He has also served on the Holliston Elementary School Council and the Campaign for Holliston Schools. He resides in Holliston with Peri, his wife of 22 years, and his two daughters Elissa and Simma.
For more information on Marty's candidacy, voters can visit his website www.ElectMartyLamb.com or follow him on Twitter @Electmartylamb and Facebook at Elect Marty Lamb.
