Chris Gabrieli came into the race for Governor of Massachusetts claiming to be a candidate of ideas and results. As Glen Johnson of the Associated Press writes, Gabrieli "entered the 2006 governor's race promising to be a different kind of candidate, a non-politician focused on bottom-line results." It's difficult to see where the ideas and results are really setting Gabrieli apart at this point.
Johnson writes that "close listeners may have detected the strains of an old-school politician rather than a private-sector reformer. There's been backroom deal-making, big money and a tepidness about committing to ironclad positions." Johnson points to Gabrieli's narrow qualification for the September primary ballot at the state Democratic convention as well as his setting of a $15.36 million cap on spending for the Governor's race as examples where Gabrieli looks to be playing the old-style politics. And then there are Gabrieli's positions on income taxes, the Cape Wind project, and allowing state troopers to arrest illegal immigrants that are less than crystal clear.
On the ideas side, Gabrieli is not as fresh a thinker as it might appear at first glance. Last week, he released a seven point plan to "get results" from government. From someone touted as a fresh thinker, this plan is tired and disappointing.
He first calls for a "top to bottom review of every state program." This sounds like the same pledge made by many other candidates for Governor. It is rarely taken seriously - and with good reason. It would be a waste of a new Governor's time - and that of the members of his administration. It would be far better for Gabrieli to identify several programs most in need of overhaul. It would be politically courageous for him to do this before the election.
Gabrieli calls for the "elimination of wasteful state spending." Another tired nostrum. Gabrieli identifies targeted spending to include employee travel and cell phone use. It's actually hard to believe that this comes from a successful businessman. Anyone with even a glancing familiarity with state government knows that it is labor-intensive. Reducing employee travel and cell phone use will not produce significant reductions in state spending. Only a hard look at programs - and staffing levels - will do that.
Gabrieli wants to crack down on "Big Dig-like" cost overruns in capital projects. Gabrieli's statement on this is worth quoting at length.
As consumers, we double-check our bills and credit card statements to make sure we don't get overcharged. Unfortunately, as we've seen with projects like the Big Dig, the government is not nearly as careful with your tax dollars. I will make sure that our cost estimates for capital projects are more accurate, and I'll refuse to do business with companies that habitually overrun costs. If you can't do the job on time and on budget, then you can't do business with the state.
This sounds good until one considers how construction projects are bid in this state. The state and local governments are required by law to go with the low bidder on construction projects in all but a handful of circumstances. This provides ample incentive for contractors to underestimate costs. Even without this incentive, the nature of capital projects unfolding over a number of years makes it difficult to come up with accurate cost estimates that fully account for cost inflation.
His other ideas are not bad, but are not revolutionary either. He wants to do multi-year budgeting - something that a number of other states already do. He wants to expand e-government - another good idea. He also wants to do "town meetings" and be a "full-time" Governor - again worthy ideas.
Perhaps it is too much to expect that an "ideas and results" candidate will tout really good ideas and results. I know that I am disappointed not to see better ideas from this candidate. Perhaps it will be enough to know that if Chris Gabrieli raises his right hand to take the oath as Governor of Massachusetts in January, he probably really will meet his one significant promise - to be a full-time Governor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.