Gubernatorial candidate Bob Massie foresees a sustainable future

To the editor:

On September 4 in the Democratic primary, we have a choice between Bob Massie and Jay Gonzalez for governor. I will be voting for Bob. I’ve known Bob my whole life. We grew up spending our summers just down the road from each other. He has always been a fireball of energy with an irrepressible sense of humor and a doggedness about everything he believes in. A charismatic speaker, he draws energy from a crowd. It is a pleasure to watch him gaining steam as he speaks. This energy energizes others; Bob has the gift of drawing others not just into his vision, but into participating in his vision. I have had the privilege of watching him through every stage of an extraordinary trajectory, hurtling unbelievable obstacles to accomplish what others have not. I have seen him surmount health challenges and go on to build organizations and coalitions to create enduring change. Since childhood, he has been fascinated by the good that can be done by those committed to service. Before you vote, I would encourage you to visit his website if you haven’t already and get to know this candidate.

A graduate of Princeton with a divinity degree from Yale and a business degree from the Harvard Business School, Bob has been instrumental in advancing global corporate accountability. He conceived of and created the Investor Network on Climate Risk. At its most recent meeting in 2016, INCR assembled investors and pension funds with more than $22 trillion in assets to speed transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy.

Bob is a visionary able to hold complex systems in mind and see how to combine strengths within those systems to create solutions. In this election, we have the opportunity to set Massachusetts on a path to become a laboratory and beacon for the rest of the country — on health care, infrastructure, workers’ rights, a truly green economy and greater income equality. Instead of a management style that stays one short step ahead of immediate challenges, Bob will anticipate what can be accomplished by reaching out five steps, 10 steps or 20 and harnessing the power of that vision. I have seen him do it. In his own words:

“Everything in our world is interconnected. This is the core principle of sustainability. Whenever we start tackling one problem, we have the possibility to make progress in another. For children to thrive and learn in school they need a safe and secure home, healthy food, available parents, and good schools. Their parents need childcare support, affordable healthcare, and access to good jobs. To start a small business, entrepreneurs need high speed internet, local capital, a trained workforce, and reliable infrastructure. Everything links to everything else. We cannot treat opioid addiction, reduce mass incarceration, increase affordable housing or battle climate change, one issue at a time.  We need a coordinated approach and a holistic vision.”

He has been endorsed by Our Revolution National, which puts him in company with Andrew Gillum in Florida, Ben Jealous in Maryland, Stacey Abrams in Georgia, and Cynthia Nixon in New York.

From the campaign: “Bob is the only candidate who can deliver us the future we need and deserve. He’s not a career politician, and he’s not a billionaire. He has spent his life as a courageous activist, an inclusive coalition builder, and a visionary movement leader who will be our advocate against all the go-slow establishment leaders who cannot see the dangers or the opportunities that are rushing towards us.”

In January, the Berkshire Eagle wrote: “Bob Massie releases his 29 page energy plan that gives us hope for a future we never knew we could have until now.”

Bob has received many other significant endorsements from newspapers, organizations and leaders. Again, I encourage you to check his website. At a time when we are seeing visionary voices leapfrog expectations to win in upset primaries across the country, I believe we have an unusual opportunity to move the needle in Massachusetts toward truly progressive politics.

For those of us who are progressives, now is the time for bold choices. I encourage you to believe we can do more than right the ship of state. We can grab this opportunity and vote for Bob Massie for governor.

Holly Morse
Mill River