Please vote in the primary election next Tuesday, Sept. 9.   Independents as well as Democrats can pick up Democratic ballot.   I encourage you to support former Treasurer Steve Grossman for Governor.

See the Sept. 3 Democratic candidates debate here.

Read a summary of the debate here in the Lowell Sun or listen to WBUR’s summary here.  Listen from the 2:00 min mark until about the 2:30 mark for my core criticism of Coakley, i.e., lack of a coherent plan to achieve her stated objectives.   In contrast, Grossman has plausible plans for achieving his objectives.  When it comes to the chief executive, good ideas are worthless if they can’t execute them.

Don Berwick is a decent candidate but he’s currently pulling single digits.   Short of Grossman and Coakley keeling over dead between now and next Tuesday he’s not going to win.  Your choice is between Coakley and Grossman.  I summarized why I prefer Grossman to Coakley back in June.  Nothing has changed significantly.  Here’s what I wrote (lightly edited) back then:

I go to the  Issues section on Grossman’s web page and the first topic I see is Jobs & Economic Growth.  That’s a subject near and dear to my heart.  I read the associated text and we learn that Grossman did something constructive while was Treasurer:

When Steve became treasurer, he found that 60 percent of the state’s reserve funds were deposited in banks in Europe, Australia, and Asia. Steve worked to bring that money back so the taxpayers’ money, now in Massachusetts banks, could be loaned to credit-worthy small businesses to create jobs for the people of Massachusetts. The Small Business Banking Partnership has moved more than $327 million into 52 community banks. Those banks have in turn made more than 6,000 loans with a value of more than $1 billion, focusing heavily on job creation in our gateway communities. To level the playing field, banks have made loans with a principal focus on women-owned, minority-owned, immigrant-owned, and veteran-owned businesses.

I like that in and of itself but it also gives me confidence that when he says he has a goal of creating 50,000 new manufacturing jobs that he’s got a clue about how he’ll go about creating them.  In contrast, Coakley’s approach to job creation is to have some conversations with business leaders.  That does not inspire confidence.  (I’ve also heard from a retired state employee that Grossman has done a good job with the state pension funds as Treasurer.  That also earns him points in my book.)

ADDENDUM:  The Boston Globe endorsed Grossman.   The endorsement also has thoughtful commentary on Coakley and Berwick.