Vote for Bill Weld

If recent polls are accurate, Massachusetts voters will soon give Governor William F. Weld '66 what he deserves a landslide re-election. The liberal Republican's innovative co-mingling a fiscal conservatism and laissez-faire social policies seems to have proven successful--and, fortunately for Weld, popular.

But Weld is no novice in reconciling apparent contradictions. In his Harvard College days, after all, he was a resident of Adams House and a member of the Fly Club. This unique outlook has helped the governor lead Massachusetts in the right direction.

During his first term, Weld has produced thousands of jobs for Massachusetts. As governor, he has understood the importance of attracting employers to the state. He has cut taxes six times and plans more tax incentives for business.

A case in point of Weld's successful approach is the recent casino controversy. Weld supports the building of casinos on Indian tribal land, which will undoubtedly bring more jobs to the state and encourage Massachusetts residents to spend their recreational money here instead of in nearby Connecticut, at the popular Foxwoods casino. Despite overwhelming popular support for this plan, Weld's Democratic opponent, Mark Roosevelt '78, is morally opposed to building any casinos in Massachusetts.

Weld has balanced the state's budget each year by cutting spending. He closed a $2.6 billion deficit left by the Dukakis administration. He trimmed the fat from a bloated government bureaucracy, cutting the state work-force by nearly 12 percent through layoffs and early retirement incentives. The result? Under the incumbent governor, Massachusetts has achieved a triple upgrade in its financial rating--which will in turn attract more investment to the state.

On social issues, Weld has strayed from the Republican party in favor of tolerance. He is firmly pro-choice and favors legislation to codify Roe v. Wade. In 1992, he became the first Republican governor to with the National Women's Political Caucus award for having the highest percentage of females in his cabinet (nearly 64 percent). And he even signed into law Roosevelt's bill which mandated the protection of gays and lesbians against discrimination.

As governor, Weld has put education at the top of his agenda. He made the secretary of education a cabinet-level official, and signed into law a school choice plan for the state's public schools. Last year, Weld authorized an education reform act that established a statewide core curriculum and standards for achievement.

In a second term, Weld will also continue to get tough on crime. He supports the "three strikes" agenda which will keep violent criminals where they belong--in jail. He has supported legislation that makes it easier for the police to intervene in cases of domestic violence. He supports the death penalty for extreme crimes, such as the murder of police officers. And he favors tough gun control legislation, including a ban on assault weapons.

In short, Governor Weld has done an admirable job or putting Massachusetts on the road to prosperity, even as he has supported education and a sensible social agenda, and made it easier to fight crime. Given his record of success, he certainly deserves four more years.