Candidate For Eighth District Seat Speaks at IOP

Quality education, affordable housing and heterogeneous communities are essential for rebuilding urban areas, Thomas M. Keane Jr. '78 told a group of about thirty at the Institute of Politics (IOP) yesterday afternoon.

Keane also discussed his experiences on the Boston City Council and the intersection of business and politics.

Keane is in a ten-way Democratic race for the eighth congressional district seat of Mass., which is ripe for the taking after Joseph P. Kennedy II announced he will not seek re-election.

Before entering public life in 1993, Keane worked in the business sector, most notably as a general partner in Murphy & Partners, a New York-based equity fund.

Keane--a tall man with glowing blue eyes and closely clipped hair who cites former Mass. senator Paul E. Tsongas as a mentor--sat, lightly gripping a can of Coke, and discussed the evolution of his career and the issues most important to him.

He said he entered politics in 1993 because he was alarmed that Boston was developing a "donut" pattern in which wealthierindividuals were leaving the city center andtaking resources with them.

"The notion that I advanced is that in a sensecities had to be able to appeal to all economicspectra," Keane said.

Keane said that by keeping neighborhoodsheterogeneous, cities can preserve affordablehousing.

He has tried to halt urban flight by focusingon quality of life issues like schools, safety andinfrastructure, Keane said.

Keane's concerns about affordable housing arepart of his larger interest in people who areoften marginalized by the political process.

"A lot of democratic politics is about ensuringthat people that have historically been excludedare brought into the mainstream in some fashion,"Keane said.

For Keane, this has meant reaching out tominority communities in areas like Dorchester andMattapan and the gay community.

In 1995, Keane authored legislation which givesdomestic partners in Boston more rights, but ithas yet to be passed.

For a man grounded in business, bringingeveryone under his big tent is also a matter ofeducation and economics.

"It is education that is fundamentally thesolution to poverty," Keane said.

Keane advocates using the budget surplus totriple federal funding for education from $15billion to $45 billion.

He also wants to make early childhoodeducation, after-school programs and adulteducation priorities.

While Keane's political sensibilities aregrounded in his former incarnation as aentrepreneur, he rejected the idea that skills inbusiness necessarily translate to the politicalarena.

Keane said that most businesses arehierarchical, whereas politicians must compromiseand bargain with one other.

However, Keane said his business experience hastaught him accountability and given him thecontext behind social issues.

For Keane, business also provides a fallback ifhe does not take office, or should lose a publicoffice in the future.

Keane said this security allows him to takerisks and maintain his values as a politician.

"The point of leadership is to be ahead of thecurve, not behind the curve," Keane said.

Keane's articulation of the issues impressedsome of the audience members, who were nearly allmale.

"I think what he's saying about education beingthe root of all social problems is true," DanielL. Cohen '97 said.

Yet, for others, Keane's concepts seemed toosimple.

"I'm sort of skeptical at a fundamental levelabout how much government can affect some of theseinnate social problems," Daniel C. Burfoot '99said.

While an undergraduate at Harvard, Keaneconcentrated in government, was president of theHarvard-Radcliffe Democrats and was a member ofthe IOP.

Keane said Harvard had "a significant impact"on his political development

"The notion that I advanced is that in a sensecities had to be able to appeal to all economicspectra," Keane said.

Keane said that by keeping neighborhoodsheterogeneous, cities can preserve affordablehousing.

He has tried to halt urban flight by focusingon quality of life issues like schools, safety andinfrastructure, Keane said.

Keane's concerns about affordable housing arepart of his larger interest in people who areoften marginalized by the political process.

"A lot of democratic politics is about ensuringthat people that have historically been excludedare brought into the mainstream in some fashion,"Keane said.

For Keane, this has meant reaching out tominority communities in areas like Dorchester andMattapan and the gay community.

In 1995, Keane authored legislation which givesdomestic partners in Boston more rights, but ithas yet to be passed.

For a man grounded in business, bringingeveryone under his big tent is also a matter ofeducation and economics.

"It is education that is fundamentally thesolution to poverty," Keane said.

Keane advocates using the budget surplus totriple federal funding for education from $15billion to $45 billion.

He also wants to make early childhoodeducation, after-school programs and adulteducation priorities.

While Keane's political sensibilities aregrounded in his former incarnation as aentrepreneur, he rejected the idea that skills inbusiness necessarily translate to the politicalarena.

Keane said that most businesses arehierarchical, whereas politicians must compromiseand bargain with one other.

However, Keane said his business experience hastaught him accountability and given him thecontext behind social issues.

For Keane, business also provides a fallback ifhe does not take office, or should lose a publicoffice in the future.

Keane said this security allows him to takerisks and maintain his values as a politician.

"The point of leadership is to be ahead of thecurve, not behind the curve," Keane said.

Keane's articulation of the issues impressedsome of the audience members, who were nearly allmale.

"I think what he's saying about education beingthe root of all social problems is true," DanielL. Cohen '97 said.

Yet, for others, Keane's concepts seemed toosimple.

"I'm sort of skeptical at a fundamental levelabout how much government can affect some of theseinnate social problems," Daniel C. Burfoot '99said.

While an undergraduate at Harvard, Keaneconcentrated in government, was president of theHarvard-Radcliffe Democrats and was a member ofthe IOP.

Keane said Harvard had "a significant impact"on his political development