The challenger: Sonia Chang-Diaz

By Sandra Miller
Back Bay Sun


Background
If elected, Chang-Diaz would become the first Latina to serve in the State Senate.
Chang Diaz is 30, who is also a teacher, was raised with her sister by a single white mother who works with adults with mental illness, foster children, and at-risk toddlers and infants in Dorchester. Her father, an immigrant to the United States from Costa Rica, is of mixed Latino and Asian ancestry, and was our country’s first Latin American astronaut, and a dedicated leader in the Latin-American community. Her grandfather is a rural doctor.
As an urban public school teacher in the Lynn and Boston school systems, Chang-Diaz learned firsthand the challenges facing our public school students, teachers, and parents and the role our state government can play in improving our educational system.
As senior legislative aide to former Sen. Cheryl Jacques, Chang-Diaz gained invaluable inside-the-Statehouse experience and public policy expertise. As a key political adviser at the Barbara Lee Family Office, she worked nationally to increase women’s leadership in the American political system. And most recently, as the director of outreach at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a non-partisan fiscal policy think tank, she has worked to build coalitions and educate and empower Massachusetts residents around key budget questions, from closing corporate loopholes to making the state’s budget process more transparent.
Chang-Diaz is also an active member of her community and her church. As a board member of MassVOTE, a statewide voting rights and election reform organization, she has been a strong voice for making the electoral system more accessible for young people, new Americans, communities of color, and low-income residents.
As a member of the Parish Council of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Roxbury, she has worked to hold the line against youth violence in Egleston Square, bringing parishioners and non-parishioners together to identify new ideas for combating the problem, such as direct canvassing in at-risk neighborhoods and grassroots fundraising to expand youth services.
And as a young Latina political activist, Chang-Diaz has been recognized by El Planeta newspaper as one of the 100 most influential people for Massachusetts’s Hispanic community.

Endorsements:
Chang-Diaz said the only endorsements that matter to her are the voters that she talks to and meets.

The issues:
Back Bay and Beacon Hill focus:
Both candidates said they would be monitoring the Storrow Drive tunnel repairs, and expressed sensitivity to residential neighborhoods co-existing with businesses and universities. Chang-Diaz said the recent agreement between Suffolk University and the Beacon Hill Civic Association was a positive role model for future discussions between institutions and communities. Wilkerson stressed the need for transparency in such negotiations, and working with the community.
They differ on only two major area issues: the Columbus Center project and the BU Biolab (see related story).
As far as the Statehouse seat goes, Chang-Diaz called for open and accountable government, “from setting high standards for the responsiveness of my own office staff to constituents to pushing for clear disclosure and evaluation on corporate tax incentives and grants; from maintaining strong campaign finance laws to making our annual state budget more transparent and understandable to the average citizen.”
Chang-Diaz understands that both she and Wilkerson are progressive Democrats, and therefore support most of the same issues. “It’s important to remember the fundamental difference is voters should not be asked to choose, on one hand, good progressive issues, and ethics and accountability on the other hand,” she said, adding, she’d use Rep. Marty Walz as a role model. “I’ve heard wonderful things from the community about the job that Rep. Walz is doing, and how she is an active partner,” she said.
Wilkerson recently settled with the attorney general’s office to close up a decade’s worth of financial problems, ranging from having to pay fines for campaign finance violations, battling a campaign-finance lawsuit, a 1990s income tax evasion conviction, and fighting the foreclosure on her home in 2000 after failing to pay her mortgage.
In a press release, Wilkerson called the settlement "timely and fair,” stating that her committee will install new practices and policies to prevent further accounting errors.
Chang-Diaz pointed out that Wilkerson’s legal problems has created doubts among the district’s voters. “I’m hearing a lot of frustration from voters on this. It’s a significant one, for sure, regarding years of misleading the public,” she said. “This is what turns people off to politics, which makes it harder for us to do things that need to be done.”
Wilkerson barely beat Chang-Díaz in the 2006 primary. Both ran a write-in campaign, Wilkerson after missing the deadline to file the required 300 certified signatures with state election officials, and Chang-Diaz as a late entry. Wilkerson won in the November election with more than 70 percent of the vote.
“We need new leadership to tackle some serious problems,” said Chang-Diaz. Wilkerson said her 16 years in office has created valuable seniority. “The difference is, I’ve been doing it,” said Wilkerson.
In other issues, each candidate released the following statements:

Health:
She pushed for: $37,166,608 for HIV and AIDS Disparities Funding; Health Care Reform involvement; the Needle Bill, for those 18 and up to be able to purchase hypodermic needles without a prescription at pharmacies, to help reduce transmission of AIDS and other diseases; Emergency Contraception; and an oral-health bill to give children under MassHealth access to dental care.
Chang-Diaz supports affordable health care for all, and to maintain the state healthcare program by combining efforts among employers, insurers, the public sector, health care providers, and individuals. She also would work with legislators and experts to pass cost-containment measures to keep health care prices down.
She is pro-choice and supports increasing access to reproductive health services and education.
“How can we contain healthcare costs, so individual families can be able to keep up? How can we control costs? The state healthcare system is venturing into uncharted territory,” she said, and the Legislature can help to control costs with such initiatives as electronic health care records, and setting up an infrastructure with health care providers, eliminating duplicate offices and commissions. “Our system is weighted toward surgeries … we have a huge primary care shortage because it’s not as rewarded,” she said. “We need to shift some of our reward focus system earlier on, toward primary care and prevention, and healthy lifestyles.”

JOB GROWTH and the Economy
Wilkerson’s support includes the following: Economic Stimulus of 2005-2006, such as environmental remediation, cleaning up the old Modern Electroplating, Workforce Development program, creation of a public marketplace in the City of Boston; film industry tax credits, HEAT (heating energy assistance and tax relief) bill, the Life Sciences bill to create high skill jobs; investment in clean energy and clean jobs, which in turn “means construction jobs to create related buildings and infrastructure;” CORI reforms to increase job availability and reduce recidivism; career development and education funding; Boston’s Summer Jobs program; curbing high-interest rates on bank loans; a commission to reduce poverty and poverty-exacerbating statutes; $8 million for summer Jobs for at risk Youth; and minimum wage increase.
Chang-Diaz supports economic development partnerships to revitalize neighborhood economies, create new jobs, and build ownership possibilities; Alternately, she said, economic development can be used as a label for inappropriate public benefits to corporate special interests. Too often, we’ve seen states and municipalities get caught in a race to the bottom for the candidate who can offer the biggest tax giveaway to large corporations. We need to always make sure our development efforts are strengthening those in the city who need it most, and that we’re using our resources in the most efficient, effective way.
“As your state senator, I will support economic development investments that are targeted to build stable and broadly-shared wealth within our communities, rather than subsidize large profits that will be owned outside our community. I will fight for the strongest transparency and accountability standards when development projects involve taxpayer dollars, so that when job-creation promises are made to taxpayers, they are kept.
She continued with, “We must also reform our CORI system, to make sure that jobs in the commonwealth are accessible to those who are working hard to become self-sufficient members of society - not just for more jobs, but for good jobs. That means a fair minimum wage that’s indexed to inflation—just like legislators’ salaries.
“It also means remembering that our public education system is the most proven jobs program we have. It’s our most powerful tool for making Massachusetts an attractive place for businesses in the new economy, and it’s our most reliable way to make sure our people get good-paying jobs, that can sustain families and neighborhoods.”


HOUSING
Wilkerson supported or sponsored: a bill creating a 180-day moratorium on foreclosures resulting from unfair subprime loans, giving tenants four to six months relief from eviction, and providinge a fair review process; judicial review process that would give homeowners the opportunity to have their cases heard by judges before being removed from their homes; and other bills supporting affordable housing protection.
She also supported homelessness programs such as health care and the creation of a homelessness commission.
Chang-Diaz also supports affordable housing programs and mortgage-protection help, including options that help families to stay in their neighborhoods and searches for affordable housing programs beyond the local level. “I will push for both long- and short-term solutions to stabilize the housing market and keep the dream of home ownership within reach for working families,” she said. “I will work closely with affordable housing advocates, development experts, and municipal leaders to target immediate resources into programs that have shown the most success—both locally and at the national level. “
She cites the need to invest in “smart growth” and mass transit in the commonwealth, to expand housing options across the state and distribute demand pressures more evenly between Boston and other areas.


PARKS REVITALIZATION and the Environment

Wilkerson secured funding in the recently passed Environmental Bond Bill to rebuild the docks at Community Boating on the Esplanade, an inline skating facility and kiddie pool at Melina Cass Rink, and a new ice skating rink in Jamaica Plain. She sponsored legislation to, or voted for: Environmental Justice Program, establishing a commission to study the local impact of any fossil fuel, energy generation and storage facilities; $2 million for cleanup of the old Modern Electroplating Building, and also to protect trees in the Emerald Necklace.
Chang-Diaz calls environmental protection “a moral responsibility to future generations and a health and quality-of-life issue.” She wants to protect the low-income residents from environmental problems, and to find ways that the federal government can help the commonwealth. She seeks to set achievable goals for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions over the next few decades, and seek out renewable energy alternatives, strong clean air and water standards, investment in public transportation, the “green” building codes, and rigorous environmental justice standards; and investment in public parks and green spaces.


EDUCATION
As the senate chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, Wilkerson presided over the hearing process for Governor Deval Patrick’s 2008 Education Reorganization plan. She also supported a bill strengthening graduation and drop-out data and programs; a House bill that strengthens the universal Pre-K program and develops early education and care; bills that help teachers with retirement increases; MCAS remediation; a statewide initiative for state education guidelines;Smart Growth state school aid; funded $21 million for METCO program, of which she is senate co-chair of the METCO caucus, and $31 million for adult basic education; and the $430 million Higher Education Bond Bill. She is opposed to lifting the cap on charter schools, until the funding formula is fixed.
Chang-Diaz, a former public school teacher, says she knows first-hand about what students, parents and schools need for support. “I will work ceaselessly to ensure that our schools have the resources and tools they need to complete this job: quality teachers, small class sizes, well-rounded curricula, excellent school leadership, and active community and parental involvement. I will also work to give parents the support they need to be active participants in their children’s education.”

LGBT and discrimination
Wilkerson fought for the following initiatives: legislation to establish domestic partnership for same-sex couples in Massachusetts; led the repeal of the 1913 Law banning out-of-state residents from marrying in this state – which not only will let out-of-state same-sex couples marry, but also sees the state benefiting from spending on wedding and travel; supported same-sex married households gaining access to MassHealth; secured funding for public school Violence Prevention Education and other youth services for LGBT youths; and nursing home diversity training to protect LGBT seniors against discrimination.
She also was the lead sponsor on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act; secured Boston voting ballots in both English-Chinese and English-Vietnamese; helped repeal the Indian Prohibition Act, a 1675 law which stated that any Native American caught in Boston after sundown will be imprisoned.
Chang-Diaz is also a strong supporter of marriage equality: “As state senator, I will actively work to ensure our government protects, respects and values all families,” she said.


Public safety:
Wilkerson has fought against racial profiling in traffic stops, helped secure $3.5 million for violence prevention, $100,000 for the Gun Prosecution Task Force, co-sponsored the Anti-Gang Package, helped Massachusetts become the second state requiring “Fire-Safe” cigarettes that self-extinguish; and supports interstate tracking for adult offenders, and the drunk driving legislation, Melanie’s Law.
Chang-Diaz recalls her days as a teacher and seeing youths who had little hope for their futures and therefore chose a violent lifestyle. “Working in the classroom, I fought every day to change that equation for young people by equipping them with skills and high expectations for themselves,” she said in a written statement. “We should not resign ourselves to crime and recidivism rates that are preventable. We have successfully reduced youth violence rates in Boston before, and we can do it again. Likewise, a wealth of data points us in the right direction for reducing crime by adults. As a city and as a state, we need to reinvest in the tested solutions that we know work and be willing to try new ideas that have gotten results elsewhere.”
To prevent youth violence, she helped prevent the 2005 closing of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Egleston Square. To combat youth violence at its roots, she supports “giving kids a more hopeful sense of their own futures,” she said, through rigorous education and after-school and summer programs, fostering relationships between youths and caring adults, and decreasing access to weapons. She also supports drug courts, sentencing reform, and re-entry programs, but is opposed to the death penalty.


SENIOR ISSUES
Wilkerson’s Senate work on behalf of seniors helped provide bank fee exemptions for senior Citizens when applying for MassHealth; home heating assistance; increased burial benefits for veterans; a connection to tax discounts; help with finding generic prescription drugs; and helping to fight foreclosures.

Miscellaneous:
Wilkerson also voted for Hurricane Katrina aid and the Welcome Home Bill that increased benefits for servicemen and women serving in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and also for their families. Chang-Díaz favors publicly funded elections, while Wilkerson doesn’t. However, both are opposed to casino gambling.