|
MEET THE
CANDIDATE |
|
Deeply committed to progressive
values and
advocacy. |
I am seeking election to the state senate
seat vacated by Jarrett Barrios on July 5, 2007. There is a Special
Democratic Primary election, which is being held on Sep. 11. I
am seeking your support, so I would like to share a bit about myself
with you.
|
|
My deep-rooted commitment to progressive
values and advocacy on cutting edge issues on a statewide basis goes
as far back as 1992, when I worked on the California Senate race and
was part of the massive team that helped elect the first two women
U.S. Senators from California. It is a time in history, of which I am
proud to be a part. When Senator Feinstein took office as a freshman
Senator, I spent a year as her intern on the Capitol Hill. The
following year, I went to study abroad for a semester at Universite de
Paris IV, Sorbonne. In Paris I served as diplomatic representative
for U.S. Ambassador Harriman, studied high tech consumer markets and
marketed U.S. exports to French distribution channels. I returned to
California to complete my B.A. in Political Science from the
University of Southern California. I moved to Boston in 1994 to
pursue my legal education. |
|
Jeff served on the Lawyers' Committee for
Gov. Deval Patrick
and organized Portuguese Press for the Governor's campaign. |
After completing my J.D. from Northeastern University, I served as
Chief Research Analyst to Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., Chief
Judge (Emeritus) at the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. I have
also served as law clerk to the Honorable Judge Timothy M.
Boudewyns (deceased), U.S. District Court in Rhode Island and a
legal intern at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,
assisting prosecutors with investigations and trial preparation.
|
|
In 1996, I worked in Cambridge at the Harvard Kennedy School of
Government and served on President Clinton's Commission for Civil
Rights. I am proud that our work had an impact on the
affirmative action cases in the 1990s. Sadly, the
conservatives on the Supreme Court just reversed parts of those
decisions and there is a lot of work to be done. Having
worked on these issues for over a decade, I understand them and
the need to resist the attacks on our civil liberties currently
underway that affect us all.
My commitment to progressive advocacy and public service led me to
pursue the office of State Representative against the Speaker
Salvatore DiMasi in 1998. |
Both in my legal career and several community positions, I have
been an outspoken advocate for the rights of working families and
those most at risk for injustice. I have spent years
representing and advocating on behalf of union employees in post
grievance, employment discrimination and employee rights. I
have been a member of the ACLU my entire adult life and have worked
with the ACLU recently as part of a team to reform the Massachusetts
licensing scheme.
|
On the job. |
|
I have been a strong and influential advocate on women's rights
issues. When Kerry Healy and Mitt Romney rewrote the
regulations at the state Registry of Motor Vehicles in violation
of the Administrative Procedures Act and tried to force right wing
Real ID policy on the Commonwealth, I was among the first to
discover that it discriminated against victims of domestic
violence. In 2006, I designed an effective ad campaign to
advocate for victims of domestic violence that were adversely
affected by the Romney Administration’s overtly discriminatory
licensing and enforcement policies. I helped form the core
group of plaintiffs to sue the Romney Administration last December. I have also been a long-time supporter of the Asian
Task Force on Domestic Violence. |
|
Speaking at Boston City Hall. |
I combated fraud aimed at marginalized immigrant communities by
drafting legislation to deter fraud by unscrupulous notaries in
2003. More recently, I worked closely with Senator Tucker
and testified twice before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the
urgent need for tougher disclosure rules and enforcement
legislation, which will conserve the resources of the Attorney
General's office.
|
|
As an openly gay candidate, I am sensitive
to the issues that affect the LGBT community. I have been an
outspoken advocate on marriage equality in the Commonwealth and worked
hard to temper the Republican dissemination of hateful anti-gay
propaganda. I will continue to be an ardent advocate for equal rights
and fundamental dignity. |
|
Working with diverse community leaders. |
|
Jeff with Senator Kennedy at "We
are Boston",
"the only event of its kind in the nation," according to the Senator. |
As a human rights lawyer and speaker of
four languages, I understand and value this district's immense
diversity more than any other candidate in the race. I have worked on
pilot programs with the city of Boston to increase diversity awareness
and recognize our immigrant heritage as a community. I was proud to
be part of Mayor Menino’s legacy and history made at last October’s
“We are Boston” event. I will work hard to make our
government more inclusive, to ensure that there is a place at the
table for all residents in this district.
|
|
I am also a co-founder of the Brockton
Civil Rights Task Force on Civil Rights and Public Safety to build
public-private partnerships to reduce recidivism, participate in the
development of diversionary programs and work toward social justice.
The Task Force seeks to bring a diverse community of state and
national leaders together with community advocates to create a forum
for a safe and progressive dialog that will build understanding and
promote progressive justice. I also supported the “Banned in Boston”
program, a public and private partnership to create an improv forum
for dialogue between local police and young people.
My commonsense approach to law enforcement
is built upon the principle that by increasing awareness and mutual
respect, we can balance the protection of human dignity and community
safety. My grandfather dedicated his life to serving as a
firefighter, which caused me to develop an immense respect for the
work of our public safety officials. I have also been a long-time
supporter of the Fraternal Order of Police. At the same time, my
immigrant advocacy makes me the best qualified candidate to develop
the police-community ties that will take our district healthily into
the next decade. |
In addition to being an ardent advocate, I
have a proven track record as a consensus builder. I have worked
closely with Administration officials and community leaders to
reformulate the Massachusetts licensing scheme to alleviate
discrimination while protecting security concerns. Last fall, I made
U.S. history when I collaborated with the federal authorities to
reunite a Lynn, MA man with his wife and young American children after
he was wrongfully deported from the U.S.
|
Jeff made U.S. history when he worked with
ICE to reunite
a wrongly deported man with his U.S. family.
|
|
Since working as a researcher at the
Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge in the 1990s, I have
been deeply involved with the communities in our district. For
the past several years, I have now worked on statewide issues,
bringing state Senators and community organizations together to bring
real solutions to critical issues that concern our district. I have
helped small businesses in Allston/Brighton, Cambridge, Somerville and
Everett,
consulting them on employment, licensing and government relations. I
have volunteered for ROCA, Inc. and the Chelsea Collaborative in
Chelsea, and worked with Boston Mayor Menino’s Office of New
Bostonians to strengthen the relationship between diverse cultural and
linguistic communities and the city, creating a model of a welcoming
multicultural city.
Today our district must rebuild the
partnerships between cities and towns, and it must ensure all of its
diverse citizens receive just and fair treatment. I support the
Governor's Municipal Partnership Act. Although not perfect, the MPA
is a good place to begin a constructive and positive dialogue between
our towns and the State House. The goal of relationship building
require elected officials who are proven advocates and pragmatic
consensus builders. Based on my record and experience, I will serve
as a strong and influential advocate for the residents of this
district. I ask you to send me to Beacon Hill as your Senator who
will serve as your ambassador to the State House.
Please vote for me,
Jeff Ross, Progressive Democrat, on Sept. 11. |
