State Senate Election: Jonathan Hecht

Four Democrats seek to fill the Second Suffolk and Middlesex state senate seat vacated by Steven Tolman. The special preliminary election will be held Tuesday, Dec. 13. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Patch asked all four candidates a set of questions, the same set, to find out more about them.

1 - What areas of the state budget could be altered to make it more efficient, and how?

Massachusetts currently collects $20 billion in taxes and allows $24 billion in tax breaks. I sponsored an amendment to last year’s budget that mandates a top to bottom review of every tax break. We need to examine if they are achieving their stated goals, and if we are receiving the intended public benefit. If we cut just 2 percent of the tax breaks, we would gain $500 million in revenue. This is more new revenue than the most optimistic projections for casinos, without the associated social costs of gambling. I am also working to change the way we deliver long-term care to seniors and persons with disabilities in order to provide better services for less money.

2 - How will you ensure you serve all the residents of the district, not just those from your hometown, or current district?

In my time as a state legislator, I have worked effectively with people from all parts of the Commonwealth to get things done. As Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs and member of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, I work on issues of importance to all our residents. My experience working on human rights around the world has taught me valuable skills of how to communicate and work with people who start with different assumptions and even in other languages. I put a very high priority on constituent service for my current district and would have the same high standard in serving my senate district.

3 - How would you encourage businesses to move into the district, and what kinds of businesses and development would you like to see come in?

Our ability to attract business depends on the quality of our people and the quality of life in our communities. That means investing in education, job training, infrastructure, and strong communities. As we did in the Pleasant Street corridor in Watertown, we should encourage development that balances residential and commercial interests so we don’t detract from the strength of our neighborhoods. We did this by giving incentives to developers who committed to energy efficient, mixed-use development that preserved open space and suited nearby neighborhoods.

4 - How would you like to see public schools in Massachusetts improve?

Public education is extremely important to me. I am a product of Belmont public schools and send my children to public schools in Watertown. I have been a strong supporter of public school funding as well as reforming the funding formula to ensure the distribution of school aid is adequate and fair. I support the state’s application for a waiver from some “No Child Left Behind” provisions and using MCAS as one of multiple measures of student success. At the same time, we must continue to seek accountability for the academic success for all students. I support the comprehensive evaluation standards to give schools feedback for improvement and teachers opportunities for professional growth.

5 - Tell us something about yourself that voters wouldn't know, but should know.

I was born in Cambridge, grew up in Belmont and now live in Watertown. My father Malcolm Hecht, Jr., who served on the Belmont School Committee, taught me what it means to be a good public servant. I have spent my entire working life fighting for good government and respect for human rights. After law school, I went to China where I supported research on international human rights law and helped start China’s first women’s rights law center.