Lesser bows out of debate, Boronski addresses marital status

Date: 10/23/2014

GREATER SPRINGFIELD –  Last week was one of success and later questions for Republican state Senate candidate Debra Boronski.

The success was due to her Democratic opponent Eric Lesser withdrawing from a debate at Longmeadow High School (LHS) on Oct. 15. The questions for Boronski were raised in regards to her marital status to real estate investor and East Longmeadow Board of Public Works member Daniel Burack, who owns a home in East Longmeadow in which Boronski resides. 

“Anyone anywhere that has documented that I’m married is in error,” Boronski told Reminder Publications.

Boronski said she recently submitted amended version of her statement of financial interests (SFI) to the Massachusetts Ethics Commission due to several missing requirements. All candidates running for public office are required to submit an SFI.

Several items in the statement include associations with business or nonprofit organizations and any ownership of properties worth more than $1,000 in the Commonwealth, and any positions in public office.

Boronski’s SFI was filed on Sept. 16 and was recently changed to include her status as the founder and CEO of the Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, and the owner of Chamber Management Services, LLC.

Boronski’s marriage status factors into her statement of financial interest because a spouse’s business and government affiliations, and income must be disclosed as well.

The penalty for any individual who willfully affirms or swears falsely to material before the state ethics commission is a fine of up to $10,000, five years imprisonment in a state correctional facility or no more than two and a half years in a jail or house of correction, according to information on the Ethics Commission’s website.

David Giannotti, public education and communications division chief for the Ethics Commission, said he could not comment about issues discussed in media articles related to Boronski’s statement of financial interest.

A Google search yielded several web pages in which Boronski is referred to as “Boronski-Burack.”

The username for Boronski’s personal Facebook page is debra.boronskiburack. Usernames appear in the page’s web address after www.facebook.com.

Business West referred to her as “Boronski-Burack” in a ranking of top local chambers of commerce from December 2010. The ranking lists the Massachusetts Chamber of Business & Industry as the number one chamber of commerce with “Debra Boronski-Burack” as president and CEO.

A testimonial written for Total Quality Associates by Boronski refers to her as “Boronski-Burack” on the company’s website.

In an advertisement on Northampton-based 106.3 FM WEIB’s website for the radio station’s “Leading Ladies of Distinction” event, she is referred to as “Boronski-Burack.”

In penning a guest opinion article for the Herald News in Fall River about health care and deficit spending, published on April 19, 2010, she is identified as “Boronski-Burack” in the byline.

Tax forms related to the Realtors Commercial Alliance of Massachusetts from 2010 also show her sharing Burack’s last name. 

A Boston Bulletin article from Aug. 25, 2011 by senior reporter Zack Huffman about hazardous material trucks refers to her as “Boronski-Burack” as well.

In response to questions regarding her marital status and tax records, Boronski released her 2012 and 2013 taxes on her campaign website. Both annual records list her as “single.”

Boronski’s 2012 income tax returns lists $12,735 for her total wages, salaries, and tips. In 2013, she claimed $19,215 in total income.

The scheduled debate between Lesser and Boronski later turned into a question and answer session between her and moderator Gerald Nolet.

Lesser said he decided to not participate in the debate from the very beginning due to a policy of having a moderator who is impartial. He said Nolet is a known supporter of Boronski.

“I’m happy to work with anyone and everyone,” Lesser said. “There’s nothing personal about it.”

A challenge was proposed by Lesser in September between himself and his opponent Boronski to debate in all communities in the 1st Hampden-Hampshire District, which includes Wilbraham, Longmeadow, Hampden, Granby, East Longmeadow, Ludlow, Belchertown, and sections of Springfield and Chicopee.

During the question and answer session at LHS, Boronski discussed the three most important qualities of a state senator, which she said are a vested interest in the communities being represented, dedication and commitment to communities by example, and honesty.

“I think that being honest and forthright is the most important thing so that people can have trust and faith in the person that they’re sending to Boston to represent them,” she added.

Boronski said her highest priority for change is to initiate legislation, which would mandate that every state agency to participate in processing improvement programs.

“Private industry has for decades been using programs that allow them to go through their systems and evaluate how things are getting done,” she explained. “It’s called Lean [enterprise]. It’s the taking apart and putting back together of a program.

“I believe that the state of Massachusetts is rich,” she continued. “I believe that we have a spending problem and that we have a problem with managing the programs and services that we have in place.”

In a follow-up interview the following day with Reminder Publications, Boronski said she considers the 1st Hampden-Hampshire district diverse with a variety of needs from each community.

“[Longmeadow] has a unique problem that other cities and towns at least in this district aren’t facing,” she said. “They’re built out so there’s no real room to grow and increase their tax base, yet they have some significant challenges with their infrastructure that need to be addressed.”

In regards to Chapter 90 state funding for roadway improvements, she said the current laws are antiquated and do not account for small town populations with resource needs.

“I think for the city of Springfield we need to focus on crime and safety,” she added. “It is a serious concern to the residents that I’m speaking with as I knock on doors.”

Boronski said community policing is vital to local municipalities in dealing with crime and in recent years there has been a diminished amount of funding throughout the district.

“I think that our police officers need to be at the senior centers, at the basketball courts, at Forest Park,” she added. “They need to be having breakfast and lunch with local citizens. They need to become an integral part of our everyday life in our local communities.”

Boronski said she would continue to champion the cleanup and revitalization work being done at the former Belchertown State School project by state Sen. Gale Candaras if elected.