Progressive Democrat to take on Rep. Richard NealDate: 3/5/2012 March 5, 2012
By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com
GREATER SPRINGFIELD — While plenty of elected officials were visiting Baystate Medical Center last week as it opened its new facility, there was one Congressional candidate who spent time on the sidewalk with picketing members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United and Visiting Nurses Association. That visit by Bill Shein on Feb. 28 speaks to his politics and his campaigning style.
Shein, who describes himself as a progressive, is one of two Berkshire County Democrats challenging Congressman Richard Neal.
Shein released a statement about his participation in the protest and said, "A world-class hospital can't function without a world-class nursing staff. And ensuring a fair contract with good wages, benefits, and that doesn't strip collective-bargaining rights is not incompatible with offering excellent health-care services in a 'hospital of the future.' In fact, the two must go hand-in-hand to ensure two things that we all want: Delivery of quality health care for those who live in our region, and economic security for those who work long hours to provide that care."
Speaking to Reminder Publications following the protest, Shein explained the economic conditions brought about by the recession helped motivate him to make his first political run at this time.
He noted that following the recession, banks that were once on the verge of closing are stable and corporate profits have set records, but issues such as foreclosures have had far less attention.
"It doesn't even seem [like] we're having the broad conversation on most issues," he said.
Despite the fact this is his first run for office, Shein is not a political newcomer. While in college he took a year off to work on the late Illinois Sen. Paul Simon's presidential campaign. After graduation he worked for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and later for Fair Vote, the center for Voting and Democracy.
He also has been a comedy writer for Comedy Central's "Indecision '92" where he wrote jokes for now-Sen. Al Franken. Since 2004, he has written a column for The Berkshire Eagle that has garnered three awards from the National Press Club for humor.
He said his decision to run for Congress was based on what has happened in the nation since the beginning of the recession in 2008. He believes that much of the public policy developed to recover from the economic disaster has benefited banks and other corporate entities while people are still coping with issues such as unemployment and foreclosure.
When asked about running against an established member of Congress such as Richard Neal, who has a large campaign war chest, Shein said the fact that so much of Neal's donations come from political action committees as opposed to individuals "tells the story of what is wrong with our democracy today."
"The fund-raising tells the story," he added. "We need to figure out as Democrats how to raise money without those we are against."
Shein said his campaign will not accept any contribution more than $99 and it will be a "volunteer fueled" grassroots effort.
Shein has also pledged that if elected he would not become a lobbyist after his time in Congress — a current political trend.
Central to his campaign is the discussion of both short-term and long-term answers to the problems the nation is facing. He said he supports "The People's Budget," a budget developed by the Progressive Caucus that called for rebalancing the tax code, calling back troops from Afghanistan and creating needed infrastructure public works programs, among other points. If enacted, proponents have said it would balance the budget and create a surplus of $31 billion in a decade.
Shein noted that Neal did not vote for the budget and he called the document "a starting point."
"We need to invest in the future," he emphasized.
Speaking on economic development, Shein believes that greater attention should be paid to helping small business rather than trying to attract large companies to the region. He supports the Wellspring Initiative, in which large local companies are being asked to shift the purchasing of goods and services to Springfield-based businesses.
While he supported the Obama Administration's stimulus plan, he believes it did not go far enough.
"Tax cuts for wealthy Americans [that are supposed] to create jobs is not the most effective way to address the crisis," he said.
He believes the county needs a Works Progress Administration approach similar to the series of infrastructure improvements funded by the administration of President Franklin Roosevelt during the Depression.
Although he acknowledged that employment numbers have improved, he noted that studies have shown that wages and household incomes have decreased.
Seeing that companies have been "chipping away" at benefits to employees, Shein said the nation is "on a race to the bottom."
For more information on Shein's candidacy, go to www.billshein.com.
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