[Sidebar] The Worcester Phoenix
September 15 - 22, 2000

[Features]

Harriette Chandler
State Senate, 1st Worcester District

Questions Answers
1. Many people believe the state legislature remains in the grip of the lobbyist-funded leadership, and that the local delegation is forced to march in lockstep with the leadership's whim. As a legislator, how will you combat this perception?
 Lobbyist influence, soft money, and clean-election laws are all interconnected. I support the Clean Election Law, which should significantly reduce lobbyist influence.
2. The use of term limits appeals to some as a way to block individuals from choosing politics as a career, and to reduce stagnation in the legislature. Do you support or oppose term limits, and why?
 I oppose the idea of term limits because I believe that the voter is the best source of term limits.
3. By providing public matching funds for candidates, a Clean Elections law is meant to reduce soft-money contributions and diminish corporate influence in the political process. Do you support or oppose a Clean Elections law, and why?
 I have consistently voted in the House for the Clean Elections Law which was passed overwhelmingly twice by my constituents in the 13th Worcester District.
4. Earlier this year, the state legislature passed a Patients' Bill of Rights in response to a ballot initiative. Do you support the terms of the initiative, and is the legislation enough to address patients' needs?
 Health-care is a complex, inter-related, evolving process. I am proud of my role in enacting the Patients' Bill of Rights which has been strongly endorsed by advocates of the ballot initiative who no longer now support the referendum.
5. One of the biggest concerns of senior voters is prescription-drug coverage. What role, in your opinion, should state government play in providing these drugs?
 Only government can respond to those with no place else to turn. I led the earlier efforts to develop the Senior Pharmacy Plan and Senior Pharmacy Plus to help low-income seniors pay for their prescription drugs, and created our new voluntary catastrophic prescription insurance plan to help all seniors pay for their prescriptions.
6. School vouchers would allow parents to use public education funds to pay for a private education for their children. Do you support or oppose school vouchers, and why?
 I oppose school vouchers. I do not believe that our tax dollars should be used to support private education.
7. MCAS educational testing is on everyone's mind these days. Is the current system fair and worthwhile?
 I strongly support a system of educational

accountability. However, I am opposed to any single test that is used to determine whether or not a child is allowed to graduate from high school.
8. Town leaders in Holden have complained that Worcester charges too much for use of the city's sewage system. What role should the next District 1 senator play in this debate?
 I am familiar with the issue because of my past work in securing state funding to improve the area's infrastructure. The next state senator should act as a facilitator in efforts to find a solution to the Holden-Worcester sewage issues.
9. What role should the District 1 senator play in the debate over the future of Wachusett Regional High School?
 It is the role of the residents of the community to participate in the debate over the future of Wachusett Regional High School. The senator's role should be to facilitate the implementation of that decision.
10. With a crunch on affordable housing in Worcester, is there any benefit to building a modest amount of low-to-moderate-income housing in surrounding towns such as Holden or West Boylston?
 The question of building low- to moderate-income housing in surrounding towns like Holden or West Boylston is a public-policy decision that should appropriately be made by the residents of those communities.
11. A strong presence at the State House is crucial to ensure the completion of Union Station, including a parking garage, the addition of more trains, and private development on surrounding parcels. What will you do to ensure the success of Union Station?
 I will continue to fight for the full 10-round-trip Worcester-Boston commuter- rail service that the administration has been unwilling to deliver, to complete the parking needs, and to encourage private development on surrounding parcels.
12. A healthy local economy needs a preponderance of taxable property. What specific things will you do to increase the level of such property in the district, particularly in Worcester, which contains a large number of abandoned buildings?
Abandoned buildings should be removed at the owner's expense or taken over by the city and put to useful, tax producing purposes.
13. Are you pro-abortion or anti-abortion, and why?
 I am pro-choice, because I believe in a woman's right to make her own decisions regarding her body.
14. What is your position on capital punishment, and why?
 I support capital punishment for those most heinous of crimes. Such a death-penalty bill must provide all defendants with complete procedural safeguards, as well as access to DNA [testing] and other technology to assure that an innocent person is not put to death.
15. List your top three priorities upon taking office, in order of importance.
 Health-care that is high-quality, affordable, and accessible to all

Educational excellence for all cities and towns.

Safe homes, schools and neighborhoods.
16. Why should people vote for you?
 My six years in the legislature have produced a record of real accomplishments and real ideas. I have fought for the needs of the people of Central Massachusetts and have delivered them better health-care, a stronger education system, and improved services.


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