Well-informed, attentive and freethinking students will change Massachusetts, former State Rep. Paul Loscocco, R-Middlesex, said at a lieutenant governor's debate on Monday.
Loscocco, Independent Tim Cahill's running mate, joined Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, State Sen. Richard Tisei, R-Wakefield, and Rick Purcell in a forum for the candidates for lieutenant governor at Curry College in Milton.
Challenges to government officials should be made by students now, Tisei, Republican Chalie Baker's running mate, said.
"[Massachusetts is] losing a lot of our under-40 population, particularly younger people with advanced degrees and advanced skills, to other states because our state is too expensive, it's not competitive and people don't think there's opportunity," Tisei said.
However, a failure to retain a younger population is not Massachusetts' only shortcoming, candidates said.
"Getting into [a drug rehabilitation program] is very difficult in this state, and you end up with a lot of people who, when they finally accept that they need help, the help isn't there," Tisei said.
Purcell, Green-Rainbow party candidate Jill Stein's running mate, shared a similar perspective on how the state has treated issues of drug addiction in the past.
"I live in Holoyoke, Massachusetts," Purcell said. "We have one of the highest AIDS per capita...we tried to do a needle exchange program in our little town and were refuted by the politicians."
Massachusetts also did not adequately address problems with its health care system, Loscocco said.
"The community hospital system is a travesty. . .we haven't addressed costs. . .instead of making it easier for hospitals to expand and grow, we have one of the toughest systems in the country for Certificates of Need. We have made it hard for doctors and nurses to come in," he said.
Some candidates criticized Massachusetts' policies toward businesses as well.
"The Commonwealth of Massachusetts makes it very difficult instead of helpful for small business owners to hire people and to grow as entities. . .it is unconscionable that when we have 300 thousand people unemployed, the Department of Revenue is so aggressive in going against small businesses in the state," Tisei said.
Murray, Gov. Deval Patrick's running mate, said Massachusetts should be admired for its development of the life science and biotechnical industry.
"Thirty years ago people laughed at that [life sciences and biotech] industry or said what kind of funny industry is that?" Murray said. "Well, today we lead the world. . .it is a sector that continues to grow and expand in different regions of the state. . .we've doubled the number of companies, the number of people employed in that in the last three or four years. . .that's a winning industry for Massachusetts.
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