Education

Chris, his wife and their children all attended public schools (K-12). His mother was trained as a teacher in early childhood education who later became a 20-year school board member including 12 years as school board chair. The talk at Chris's dinner table when he was growing up was focused on education and public service. Chris strongly supports the mission of public education in our communities.  As well, he supports investing in promising new ways of educating our youth in places where innovative approaches are proving effective. In this competitive world, the correct answer for education is "all of the above," done smartly. 

The Arts

Creativity must be alive and well in the 6th district, for it enriches us all, and is a competitive advantage as we attract new businesses to settle in our cities and towns. Chris will be a strong advocate of the Arts, throughout the District.

Immigration

Chris supports strengthening our borders to reduce the tide of illegal immigrants to the United States. At the same time, Chris supports a path to legal status including citizenship for long-term, law-abiding undocumented immigrants so that they may live more productive lives for themselves and for our communities and nation. 

We should seek long term transformative change by partnering with our neighbors in Central and South America to assist in creating greater opportunity, stability and peace in their countries.  Doing so will strengthen neighboring economies, support improved political stability that is so vital to a peaceful hemisphere and world, and reduce the flow of immigration to the United States.

Our Health

Chris understands that the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, upheld by the Supreme Court. He would support the ACA for a period of 5 years (through 2017), and advocate for an Independent review of the ACA in 2017 including return-on-investment, health care costs reduction, improved delivery, and other critical success factors. The debate will certainly rage on. Millions of people have been helped. Many have been harmed. 97% of Massachusetts residents have healthcare.

Chris will focus energy on health literacy so that everyone in the 6th District can be empowered to improve their own health. He will encourage easier access to healthier foods for all citizens, including advocacy of farmers markets, and support of a thriving local organic farming community free of GMOs. Health education leading to healthier eating and healthier living is a remedy for much of what ails us.  

Equal Opportunity

Chris believes that Americans of color are often unable to fully advance and contribute in America because of continued prejudice based on ignorance, fear, and silent indifference. Yet our greatest potential as a nation lies in improving the opportunities and possibilities for all of our citizens. We should seek transformative solutions to improve our entire society.

Transformative investments at the source of the problem offer far greater potential returns than the ongoing indifference that ensures a downward spiral of hopelessness leading to more expensive social programs, violence, addiction and incarceration. The costs to families and society are astronomical. We will be crippled by such costs until we find transformative solution

Criminal Justice Reform

Too many Americans are incarcerated for too long for committing non-violent crimes. We can’t afford to keep them there – for so many reasons beyond the crippling taxpayer financial burden.

Climate Change

Chris supports strong action at the federal, state, and local levels to confront short term challenges of extreme weather, and longer term realities of rising sea levels brought about through our warming planet. 

There are things that we can do as communities. Supported by our young people in collaboration with local experts, we should together develop the 6th District’s 10 Tips For A Smaller Carbon Footprint - the ten things that we can do as individuals, families, communities and companies to reduce our own 6th District’s carbon footprint so that we can lead more sustainable, resilient lives.

• In doing so we will set forth a new example for the commonwealth and for our country.

• A team from the 6th District should form these guidelines which Chris will in turn vigorously promote.