Cahill still missing from a debate

My opponent, Tim Cahill, is still missing from my call to debate. So my campaign decided to issue a "Missing" milk carton flyer. You can find it on my website. Please distribute it to your friends and neighbors and contact his campaign and urge him to debate! Thanks.

Busy weekend

I appeared on WZBC on Sounds of Dissent Saturday, WMBR's Radio with a View on Sunday and met people at the JP Lantern Parade. Plus, preping for Monday.

Some traction for my call for a debate with Cahill

My local paper, the Somerville Journal, covered my call for a debate. Also, got a mention in a Boston Globe editorial and I was interviewed by WHYN, AM 560 in Springfield.

You've got to be kidding me

Bechtel is conducting daily field inspections of remedial work inside the I-90 Seaport connector tunnel? Talk about conflict of interest. For more info see ‘Lax’ firm quietly tapped for inspections.

Challenged Cahill to a debate.

For Immediate Release Contact: James O’Keefe
October 24, 2006 617.447.0210

Mass. Treasurer Candidate Says Tim Cahill Has Failed Voters, Calls for Debate

James O’Keefe Cites Failure to Monitor Cost of Big Dig, Secret Deals

Somerville, MA – State Treasurer candidate James O’Keefe said today that Tim Cahill has failed voters, and challenged him to a public debate on issues ranging from the Cahill’s inaction on Big Dig to Cahill’s use of risky hedge funds.

“From the Big Dig to secret deals he gave former employees, Tim Cahill has failed the voters,” said O’Keefe. “We can no longer afford his risky investments.”

In a letter sent to Cahill yesterday, O’Keefe cited multiple issues he would like to raise in the debate, including:

• Cahill’s failure to act as a guardian of the people’s tax dollars and to blow the whistle about the true cost of the Big Dig.
• Secret deals that Cahill has made with former employees.
• The state’s focus on investing in risky hedge funds such as Amaranth, which has lost the pension fund over $40 million, rather than on local investments in small businesses and energy conservation.
• Cahill’s failure to challenge corporate tax breaks that have cost taxpayers nearly two billion dollars over the last ten years.

“If I’m elected, I will not gamble our public school teachers' pensions on risky hedge funds like Amaranth,” said O'Keefe. “Instead of rolling the dice with our teacher’s retirement funds, we should invest in local businesses, energy conservation and socially conscious companies that will give a reliable return while also strengthening the local economy.”

James O'Keefe, a lifelong Massachusetts resident, graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and earned a masters degree in Economics from Boston University in 1998. He has worked as a software quality assurance engineer and manager for the last thirteen years. He has lived with Melanie, his wife, in Somerville since 1992 and together they have two children, Liam and Emma.

The Green-Rainbow Party is a party that is guided by Ten Key Values, such as Ecology, Social Justice, Grassroots Democracy and Nonviolence.

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My campaign for treasurer has received a bit of press so far with more to come.

There is an article about me in Cahill's local paper, the Patriot Ledger.

Also, WCVB (Channel 5 for Boston-area folks), ran a summary of an interview with me during their October 18th 5:30pm news broadcast.

On other campaign news, we sent a fundraising mailing out that should be in supporter's mailboxes now and our buttons are in for those who want them. We are working on other materials so we can have them soon.