Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick joined Boston Public Radio hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan Thursday afternoon for his monthly Ask the Governor segment.
Here's some bites from Patrick's interview:
On the passing of Boston news anchor Chet Curtis:
He was always gentleman, always warm. And it came across in his reporting as well. I think that's one of the reasons we all felt we trusted his reporting.
On Jeremiah Oliver and the Department of Children and Families:
The Oliver case is unique and personally upsetting to DCF and to me, and the general public. As concerning as the staffing level issues are ... they don't explain what happened in the Oliver case because there the social worker and/or the supervisor misled, frankly, their superiors about those home visits and check-ins.
I think the question is, are there systems that we have in place that aren't good enough? Or, are there systems that we ought to have in place that we'd be better in lowering the risk that a bad judgment isn't caught? [Read the full DCF report released Thursday below]
On increasing funding for DCF:
This isn't the first time we've proposed to increase the funding for DCF. These are terrible times. This isn't the only underfunded agency. This is one of the agencies that has some of the most delicate assignments. Generally, when the time comes to increasing this or that, that gets lampooned in the general public. It's a sad truth, but it's the truth. Sometimes the focus on doing better follows a crisis.
This is a real opportunity. We went about a year ago and worked out with the union at DCF an agreement about what a reasonable staffing level ought to be. It'd come down from -- I think 18 families is about the average -- to 15 families per social worker, which would require some additional staffing. So what you see in [the budget] is the funding of that.
There's some other issues -- there's a law that prohibits the department from considering the licensing of social workers in the hiring of social workers ... I think that law ought to be repealed. DCF leadership and the union for social workers have worked an understanding that being licensed is best practice, and that being licensed is a requisite for being promoted, which is great. But you got to repeal that law.
On the fact that there's no minorities running for Governor of Massachusetts:
I'm glad that the field of candidates includes some people who are new to the process, who are thinking in ways that would not have been predicted in running for Governor. Which is a way of saying that the political establishment doesn't have a lock on all of the ambitions of people ... I'm glad there are two women running for Governor, I think that's really important. But there is a lot of talent of color out there, too. And I'd like to see them run for positions -- people I know, people I don't.
On why he thinks more minorities don't run for office:
It's a nasty business, running. It's an unpleasant, intrusive, grueling business to run for office, and a lot of people see that for what it is. You know, I've said this on the program before and I believe it. We get the government we deserve, and if we want better government, if we want better government that reflects our better angels of our nature, then people are going to have to step up and the rest of us are going to have to get off the sidelines and get involved.
On (not) running for president:
Patrick: I am not running for anything else. But, uh ...
Jim: Ever?
Patrick: Well, maybe one day but not in the foreseeable future. I don't have any plans. But, if it's like the rest of the speculation I've experienced around here, it doesn't matter one whit what I say.
Jim: Hillary Clinton called you in six months and said I'd like to work with you ...
Patrick: We'll have to see. But, if you're asking me if I want to be vice president, the answer is, 'No.'
Read the full Child Advocate's office report on the DCF:
