Candidate would treasure state tax dollars for new schools

LYNN – Pickering Middle School and other run-down public schools can be replaced with new buildings if state tax dollars are set aside for construction project down payments, said Republican candidate for state treasurer Michael Heffernan.Heffernan, a Wellesley resident running against Democrat Deb Goldberg in Tuesday’s final election, toured Pickering with Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy and said the visit left him convinced Pickering teachers and students deserve a new building in which to work and learn.”The Lynn schools are doing a great job. We need to work with the state Legislature to get the resources to them,” he said, adding, “You’re telling me it takes three years to get a school built? Why? There has to be someone asking, ?What do you need to make the system work faster?'”If elected to one of the state’s constitutional offices, Heffernan will oversee nine departments, including the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the state retirement pension system and the Lottery. He said his business resume, including experience starting companies and holding senior leadership positions, qualifies him to be treasurer.”I’ve got 30 years in financial service – practical experience that the treasurer needs,” Heffernan said.The son and grandson of public employees, Heffernan said a desire to “give back” and a conversation with Republican candidate for governor Charles D. Baker Jr. convinced him to run for treasurer. The pair sat down in October 2013 to discuss this year’s elections with Baker stressing the need to have a full slate of statewide Republican candidates.”A 15-minute conversation turned into an hour and a half,” Heffernan said.The treasurer’s job, Heffernan said, is to manage the state’s money in a disciplined manner.Heffernan said current Treasurer Steve Grossman, a Democrat, has done a good job, but Heffernan thinks more state money under the treasurer’s control should be placed in community banks to improve their lending power.He said the treasurer’s office can play small and big roles in the lives of Massachusetts residents by providing financial literacy education and placing controls on the state’s debt.”We have to rein in the growth in debt by being more focused on what our priorities are,” he said.Like Goldberg, Heffernan said the Lottery can benefit from technical modernization, including updating machines used by Lottery agents. Casino gambling and the Lottery can exist side by side, he said.”The Lottery is a $5 billion business; it will not be affected by casinos. We have a much higher payout than most states,” he said.Because the state pension system is “systematically underfunded” – it cannot meet retirement obligations for retired employees – Heffernan said the state system is underperforming as a money-generating investment source.Ultimately, the treasurer’s job is help make state government and its employees work efficiently. “If you can get 87,000 people rowing in the right direction, you can make a difference,” he said.