WILMINGTON, MA — Selectman Candidate Joseph Lavino was recently asked the following question by Wilmington Apple — I’m sure there were questions that you wish were asked at Tuesday’s debate but were not covered due to time constraints. List two or three of these questions and provide your answers.
Below is Lavino’s response, in his own words:
The WCTV debate held on April 5, 2016 was professional, cordial, informative and extremely well done. I deeply express my gratitude to all involved with the preparation and execution of the debate. I had the privileged opportunity to get to know Mr. Caira, Mr. Bendel and their families at the debate. They are amazing people and I’m proud to be their neighbors. I wish I had the opportunity to get to know Mr. Miller throughout this process. The debate, while informative, was focused primarily on the candidate’s positions on very granular town specific issues. The following represents what I would have further appreciated sharing with the voters of Wilmington.
1. Please describe your higher level political platform and your guiding principles, which may impact your decision making?
My political platform is aligned with that of the Republican Party. As such, I strongly believe that The United States of America is exceptional, that Massachusetts is exceptional and the Town of Wilmington is exceptional. I believe in the rule of law, a strict interpretation of the Constitution and the rich and diverse traditions and history of this country, state and town. I believe in strong families, strong communities, strong marriages and well educated children as the foundation of our town. I believe in a smaller, more efficient government that does not interfere with individual rights and choices, while providing those that protect us with the necessary resources to be best in class such as our military and first responders. I believe that Veterans have risked everything to protect us. As such, they deserve nothing but the best opportunity and care at the conclusion of their service. I believe in driving innovative solutions and technological advances through the lens of positioning businesses, both large and small, for success. Lastly, as a Roman Catholic, I strongly believe in the sanctity of family, life, freedom and charity.
2. In a hypothetical town crisis, what experiences can you rely on to guide your decision making? Please provide an example.
While no one invites a crisis and certainly wants to deal with one, I have had experiences, through my employer, that have deeply educated me, prepared me and opened my eyes that anything is possible. These experiences have been primarily focused on working with governmental agencies for the protection of our employees, our property and providing resources to help the public. These include deploying mobile pharmacies when Albany was hit with over 70 inches of snow at once, strategizing next steps for a potential lava flow impact in Hawaii, and the safety of our employees during riots in Baltimore. These experiences are to name a few and these are the types of experiences needed on the Board of Selectmen should Wilmington, God forbid, be in crisis management mode.
3. Please contrast your experience to those of any other candidate and articulate the argument as to why those experiences best qualify you for the position of Selectman?
I believe this was the biggest area of opportunity during the debate. While I appreciate sitting next to my fellow candidates to discuss policy positions, I feel the voters of Wilmington need and want a debate where candidates could challenge each other on the merits of their experiences and skills to perform the tasks of Selectman, above those of their competitors. Although this format is more adversarial, that’s the nature of an election. I have positioned myself, since day one, with the argument that, although I was not born in Wilmington, or don’t have the most lawn signs or the most friends, I am the most qualified candidate for the position. I feel that the argument has been well articulated; however it has been articulated in a silo. It should be clearly visible through robust debate. I would like to know how Mr. Bendel’s, Mr. Caira’s and Mr. Miller’s experiences and skill set better position them over my experiences and skill set. Let them make the argument and give me the opportunity to rebut and state my case. I feel another debate is an absolute must prior to election day and I feel the debate format should be focused on highlighting or exploiting a candidate’s strengths and deficiencies through back and forth argument. I challenge Mr. Bendel, Mr. Caira and Mr. Miller to another debate, anytime, anywhere, focusing on our experiences, skills, strengths and areas of opportunity, head to head.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide these questions and answers. I invite folks to reach out to me on Facebook, via message, at http://www.facebook.com/LavinoForWilmington or call my cell at 781-801-0607, to challenge my positions, get more info or show your support.
About The Questions
During this local election season, Wilmington Apple will ask a question of all the Selectmen candidates each week. Wilmington Apple will run one response per day, Monday through Thursday, with a recap on Friday. Responses are in the candidates’ own words, unedited. Each candidate is given the same question and the same amount of time (approximately one week) to answer. Order of answers will alternate each week.
About The Election
Four candidates — Greg Bendel, Kevin Caira, Joseph Lavino, and Thomas Miller — will be competing for two open 3-year seats on the Wilmington Board of Selectmen. Longtime incumbents Lou Cimaglia and Mike Newhouse are not seeking re-election. The Town Election will be held on Saturday, April 23. Polls will be open from 8am to 8pm.
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