Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi discusses the issues with Executive Editor Payton North for Reminder Publishing’s podcast, “So That Reminds Me.”
Reminder Publishing photo
SPRINGFIELD — Considered by many to be the political event of the year in Western Massachusetts, Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi’s annual golf tournament and picnic again drew a bevy of local and state elected officials.
Cocchi has continued the tradition launched by his predecessor, retired Sheriff Michael Ashe, whose clambakes first started in 1977. Widely regarded by public servants and political hopefuls as a place to see and be seen by prospective voters, fellow officials and the press, this year’s event was attended by, among others, state Sen. Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) and Springfield City Councilor Malo Brown — opponents in the race for the state Senate’s Hampden District — as well as Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin and state Sen. Jacob Oliviera (D-Ludlow).
Reminder Publishing was on-site conducting interviews for its podcast, “So That Reminds Me,” and spoke with each of them.
With Gomez and Brown both running as Democrats without a Republican challenger, the winner of the Sept. 3 primary would effectively capture the position, barring an unforeseen strong write-in campaign in the November general election.
Gomez, who expressed confidence in his reelection bid, indicated his approach to the election season and the challenge from Brown was an opportunity to be reflective and take advantage of community feedback.
“With every challenge, you have to reset and go back and talk to the community and see what you can do better,” he said.
Gomez said he sees ensuring bills passed in the previous legislative session accomplish the goals for which they were designed was an important responsibility in his next term.
He identified the ongoing negotiations regarding the anticipated economic development bond bill as a priority in September, acknowledging its status has been “kind of in question.”
Looking at other legislative focuses, Gomez also identified his bill, “An Act establishing a zero carbon renovation fund,” which aims to create a $300 million fund, administered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, to support energy efficiency, electrification and renewable energy building upgrades in an effort to meet the state’s goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. He also addressed food insecurity and housing as ongoing concerns for his constituents.
As the chair of the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy, Gomez also pointed to the unrest regarding the Cannabis Control Commission and expressed his desire to stabilize a $7 billion industry that he said had significant economic development implications.
The State House News Service reported earlier this year that Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro called on lawmakers to restructure and appoint a receiver for what he called a “rudderless agency.”
Regarding Shapiro’s report on the commission, state Rep. Aaron Saunders (D-Belchertown) called the situation “a trainwreck.” Acting commission Chair Ava Callender Concepcion has pushed back against the idea of receivership.
“[I] want to make sure that that industry, whatever impacts they are, that legislatively, we can make some of those transitions and changes and then be able to support our Cannabis Control commissioners to be able to move, also, policy that they have forward,” Gomez said.
Brown said upon election he would allocate more money to “grassroots organizations.”
“The big corporations and the big companies and the big people out there, they’re getting the bulk of our money,” he said. “I want to at least be able to skim a little of that off and it’ll be enough, I think, to impact some of the mom and pop [and] start-up companies.”
Asked about accusations of ethical violations related to his campaign that have been referred to entities such as the state Ethics Commission and the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, Brown laughed them off, calling the attention “kind of flattering.” He opined the allegations represented an uneasiness in his opponent’s campaign.
Gomez and Brown both recently traded barbs regarding perceived unethical practices during a debate on Focus Springfield. Brown questioned Gomez’s use of campaign funds at eateries such as Hooters and Shake Shack and erroneously accused the senator of having been incarcerated. Meanwhile, Gomez questioned Brown’s decision to participate in Springfield City Council votes related to state funding while employed as the chief of staff for state Rep. Bud Williams (D-Springfield) as well as campaign issues such as campaigning while acting in his capacity as a state employee.
“I think I was taken lightly … When you can’t beat a person, you smear them,” Brown said. “I’m honored that a little city councilor from the inner city is having a state senator follow him around, taking pictures of his T-shirt on his day off.”
Gomez and Brown were both asked about the high rates of violent crime in the district, which encompasses the majority of Springfield and a portion of Chicopee.
Gomez admitted the crime rates had reached its highest levels in some time, noting, “Statistically, I represent possibly the most dangerous district.” Gomez stressed he has been an ally to law enforcement, highlighting his support for Counter Criminal Continuum efforts, more commonly known as C3 policing or community policing. He lauded the expansion of these efforts in the Mason Square, East Forest Park and South End neighborhoods in Springfield as well as two new Chicopee C3 initiatives in Willamansett and Chicopee Center.
Brown took a more philosophical approach to the question, identifying the absence of God in schools and the community as a driver of crime.
“We took it out of the school a long time ago. And I don’t really care what a person, who they pray to or whatever, but they should have some moral compass of having a fear of some god. I believe that that’s taken away from us,” he said.
Cocchi was also asked about the issue of crime and expressed frustration. He said while some would claim crime statistics indicate a reduction, the reality plays out a different scenario.
“That’s what it might say number-wise, but the number of shootings and gun trafficking and selling of drugs, trafficking drugs, is not down,” he said. “And when we look at the amount of weapons that are being shot in Springfield and Holyoke, West Springfield and Chicopee, it only leads to negative things that can happen and leaving victims in our communities.”
Cocchi identified judges issuing low bail amounts for violent offenders as a major hurdle in the rehabilitative process his office pursues as many are back on the streets within 24 hours
“What precedent are we setting in the community?” he questioned. “When we’re opening the door and letting people out within 24 hours, there’s no consequences and if you don’t have consequences, you’re not going to have corrected or changed behavior and I think that that’s very difficult for me as a law enforcement official — to sit back and watch people walk in and out of my correctional center with nothing better to better them in making better decisions.”
During his time with Reminder Publishing, Oliveira spoke at length about his recent bill to protect victims of spousal abuse from alimony liability. Based on legislation passed in Connecticut and California, the bill is designed to prevent victims of domestic abuse and violence from being required to make payments to their abusers, taking already strong protections for victims of violent crimes in Massachusetts “a step further,” he explained.
“For many years, it’s been assumed that victims of domestic violence tend to be not the breadwinners in the family and tend to get alimony payments from their spouse … We’re seeing a lot of victims of violent crimes from their spouses who are the breadwinners in their families and are now subjected without this protection of paying alimony to the spouse that victimized them, which is just leading to further victimization,” he said.
Oliveira and Gomez said they were proud to have signed onto the THRIVE Act, the purpose of which is to remove passing the MCAS test as a requirement for graduation in Massachusetts. Gomez spoke strongly against a single test derailing years student achievement from elementary school to high school. Oliveira said the move would allow Massachusetts’ education policy to catch up with the rest of the country, noting the Bay State is the only one of 50 states with a statewide testing requirement for high school graduation.
“We are well out of the norms out of the other 49 states in the country,” Oliveira said.
With the Sept. 3 primary quickly approaching, Galvin celebrated the fact that this election represented the first time early in-person voting was mandated throughout the commonwealth, which began on Aug. 24. He said with the breadth of options, which also include voting by mail, voters should have confidence in the process.
“I think with the record we’ve proven here in Massachusetts, we’ve had record turnouts in the last three presidential elections and because we have very easy recount laws, if there are any questions, there’s an opportunity to do that,” he said. “We’ve never had a question, we’ve never had a challenge, because I think voters have confidence in the integrity of the process.”
The complete episode of “So That Reminds Me” with all of the interviews in their entirety is available on all major podcast services and on Reminder Publishing’s website, thereminder.com.
