Congressional hopeful Kerrigan talks tolls, funds
Steve Kerrigan, a Democratic candidate for the 3rd Congressional District seat who was gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley’s running mate in 2015, spoke on Boston Herald Radio yesterday in favor of adding toll roads and talked up his strategy for running in a crowded field with well-funded candidates:
Q: What do you think of state Sen. Thomas McGee’s proposal to add tolls to nearly every road leading to Boston?
A: Infrastructure is one of the biggest issues facing the whole country, not just the commonwealth of Massachusetts. And everything from trains to buses and bridges and public transportation ... has got to be foremost in the mind of anybody who is running for any seat. Because most of that money will come from, hopefully ... the federal government from an infrastructure bill that we’ve been promised by Congress, but we haven’t seen yet.
And look, I think the last resort should go to tolls. I think if you create a fair structure and a fair system across the region for tolling, where you reduce perhaps the tolls across the board, but spread out the toll areas, I think it’s something worth looking at.
What we can’t continue to do is penalize folks who live and work west of Boston for paying for the Big Dig.
Q: Democratic candidate Daniel Koh has raised a significant amount of money to run his campaign. Does that intimidate you?
A: No. I’ve lived in this district my whole life. My family has lived in this district for over 100 years. I know the people of this district. Every one of those 37 cities and towns, I’ve campaigned in in the past. They’re my friends and my neighbors. I know this campaign has a lot more to do with talking with them, and to them, about what we’re going to do together as a community and not about fundraising totals and all that kind of stuff.
Folks are going to have whatever money they’re able to raise. I’m going to focus my time and energy on connecting with the voters of the 3rd District and making sure that we are collectively planning for our future. And that’s really what I focus on.
Other people’s campaigns are other people’s campaigns.