Belmont Carbone Seeks To Replace Coakley as AG

Belmont's own Guy Carbone wants to be the next Attorney General of Massachusetts.

Endorsed by conservative Republican activists and state Tea Party members and groups, the Woodfall Road attorney is running a sticker campaign to place his name on the Republican primary ballot, Sept. 14., after state Republicans did not nominate a candidate at their state convention to run against incumbent Martha Coakley.

Recently another candidate, Jim McKenna of Millbury, put his name in for the same position.

Carbone's Facebook page summarizes his strategy and values: "As a champion of personal liberty and community involvement, Guy will … preserve the integrity of, or advocate for necessary change in, Massachusetts legislation. He will not allow our laws to be used … for political advocacy or … special interest groups, whose agendas may … further destroy our economy and worsen unemployment."

An Attorney General talking jobs and not law and order? That is just another facet of Carbone's creative candidacy to capture the position of the state's chief law enforcer.

Belmont Patch caught up with Carbone, a Belmont resident for nearly a quarter century, at his law practice in Boston.

Belmont Patch: Citizens associate the Attorney General most with criminals and law enforcement. You want to do more with the position?

Carbone: Well, the law enforcement part gets the headlines and 11 o'clock news sound bites. The AG's office, however, is to represent the interests of all law-abiding citizens of the Commonwealth, their liberty and well-being. The people, the citizenry, are the AG's foremost client.

Law enforcement is still my major responsibility. For example, I will forge a relationship with the Inspector General to pursue aggressively white-collar crime and corruption in the public sector.  However, the AG office is capable of taking on more responsibility for the sake of the citizenry.

Q: How can the office of the AG help alieviate the economic downturn?

A: Martha Coakley's AG office emphasizes unions over business. We saw that influence in the Senate contest with Scott Brown: the union bosses went for Coakley; the union rank-and-file went for Brown. I want to appeal to the common sense of union members that we need a cooperative relationship with current and prospective employers.

My view changes the Coakley emphasis: the businesses in Massachusetts provide the jobs for us all, union and otherwise, which allow us to support ourselves and families, and without which we could not pay the taxes for our government.

It saddens me so to see so many of our fellow citizens, many with young families to support, who have lost their jobs and cannot find comparable employment, if any.

As Attorney General, I would go to Associated Industries of Massachusetts and ask AIM what I can do as AG, within the laws of our state, to help businesses succeed and stay here employing our citizens.  We probably will need a level playing field between industry and labor. Frankly, Martha Coakley is a fifth column in our state government for union bosses to the detriment of union members.

Q: You have said that Massachusetts is becoming the "quintessential nanny state." What do you mean by this and what change of direction can come from the office of Attorney General?

A: Massachusetts is fallen into belief that we must everything for those who claim they cannot do for themselves. There is an old saying: If you want a helping hand, look down to the end of your arm.

Of course, I am very aware of people who are chronically ill and those who are chronically out of work. These people need our help. What has Martha Coakley done to help these folks? The business community, the generator of wealth, is the only one, which can supply us with the money to fix our problems.

Q: You have been outspoken about sanctuary cities, where illegal aliens are welcome.

A: If a town or city, such as Cambridge, provides services for illegal aliens, even encouraging them to settle and stay, access to local aid should be reviewed. Tax dollars from all the citizens of the state should not go to those refusing to follow or support the law.

Q: Many Tea Party members are helping you. What do you share in common with the Tea Party movement?

A: Most are conservatives who care less about party affiliations than their principles. I agree with Tea Party beliefs, mainly, fiscal responsibility; free market operation, that is, no bailouts; and third, follow the Constitution, that is, inhibit overreaching government.

Q: It's difficult to defeat a sitting AG, especially one with such name recognition as Martha Coakley. Why do you think you can beat her?

A: She has already shown she can be beaten. Do you remember during the Senate campaign when she wouldn't stand out in the cold to shake hands?  For the past two months, I have crossed the state and shaken a lot of hands. People everywhere tell me I will get their vote.