League of Women Voters of Massachusetts Citizen Education Fund
	Essex, Middlesex County, MA September 16, 2008 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Governor's Council; District 5; Democratic Party

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Massaschusetts and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Contributions Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. As a member of the Governor's Council, what contributions will you make to the Commonwealth's government? Answer from Timothy P. "Tim" Houten: My experience as a Selectman for over 8 years, coupled with my legal career of over 25 years, enables me to assist the Council in confirming the most qualified candidates for appointment. Instilling trust in a process that has been widely criticized. Answer from Mary-Ellen Manning: The Governor's Council is the final stage in the approval process for judgeships. In my tenure as a Governor's Councillor, I have brought attention to the inner workings of the judge making machine in Massachusetts. As a result, the previous Governor set minimum qualifications for nominees seeking judgeships and eliminated the prior practice of accepting donations from judicial candidates. It is my goal this year to raise the bar even higher, demanding judicial accountability. There is no bigger day that the government will have in your life than on the day that you step into a courtroom seeking justice. It is my hope that you will consider voting for me on September 16 so that I may continue to fight for you and for justice for you and your families. Sincerely, Mary-Ellen Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.