Herald readers who vehemently object to altering the Massachusetts flag by a large margin have allies on the GOP ticket for governor.
Republican candidates, Mike Kennealy and Brian Shortsleeve, agree with 82% of readers who say no change within the state flag is required — with each gubernatorial candidates agreeing it will be a waste of taxpayer cash.
“We have a great flag. It’s a flag I love, it’s a flag that represents our heritage,” Shortsleeve mentioned.
Kennealy informed the Herald: “Even beyond the fact that most Massachusetts voters don’t want to change the flag, and that doing so would erase history, I cannot understand why the state would choose to spend millions of dollars replacing every flag, motto, and seal.”
The Massachusetts Seal, Flag, and Motto Advisory Fee introduced its finalists for a brand new commonwealth flag, however opposition is rising.
“Maura Healey wasted $100k of taxpayers’ money to come up with a new, ‘politically correct’ state flag, but there was nothing politically incorrect with the current one,” Shortsleeve mentioned. “It honors the Native Americans who were here before us; it celebrates our revolutionary spirit and status as one of the original 13 states; and it memorializes our desire for peace and the primacy of freedom.”
Kennealy identified the logistical challenges and requested, doesn’t Massachusetts have greater issues to face?
“Our state flag represents freedom from tyranny and is a symbol of Massachusetts’ independence,” Kennealy mentioned. “It would be an operational nightmare at a time when we already face far more pressing issues.”
These feedback come shortly after the Herald issued a ballot to its readers, asking which of the flag finalists they most well-liked, or if the commonwealth ought to hold the outdated flag.
Each gubernatorial candidates requested their followers on X, previously referred to as Twitter, to reply to the flag debate. Of Shortsleeve’s 277 voters, 96.8% wished to maintain the present flag. Kennealy requested his followers to repost in the event that they wished to maintain the flag, to which he acquired 398 reposts.
Based on the Boston Globe, a UMass Amherst ballot in October “found virtually as many people strongly support getting rid of the current flag and seal (24 percent) as those who strongly oppose it (23 percent). The biggest share of respondents — 28 percent — said they were neither.”
The fee might be internet hosting hearings this fall to assemble public opinion on the flag, seal and motto finalists earlier than making a last advice. The governor would then submit laws to codify the brand new motto and designs for the seal and flag.
Herald reporter Chris Van Buskirk contributed to this report.
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