Q&A: State Senate candidate Brad Williams

West Roxbury resident Brad Williams, a state Senate candidate for Suffolk and Norfolk counties recently sat down with GateHouse News Service editor David Ertischek to talk about his candidacy, his opponent, taxes and more.

Q: Why are you running for state Senate?

A: I’m running because I think we can do better for this district and Massachusetts. The cost of living for residents is very, very high. People don’t know how they’re going to pay for college or their retirements, and they’re frustrated with the pace of change on Beacon Hill.

Q: What do you do for a living?

A: I am an investment adviser. I help individuals and families save for college and plan their retirement. (Williams works for Boston Investment Advisers.)

Q: If elected, what would be your first order of business?

A: The first order of business would be looking at the recent tax increases and looking immediately where we can cut spending. Specifically, the sales tax should be 5 percent and eliminate it on alcohol.

Q: What you would cut from our state budget?

A: I am working on that as part of my platform. I will get back to you with more specifics on that.

Q: What would you add to our state budget?

A: I’m tempted to say nothing right now. We need to shrink the size of our government than adding to it.

Q: What good things did state Sen. Marian Walsh do for the community?

A: I know over her time she has brought money in for different projects for the community. Overall, I think her fiscal and economic policies have hurt the district in the long run, besides her pet projects, if you will. We have the sales tax, we have an income tax that we voted to 5 percent that is still 5.3 percent. We have the fourth highest corporate income tax in the country put in place in 2008 against the wishes of the corporate leaders, as you can imagine. Our health insurance is very expensive due partly to the mandates in the coverage (in Massachusetts).

Q: Why do you think America has a two-party system, and other parties are look at as afterthoughts?

A: I think that the two-party system is largely historical and people have sorted themselves into parties. The two parties have changed over time. At one point, the entire South was all Democrats and the North was largely Republicans, and you can argue today that they’ve flip-flopped. So you can argue they’ve changed over time.

Q: Who is your political idol?

A: I think during my lifetime it has to be Ronald Reagan. Domestically he turned around the economy. A lot of his policies and tax cuts spurred a 25- to 30-year growth. And internationally he stood firm against the Soviet Union when there was quite an arms race, and he never gave in at times when he shouldn’t have.

Q: What’s a Massachusetts’ Republican versus a Middle America Republican?

A: I think the main difference is that in New England, we are more socially liberal and accepting. I think we’re both fiscally conservative and both believe in individuals and the power of the individual to make their own decisions.

Q: What do you think of state Rep. Mike Rush?

A: I like many of Mike Rush’s positions. It sounds like he should be a Republican until you look at his voting record, which is very similar to Marian Walsh’s.

Q: What good things has Mike Rush done for the community?

A: I think he’s had some success at bringing some money into the district. I know he’s working hard to get some money for the Havey Beach project. I think he’s represented the district well.

Q: Then why run against him?

A: I’m not running against anyone. I’m running for my ideas, my vision that we can have a stronger district and a stronger Massachusetts. I thought I’d be running against Mike and Marian.

Q: What do you think of the belief that Rush is really a Republican in Democrat’s clothing?

A: Everybody in the community tells me that. I don’t disagree.

Q: Anything else?

A: My gut is telling me that this election is about jobs, taxes and the state economy. And that we can do better in those three areas so we don’t feel that our children and grandchildren won’t have it as good as we have it.