Paul Cellucci
Paul Cellucci | |
---|---|
Lucile Hicks | |
Succeeded by | Mary L. Padula |
Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the Middlesex and Worcester district | |
In office January 2, 1985 – January 2, 1991 | |
Preceded by | Chester Atkins |
Succeeded by | Robert Durand |
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives | |
In office January 5, 1977 – January 2, 1985 | |
Preceded by | Wilfred Balthazar |
Succeeded by | Patricia Walrath |
Constituency |
|
Personal details | |
Born | Argeo Paul Cellucci April 24, 1948 Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
Resting place | Forestvale Cemetery |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Jan Garnett (m. 1972) |
Children | 2 |
Education | Boston College (BA, JD) |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1970–1978 |
Rank | Captain |
Unit | Reserves |
Argeo Paul Cellucci (/sɛˈluːtʃiː/; April 24, 1948 – June 8, 2013) was an American politician and diplomat from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Republican, he served as the 69th governor of Massachusetts from 1999 to 2001, and as the United States Ambassador to Canada from 2001 to 2005. He also served as the Commonwealth's 68th lieutenant governor from 1991 to 1999, as well as in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate from 1977 to 1991.
When
Early life and career
Cellucci was born in Hudson, Massachusetts, into a political family, the son of Priscilla M. (née Rose) and Argeo R. Cellucci Jr. His father was of Italian descent from the small Lazio village of San Donato Val di Comino, and his mother was of Irish ancestry.[1]
He graduated from
He was a Republican, and held the distinction of never losing an election over his three decades in elected office in overwhelmingly Democratic Massachusetts. Cellucci was first elected to public office as a member of the Hudson Charter Commission in 1970. Subsequently, he was elected to the Hudson Board of Selectmen, on which he served from 1971 to 1977.[5] In 1976, he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives where he served until 1985. He then became a member of the Massachusetts Senate, serving from 1985 to 1991. From 1991 to 1999 he was Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.
Governor of Massachusetts
Cellucci became the Governor of Massachusetts in 1997 upon the resignation of Bill Weld.[citation needed] On November 3, 1998, Paul Cellucci was elected as governor, narrowly defeating Democratic attorney general Scott Harshbarger. He had successfully fought off a challenge from State Treasurer Joe Malone in the September primary. He was sworn in as the 69th Governor of Massachusetts on January 7, 1999.[citation needed]
Cellucci was a fiscally conservative, anti-tax governor who had the ability to work in a bipartisan fashion with an overwhelmingly Democratic State Legislature. In 2001, the libertarian Cato Institute, in its fifth biennial fiscal policy report card,[6][7] gave Cellucci an "A" grade and said he "earned the distinction of having the best record of reducing taxes and restraining spending growth" among the nation's 50 governors. Governor Cellucci spearheaded the statewide initiative to reduce the state income tax from 5.95% to 5%, which was approved 59% to 41% by the voters of Massachusetts in November 2000.
Cellucci was also successful in maintaining the state's high education standards for most students. Those standards, which required students to pass exams in basic Math and English to receive a high school diploma, were a major piece of the Education Reform Act of 1993 and were phased in over time. The teachers unions wanted to weaken the standards just as they were about to take effect, but Cellucci worked with Speaker of the House Thomas Finneran and Senate President Thomas Birmingham, both Democrats, to hold the line on this issue.
The standards have remained in effect and in its June 4, 2007 report card on "No Child Left Behind," Time magazine found that Massachusetts students score the best on the federal tests. However, in 2000, Cellucci signed a budget bill that lowered the state's longstanding "maximum feasible development" standard for special education to the federal mandate of a "free and appropriate public education," which set a much lower standard for the provision of special education to students with disabilities. The latter standard remains in effect.[8]
The biggest controversy during Cellucci's tenure was the huge cost overruns on the "Big Dig" – an enormous project to replace the elevated central artery highway in Boston with a tunnel. Cellucci removed the project manager, James Kerasiotes, and put his Secretary of Administration and Finance, Andrew Natsios, in charge of the project.
Cellucci, in 1998, signed into law one of the toughest gun control measures in the United States. He was also known to take a conservative approach to crime. He supported
In 2000, Cellucci proposed an amendment to the Massachusetts constitution to strip felons of the right to vote. The amendment was approved in a referendum.[9]
Cellucci appointed many women to high ranking positions, including Margaret H. Marshall as the first female Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Her appointment marked the first time a woman headed a branch of government in Massachusetts history.[citation needed]
Post-gubernatorial career
On April 10, 2001, Cellucci resigned, after
Cabinet and administration
The Cellucci Cabinet | ||
---|---|---|
OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
Acting governor | Paul Cellucci | 1997–1999 |
Governor | Paul Cellucci | 1999–2001 |
Lt. governor | Paul Cellucci Jane M. Swift |
1997–1998 1998–1999 1999–2001 |
Secretary of Transportation | James Kerasiotes Patrick J. Moynihan Kevin J. Sullivan |
1997–1998 1998–1999 1999–2001 |
Director of Housing & Community Development | Jane Wallis Gumble | 1997–2001 |
Secretary of Environmental Affairs | Trudy Coxe Robert Durand |
1997–1998 1999–2001 |
Director of Consumer Affairs | Jane M. Swift Daniel Grabauskas Jennifer Davis Carey |
1997–1998 1998–1999 1999–2001 |
Secretary of Health and Human Services | William D. O'Leary | 1997–2001 |
Secretary of Elder Affairs | Franklin P. Ollivierre Lillian Glickman |
1997–1998 1998–2001 |
Director of Labor & Workforce Development | Angelo R. Buonopane | 1997–2001 |
Secretary of Administration & Finance | Charlie Baker Frederick A. Laskey Andrew Natsios Stephen Crosby |
1997–1998 1998–1999 1999–2000 2000–2001 |
Secretary of Public Safety | Kathleen O'Toole Jane Perlov |
1997–1998 1998–2001 |
U.S. Ambassador to Canada
On April 17, 2001, at the Citadel in
His four-year tenure would be a historical and controversial period in the United States – Canadian relations. On September 14, 2001, three days after the terrorist attacks on United States soil, Ambassador Cellucci thanked Canada for its overwhelming support and sympathy, including their role in Operation Yellow Ribbon, at a memorial in front of 100,000 people on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. He would mention the operation and the memorial service quite often during the days and months that followed the September 11 attacks in the United States. The months and years that followed the attacks would see extraordinary cooperation between the United States and Canada on the Smart Border Agreement, on their law enforcement and intelligence agencies to stop terrorist attacks in North America, and in Afghanistan in the war against the Taliban.
On March 25, 2003, at a speech to the Economic Club of Toronto, Cellucci faced controversy when he criticized Canadian opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. He argued that America was waging war for its own security, and that the United States would "never hesitate" to support Canada if it faced a security threat.[10] This wording was considered especially unfortunate by some since the United States did in fact delay years before joining the British Empire in both World Wars I and II in Europe. The Globe and Mail reported Cellucci's remarks under the front-page headline "U.S. rebukes Canada"[11] and Canadian nationalist Mel Hurtig called him "ill-mannered, obnoxious, [and] arrogant".[12]
He also expressed support for Canada joining the U.S. missile defense program, and for urging Canada to increase defense spending. These statements, frequently perceived as implied trade threats, caused Cellucci to be sarcastically christened "the U.S. ambassador-turned-proconsul" by former Liberal cabinet minister and Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy in an opinion piece titled "Say no to missile defence" published on April 29, 2003 in The Globe and Mail. Canada has since declined to participate in the U.S. missile defense program.
While the frosty relations were due to the Canadian government's opposition to President Bush's policies, there has also been criticism of the former Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chrétien for tolerating anti-American outbursts from his aide,[13] while Chrétien's successor Paul Martin attempted to paint his opponent, Conservative leader Stephen Harper, as pro-American during the 2004 Canadian federal election.
Cellucci officially resigned his ambassadorship on March 17, 2005. A humorous indication of Canadian opinion of Cellucci's tenure was provided by CBC Television satirist Rick Mercer, who promoted on his program, Rick Mercer Report, a fictitious "Paul Cellucci Farewell Special" entitled "Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Ass".[14]
Later career
This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2018) |
On March 18, 2005, the day after Cellucci had resigned from his ambassadorship, Magna International Corporation announced they had hired Cellucci. Magna chairman Frank Stronach said Cellucci's role would be to help reform U.S. horse racing regulations. In September 2005, Cellucci published a book called Unquiet Diplomacy, a memoir of his time as ambassador. In the book, he praised Canada as "a truly great nation", but also had some criticism for the governments of former Prime Ministers Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin.
The same month, shortly after an interview where
Cellucci acknowledged, "Part of the unfairness was that we took a Canadian citizen, shipped him to a third country without consulting with Canada," apparently exonerating Canadian officials. Cellucci did point out that as a result of the Canadian Government's protest about Arar, the United States and Canada exchanged letters, in which each undertook to notify the other country if either government was going to remove, involuntarily, a National of the other country to a third country. While each country retains all rights to do what is in its security interests, Cellucci believed that as a practical matter, this makes it highly unlikely that anything like the Arar situation will happen again.
The same interview revealed that Cellucci, as a private citizen, also had second thoughts about the stance he had taken as ambassador on the
Cellucci left Magna International in the fall of 2006 and joined the Boston office of the law firm of
In 2013, Cellucci was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the United States Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during the Hollingsworth v. Perry case.[17]
Also in 2013, Cellucci helped free a U.S. citizen (the younger brother of sports broadcaster Tripp Tracy) who was imprisoned by the Venezuelan government.[18]
Illness and death
In January 2011, Cellucci announced he had been diagnosed with
Cellucci responded to his diagnosis by leading an effort to raise $10 million for research at the
On March 15, 2012,
Cellucci died of complications from his disease on June 8, 2013.[22] He was 65.[23] Governor Deval Patrick released a statement saying that "Massachusetts lost a favored son and devoted public servant today. A lawyer, legislator, governor and diplomat, Paul Cellucci was also a kind man and a friend."[24] Former governor Bill Weld said "Paul Cellucci was simply one of the finest human beings I have ever met. I happened to know him in the realm of politics and government, but anyone who knew him in any other arena would have found the same man: a person of rock-hard integrity, keen intelligence, considerable humor, abundant compassion, and deep devotion to family and country. We are all immensely impoverished by his loss."[24] Former governor Mitt Romney wrote a message on Twitter saying "Ann and I are saddened by the loss of our friend Gov. Paul Cellucci. Our hearts and prayers are with Jan and the Cellucci family."[25] "I had the chance to work with Ambassador Cellucci when I was a minister in the province of Ontario. I can attest to the fact he was a great friend to Canada, and we are grateful for his contributions to the bilateral relationship, both as ambassador and as governor of Massachusetts," said Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird.[24]
A memorial was dedicated to Cellucci on September 20, 2015 in his hometown of Hudson, Massachusetts by the Hudson Rotary Club.[26]
References
- ^ Shaun Sutner; Paula J. Owen. "Funeral arrangements set for former Gov. Paul Cellucci". Telegram.com. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ISBN 9780871879172.
- ^ staff, Jeff Malachowski/Daily News. "Hudson says goodbye to Paul Cellucci". MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA.
- ISBN 9781412001519.
- ^ "Argeo Paul Cellucci: 1948 - 2013". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ Moore, Stephen; Slivinski, Stephen (February 12, 2001). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2000" (PDF). Policy Analysis No. 391. Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ Moore, Stephen; Slivinski, Stephen (February 12, 2001). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2000". Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ Galley, Michelle (August 2, 2000). "Mass. Lawmakers Vote To Change Special Ed. Standard - Education Week". Education Week. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ "How Massachusetts Prisoners (Recently) Lost the Right To Vote". News. May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ "Americans 'disappointed' with Canada: Cellucci". CTV.ca. March 25, 2003. Archived from the original on January 22, 2005. Retrieved January 26, 2008.
- ^ "U.S. rebukes Canada". Globe and Mail. Canada. March 26, 2003. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ^ "Cellucci undiplomatic, says nationalist Hurtig". CTV.ca. April 4, 2003. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ^ "'Moron Bush' aide resigns". BBC News. November 26, 2002. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
- ^ "Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Ass: The Paul Cellucci Farewell Special". Canada: CBC. March 21, 2005. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
- ^ "The Wednesday Filibuster with Special Guests Wayne Root and Paul Cellucci". The Weekly Filibuster. June 25, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2008.
- ^ Cellucci rallies Harvard GOP for McCain in the Harvard Law Record
- ^ Avlon, John (February 28, 2013). "The Pro-Freedom Republicans Are Coming: 131 Sign Gay Marriage Brief". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ DeCock: Hockey diplomacy was Tripp Tracy's only hope to rescue brother
- ^ Johnson, Glen (January 6, 2011). "Former Mass. Gov. Cellucci has ALS". Associated Press. Retrieved January 7, 2011.[dead link]
- ^ "Making a pitch for ALS research: Cellucci, UMass docs go to bat for funding," Worcester Telegram & Gazette, May 20, 2011
- ^ "Weston company donates $500K to Cellucci ALS fund," The MetroWest Daily News, March 16, 2012
- ^ English, Bella; Phillips, Frank (June 8, 2013). "Former governor Cellucci dies at 65 from ALS". The Boston Globe.
- ^ "FORMER MASS. GOVERNOR, AMBASSADOR CELLUCCI DIES". AP. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Reactions to Paul Cellucci's death". Masslive.com. June 9, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ "Former Mass. Gov. Cellucci dies". Politico.com. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ Staff, Brad Avery/Daily News. "Hudson memorial dedication honors former Gov. Paul Cellucci". Hudson Sun. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
External links
- Cato Institute, Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2000, Cato Institute, Policy Analysis no. 391, February 12, 2001
- CBC news story of Cellucci's appointment as Ambassador, CBC, February 13, 2001
- CBC news story about Cellucci's planned departure from Canada, CBC, January 4, 2005
- Former U.S. ambassador Paul Cellucci joins Magna Entertainment, CBC, March 18, 2005
- Appearances on C-SPAN