League of Women Voters of Massachusetts Citizen Education Fund
	Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire Counties, MA September 16, 2008 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Governor's Council; District 8; Republican 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 Michael Franco: Improve judicial accountability - Will work for improved judicial accountability and more public participation in our Massachusetts Trial Courts, advocating for ordinary families, workers and small businesses. Thoroughly vet prospective judges - Will ensure that competent and qualified prospective jurists are thoroughly vetted to become judges who will be fair and impartial, and free of political influence, creating a more independent judiciary oriented to the average citizen. Advocate for re-certification of judges - Will promote an initiative for the review and recertification of judges on the ballot every four years, followed by a constitutional amendment through the state legislature to make the process of recertification of judges the law. Will energize a regional and statewide grassroots campaign to call for citizen participation in the process to reform the way we nominate judges and magistrates. 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.