Fava Seeks To Replace Therese Murray

MN Staff
September 2002 Print Edition

Christopher Fava believes in balance. This is why he's running for State Senate from the Plymouth and Barnstable District. The Plymouth native is seeking to unseat incumbent Democrat Therese Murray.

A thoroughgoing conservative, Fava is against the tax and spend climate currently holding sway at the State House. He told MassNews, "The taxation level in this state is simply too high." He explained that he's confident the problem is not lack of revenue, but uncontrolled spending. Endorsed by Citizens for Limited Taxation, of which he is a member, Fava worked on behalf of the income tax rollback to 5 percent. He is "disgusted" that politicians took that tax break away from the voters.

Regarding the Libertarian-sponsored ballot question which would eliminate the state income tax altogether, Fava is realistic. He said that he would like to get the rate as low as possible, but with the state's fiscal situation doesn't see that as feasible. The best way to reduce our taxes, he said, is to "give back the voter-approved tax cut, then go about incrementally lowering the rate even further."

"The whole tax package is pathetic," Fava exclaims. Besides raising taxes, he said, "they reduced the personal exemption, increased the term of long-term capital gains, and I'm concerned they're going to try to get rid of Prop. 21/2." Characterizing the Beacon Hill viewpoint on taxation, Fava said, "The liberals talk about the poor, the hungry, the needy, etc. What's the first thing they do? Eliminate the charitable deduction."

Fava is also endorsed by the Gun Owners Action League. He told MassNews, "I believe this is a free country and in a free country a law-abiding citizen should be able to have a gun if he or she chooses." Noting that he had recently been in the United Kingdom for some business, Fava pointed out that the country with the harshest gun restrictions also has a very high crime rate. "While I was there," he said, "there was a headline that said the crime rate was higher in Britain than in the US."

Those who authored the Bill of Rights obviously thought gun ownership was pretty important as a right of the people, Fava claims. "When they framed those amendments, they made this the second most important freedom in the United States, right after freedom of speech."

Fava does not support bilingual education. He believes that English-only is the best way to prepare students for life in the United States, in which the lingua franca is still English. He notes that most businesses still require a good knowledge of English, making it more important for students to learn it as early as possible.

A Eucharistic minister in his church, Fava believes that marriage is sacred. He explained that "In society we need to draw some lines. We tell people they can't marry their dog, or have multiple marriage partners. Marriage ought to be between a man and a woman." Fava is convinced that it was simple politics that allowed the Constitutional Convention to be adjourned without a vote on the matter. "A lot of them simply didn't want to be on the record," he explained.

Thoroughly pro-life, Fava told MassNews, "I'm just against abortion, period." He obviously opposes partial birth abortion, as well. Regarding parental consent, he says that if it has to be legal then, "Certainly minors should have to have consent to have this done." He summarizes his view on abortion by stating, "Life is sacred. We have to treat all life, even in the womb, with respect."

Christopher Fava is running against what he views as arrogance. He says, "Voters approved a charitable deduction, legislators killed it. Voters approved a tax rollback, same result. They just disregarded the voters' will. That's exactly what they did with the Marriage Amendment, too."

A graduate of UMass, Dartmouth, Christopher Fava is employed by Thomson Financial, in Boston. He is a member of the Republican State Committee and has served as a Town Meeting Member in Plymouth, as well as Chairman of the town Bylaw Review Committee. He is 28, and single.