Is an open race for State Auditor a “once-in-a-generation” occurrence? The Boston Globe thinks so. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, if you look at the historical record. But the Editorial Board is right on the money in suggesting that the potential of the office is often overlooked.

That’s a shame. The State Auditor keeps an eye on the use of public money. The office helps maintain a standard of transparency that informs voters and helps keep the public in the driver’s seat with respect to how the government spends its money. 

On Wednesday, 3 August the two Democratic candidates for State Auditor, Diana DiZoglio and Chris Dempsey, met to debate live on WBUR.

Hump Day News provides a loose outline, with timecodes, of the back-and-forth. The questions (Qs) noted in the transcript are highlights, not an exhaustive record. The candidate’s responses are paraphrases, not quotes, with a little editorial spin. Watch the debate yourself, make up your own mind, and vote in the primary.

It’s no surprise that the topic of transparency comes up early (Q1, 4:45) in a debate for State Auditor. It’s a central feature of what’s required for the office. The Boston Globe and other media outlets made some hay with the fact that Dempsey released the full copy of answers to advocacy group-sponsored candidate questionnaires, as part of his “transparency pledge,” before his opponent. 

The questionnaires can lead to endorsements, and failing to disclose answers can keep voters in the dark about what promises a candidate might have made to this or that group to earn its endorsement.

As of 8/19, DiZoglio has released all the questionnaires that the Globe cited as outstanding, except for the one related to the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. If the Boston Globe wants to endorse Dempsey in the State Auditor race – and it does – transparency about answers to questionnaires is no longer the compelling difference-maker between candidates that the 8/19 Boston Globe endorsement suggests.

Final thought: the DiZoglio campaign needs to fix the post-url on its “Questionnaires” page, which still reads “copy-of-diana-on-climate.” Pro tips!

Watch the debate on WBUR CitySpace.

WBUR Debate: Diana DiZoglio (DD), Chris Dempsey (CD)

• Opening

  • DD: wants accountability; born to single mom, scrappy, values how tax $$$ is spent in MA;

  • CD: local kid, son of public school teachers endorsed by Bump;

• Q1, 4:45, what do accountability & transparency look like to you and how would you make them happen in office?

  • DD, kill taxpayer-funded NDAs (says CD voted for them)

  • CD, co-founded Open Data program & No Boston Olympics; reform state police;

• Q2, 7:30, to CD, isn’t reforms versus public corruption out of auditor’s purview (AG stuff, for example)?

  • 9:00, CD seems stuck on No Boston Olympics

• Q3, 10:00, to DD, why is auditor a good avenue to fight for social justice?

  • 12:45, CD dings DD on progressive rhetoric not matching record

• Q4, 13:15, what has Bump done well that you would continue?

• Q5, 14:30, is Amore correct that the auditor’s office needs an independent review?

• Q6, 17:30, is Amore’s approach to tax refund correct?

• Q7, 21:15, as auditor, is shutting a bunch of transit lines down all at once the best way to address MBTA problems?

  • CD, DD: no

• [some back and forth about whether to safety audit MBTA; DD is fired up; CD wants a plan for the audit along with a call for the audit — in other words, CD is charging DD with empty talk]

• 26:30, Dumb questions interlude

  • Boston sports Mt. Rushmore?

  • Iced or hot coffee?

  • Talk to strangers on T?

• Closing

  • CD: lives in 1st floor of triple decker 2 blocks from where he grew up; transparency; repeats No Boston Olympics;

  • DD: taken on the Beacon Hill establishment; accountability & equity;