| Timothy P. Cahill | |
|---|---|
| Cahill participating in roundtable discussion at the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service, Suffolk University Law School, October 3, 2008. | |
| 56th Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts | |
| In office 2003–2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Shannon P. O'Brien |
| Succeeded by | Steve Grossman |
| Treasurer, Norfolk County | |
| In office 1997–2002 |
|
| Preceded by | Robert Hall |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Connolly |
| City Councilor At-Large, Quincy, Massachusetts | |
| In office 1987–1996 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 1, 1958 Norwood, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Tina Cahill |
| Residence | Quincy, Massachusetts |
Timothy P. Cahill (born December 1, 1958, in Norwood, Massachusetts) is a former Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver-General and was an independent candidate in the 2010 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Election.
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In 1987, Cahill was elected to the Quincy City Council, where he served until 2003. He was reelected seven times and served as the chair of the finance committee.
In 1996, Cahill was elected as Norfolk County Treasurer. He served as county Treasurer until 2002, when he began his campaign for State Treasurer. In the 2002 Democratic Primary, Cahill won a four-way race that included a candidate who shared his last name, Michael P. Cahill,[1] and was elected State Treasurer.[2]
During Cahill's tenure as Treasurer, the Massachusetts Lottery raised $7.2 billion. Much of that money went to cities and towns in the form of local aid.[3]
On July 7, 2009, The Boston Globe reported that Cahill was planning to leave the Democratic Party.[4] On September 9, 2009, Cahill announced that he would run in the 2010 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Election as an independent.[4]
Cahill is Chairman of the seven-member Board of Directors. He filed the legislation to reform the Massachusetts School Building Authority in 2004(MSBA). He worked with Governor Mitt Romney and the legislature to pass that legislation. Prior to the reform, Governor Romney said the agency could be "the next Big Dig," but since Cahill took control is has received high praise from members of both parties for its fiscal management and effectiveness.[5]
Cahill is Chairman of the nine-member Pension Reserves Investment Management (PRIM) Board, which is charged with the general supervision of the Pension Reserves Investment Trust Fund.
Cahill is Chairman of the five-member Lottery Commission, which was established by the Legislature in 1971 to provide local aid to Massachusetts cities and towns, as well as the state Arts Council and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
As of April 24, 2010, Massachusetts Lottery FY10 sales are about $3.636 billion while FY09 sales during same period were $3.645 billion, a dropoff of 0.25 percent from year to year. The state's lottery will post record profits this year - $903 million - while lottery sales stayed even. Cities and towns expect to receive an extra $44 million from lottery revenue. Cahill has argued that the increased revenues are the product of spending cuts and new games.[6] Since taking office in 2003, the Lottery has returned $7.3 billion in Local Aid to cities and towns.[7]
Cahill is a vocal critic of RomneyCare, the state government healthcare system of Massachusetts. In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Cahill called RomneyCare "a fiscal train wreck" that has "blown a hole in the Commonwealth's budget." While projected to cost the taxpayers only $88 million in 2006, the actual cost of the Bay State's healthcare system was over $4 billion.[8]
Cahill ran as an independent for the office of Governor of Massachusetts with former State Representative Paul Loscocco (R) as his running mate. He ran against incumbent Governor Deval Patrick (D) and former Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare CEO Charles Baker (R).
Some pre-election polls showed that Cahill would draw votes from both Patrick and Baker equally, signifying his moderate and centrist position in the race. A Boston Globe poll published September 26, 2010, showed Cahill drawing more votes from Patrick than Baker.[9]
On October 1, 2010, Loscocco announced he was withdrawing from the race for Lt. Governor and was endorsing Baker, although it was too late to remove his name from the ballot as Cahill's running mate. Speculation immediately began over Loscocco's motives and the role of the Baker camp in the decision (Baker joined Loscocco for the announcement). Evidence has come out that Loscocco colluded with former Cahill Republican staffers to orchestrate his abandonment and e-mails exchanged between Loscocco's top advisor. On the basis of those e-mails, Cahill filed a lawsuit against his former staffers to prevent them from sharing proprietary information with the Baker campaign.[10]
Cahill received 8% of the vote on the November 2, 2010 general election.