Candidate for Massachusetts State Senate - Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire (District 1) in 2018 Massachusetts 2018 Primary Election.
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Get StartedI believe strongly we must be hard on the dealers that sell death in our area and I support law enforcement and rehabilitation efforts to help stem the tide of the nation’s opioid epidemic. Learn more
I believe we need an economic zone for our area with localized incentives to support job growth. We are lucky to have an area that supports significant seasonal work, but the abundance of help wanted signs tells the real story: our labor force is shrinking. One key reason for a reduced workforce is the lack of year-round employment to sustain families and younger residents who would be interested in living and working in our area year-round. We’re not alone in this issue – you can see similar challenges in other small-town/seasonal areas in our state. We need the statehouse to address the issues causing this gap, including education, taxes, regulation, training and healthcare costs. Learn more
support a program to encourage expanded enrollment in junior college throughout our area called the “Empty Chair” grant. It’s a financial support program that could benefit up to 50 students per year – students that otherwise would not attend college. The Empty Chair grant program is part of an overall college-bound state initiative, which means funding is readily available. We can and should pursue it as one way to strengthen our workforce in the area. Learn more
I will be working hard on Eversource and National Grid’s demand side. I am a strong supporter of green energy and have ideas on how new technologies can be implemented to meet all our energy needs today…and into the future. Learn more
We need to address options for mass transit throughout our region, and expanded rail service to/from the county. There has been much discussion of a new rail service from New York to Pittsfield , but we need to address a Boston-Berkshires link as well. Learn more
the upkeep of our secondary roads must be addressed. In my role as Selectman in Lee, we agreed to prioritize the worst roads first, with an emphasis on those roads most traveled. This problem should be addressed with assistance and funding from the state as a county-wide issue impacting growth in the Berkshires. Learn more
When it comes to Spectrum cable, I’d like to ask them why they feel we are more interested in New York politics (and sports, and local news) than Massachusetts. I don’t know about you, but I’m willing to fight to watch the Red Sox rather than the Yankees on cable. And wouldn’t it be nice to watch the Patriots on an HD channel? Learn more
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