Water Leaks Draining Our Budget

                                                                                 By Anthony Guardia

On Thursday, August 10th, a 3-foot section of a 6-inch water main on Route 1 in Saugus burst near McDonald's restaurant, causing traffic accidents and backups for two days and leaving homes and businesses without water or fire protection for 15 hours.
Unfortunately, this isn’t all that surprising. Before this most recent incident, I spoke to a Saugus DPW employee who warned me of this issue.
“One of the biggest problems we face are the water mains that run along Route 1,” he said. “Because of heavy year-round traffic and ground heaves in the winter, these pipes require constant maintenance, especially where most of them are 50-60 years old.”
These pipes are an endless concern for our public works departments, but they don’t have to be. Being a state-run highway, all of Route 1’s maintenance falls under the jurisdiction of the state, but the water mains that run along it are the town’s responsibility.
Over the past 10 years, Saugus has borrowed approximately $900,000 from the MWRA to repair approximately 20 miles of water mains, but an estimated 100 miles still needs to be replaced, which could cost between 4 and 5 million dollars.
Unfortunately, the state intends to begin a project aimed at widening Route 1; from Copeland Circle in Revere to the Route 99 split, without adequately addressing this important issue. Before the state widens the Route 1, the State should fix the pipes under Route 1. This is common sense.
If the state properly funded Saugus for these water mains along Route 1, the towns could put that money to better use elsewhere within the town. The same DPW employee said that funding is always an issue. Small problems that could have been simple fixes can become days-long repairs, affecting businesses, residents and traffic.
My opponent spoke of securing $30 million in bonding that has still not been signed by the governor and has still not been released. This is unacceptable. I will bring effective leadership to Beacon Hill and hold people accountable on state projects that not just affect Saugus, but communities all along the North Shore. This, along with my plan to increase local aid, will bring more income to Saugus and make our community a more vibrant place to live and work.

   ( Anthony Guardia is a candidate for State Representative)

                View from the Hill –
       The Legislative Session in Review
          

                                          By   State Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein

It has been a busy two years up here on Beacon Hill, and it is hard to believe we have already wrapped up the formal 2009-2010 legislative session. Under the leadership of Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, the House of Representatives and the legislature accomplished a lot over these past two years. From sweeping reforms to the debate on expanded gaming, this legislative session is one that will surely go down in our Commonwealth’s history. The following is a summary of just some of the many issues the House and the legislature has tackled over the past two years.

Reforms, Reforms, Reforms
In January, 2009 the election of Robert A. DeLeo to Speaker of the House ushered in a new beginning for the Massachusetts House of Representatives. On the very day he was elected, the Speaker vowed to pursue ethics reform legislation, as there had not been any such comprehensive reform in fifteen years. And in March of 2009, we passed a sweeping bill that gives the Secretary of State and the Ethics Commission stronger powers of enforcement, as well as increasing the penalties for those who violate our lobbying laws. The ethics reform bill, which is the strongest bill of its kind, also included campaign finance reforms seeking to hold local officials to the same level of transparency and accountability of state officials. In June 2009, the House of Representatives passed an historic bill that overhauled the Commonwealth’s transportation system by eliminating the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. The bill also had a direct impact our communities here on the North Shore because of language that protects toll payers from paying for all transportation debt and projects, which now mean tolls collected specifically go to improvements and maintenance of those respective roads. Also last year, the House, listening to the public’s outcry, passed pension reform legislation. The legislation as passed by the House of Representatives removes the rule that allows elected officials to serve one day in a calendar year and gain a full year of creditable service, as well as the so called “king for a day” rule that allows for increased benefits for some employees who go out on accidental disability retirement to receive increased benefits if they did so while filling in for a supervisor.

Passage of the Municipal Relief Bill
Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed legislation that will provide cities and towns with new means of managing municipalities through these challenging economic times. The legislation calls for facilitating mutual aid agreements, allowing pension systems to extend their funding schedules and permitting municipalities to enter into leases of up to thirty years without a home rule petition, as well as allowing to offer early retirement. Passage of this relief bill will provide our communities of Revere, Chelsea, Saugus, as well as all cities and towns in the Commonwealth the necessary opportunity to more effectively and efficiently work through the fiscal crisis before us, yet without any increase to homeowners’ property taxes.

New Anti-Bullying Law
Following several severe incidents of bullying in Massachusetts schools, the legislature passed comprehensive anti-bullying legislation in May of this year. The legislation we passed is geared toward curbing bullying on school grounds, school buses, at school-sponsored activities, and through the use of electronic communications. A few of the major provisions of the bill include requiring school officials to report any known cases of bullying to the principal, requiring the principal to not only contact law enforcement if the case is deemed to be a criminal act, but also the parents of the victim, and requiring schools to add bullying prevention programs to their curriculums. The legislature addressed this matter because it is imperative that our children feel safe in their learning environment; bullying has no place in our schools and in our communities.

CORI Reform
In May of this year, we passed legislation reforming the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) system and reducing the time period in which records can be accessed for felony convictions and misdemeanors. The legislature passed CORI reform because public safety is paramount, and while this legislation opens new doors for those who have served their punishment, it also safeguards our public safety. The CORI reform bill was signed into law in early August.

The Safe Driving Bill
This past June, I am happy to report that the House of Representatives passed the “safe driving” bill, which is also now law. This important initiative not only bans texting while driving for all drivers, but it goes even further by banning the use of cell phones for any driver under the age of eighteen. This law is not meant to single out any age group, but rather to keep everyone on the roads safe. In this day and age it is becoming more common to see many motorists either hurt or killed as a result of cell phone use while driving, which is why it became imperative that the legislature take action on this major public safety issue.

Economic Development
This summer, the House of Representatives passed an economic development bill, which authorized the sales tax holiday for August 14th and 15th. Up here on Beacon Hill, we know and understand the troubling economic times our nation is currently in, and that is why we passed a bill which encourages a business-friendly environment which helps small businesses open, expand and create jobs, and reforms the state’s business development agencies, establishing a model with oversight and transparency to reduce redundancy and waste. Passage of this bill will also help stimulate our local economy due to the sales tax holiday, as well as help consumers save money.
Autism Insurance Coverage
Massachusetts now has one of the most comprehensive laws in the country regarding insurance coverage for autism services. The Legislature passed a bill which became law that requires health insurance companies to cover the diagnosis of and treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders. The new law provides coverage for habilitative or rehabilitative care, psychiatric, therapeutic, pharmacy and psychological care for all individuals with autism. The cumulative cost for an individual with autism is indeed daunting. And the lack of insurance coverage has not only been a financial burden for families, but also on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through its Early Intervention services and other state-funded programs.

The Silver Alert Bill
I am particularly proud to report that a significant piece of legislation that I filed and worked tirelessly on was just recently signed into law. In July of this year, the House of Representatives passed the “Silver Alert” bill, which sets up a state-wide alert for missing adults with Alzheimer’s and dementia. During my tenure as Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, I learned of the sad truth that many adults who suffer from memory-related illnesses sometimes wander off away from their home. I was proud to file and advocate for a bill which sets up an efficient system for locating a missing person with dementia. The bill, which is now law, directs law enforcement and neighborhood organizations to search in the area of the missing person’s last known location. The law also requires training for law enforcement, which will be incorporated into personnel training which is already in place. It is my vision that this law will save many lives and give family members of missing persons warranted hope if a loved one with dementia goes missing.

Expanded Gaming
I am proud to report that this past July, the House of Representatives and the Senate passed a long-debated compromise bill that would allow three casinos, and two slot parlors to be openly bid upon among the Commonwealth’s racetracks. The bill, if law, would create 15,000 jobs in the Commonwealth by creating construction jobs in the short term, employment at the resort casinos in the long term, as well as maintaining the hundreds of jobs at some of the Commonwealth’s four racetracks, including Suffolk Downs and Wonderland. The bill we passed would also produce over $70 million in immediate local aid to our cities and towns. As a long-term and steadfast advocate of expanded gaming, I know that bringing this new economic sector to Massachusetts would generate much needed revenue for our cities and towns and our state. I believe that the compromise the House of Representatives and the Senate made, with three casinos and two slot parlors, is a great compromise. The legislature did its job; we compromised. Unfortunately, Governor Deval Patrick has decided to not sign this bill into law because of the two slot parlor provision, which shows that he does not care about the 15,000 jobs and the much needed revenue expanded gaming would yield to Revere, Chelsea, Saugus and the entire Commonwealth. I am also proud to report that the House of Representatives and the Senate passed legislation that extends simulcasting at the Commonwealth’s four racetracks, which immediately saved the jobs at these venues. After twelve years of being a staunch advocate for expanded gaming, I was honored when Speaker DeLeo named me to the conference committee on expanded gaming, which ironed out the differences between the House bill and the Senate bill.

And Finally…
In closing, these are just some of the issues the legislature has tackled over the past two years; there have been many more, including legislation regulating the use of all-terrain vehicles, anti-harassment legislation, legislation improving school nutrition, legislation relative to autism insurance, as well as hundreds of locally reflected bills to help communities throughout Massachusetts. Even though the session formally came to a close on July 31, 2010, my staff and I are still working hard on Beacon Hill serving the needs of the communities of Revere, Chelsea, and Saugus.
 

The Immigration Issue

                                                         By Paul VanSteensburg, Sr

Our economy is in trouble. Millions of people are in the country illegally. Our borders are like a sieve. Politicians want to reform our immigration laws and grant amnesty to those who came here illegally.
If you think that I am describing our current conditions, you would be wrong. I am describing conditions as they existed in the early 1980’s. As a result of these conditions, Congress passed and President Reagan signed an immigration reform law in 1986 which granted amnesty to those here illegally and was supposed to resolve our country’s immigration mess. The ink was not dry on this law when the cycle started again. We find ourselves 30 years later in a similar mess. The geniuses in Washington are once again talking about immigration reform and once again talking about amnesty like it was a new idea.
The current furor over Arizona’s enacting an immigration law that mirrors the federal statues comes after decades of the failure or unwillingness of the Federal government to secure our southern border.
If it were not such a serious issue, the performance and I do mean “performance” of political and social leaders over the past few weeks would be laughable. The performances range from the absurd, like calling for the boycott of Arizona Iced Tea which is manufactured in New York State and has nothing to do with the state of Arizona, to the outrageous misinformation or lack of knowledge by politicians, like the Boston Mayor and City Council’s resolution condemning Arizona for actions that the Arizona law does not do. Even the President did his part to misinform.
Simply stated, the Arizona law is triggered during a “lawful contact” by police; for example, being stopped for a traffic violation or being questioned in relation to a crime. During such lawful contact, police typically check several things such as your license or id, vehicle registration, and other legal inquiries. It has happened to most of us at one time or another. The Arizona law now states that, additionally, you may be checked for immigration status. You cannot be stopped or interrogated simply because you look like you are here illegally. The Arizona law states that a valid driver’s license is sufficient proof citizenship. As for legal immigrants having to carry “papers” with them, the current federal law already requires them to do that. So, it is no added burden on them.
Of course, politicians brand people that think as I do as anti-immigrant. This is more deliberate misinformation. We believe in and support immigration. It is the heart of this nation. So, Mr. Politician, get it straight. We are anti illegal immigration.
One last thought for Mr. Politician – every oath of office I have taken or have heard people take has in it a clause dealing with “.. support …the Constitution of the United States”. How can mayors, legislators, governors and the President, support the Constitution when they take actions like declaring “sanctuary” cities or granting benefits to those here illegally or passing resolutions supporting illegal's. You undermine the Constitution and our citizenship. You violate your oath of office.
So, I propose a novel solution. Enforce the current law. First, secure the border. Second, find employers who hire illegal's and punish them. Third, as we find those here illegally, deport them. There is no need for the hysteria of mass deportation. The problem was created over time and can be resolved over time.

Sincerely
Paul VanSteensburg Sr.
27 Woodland Ave
Saugus MA 10906

       (Mr. VanSteensburg Sr is Chairman of the Republican Town Committee)