Video: Treasurer Tim Cahill and other officials tour CCHS and recognize need for renovation.
The 1970s-era Concord-Carlisle Regional High School got a shot in the arm
Rep. Cory Atkins, left, listens to the tour with MSBA Director Katherine Craven, center and high school Principal Peter Badalament.
on Friday when Treasurer Tim Cahill, Rep. Cory Atkins, School Building Authority Director Katherine Craven and School Committee members toured the building and came to the firm conclusion that repair was too small a goal.
“I am committed to working with you to get the school you deserve,” said Cahill after the tour.
Starting in the lobby, School Committee member Jerry Wedge, an architect, noted that there is no real front entrance, and one walks in and confronts ramps and hallways that do not meet ADA compliance codes.
“We did good work on the building with a limited budget,” said Wedge of the fixes that have been accomplished to keep the school open. Wedge said the place needed a new roof, “skin,” under the facade, and all new electrical and heating systems.
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Source: MoveOn.org political action email update
Target, the retail giant, just became one of the very first companies to take advantage of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision allowing unlimited corporate cash in elections.
Target has spent over $150,000 in the Minnesota Governor’s race backing state Rep. Tom Emmer, a far-right Republican who supports Arizona’s draconian immigration law, wants to abolish the minimum wage and even gave money to a fringe group that condoned the execution of gay people.
Target must think customers won’t care. They’re wrong: We do care, and we need to let them know that we want Target—and all corporations—out of our elections.
Will you send a message to Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel telling him that you’re not going to shop at Target unless they stop trying to buy elections? Click here to add your name to the petition:
http://pol.moveon.org/state/target/?id=22226-17967198-g1jaqFx&t=2
Once we get 150,000 signatures, MoveOn members in Minnesota will hand deliver the petition to Target headquarters.
The stakes are much higher than one candidate and one company. Other CEOs are in “wait-and-see” mode following the Citizens United decision, according to a former Federal Trade Commission counsel quoted on NPR.3 If we don’t push back hard, this will just be the tip of the iceberg. Other corporations will learn that they can pour money into elections to buy the outcome they want—without paying a price with their customers or shareholders.
We all knew Citizens United would benefit candidates who stand up for corporate CEOs instead of everyday people. But you wouldn’t expect a company like Target to jump in and try to buy an election so quickly. After all, Target made its name by being thought of as the more progressive store in the wake of numerous WalMart scandals.
That’s why MoveOn members are following up on actions of groups like Human Rights Campaign and the Alliance for a Better Minnesota by telling Target that we won’t shop there unless they stop trying to buy elections.
Please add your voice now:
http://pol.moveon.org/state/target/?id=22226-17967198-g1jaqFx&t=3
Governor to sign the Autism Insurance Legislation
Please join Representative L’Italien & Senator Berry
Tuesday August 3rd at 2:30pm @ Fenway Park
Please enter through GATE E SECTION 32
Parking lots around the park are as follows:
The Trilogy parking garage on Kilmarnock St.
The Landmark Center garage on Fullerton Street.
The 1330 Boylston Garage on Boylston Street (on the Jersey Street side.)
There are also a number of open-air lots on Boylston Street.
Please forward the updated gate and parking information to whomever you feel will be attending
In the meantime should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jen Barrelle at Jennifer.Barrelle@state.ma.us or X 7793
Posted in: Articles on 08/01/2010 | No Comments
Speaker DeLeo vows veto if Patrick fails to accept House-Senate gaming bill
By Matt Murphy, mmurphy@lowellsun.com
Updated: 08/01/2010 06:41:16 AM EDT
BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick and House Speaker Robert DeLeo engaged in a tense standoff yesterday over expanded gambling, with DeLeo pushing his chips all in against the governor, and Patrick responding by calling his bluff.
The back-and-forth between the two powerful Democrats played out over the last few hours of the Legislative session with casinos, slot parlors and a host of other legislation hanging in the balance. Two hours before the session was set to expire, the gambling bill had still not reached Patrick’s desk, casting doubts about whether a deal could be struck to save the legislation.
Surrounded by dozens of his fellow House members, DeLeo appeared before news cameras with just four hours left in the session to deliver a fiery response to Patrick’s pledge to reject the gambling compromise, which would license three Las Vegas-style casinos and two slot-machine parlors at existing racetracks.
“Make no mistake about this, anything short of Gov. Patrick signing this bill represents a decision to kill the prospects of 15,000 new jobs and bring immediate local aid to our cities and towns,” DeLeo said.
DeLeo’s voice rumbled through the corridors of the Statehouse as the speaker stood firm in his support for the deal struck between the House and Senate.
“Should the governor do anything less than to allow this bill to become law, this is too bad. It’s going to be the people of the commonwealth of Massachusetts who are going to suffer for that decision,” DeLeo said.
DeLeo guaranteed an override in the House if Patrick vetoes the bill. Those prospects are less certain in the Senate.
Patrick responded to DeLeo’s line in the sand with an ultimatum of his own.
“If the House and Senate choose to send back a bill with two slots facilities and without a truly open and competitive licensing process, I will veto that measure,” Patrick said in a statement.
The governor said if he received a bill with two “racinos,” he would send it back to Legislature with an amendment calling for three casinos and no slot parlors.
Patrick said he would still be willing after that point to accept one racino, but would veto any bill that included two racinos.
The House voted 115-36 to grant initial approval to the bill yesterday, while the Senate advanced the measure by a tighter 25-15 margin. Several procedural votes were still necessary as the clock approached midnight to send the bill to Patrick.
The proposal holds the promise of $400 million in annual revenue from gambling, and 15,000 new jobs at casinos, hotels, restaurants and retail shops. The revenue from the two slot parlors would go directly toward local aid, and an additional $300 million could come from one-time license fees.
“It seems silly to be arguing about one racino at this point when there are 15,000 jobs at stake,” said Rep. Colleen Garry, a Dracut Democrat and gambling supporter.
Patrick indicated that he saw no reason the Legislature could not vote to extend its session to reach a compromise.
“This is a decision we’re going to have to live with for decades, and it’s important that we get it right,” Patrick said yesterday from his office.
The governor said the time crunch to get a bill finalized by midnight was a result of inaction on the part of the Legislature, not himself.
“Let me make a point. I’m going to be here Monday hard at work. I’m going to be here all day,” Patrick said.
The remark was a clear indication from the governor that he believes the Legislature should break its rules and return to work next week to reach a compromise.
A two-thirds vote would be needed in both branches to come back into formal session after July 31, a rule adopted by the Legislature during election years to prevent lame-duck votes. Senate leaders, however, indicated they did not believe they had the votes to return after yesterday.
“If we’re not done our work, I don’t think there’s any question about coming back. We have to come back and finish,” said Rep. Tom Golden, D-Lowell.
Many local lawmakers supported the compromise bill, despite concerns that five new gambling venues was too much, too soon.
Rep. Cory Atkins, D-Concord, said she would vote in favor of the bill, even though she’s no fan of gambling.
“This is a deal with the devil, but I couldn’t look people in the eye if I voted no,” Atkins said. “I don’t believe any of the numbers, and the revenue is overstated, but I just believe people will have jobs who don’t have them now.”
“Two casinos would have been sufficient to me,” said Rep. David Nangle, a Lowell Democrat who also supported the bill.
State Rep. Kevin Murphy, D-Lowell, said he would respect the work done by negotiators on the House and Senate sides.
“The compromise probably authorizes a little more gambling than I originally wanted, but it’s important for us to start generating some revenue stream other than taxes,” Murphy said.
Under bill, the state would charge $85 million for each of the casino licenses and $20 million to $25 million for the licenses for the slot parlors at the racetracks.
Each of the two racinos would be allowed to have between 1,000 and 1,250 slot machines, depending on their location.
Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_15653130#ixzz0vSSD9me8
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