Ed Markey told a whopper of a lie, in tonight's debate. In response to Ed Markey questioning his business record, Gabriel Gomez mentioned Markey's "green energy" boondoggles. Specifically Gomez brought up A123 Systems and Evergreen Solar. Markey's response? "Evergreen Solar was funded by the state, not the federal government."
Too bad for Ed Markey, this just isn't true. Evergreen Solar received money from the stimulus that Ed Markey voted for on January 28, 2009. How do we know this? Barack Obama's Administration tells us so, right at WhiteHouse.gov.
Because of the Stimulus Bill and New Contracts, Green Energy Companies Are Looking to Hire Many New Employees....
...Evergreen Solar, the Marlborough-based maker of solar panels, also is hoping to hire 90 to 100 people at a manufacturing plant in Devens, said Gary Pollard, vice president of human resources.
Barack Obama's administration directly contradict Markey. But that's not all. Ed Markey's own spokesperson touted the ARRA Stimulus money that companies like Evergreen Solar got in Massachusetts.
According to a spokesman for congressman Ed Markey, the Malden Democrat who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Massachusetts is set to get $125 million in stimulus funds for weatherization projects and $55 million in state energy block grants to be used mainly for energy-efficiency programs. According to a recently released report from his firm, the legislation contains about $83 billion for "clean-tech spending and tax plans" and positions the industry as a "key driver of economic stabilization and job growth."
In tonight's debate Mr. Markey asked Mr. Gomez to open up on his private clients. Mr. Gomez answered the question in saying they were public employees to include the President of the United States.
Now the same standard needs to be applied to Mr. Markey on his military records.
Mr. Markey served in the US Army Reserves from 1968 to 1973. Mr. Markey went in the Army Reserve in 1968 and was drafted shortly after he entered the Reserves. The requirement for those who sign up, must serve in our Military is for six years. Mr. Markey served for only 5 years, why? Mr. Markey was opposed to the War in Vietnam and was a big Anti- War supporter.
Why was Mr. Markey released from his obligation 1 year early? Mr. Markey's didn't serve on Title 10 Active Duty for any length of time like former President George Bush did when he attended Flight School and Weapons School therefore Mr Markey didn't qualify for an early release.
Another question he should answer is how did Mr. Markey get into the New Hampshire Army Reserve? that just so happens to be where Tip O'Neil III, the son of Congressman Tip O'Neil was in.
Mr. Markey in tonight's debate completely avoided the question on his Military record. Mr. Gomez did say he would compare his military record to Markey's.
Finally the questions remain and the votes deserve an answer. Why is Mr. Markey refusing to open his Military Records?
Why won't Mr. Markey release his DD Form 214?
Why type of Discharge did Mr. Markey receive when he was release after only serving 5 years?
Did Mr. Markey get an Honorable Discharge? or was it a General Discharge. The Voters are waiting Mr. Markey.
Mr. Gomez stated to Mr. Markey, Lead or Get Out Of The Way, It's now Time Mr. Markey man up and lead by releasing his Military Records so we can have the truth on Mr. Markey.
It's now time Mr. Markey stops hiding his Military Record. The voters should demand Mr. Markey do this.
There I was, dutifully checking the in-box of my e-mail for the day, when suddenly I beheld an electronic missive from newly-elected National Republican Committeewoman Chanel Prunier. It wasn't the usual mass-mailing piece that automatically winds up in my spam bucket. When I opened it, I was greeted with the following (partial) paragraph:
In my efforts in support of Republican candidates, I come across different items that I find are worthy of passing along: articles, events, and general information that may be of interest. So I've started a regular email list for my fellow political junkies and activists. If you think this has merit, I urge you to pass it along. If not, simply unsubscribe. You can also follow me on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you for all you do to bring better government and conservative values to our state.
After that, Prunier proceeded to provide a pdf version of a roll call vote taken on Republican Representative Geoff Diehl's amendment to the rules which would require the House conference committee budget to be posted online for 24 hours before a vote on it occurred (it failed but that's another story for another day), a variety of news articles, press releases, & Op-Eds pertaining to major political issues, a calendar of GOP-based events/happenings, & a quick list of phone numbers belonging to contact people working on the special US Senate election for Gabriel Gomez.
Now what I've just described is not new if you're a Democrat who takes something like the aforementioned e-mail from Prunier for granted due to the number of professional smooth operators within the party who keep its machinery thoroughly lubricated. But Prunier's e-mail is the first time THIS Republican has received anything of its kind from a Massachusetts-based GOP national committee person. This suggests to me that Prunier might be serious about engaging the Republican grassroots in an effort to rebuild the party from the ground up.
Yeah, a part of me remains cynical since I've seen these types of tactics promulgated by past GOP state committee leaders & their enablers on Beacon Hill. But I'm willing to give Prunier the benefit of the doubt just to see if her kind of leadership is the real deal. To paraphrase an old song, I know what she offers is only hope & change - but I like it.
Many, of the people, who attended the ceremony, at the State House for Paul Cellucci yesterday, have said that Jane Swifts remarks were the most powerful. NECN was good enough to allow them to be embedded. Here is the video.
The Gomez campaign has capitalized on Ed Markey's epic gaffe in Tuesday's debate by releasing a web ad. Entitled "Numbers Game". Its well done, unfortunately it is over a minute long, which means no TV.
In other ad news, a GOP leaning Super PAC has started airing television ads for Gomez focusing on the IRS and health care.
You would think that with the parade of scandals in which even network news is taking an interest (and even the New York Times finds itself criticizing Barack Obama) that things were not going well for the Administration. But with Obamacare in the bag in the first half, and massive, stampede-style, F5 tornado, HERE-THEY-COME!!! amnesty about to become reality, I would say that Obama might as well just resign now. Because we, the Republicans, are basically finished as a party.
We now know why Ed Markey didn't want to debate Gabriel Gomez. It's because he's prone to say really dumb things. Mostly it's on policy, and his inability to understand basic economics. It seems though his inability to understand even basic mathematical concepts is rooted in an inability to understand what is and isn't math.
Here, let Congressman Markey explain it to you.
That's right folks, "it's not math, it's arithmetic."
Tomorrow, on Tuesday, June 11th, the legislature's Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development will be holding a hearing at 10 am in the Gardner Auditorium. They will consider several bills, one of which would significantly increase the minimum wage in Massachusetts. The bill is sponsored by four legislators: Senators Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton) and Dan Wolf (D-Harwich), Representative Michael Brady (D-Brockton), and former Representative Marty Walz (D-Back Bay).
Specifically, the bill seeks to do all of the following:
• increase the minimum wage from $8/hr to $9/hr 60 days after enactment
• increase the minimum wage from $9/hr to $10/hr on July 1, 2014
• increase the minimum wage from $10/hr to $11/hr on July 1, 2015
• index the minimum wage to inflation beginning in 2016
• mandate that the MA minimum wage be $1.50/hr above the federal minimum wage
Senate President Murray has publicly indicated her openness to this measure, which would almost certainly have major negative consequences for the Massachusetts economy. Therefore, it is very important that as many opponents as are able show up. If you know other elected officials, candidates, or business owners who would be willing to testify, please encourage them to do so. This would be a great opportunity for them to make a positive difference in our Commonwealth!
(A Member of the Hudson Historical Commission, a Selectman, then a State Representative, then a State Senator, then Lt. Governor, Acting, then elected Governor, and finally our nations Representative to our largest trading Partner, Canada, Paul (as he insisted we all call him, even when he was Governor) was undefeated in elections, but that never made him arrogant. He was a proud husband and father. He may have been from Hudson, but I know everyone in his State Senate district, be it Marlborough, Acton, Stow, etc, thought of him as 'Our Hometown Guy'. Rest in Peace, Governor. - promoted by Paul R. Ferro)
As reported on Facebook and several news outlets. You were a fine man.
A one percentage point increase in the unionization of a state's public sector workforce is associated with an additional $78 of state and local government debt per capita. Meaning, if a state's public sector unionization were to fall from 50% to 49%, that is associated with a fall in the public debt by $78 per person living in the state. Thus states with higher public sector unionized workforces are more likely to face higher levels of state debt. These are the findings of a new study from the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University.
The Great Recession of 2008 left state and local governments exposed to structural deficiencies that threaten their ability to deliver basic public services in the future. For years, state and local governments took the easy path of not raising taxes or cutting spending to accommodate generous compensation packages negotiated through collective bargaining.
The study first finds that a one percentage point increase in the unionization of public sector employees is associated with an additional $78 of state and local government debt per capita. For instance, 59.8 percent of public sector employees in Massachusetts are unionized. So, the strength of unions in Massachusetts leads to an additional $4,672.17 of state and local debt per person.
With its population of 6,587,489 people, Massachusetts faces about $31 billion in debt. More than 31 percent of Massachusetts's debt is attributable to the strength of public sector unions.
The legacy of the $15 billion Central Artery/Tunnel project may even mask that middle of the pack ranking, according to the study. If Big Dig debt were not counted, the proportion of debt related to public employment compensation would be even higher.
Second, The Pew Center on the States, in a nationally recognized study, evaluated the record of state management of pension and retiree benefit programs. BHI shows that for each percentage point of public sector employees who are unionized, states are one percent more likely to receive very poor ratings by Pew. A reduction in the power of public sector unions in Massachusetts, which claim 59.8% of public sector employees today among its membership, will lead to better management of pension and retiree benefit programs in the future.
"States which are able to constrain spending on public sector unionized workforces will likely see a fall in debt while meeting current obligations to public sector employees," writes Ryan Murphy, the study's principal author. "State and local governments' failure to address this issue will only lead to an enormous spike in tax rates or deep cuts in basic social services. The arithmetic does not lie."
Those of you who know me understand that I have not been exactly the greatest Gabriel Gomez cheerleader. Gabriel is a great guy, but some of the unforced errors of his campaign have given me pause. However, after listening to the debate last evening, I am fully on board with his campaign. We need to stop Ed Markey from ever being a United States Senator.
I pay attention, obviously to politics, but even I didn't understand how far to the left Ed Markey was, and is. Some of the points in the debate which highlighted this were:
1) When pressed on not authoring legislation himself, Markey fell back on three pieces of legislation. None of which have a direct effect on all Americans, none of which would help the economy, all of which carved out special exemptions, no matter how well meaning for special groups. This is exactly what is wrong with this country.
2) He puts his union allies goals above national defense. Three times he said he didn't vote for national security legislation because unions weren't protected.
3) He accuses others of being partisan, when in fact it is he that is such. He calls a search for the truth about an attack on US soil, being done to stop Hillary Clinton from becoming president. Not once but THREE times.
In a tweet last night, I summed up my feelings after the debate.
I seriously didn't think anyone in #mapoli wad to the left of. @jamieeldridgema i was wrong. @edmarkey makes him look like milton friedman
(Thank you representative Diehl for weighing in - promoted by Rob "EaBo Clipper" Eno)
Today I filed an amendment to the housing bond bill to require Social Security Numbers in order to get housing assistance.
This is just common sense. We have a wait list of people needing assistance. Like the federal government requires, the state of Massachusetts needs to require a Social Security Number in order to get the benefit. Why should any legal resident have to wait behind a person who is not lawfully in our country?
Right now veterans, elderly and the disabled are given preference for housing, but there is no preference for a legal resident over an illegal alien in Massachusetts. I believe it is time to give preference to legal residents. Illegal immigrants should not be getting taxpayer funded benefits.
We have people on wait lists. It is crazy for our residents not to be first on the list. The hard working families in my district are tired of their tax dollars going to people who are not legal residents of our country.
My amendment would require applicants to supply a Social Security Number and that number to be verified. In 1977 there was a federal court decision that prohibits the state from inquiring about an applicant's immigration status. I believes that it is now time to challenge the 36 year old ruling. Technically it should be illegal to be illegal in Massachusetts. I would hope that our Attorney General would fight on behalf of the Commonwealth's legal residents.
Just got this from the MassGOP. They are looking for your help for Gabriel Gomez. Below is contact information for all regions of the Commonwealth.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: GABRIEL GOMEZ FOR US SENATE ENTERS FINAL STRETCH
The Massachusetts Republican Party is recruiting and mobilizing volunteers to boost Gabriel Gomez as Election Day draws near. Demonstrate your support for Gabriel by knocking on doors, making phone calls and putting up lawn signs. Everybody knows the race is close and with your help we will push Gabriel Gomez to VICTORY on June 25!
Take the next step and get involved by contacting a field office near you.
Watertown: 51 Water Street
Contact: Scott Ahern sahern@massgop.com (781) 424-2009
Last year a listener to the Howie Carr show gave Howie a receipt showing a $7000 balance on an EBT card. Ever since, Shaunna O'Connell (R-Taunton) has been trying to get a list of the highest EBT card balances. After the Patrick Administration wouldn't answer her as a representative she filed a public records request with the department.
That public records request went unanswered for longer than the period of time prescribed by law. O'Connell then went to the Secretary of State's office to force the Patrick administration to release the records. We learn today the Patrick administration now wants to charge $800 for the information. The Boston Herald has the story.
Shocked by a receipt showing one EBT user carrying a $7,000 balance, O'Connell in January first requested months worth of food stamp and cash benefit balances from the DTA.But after state officials repeatedly ignored her, she twice scaled back her request, including in an April letter asking for all balances from August, September and November 2012, and January through March of this year.On the heels of a Herald report last week that the DTA still hadn't responded, officials sent O'Connell a letter yesterday, saying it would process her request for $800. An estimate sent by the state's EBT vendor said it would take 10 hours, at $80 an hour, to find and produce EBT cards showing large balances.
What was that about the former Massachusetts Democratic Party Executive Director, Stacey Monahan, and a "commitment to change"?
Maybe this race is a little closer than we all think. Gomez may, in fact, be in striking distance. The Boston Herald is reporting that Barack Obama is coming to Boston for Markey.
U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey is planning to bring in scandal-plagued President Obama to boost his campaign next week, according to two high-level state Democrats who received an emailed invite to the event.
Obama will stump for Markey at Copley Plaza at an 11 a.m. fundraiser next Wednesday, according to the sources.
"I think this is really shows how important the election of Ed Markey is to the president's agenda, including the affordable care act," said one Democratic source.
Will that be his only announcement of the day? Will he be announcing a new Attorney General at the same time?
(Ed Markey is awful, why I will be voting for Gomez. - promoted by Rob "EaBo Clipper" Eno)
So I was rereading the Boston Globe article written back in February about Ed Markey and his questionable status as a Malden, Massachusetts resident. The story is here.
The story raises so many good questions about whether or not he actually ever uses the residence at 7 Townsend Street. For instance it raises the point that the residence, owned by his parent's until the year 2000 frequently records the minimum water usage allowed by the city. Maybe that is why they call him 'Dirty' Ed Markey? That aside, Ed Markey has also listed the Malden residence, as well as his home in Maryland both as primary residences over the years. Why would it change? There is only one reason I know that a person's primary residence changes from year to year - to gain a tax advantage?
Anyway, I thought I might take a look at the house he claims to live in over in Malden, Massachusetts. So I Googled it in Google/maps, and guess what I see sitting at the end of his driveway? Yup, a stretch limousine. What are the odds that Google would catch that photo?
It appears to be a stretch limo Cadillac. There are no signs of a wedding or prom or graduation going on in the neighborhood - just a big fat limousine sitting in front of Ed Markey's house. Knowing what Malden is like - I know it is not the kind of town where stretch limos are the typical family vehicles.
Now, there is no big conspiracy here. It's just that a guy who hardly ever lives at a residence in Malden shows up in a stretch limousine. The irony is that Ed Markey is one of the most virulent anti-business global warming activists in Congress. And here is a picture of a stretch limo sitting in front of his house waiting to take him somewhere so he can spew his rhetoric about how we need to pay more in taxes so we can fight global warming. In fact he has suggested we drive smaller cars to help fight global warming.
A typical Limousine Liberal - do as I say, not as I do! 'You should drive a Chevy Leaf while I drive around in a stretch Cadillac that is about a block long....
So try it - type into Google/maps the address 7 Townsend Street Malden, Massachusetts. Click on the picture of his house and turn the photo just slightly to the right and viola! A Stretch Cadillac.... Just swooping in to get the mail.... Then try Googling your own house and see if a stretch limousine shows up in front of your front door.... Probably not....
ICYMI: SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN/MASSLIVE: Gomez to stress independence from Republican Party in Monday remarks
Shira Schoenberg, The Republican
June 03, 2013
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez plans to stress his independence from the Republican Party in remarks he will deliver on Monday.
"One of the things I am going to change in Washington is my own party," Gomez will say, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks. "I am fully aware that in a few months from now, some in the Republican Party will consider me to be a pain in the butt. And I am okay with that."
...
"He will point to particular stances in which he has broken with many in the Republican Party, including his belief in climate change, his support for gay marriage, his support for immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and his support for background checks for gun sales..."
Yesterday, Suzanne Bump, the Auditor of the Commonwealth, talked for over a half hour to Tom Duggan, the editor of the Valley Patriot. Duggan has a weekly radio show on WCAP in Lowell, called Paying Attention. During the interview, Bump vigorously defended her audit of the Department of Transitional Assistance against the onslaught of Governor Patrick.
Duggan has provided a transcript of the interview, at the Valley Patriot's website. Bump was very adamant during the interview that the Patrick Administration is playing a game of trying to discredit the Audit using smokescreens.
We didn't get pushback on the findings that we had [at DTA] when we matched the heads of household and the Social Security death list, they didn't give us pushback on that.
What they did give us pushback on was, they said that our number of 178 dependents whose Social Security numbers were either dead or people using dead Social Security numbers, they [DTA} said that was wrong, but they wouldn't allow us to test how it is that they reached their conclusions about it.
And without our ability to test it, we can't accept it because that's the whole essence of auditing. You get the data and you have to verify it.
This is an interview that everyone interested in State Government should listen to. It's non-confrontational, and lays out the facts. Good on Bump for agreeing to do it.
