Silberstein calls on Finegold to return contributions from developer charged with illegally funneling money.

Finegold received at least $6,750 from Winn Companies.

Press releases are pouring in now as we get closer to the primary..

Today we hear from Deb Silberstein..

Debbie Silberstein, Democratic candidate for State Senate in the 2^nd Essex & Middlesex district, today called on one of her opponents, State Representative Barry Finegold, to return the almost $7,000 in campaign contributions he has received from Winn Companies.

This week, the executive vice president of the company, Martin Raffol, was charged in federal court with illegally funneling $12,000 in campaign contributions to four Massachusetts Congressmen and a further $30,000 to members of the Massachusetts’ Legislature.

“Good government demands that public officials return money that is associated with scandal. It’s the right thing to do – and it’s what Barry should do,” said Silberstein.

Governor Deval Patrick’s campaign has already said it will return donations from Raffol and his company. A spokesperson for Patrick’s campaign said that the Governor hopes Raffol “will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” Congressman Steve Lynch of South Boston said that he too would return contributions associated with Raffol.

Raffol is accused of collecting checks from company vendors and then illegally reimbursing the contributors. According to state records from the Office of Campaign & Political Finance, the Finegold Committee received a contribution of $500 (the maximum allowed by law) from Raffol on May 5, 2004. On the same date that Raffol made the $500 contribution, the Finegold Committee also received $2000 in contributions from other executives and developers at Winn Development.

In addition, the Finegold Committee received at least another  $4,250 from employees of Winn Development, Winn Companies, Winn Residential and Winn Commercial since 2004.

It is not clear how much Finegold received in total from employees of Winn because campaign finance laws only require contributions in excess of $200 to disclose their employers.

Tags: Fall 2010 Election

At a ceremony in Tewksbury yesterday, held at the 9-11 Memorial, the New England Police Benevolent Association (a law enforcement labor organization, run by law enforcement professionals, for the benefit of law enforcement members and support staff) endorsed Jack Wilson’s candidacy for Senate.

NEPBA with Tony Archinski with Jack Wilson

From their statement:

The New England PBA is endorsing Jack Wilson for State Senate because he has been an outspoken advocate for public safety throughout his campaign.  He understands that well-trained, well-staffed and well-equipped public safety departments are at the foundation of strong and healthy communities and he is committed to fight on behalf of law enforcement in the State Senate.  Jack’s commitment to maintaining public safety as a top priority in the state budget is exactly what the residents of the Senate District and the Commonwealth in general need in the State Senate.

A statement from Jack Wilson, released later that day tells us:

I am honored to accept the endorsement from the New England Police Benevolent Association, which represents law enforcement officials in Andover, Dracut and Tewksbury.  These dedicated men and women, who have taken an oath to protect us 24/7, put their lives on the line day in and day out and deserve our utmost respect and support.  Public Safety should always remain the top priority in the state budget.   As State Senator, I will be committed to ensuring that public safety officials possess the resources needed to keep them well-staffed, well-trained, and well-equipped so that the residents of the District and the Commonwealth remain well-protected at all times.

Tags: Fall 2010 Election

From the Rahilly Campaign:

State Senate candidate has reached the 1500 “doors knocked on” plateau this week.  “Its very exciting to have reached that many people, and its especially exciting since I got to talk to over 1100 since mid-May.  The people have really shaped me as a candidate, always giving encouragement and ideas, which I write them all down.  I have probably gone through six notebooks thus far.”

Rahilly continues, “The biggest compliment that I have received so far has been the fact that I actually listen to all ideas and engage in a dialogue instead of going door to door, pitching a few lines and moving on.  People certainly have responded positively to that approach.”

Patrick Rahilly faces off in a Republican primary against Jamison Tomasek on September 14.

Tags: Fall 2010 Election

It was a new notebook when I started tonite. I finished with it mostly full. I don’t know shorthand, so I only got a lot of the highlights. If any candidate wants to elaborate, feel free.

Some of the Candidates at the Andover Candidates Night

The Andover and North Andover League of Women Voters hosted a forum tonite for the candidates for State Senate in the 2nd Essex and Middlesex districts.

The Democrats in the race are State Representative Barry Finegold, Deb Silberstein and Jack Wilson. All are from Andover. All are lawyers.

The Republicans are Jamison Tomasek of North Andover and Patrick Rahilly from Tewksbury. Tomasek is a CPA, Rahilly a law student who will hopefully be a lawyer in a month or two (having just taken the bar exam).

It has to be understood that in this race, which is to fill the seat being vacated by Senator Sue Tucker, Barry Finegold is considered the incumbent. He has been a State Representative for a good number of terms, and is running on his accomplishments there and states that his “public and private experience” is an asset in his race. The “common sense” reformer, he called himself.

He says tonight, as he has to me in the past, that the number one issue in this race is jobs.

I agree. His method of getting there is to focus on expansion on the higher education system. Expanding the Northern Essex College in the District, and trying to focus the others (the vocational schools, community colleges and Universities) on developing students that have skill sets that are needed by our local businesses.

Deb Silberstein says that “We can do much better.” Having been on the Andover Finance Committee and School Committee she understand how the cities and towns are falling behind and being “asked to do more and more with less and less.”

She refuses to accept the low graduation rates and high dropout rates in Lawrence, and believes that “Government can make a positive diffference.”

“Status Quo politicians are failing us,” she says. “Barry Finegold has not brought common sense in 15 years, why would he now?”

I however, want to hear more specifics.

She speaks to being a “community activist” and that solutions need to come from a “comprehensive plan” put together by a coming together of all the stakeholders at all levels.. business, municipal, union, state and federal.

It feels a little hopey-changey to me.. but then again, I tend to see things through those glasses.

Now, Jack Wilson comes from outside the system. He notes the specifics of how our budget has grown exponentially in the last few decades.. and he speaks to accountability.

There is a lot of “outside the box” thinking here, that I’m sure would take a lot of support to make happen.

He asks you “do you want more of the same [focusing on Finegold], or a new direction?”

Read the rest

Tags: Fall 2010 Election

With Barry Finegold, I had asked about alternative energy, trying to drive the topic towards Cape Wind.. with the others I asked outright what their opinion on the Cape Wind project was..

 

 Senate Candidates on Cape Wind: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Fall 2010 Election

From the Lowell Sun Political gossip colum:

COMPARE AND contrast.

On Tuesday, Dracut Selectman Bob Cox appeared to buck state ethics laws when he approved a liquor license for a private club where he sits on the board of directors. State law prohibits selectmen from taking any official action on matters involving organizations for which a selectman serves as an “officer, director, partner, employee or trustee.”

But Cox didn’t see a problem with voting for the one-day liquor license for the annual steer roast at the Centralville Sportsmen’s Club.

“I didn’t recuse myself because I never do. I just never felt the need,” Cox told The Sun.

Later at the same meeting, Selectman John Zimini abstained from voting on accepting a total of $8,000 to the Board of Appeals to pay for a financial peer review and traffic study peer review at Allard’s Grove, an affordable-housing plan for Nashua Road. Zimini regularly abstains from voting on 40B projects that come before the board because any action he takes as a public official could be considered a conflict of interest with his day job working at MassHousing, a quasi-public agency that bills itself as the state’s affordable housing bank.

John Zimini has been careful to recuse himself since it became public knowledge that he works for Mass Housing. Thats good to hear.  And it will probably help him some in his election in the spring, because the Louisburg Square issue will follow him there.

Box Cox has a problem.. he wears his heart on his sleeve. When he believes something is right, he pursues it, sometimes going too far to fight the good fight (again, remember Louisburg Square and the millions we lost over that).

In terms of this vote, I was uncomfortable when he mentioned he was on the Board of Directors of the club. But because the town counsel didn’t speak up, nor the town manager or the Chairman of the Board, I thought that the issue of his voting on that one day license had been cleared up prior to the meeting.

Cox called into the radio show on 980 WCAP yesterday to let us know that fellow board member Joe DiRocco had spoken to the town counsel prior to the meeting, and he had determined that there was not a problem with their voting on the liquor license.

In terms of the amendment.. once a discussion came up that went beyond the original simple vote for a one day license, I think Cox should have just backed off and recused himself… whether or not its legal for him to vote on it.  I’m sure he’ll check with counsel on what was the right thing to do, and handle the results.

The neighbors down there do have an issue they want to deal with. They probably should have asked to be put on the agenda in the future, or asked for a meeting with the board safety subcommittee directly.  No one has said if they had brought up their issues with the directors of the club prior to this.

Tags: Cox, DiRocco, Zimini

And out final Candidate for State Senate, Democrat Deb Silberstein on the Lawrence situation..

 

 Deb Silberstein on Lawrence: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Fall 2010 Election

Nothing to do with Dracut, or even Jack Wilson… just a point to make.

This really is an example of a town elected official who should know what is right.

Mary Lyman, Selectman in Andover, wrote a letter to the editor in the Andover Townsman endorsing Jack Wilson.

As an individual, everyone has the right to do that. Individuals can support any candidate.. but only as individuals.

Her letter included the following:

Sue Tucker is retiring at the end of this year; she has served her district with distinction and is known for having been a strong voice for Andover. As a selectman, I knew I could call on her or one of her staff to answer any question or concern. This type of representation is not the norm.

This is clearly the statement of someone speaking in her role as Selectman. She even signs the letter “Mary Lyman, Andover Selectman” with her address in town.

She clearly sounds like an elected official, in her role as Selectman, endorsing a candidate.

I am hearing that this whole thing will probably blow up in her face. All she had to do was reword the thing and leave off her position to keep from having the letter sound like it was coming from her as a representative of the town rather than just herself.

Now I would expect this type of mistake from a first year or first term elected official. But Mrs Lyman was appointed to the position of Selectman in Andover back in 2001, and was on the school committee for five years back in the eighties. She should know better.

And you know what, its not about Dracut. Its just an example of how elected officials could get into hot water by not minding their p’s and q’s with regard to their roles.