January 8, 2004

ROMNEY FILES BILL TO STRENGTHEN CHILD PROTECTION LAWS

 

 

Fulfilling his pledge to strengthen the Commonwealth’s child protection laws in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal, Governor Mitt Romney today filed legislation creating a new crime for negligent behavior that results in harm to children and increasing other penalties.

 

“All of us have a responsibility to protect children from harm. Under this legislation, if anyone were to turn a blind eye to sexual abuse of children, they will be punished,” said Romney.

 

Last year, Attorney General Tom Reilly’s report on the clergy sex abuse scandal pointed out the inadequacies of the state’s child protection statutes. At the time, Romney said he would review existing Massachusetts law with a view toward giving law enforcement the tools they need to keep children safe.

 

Massachusetts was among a minority of states that until recently had no child endangerment laws. In 2002, following news of the church sex abuse scandal, the Legislature passed a law creating a misdemeanor offense for “wanton and reckless” conduct that results in a risk of serious bodily injury or sexual abuse to a child and adding clergy to the list of mandated child abuse reporters.

 

Romney’s legislation begins where the new law left off. It creates a new misdemeanor for “criminally negligent” behavior that results in bodily injury or sexual abuse to a child. The clergy abuse scandal involved reports that church officials knew of sexual abuse allegations against certain priests, but kept them in the ministry and moved them from parish to parish.

 

Under the Romney bill, this behavior would constitute a crime, even if committed unintentionally, and would be punishable by a term in a House of Correction for up to two-and-a-half years for the first offense or a minimum mandatory term of incarceration of one year for any subsequent offense.

 

The Romney bill also makes assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child under 14 a felony, making it punishable by up to five years. This mirrors the statute that heightens the punishment for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on persons over age 65. Right now, those crimes against a child are treated no differently than if they were committed against an adult.

 

Romney’s new bill also increases the punishment provision for the “wanton and reckless” conduct law passed in 2002 to include an option that it be treated as a felony punishable by up to five years in state prison. Currently, the penalty is up to two-and-a-half years in a House of Correction.

 

“The young people of Massachusetts deserve the protection of our laws. With this legislation, police and prosecutors will have more tools available to them to assure the safety of our children,” said Romney.

 

 

 

January 9, 2004

ROMNEY KICKS OFF COMMONWEALTH CAPITAL PROGRAM

Acquisition of key seven-acre Worcester parcel part of new land protection strategy

 

Worcester – As part of his goal to adopt a more strategic approach to land protection in the Commonwealth, Governor Mitt Romney today launched a new plan to help cities and towns adopt “smart growth” policies that foster sustainable development.

 

“Since entering office, I have worked on ways to foster comprehensive, sustainable development that helps to restore our downtown areas, boost our quality of life and preserve our precious natural landscapes,” Romney said.

 

He added, “Today, we’re taking an important step towards a more coordinated approach to land conservation that will result in more livable, vibrant communities.”

 

Romney noted that the state’s housing, environmental and transportation agencies collectively administer hundreds of millions of dollars in capital spending each year, but with little coordination. Under the newly created Commonwealth Capital program, the Romney Administration will now strategically decide how these funds are spent through the Office for Commonwealth Development, investing in projects that meet sustainable development goals.

 

In kicking off the new program, Romney announced one of the first investments from the Commonwealth Capital program is a seven-acre site in the Webster Square neighborhood of Worcester known as the Knights of Columbus and Fenton properties. This urban acquisition will increase the amount of protected shoreline along the Coes Pond Reservoir and free up the land for new ballfields, nature trails and other recreational opportunities. It will also protect wildlife habitat and biodiversity in this urban setting and expand a greenway.

 

Romney noted that this project is a model for preserving land through partnerships with the state contributing $400,000, the City of Worcester providing $425,000 and Greater Worcester Land Trust investing $150,000. Other partners include Tatnuck Brook Watershed Association, the Columbus Park Neighborhood Association, the Blackstone Headwaters Coalition, the Regional environmental Council, the John H. Chaffee Blackstone River National Heritage Corridor Commission and the Broad Meadow Brook Massachusetts Audobon Society Sanctuary.

 

“This new initiative could not come at a more critical time for Massachusetts,” said OCD Secretary Doug Foy. “Cities on the verge of comeback are looking for opportunities to repair brownfield sites and create or improve parks and open space to attract business and residents. As the economy begins to thrive again, we will use Commonwealth Capital to steer development to places where it will be served by existing infrastructure. And we will preserve important open space parcels such as this one in Worcester.”

 

 

 

 

January 12, 2004

ROMNEY PROPOSES INCREASED FUNDING FOR MEDICAL EXAMINER

Swears in Medicolegal Investigation Commission Members

 

As he revitalized the board responsible for finding a new Chief Medical Examiner, Governor Mitt Romney today said he will propose an increase in funding to help professionalize and upgrade the office.

 

Recognizing that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has been chronically underfunded, Romney announced he will propose a 60 percent increase in funding for the office in his Fiscal Year 2005 budget, which is scheduled to be filed at the end of the month.

 

Romney also swore in the members of the Medicolegal Investigation Commission and charged them with recommending a new Chief Medical Examiner.

 

“The first crucial task for the legal and medical professionals on this commission is to recommend top-notch candidates for the state’s Chief Medical Examiner,” Romney said.

 

“The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office has been chronically underfunded for more than a decade,” said Romney. “This additional funding in my budget will allow the office to purchase new lab equipment and make other sorely need upgrades to bring the office into the 21st century.”

 

The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, the state agency responsible for the delivery of forensic services, is well below the national standard for processing and analyzing forensic data at current funding levels. Romney’s budget proposal will optimize services to the law enforcement community and help bring justice to victims and their families.

 

Romney said he will propose in his budget an additional $2.18 million for the office to adequately support the 3,000 forensic autopsies and 1,000 post-mortem examinations the office performs each year, bringing the total recommended appropriation to $5.8 million. The funding will also enable the office to optimize responsiveness, reduce turnaround time, enhance stability and accuracy of testing, and expand the testing spectrum for suspected drug use.

 

“Governor Romney’s support for increased funding for the Medical Examiner’s Office after more than 10 years of frozen budgets, along with his commitment to the revitalization of the Medicolegal Commission, will enable the office to attract top-notch professional staff and to improve the poor conditions of its physical facilities,” said Secretary of Public Safety Edward Flynn, who also serves as Chair of the Medicolegal Commission.

 

With the revitalization of the Medicolegal Investigation Commission, which has been inactive for several years, it will now offer professional oversight and guidance to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office. The commission has 16 volunteer members, with each member serving a three-year term or until a successor is appointed, which ever is longer.

 

The commission is required to meet at least three times a year.

 

As required by statute, the makeup of the commission is comprised of the Public Safety Secretary, who serves as Chair, the Public Health Commissioner, a dean of a Massachusetts medical school, forensic pathologists, a medical doctor, an attorney, a law professor, a funeral director and district attorneys among others.

 

 

 

January 13, 2003

HEALEY RECOGNIZES BARIL DIE’S ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

 

 

HAVERHILL – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today honored Baril Die Company with the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.

 

Presented monthly as part of Governor Mitt Romney’s “Jobs First” initiative, the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award recognizes individuals who best demonstrate the entrepreneurial spirit that drives the Massachusetts economy and who inspire others to turn their ideas into action.

 

“Governor Romney and I established this award to honor and celebrate some of the state’s most innovative companies as well as to highlight the creative entrepreneurs who are helping to drive economic growth here in the Commonwealth,” said Healey.

 

Baril Die Company specializes in die and laser cutting services for the medical device, life science, diagnostic, military, electronics and automotive industries. It offers design, material selection, rapid prototyping services and production runs using fully automated and manually fed presses and is an authorized converter of 3M Medical and 3M Industrial adhesives.

 

Founded in 1972 in a garage by the Baril Family, Baril Die Company has grown into a state-of-the-art facility now located in Haverhill. From aerospace to medical, membrane switches to snowboard manufacturers, Baril’s diverse customer base ensures the company has the expertise to deliver a wide variety of products and services.

 

In addition to providing more than 50 jobs to the local economy, Baril Die continues to grow and hire.

 

“The same entrepreneurial spirit that first sparked this company more than 30 years ago continues to influence the exceptional products produced at Baril,” said Healey. “Many Baril customers are leaders in their industries and bring new technical assignments to the company.”

 

“This award is an important milestone for our company,” said Danny Baril, Baril Die Company’s Vice President of Operations. “My family and I are grateful for the hard work of our employees and the support of our many partners and customers.”

 

Since July, the Romney Administration has presented the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award to the Yankee Candle Company of South Deerfield, The Chamberlain Group of Great Barrington, Stacy’s Pita Chips of Randolph, Finale of Boston, ZipCar of Cambridge and posthumously to the founder of Inc. Magazine, Bernie Goldhirsh.

 

 

 

 

January 14, 2004

ROMNEY BOOSTS FUNDING FOR HOMELESS PROGRAMS IN '05 BUDGET

 

 

With temperatures dropping to dangerously unhealthy levels, Governor Mitt Romney today announced that his proposed budget for the next fiscal year increases funding for assistance to the homeless.

 

Romney made the announcement as he joined volunteers from Bridge Over Troubled Waters in canvassing the city of Boston to identify and transport homeless people into shelters to protect against the bitter cold.

 

"It's dangerous for people to be exposed to these frigid temperatures for any length of time," Romney said. "We have increased the number of emergency shelter beds and also significantly increased the staffing of our homeless outreach teams, which are working to get people off the streets."

 

He added, "I plan to do everything I can to get the homeless into warm shelters. No one will be turned away."

 

The Governor's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2005 will increase funding for homeless programs by $3 million, to $136.4 million.

 

The additional $3 million will be directed into specialized housing for the mentally ill, where it will leverage three times that amount in federal funds. Once discharged from mental health inpatient units, these clients need help in finding apartments and paying rent while continuing to receive services from the Department of Mental Health.

 

Also, one of the Governor's key budget recommendations will be the creation of a "shelter-to-housing" pilot program. The program will provide transitional housing assistance that will allow families to enter housing on a time-limited basis while awaiting permanent housing subsidies.

 

Focusing homeless assistance on securing permanent housing was one of the most important recommendations from the Governor's Commission on housing and Homelessness, which issued its report late last year.

 

 

 

January 15, 2004

ROMNEY FOCUSES ON EDUCATION IN 2004 STATE OF THE STATE

Unveils ambitious “Legacy of Learning” initiative, calls for “more reform”

 

Governor Mitt Romney, delivering his 2004 State of the State address, unveiled a comprehensive initiative to build and renovate new schools, pour more money into the lowest performing school districts and provide free public college tuition to the top 25 percent of Massachusetts high school graduates.

 

“Massachusetts has some of the best schools and teachers in the nation,” Romney said, speaking tonight from the historic House Chamber at the State House. “Education reform, adopted a decade ago, raised standards and closed funding gaps. But it was the first step, not the last.”

 

He added, “Let us now take every step, to prepare every child, for an ever more competitive future.”

 

Of the state of the state, the Governor said, “A year ago, our state was facing a fiscal crisis. Today, I am proud to report that the state of our Commonwealth is much stronger. We’re moving again, with purpose and determination, in the right direction. We can, and we must, be even stronger next year.”

 

In the 20-minute live televised address, Romney also renewed his calls for reform, saying that eliminating waste and duplication in state government will create savings that can be invested in our schools and in other important priorities.

 

“We can make critical investments in our children, in our economy and in our Housing,” Romney said. “But, we’ll have to put people first.”

 

He added, “We started down the road to reform last year. This is no time to take our foot off the gas pedal. The people who elected us deserve the best government we can give them. The people of Massachusetts must come first.”

 

Romney zeroed in on the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, calling on the Legislature – again – to fold it into the Massachusetts Highway Department. Romney said the move will save over $20 million each year and an additional $190 million in one-time money.

 

“We don’t need two sets of managers, two legal departments, two public relations departments and two sets of books to manage one set of highways,” Romney said. “We don’t need the Turnpike Authority selling off key assets critical to our state. We don’t need fancy celebration parties. We don’t need a Turnpike thinking about building a pie-in-the-sky monorail. And we sure don’t need to pay toll takers more than we pay teachers.”

 

He added, “Our choice is this: Do we waste $20 million of taxpayer money every year on two highway departments or do we invest in scholarships, schools and teachers? Let’s choose our children.”

 

The focus on education in the Romney’s address was evident throughout this evening’s ceremony. Students from Murdock Middle High School in Winchendon and Holyoke High School, both declared “underperforming” by the state Board of Education, were invited to participate – a symbol of the Governor’s commitment to help turn around the state’s most challenged school districts.

 

Romney also introduced 17-year-old Linette Heredia, an honors student at Lawrence High School, who wants to go onto college after graduation, as he spoke about his plan to provide free tuition at Massachusetts public colleges and universities to the top one-quarter of high school seniors.

 

“Linette, we want you to stay in Massachusetts,” Romney said.

 

Under the new John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program, students whose MCAS scores put them in the top 25 percent of their class by the end of their junior year will be given tuition free for four years at the University of Massachusetts or at any of the state or community colleges.

 

In addition, students who rank among the top 10 percent of all MCAS takers will receive the free tuition along with a $2,000 bonus to help cover fees.

 

Those students receiving the free tuition must complete their college studies in four years or less. Those receiving free tuition plus the bonus will be required to maintain at least a 3.3 Grade Point Average. Students receiving tuition-only scholarships will be required to keep a 3.0 grade average.

 

The Adams Scholarship Program will cost approximately $12 million next year, but will rise to $50 million once it is up and fully running in four years.

 

Romney’s Legacy of Learning initiative, which will be included in the budget he files later this month, will also expedite the construction or renovation of new schools through a refinancing of the School Building Assistance (SBA) program and the passage of construction reforms.

 

“We’re horribly backlogged in renovating and rebuilding old and dilapidated schools,” Romney said. “I will propose a series of construction reforms and a refinancing program that will jumpstart over 100 new and remodeled school projects.”

 

In addition, Legacy of Learning calls for spending $34 million in new dollars on the bottom 10 percent of school districts, where nearly one-third or 300,000 students are enrolled. The program includes:

 

 

$10 million for full-day kindergarten in districts that don’t already have it;

$20 million in additional funding to provide intensive after school and summer school classes for students who need help on the MCAS; and

$4 million for mandatory parental preparation courses.

Statewide, Legacy of Learning provides another $10 million, including:

 

 

$5 million in grants to school districts to help them manage students who have discipline problems by taking them out of the classroom and putting them in alternative programs;

$3 million to help recruit, retain and train science and math teachers; and

$2 million for intervention efforts in school districts declared “underperforming” by the state Board of Education. Currently, only two districts have that designation – Holyoke and Winchendon.

Romney said he will also propose giving principals the authority to remove underperforming teachers from the classroom, which he said is essential to putting “the principal, and the parents, back in charge of their school.”

 

“Legacy of Learning puts people first, kids first. We’ll be putting our money where our future is,” Romney said.

 

Romney said he will also tackle other reforms in his budget to root out waste and promote efficiency, singling out the anti-outsourcing law that makes it extremely difficult for private-sector companies to bid for state work.

 

He added that his budget will not raise taxes on the working families of Massachusetts and that he will propose a modest increase in local aid. “I will present a balanced budget. And in case anybody has any other ideas, let me be clear about one more thing: I will not raise taxes.”

 

Romney also kept his focus on job creation, urging the Legislature to go back to work on reforming the state’s most-expensive-in-the-nation unemployment insurance system, saying it is the “most positive action the Legislature can take to keep and grow jobs” in Massachusetts.

 

The Governor also cited the high cost of Housing, repeating his intention to double the number of housing starts in Massachusetts through policies that encourage the construction of new housing. And he signaled that this is the year for auto insurance reform.

 

With some of their families looking on, Romney paid special tribute to the 16 Massachusetts soldiers killed “fighting to protect our freedom” since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. After naming them one by one, Romney said, “These heroes we remember, we extol, we salute.”

 

 

 

 

January 16, 2004

ROMNEY TARGETS RESOURCES TO LOWEST PERFORMING DISTRICTS

Pledges Modest Local Aid Increase to Mayors, Selectmen

 

One day after unveiling his Legacy of Learning education program, Governor Mitt Romney today released a list of 42 school districts with the lowest MCAS performance that would be eligible for increased state assistance.

 

Appearing before the Massachusetts Municipal Association at its annual meeting at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, Romney also offered a preview of his Fiscal Year 2005 budget as it relates to local aid and detailed his proposed restructuring of the School Building Assistance (SBA) program, which will expedite the construction and renovation of new schools.

 

“There are critical investments we can and should make in our children,” Romney said. “But those investments will only be made possible if we continue down the road to reform. I hope you will join with me in working for change.”

 

Romney said total cherry sheet aid in his budget will grow by $70 million, from $4.3 billion to $4.37 billion, a 1.6 percent increase.

 

“Although this will be another challenging budget year, I want to assure our local officials that you can count on me to preserve local aid,” Romney said.

 

Romney’s Legacy of Learning plan calls for spending $34 million on the bottom 10 percent of school districts, where nearly one-third or 300,000 students are enrolled. The 42 school districts are mostly urban, and include Boston, North Adams, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Springfield as well as a number of vocational and charter schools.

 

In these lower-performing districts, Romney’s program calls for full-day kindergarten, additional funding to provide intensive after-school and summer school help and mandatory parent preparation courses.

 

Statewide, Legacy of Learning provides another $10 million for schools to help them manage students with discipline problems; recruit, retain and train science and math teachers; and pay for state intervention in school districts declared “underperforming” by the state Board of Education. Currently, two districts have that designation – Holyoke and Winchendon.

 

Another key component of Romney’s program is a free tuition program at any Massachusetts public college or university for students who score in the top 25 percent on the MCAS test. That program will cost $12 million in the first year, and $50 million annually when fully up and running.

 

 

 

January 19, 2004

EMERGENCY DECLARATION ISSUED FOR DECEMBER SNOWSTORM

Federal assistance available for 12 Massachusetts counties

 

Governor Mitt Romney today said federal disaster assistance will be available to the Commonwealth's cities and towns hardest hit by the December 6-7, 2003 snowstorm.

 

The assistance was authorized under an emergency declaration issued by President George Bush after a review by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at the request of Romney last month.

 

"I am grateful to President Bush for recognizing that the cities and towns of Massachusetts need a boost from the federal government to help cover cleanup costs associated with last month's snowstorm," Romney said.

 

The declaration covers the 12 counties that received record or near record snowfall, including Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Worcester, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and Berkshire, making them eligible for the federal funding.

 

Under the emergency declaration, FEMA will provide reimbursement to local governments, state agencies, hospitals, colleges and eligible private non-profits for 75 percent of the total eligible costs of equipment, contracts and personnel overtime, related to emergency protective measures dealing with the snow for a continuous 48-hour period designated by each applicant. These are the crucial hours when work crews clear snow emergency routes and roads to critical facilities to permit passage of emergency vehicles. Related emergency protective measures such as sanding and salting, search and rescue, and shoveling out fire hydrants will also be eligible for reimbursement.

 

By the end of the week, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency will have available a list of statewide briefings for local officials regarding this matter.

 

 

 

January 20, 2004

ROMNEY OPENS DOOR TO COLLEGE FOR TOP SCORING STUDENTS

Outlines John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program at Everett High School

 

EVERETT – Less than one week after unveiling his Legacy of Learning education initiatives in the State of the State address, Governor Mitt Romney today visited Everett High School to outline a plan to provide free tuition at Massachusetts’ public colleges and universities to the highest performing high school graduates.

 

“Families all across the Commonwealth are struggling to pay to send their children to college,” Romney said. “The new Adams scholarship will make the dream of obtaining a college education a reality for thousands of Bay State students and keep our most talented students right here in Massachusetts.”

 

Romney’s John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program offers four years of free tuition at the University of Massachusetts or at any of the nine state and 15 community colleges to students whose MCAS scores by the end of their junior year rank in the top 25 percent of those taking the test. In addition, the top 10 percent will receive a $2,000 annual bonus to help defray the cost of fees.

 

Based on the number of high school students who took the MCAS test statewide last year, about 16,000 in this year’s senior class will qualify for free tuition, with about 6,500 of them eligible to receive the bonus. In Everett, 11 percent of seniors are in the top 25 percent of all MCAS scorers across the state and three percent are in the top 10 percent, making them eligible for the scholarship program.

 

In order to receive free tuition, students must complete their college studies in four years or less and maintain a 3.0 grade point average. Those students receiving the tuition plus the bonus will be required to maintain at least a 3.3 grade point average.

 

Last academic year, average tuition at the University of Massachusetts was $1,575; $977 at state colleges; and $740 at community colleges.

 

The program is estimated to cost $12 million initially in Fiscal Year 2005 and up to $50 million annually when it is fully up and running by its fourth year.

 

“Our students deserve every opportunity to continue their education after high school, but too often finances stand in their way,” said Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll.

 

Romney also noted that students enrolled in parochial and private schools will be eligible for the Adams Scholarship if they meet the MCAS requirements. The Department of Education will design a program to allow these students to take the MCAS test at their own expense.

 

In addition to the new scholarship program, Romney’s Fiscal Year 2005 budget will call for $80 million in higher education financial assistance for the state’s neediest students.

 

Romney’s Legacy of Learning initiative also expedites the construction or renovation of new schools through a refinancing of the School Building Assistance (SBA) program and the passage of construction reforms.

 

In addition, Legacy of Learning calls for spending $34 million in new dollars on the bottom 10 percent of school districts, where nearly one-third of the state’s students are enrolled.

 

Statewide, Legacy of Learning provides another $10 million, including:

 

 

$5 million in grants to school districts to help them manage students who have discipline problems by taking them out of the classroom and putting them in alternative programs;

$3 million to help recruit, retain and train science and math teachers; and

$2 million for intervention efforts in school districts declared “underperforming” by the state Board of Education. Currently, only two districts have that designation – Holyoke and Winchendon.

“Legacy of Learning puts people first, kids first. We’ll be putting our money where our future is,” Romney said.

 

 

 

January 21, 2004

ROMNEY DETAILS MANDATORY PARENTAL PREP PLAN

Says budget will provide funding to help parents support their children in school

 

LAWRENCE – Governor Mitt Romney today highlighted his plan to provide parents with the information and assistance they need to support their children academically, a central piece of his Legacy of Learning education initiative.

 

Romney promised that any parent who wants help will be given information, and he said that he will piggy-back on child care orientation sessions that are already mandatory to get the information to parents in the majority of the state’s lowest-scoring school districts.

 

“We can praise the virtues of parental involvement all day, but until we actually get parents to follow through we are simply singing to an empty music hall,” said Romney. “Voluntary programs will not get the job done. It is essential that mandatory training be put in place.”

 

Under Romney’s plan, parental preparation courses will be required for all parents that receive state-subsidized childcare funds. Parents who receive this state benefit already must meet one-on-one with a counselor in person every six months. The new parental preparation sessions will be added as part of these required meetings.

 

Romney noted that 70 percent of parents that receive state-subsidized childcare live in the 29 lowest scoring elementary school districts, a high degree of correlation that means the training is taking place where it is most needed.

 

At these sessions, counselors trained in child development will share information with parents on what to expect at various stages of their child’s development, how theycan participate in their child’s school and what they can do to encourage their children to learn and grow.

 

“This will not be a strain on parent who are already hard-pressed, as some have suggested,” said Romney. “This is mandatory counseling they are already receiving. We are simply updating it with information they will need to make their child’s education a success.”

 

In his Fiscal Year 2005 budget, to be filed at the end of this month, Romney will include an additional $1.7 million to make this mandatory parental preparation class possible for the families that receive state-subsidized childcare for children up to age five.

 

Romney’s budget will also provide $2 million in grants targeted to the lowest performing districts to help them increase parental participation in their schools through teacher/parent conferences, open houses, family nights, volunteer opportunities, and family outreach materials. The grants will require the district to show an improvement in parental involvement as a result of this funding, including the percentage of parents participating in these types of activities.

 

“Studies have shown that students who have parents that are involved in their children’s education generally have higher grades and test scores, better attendance, more motivation, better self-esteem, higher graduation rates and a greater likelihood of pursuing a post-secondary education,” said Romney.

 

In addition, parents will receive a guidebook developed by the Department of Education and the Office for Child Care Services and other experts to help them understand more about what they can do to help their children in school. Romney’s Fiscal budget will include $300,000 to publish this guide in five different languages.

 

Lawrence officials praised the Governor’s education initiatives.

 

Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan said, “I support the Governor’s Legacy of Learning proposal because it is statistically proven that children will do better in the educational process when working with their parents as a team.”

 

Lawrence Superintendent Wilfredo LaBoy agreed, saying, “When parents are involved in their children’s education, schools are better and children do better in school. I applaud Governor Romney’s leadership in recognizing the critical role that parents play.”

 

 

John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program, which offers four years of free tuition at the University of Massachusetts or any state or community college to students whose MCAS scores by the end of their junior year rank in the top 25 percent of those taking the test. The top 10 percent will receive a $2,000 annual bonus to help defray the cost of fees;

Accelerates the construction or renovation of hundreds of school projects that are on a waiting list for the School Building Assistance (SBA) program.

Invests $34 million in new dollars in the bottom 10 percent of school districts, where nearly one-third of the state’s students are enrolled; and

Devotes $10 million to help school districts manage students who have discipline problems; to recruit, retain and train science and math teachers; and for intervention efforts in school districts declared “underperforming” by the state Board of Education.

 

 

The 29 lowest-scoring elementary school districts include Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelsea, Chicopee, Fall River, Fitchburg, Greenfield, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, New Bedford, North Adams, Salem, Somerville, Southbridge, Springfield, Wareham, Webster, Winchendon and Worcester as well as Lawrence Family Development Charter School, Boston Renaissance Charter School, Seven Hills Charter School, Somerville Charter School and Atlantis Charter School.

 

January 22, 2004 CONTACT:

HEALEY DETAILS PLAN TO REMOVE DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS FROM CLASS

Visits Sea Coast School in Revere to commit $5 million to effort

 

REVERE – As part of Governor Mitt Romney’s Legacy of Learning education initiative, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today outlined plans to commit $5 million in grants in next year’s budget to take disruptive students out of the regular classroom.

 

“Disruptive students often inhibit learning opportunities for their peers and make it difficult for teachers to focus on teaching,” said Healey, after a roundtable discussion with teachers and administrators at the Sea Coast school, an alternative school for students with severe behavioral problems.

 

She went on to say, “Our strategy is two fold – to ensure that these children do not interfere with the learning that goes on in mainstream classes and to move them into a more structured program that will help them get the attention they need.”

 

The Sea Coast School, established three years ago, currently serves 177 students in grades seven through twelve with a wide range of discipline problems. The school has 28 staff members, including a full-time social worker to help students deal with a wide range of problems, including drug abuse, anger management and troubled homes. The ultimate goal for these students is to transition them back into the normal high school.

 

Across the state, alternative education programs vary in size and scope to address the needs of students with behavioral problems.

 

Healey said the budget recommendations she and Romney unveil next week will include $5 million to support these programs.

 

“Often our disruptive students have personal problems that make learning in the regular classroom difficult for both them and their peers,” said Education Commissioner David Driscoll. “Alternative programs have proven to be very successful in not only getting such students to learn, but in allowing everyone to continue their classwork without disruption.”

 

According to the state Department of Education, there were nearly 1,800 student exclusions reported in the 2001-2002 academic year, the latest information available. An “exclusion” is defined as the removal of a student from participation in regular school activities for disciplinary purposes for more than 10 consecutive school days. Alternative education was provided for 71 percent of these students.

 

Problems caused by disruptive students are believed to be much greater as many schools do not report their exclusions to the state, and many behavioral problems do not lead to exclusions.

 

Romney announced his Legacy of Learning initiative last week as part of his State of the State Address. In addition to the $5 million in grants, other highlights of the plan include:

 

 

John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program, which offers four years of free tuition at the University of Massachusetts or any state or community college to students whose MCAS scores by the end of their junior year rank in the top 25 percent of those taking the test. The top 10 percent will receive a $2,000 annual bonus to help defray the cost of fees;

Accelerates the construction or renovation of hundreds of school projects that are on a waiting list for the School Building Assistance (SBA) program;

Invests $34 million in new dollars in the bottom 10 percent of school districts, where nearly one-third of the state’s students are enrolled;

Devotes $3 million to recruit, retain and train science and math teachers; and

Provides $2 million for intervention efforts in school districts declared “underperforming” by the state Board of Education.

 

January 26, 2004

ROMNEY LAUNCHES $100 MILLION PROGRAM TO SPUR NEW housing

Follows through on his pledge to double housing starts by end of his term

 

Following up on his pledge to make Massachusetts more economically competitive and a more affordable place to live, Governor Mitt Romney today announced a new $100 million program to help finance the construction of thousands of new homes.

 

“We are on a mission to double housing starts in Massachusetts and this is one approach to help get us there without spending new taxpayer dollars,” said Romney. “These new resources are critical at a time when public funds are limited, but the need for new housing is enormous.”

 

Over the next three years, the Priority Development Fund is expected to help create as many as 5,000 units of housing that would not otherwise be built and to leverage as much as $1 billion in additional financial resources.

 

Of the $100 million, $75 million will be set aside for the construction of new mixed-income housing developments where at least 20 percent of the units are affordable to low- and moderate-income residents. Another $22 million is earmarked for mixed-income housing development specifically around transit nodes. The remaining $3 million will go for planning assistance for communities to craft affordable housing plans that conform to the Romney administration’s smart growth policies.

 

Both for-profit and non-profit housing developers will be eligible to apply for the funds, which will be made available only to borrowers who receive first mortgage financing from MassHousing. The maximum amount of subsidy per unit will be $75,000.

 

Unlike prior housing programs that utilized a standardized approach to financing, the hallmark of MassHousing’s Priority Development Fund will be its flexibility. Most developers will likely use funds as a “gap filler” to make up for financing shortfalls due to the high cost of building housing in Massachusetts, although funds can also be used to write-down interest rates and provide credit enhancements or other loan guarantees. Funds will be awarded as low- or no-interest loans, due only upon sale or refinancing of the property.

 

Romney made the announcement at The Metropolitan, a 251-unit mixed-income housing development under construction in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood. The Metropolitan’s co-developers are EA Fish Associates and the Asian Community Development Corporation.

 

MassHousing, the Commonwealth’s 37-year old quasi-public affordable housing bank, will administer the new Priority Development Fund. Funding will come from MassHousing’s reserves and anticipated mortgage repayments and no new taxpayer dollars will be needed.

 

“The Governor has set ambitious housing goals and we now have significant new resources that will help increase construction starts and improve our ability to attract and retain businesses with a new supply of housing for working families,” said Tom Gleason, MassHousing’s Executive Director.

 

The Priority Development Fund is geared primarily toward creating new mixed-income apartment complexes although condominium units that are part of a transit- oriented development will be allowed.

 

Preference will be given to development projects that meet smart growth criteria. These would include housing developments located in town centers or around train stations, and those that make use of existing infrastructure such as water and sewer lines.

 

Proposals that provide increased housing affordability, either by creating more low-cost units, reserving units for people with very low incomes or extending affordability for a longer period, will also be prioritized. housing developments that can attract other private and public resources and that provide family units with three or more bedrooms will also receive preference.

 

The $100 million for the Priority Development Fund is not being generated through the sale of bonds, but instead has aggregated over time as a result of various improvements to MassHousing’s business structure as well as loan repayments, fees, other investments and the strong financial performance of more than 500 housing developments financed by the agency. Priority Development funds will be used in conjunction with mortgage loans made to developers, and those loans will continue to be funded through the sale of bonds.

 

For more information, visit the MassHousing Web site at www.masshousing.com.

 

 

January 28, 2004

ROMNEY ANNOUNCES SUPER BOWL WAGER WITH NC GOVERNOR

 

 

A confident Governor Mitt Romney today wagered with North Carolina Governor Michael Easley over Sunday’s Super Bowl face-off between the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers.

 

The friendly bet, which was made during a joint morning interview on ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike in the Morning Show, calls for the Governor from the losing state to wear the jersey of the winning team’s quarterback at the upcoming National Governors Association meeting, which will be held in Washington, D.C. at the end of February.

 

Romney said he could hardly wait to see Governor Easley wearing Tom Brady’s Number 12 in the nation’s capital in a few weeks.

 

“I look forward to Governor Easley’s induction as a card-carrying member of Patriots Nation. Maybe we can get Tom Brady to autograph the shirt for him,” joked Romney.

 

To sweeten the wager, the Governors also threw in some local specialties. Romney put up a traditional New England clambake, complete with lobster, clam chowder and steamers to Easley’s pound of barbecue and sauce, pint of slaw and hushpuppies from both Wilber’s Barbecue of Goldsboro and the Barbecue Center, Inc. of Lexington.

 

Last week, Romney won a wager he placed with Indiana Governor Joseph Kernan over the AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. To settle the bet, Kernan sent Romney 12 pounds of Indiana pork chops and 10 pounds of double-dipped peanuts, which Romney shared with Patriots fans during a rally held at the State House this week.

 

Super Bowl XXXVIII will be played this Sunday at 6:25 PM at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

 

 

 

January 28, 2004

ROMNEY UNVEILS $22.979 BILLION FISCAL YEAR 2005 SPENDING PLAN

Budget stays the course of reform, eliminates abuse and excess in pension system

 

Governor Mitt Romney today unveiled a $22.979 billion spending plan for Fiscal Year 2005 that continues on the course of reform he set last year and rids the state pension system of abusive practices and loopholes that benefit political insiders.

 

Romney proclaimed his budget balanced and said it contains no new taxes and avoids the use of reserves.

 

The Governor said a combination of stronger revenues over last year, the merger of the Turnpike Authority and reforms of the School Building Assistance (SBA) program make it possible to increase spending on education and health care.

 

Romney’s budget proposes to grow spending by five percent over projected Fiscal Year 2004 spending. This increase includes the assumption of Turnpike Authority operations. If Turnpike operations are factored out, actual budget growth mirrors the three to four percent anticipated expansion in the economy.

 

Focusing on an issue of growing concern, Romney said pension abuse erodes public confidence in government when it seems that a privileged few are taking advantage of the system.

 

“Over the past year, we have all become aware of loopholes that allow state workers to enrich themselves at the expense of the taxpayer,” Romney said. “We have an obligation to take care of our retirees, but no one should get a windfall.”

 

Romney said his pension reform will not affect the vast majority of public employees. “I want to make sure that all state employees – at every level – receive a pension benefit appropriate to their service,” he said.

 

Romney’s proposal, which will not affect current retirees, places a cap on the pension amount an employee can receive, basing it on the true reflection of the employee’s earnings over the course of public service rather than the three highest earning years. This measure only affects employees with unusual pension contributions – such as those who get a spike in salary at the very end of their careers in government. The majority of government employees are unaffected by the cap.

 

Other pension reforms in the budget:

 

Clarifies that perks, such as cars and housing allowances, do not get added to pension benefits;

Eliminates the “January 1” loophole that grants a year of pension credit to elected officials for a single day of service;

Places certain terminated employees and elected officials (under 55 with 20 or more years of service) on the same benefit calculation as other employees, eliminating the so-called “termination benefit;”

Puts economic fairness into “buy back” provisions by charging accrued market-rate interest over the buy back time period; and

Pro-rates pension benefits based on time spent in different positions, instead of the job grouping an employee is in on the day of retirement.

 

He noted that three recent early retirement packages passed by the Legislature added more than $2 billion to the unfunded pension liability, a massive cost shifting that eased pressure on the operating budget but pushed costs off to the retirement system.

 

“Our current system makes it too easy to implement changes that save us cash on the quick, but carry enormous financial costs in the future,” Romney said.

 

Romney’s budget also targets duplication and inefficiency. He renewed his call to merge the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority with the Highway Department for $20 million in annual savings and $190 million in one-time savings. He also proposed the abolition of the $1.8 million Inspector General’s Office and moving the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) to the Executive Office of Public Safety so it can effectively carry out its law enforcement mission.

 

The Governor also unveiled plans to fold the Boston Municipal Court (BMC) into the rest of the District Court operations, saying it makes sense to combine the two departments in order to save $1 million by eliminating duplicative administration and oversight responsibilities.

 

Romney pointed out that savings from reform make it possible to pay for his Legacy of Learning education program, which includes free public college tuition for the top MCAS scorers, more money for low-performing school districts and an ambitious school building program.

 

It will also help finance a half-billion dollar expansion in Health and Human Services spending.

 

Other changes Romney proposed include increasing health care premiums state employees pay from 20 to 25 percent to bring them more in line with the private sector, as well as making workforce reforms and changes to the state’s construction laws.

 

“If all of us work together on the road of reform, we can build not only a more efficient government for the people of the Commonwealth, but a more effective one as well,” said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey.

 

Romney’s budget boosts spending on Health and Human Service programs by $523 million – or five percent – over last year, totaling $11.1 billion or nearly one-half of the entire state budget. He also hiked spending on MassHealth – the state’s Medicaid program – by eight percent to $6.7 billion, a $496 million increase over last year.

 

There are no eligibility changes to MassHealth and no one currently receiving MassHealth will lose coverage. The Governor also preserved the nearly $100 million drug insurance program for seniors known as Prescription Advantage.

 

Romney refocused the mission of the Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and children (EAEDC) program, bringing its disability standards in line with the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI). In keeping with this change, EAEDC will be renamed the Transitional Supplemental Security Income (TSSI), which reflects the original intent of the program.

 

Also, in anticipation of federal changes to the welfare law, Romney proposed strengthening the Commonwealth’s welfare rules now to avoid losing federal funding. Depending on which proposal is adopted by Congress and the Bush Administration, the number of able-bodied families required to work in Massachusetts could increase to 55 percent in 2005. The state’s current work participation is less than 10 percent.

 

In order to increase work participation among welfare recipients, Romney’s budget calls for increasing the work requirement for families with children between the ages of two and five from 20 to 24 hours per week and for families with school-aged children from 20 to 34 hours per week.

 

Higher education spending will increase by more than $70 million in the Governor’s budget – $34 million of it will fund the collective bargaining contracts in line with what was approved in the current fiscal year; $18 million will be distributed to the state and community college campuses through a new formula based on enrollment and costs; and the remaining $18 million will go to the University of Massachusetts.

 

This increase in higher education spending is in addition to the $12 million it will cost to pay for the first year cost of the new John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program. Under the scholarship program, students whose MCAS scores put them in the top 25 percent of their class by the end of their junior year get free tuition for four years at the University of Massachusetts or at any of the state or community colleges.

 

The budget also proposes distributing $20 million in community policing funds through a rational formula based on crime rates and population and not on politics as has always been the case. Romney said that local police chiefs should have some flexibility on spending these community policing funds and so will rename the program the Local law Enforcement Assistance (LLEAP) program.

 

The Governor’s budget can be viewed at www.mass.gov/budget.

 

 

 

January 29, 2004

ROMNEY’S BUDGET PUMPS UP ANTI-TERRORISM FUNDING

More money in Governor’s budget to protect homeland, add new State police classes

 

Saying he wants to improve homeland security, Governor Mitt Romney today announced he is increasing the number of troopers assigned to the State police Anti-Terrorism Unit in order to enhance intelligence gathering .

 

“A key part of our homeland security efforts rests on the state’s ability to collect and analyze information on potential threats,” said Romney. “By putting more money into intelligence gathering , we’ll give the State police the tools they need to be more effective.”

 

Romney’s Fiscal Year 2005 budget more than triples the amount of money spent on the State police Anti-Terrorism Unit, from $850,000 to $2.7 million, which will allow for an additional 12 assigned troopers in the unit. This money will be combined with $5 million from federal homeland security funding to create a vastly improved statewide information-gathering system.

 

The system, which will remain within the existing State police intelligence division, will also include 15 new civilian research analysts specially trained to collect, analyze and disseminate critical intelligence obtained from every level of government.

 

In addition, Romney’s budget includes funding for two new State police recruit classes, one graduating in November 2004 and a second graduating in the summer of 2005. As a result, 300 new troopers will join the force, allowing the State police to keep pace with projected retirements.

 

“We are very appreciative of the Governor’s commitment to public safety during these difficult economic times,” said Public Safety Secretary Ed Flynn. “Troop strength is a critical component of our homeland security strategic plan.”

 

Romney said the increase in counterterrorism funding will allow the Commonwealth to more closely coordinate with local authorities to identify homeland security threats.

 

Major Robert Smith, Commander of the State police Anti-Terrorism Unit, praised the Governor’s initiative.

 

“This new, post-9/11 era has emphasized that the need to share information and intelligence on a statewide, and often national level, is increasingly critical,” said Smith.

 

 

January 30, 2004

ROMNEY APPOINTS CAPELESS BERKSHIRE COUNTY D.A.

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today appointed David F. Capeless to the position of District Attorney for Berkshire County, citing his extensive prosecutorial background and the need to provide continuity in the office so as not to jeopardize ongoing cases.

 

Romney made the appointment in accordance with the Governor’s constitutional power to fill the vacancy created by last month’s sudden death of former District Attorney Gerard Downing. Capeless has been First Assistant District Attorney under Downing since 1991.

 

Romney noted there are three capital murder cases pending in Berkshire County in which Capeless is expected to be the lead prosecutor, and that there are other major felony cases he is overseeing.

 

“First and foremost, David Capeless is a highly-regarded professional prosecutor. He knows intimately the operations of the office and is well respected by fellow prosecutors, police officers and his many other colleagues in the criminal justice system,” said Romney.

 

“I’m also concerned that we do not undermine the administration of justice in Berkshire County. Public safety and service to victims must come first. For that reason, David Capeless is the best choice to continue the work of the office on an interim basis,” Romney added.

 

The Governor will administer the oath of office to Capeless once a routine background check is completed. Capeless will serve on an interim basis as Berkshire District Attorney until the next election in November 2004, when he has the option to seek the office in his own right.

 

“I am gratified by the confidence Governor Romney has placed in me, and grateful for the support and encouragement that people throughout Berkshire County have offered to me these past six weeks,” said Capeless.

 

Prior to his service as First Assistant District Attorney in Berkshire County, Capeless was an Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County for eight years, from 1982 to 1990. In 1996, he was named Prosecutor of the Year by the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association.

 

Capeless is a graduate of Boston College law School (J.D., 1982) and the University of Pennsylvania (B.A., 1974).

 

 

 

February 2, 2004

GOV’T WATCHDOG GROUPS BACK TURNPIKE/HIGHWAY MERGER

Romney plan frees up $190 million in one-time savings and $20 million annually

 

Government watchdog groups today announced their support for Governor Mitt Romney’s proposal to merge the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority with the state Highway Department, saying the plan will eliminate duplication and save tens of millions of dollars each year.

 

Flanked by leaders of the independent organizations, including the Beacon Hill Institute, the Pioneer Institute, Free the Pike and Citizens for Limited Taxation and Government, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey said it makes no sense to have two different agencies managing our state’s highways.

 

Healey, standing in the state transportation Building, which houses both the Turnpike Authority and the Highway Department, asked: "If these two agencies can share the same building, why can’t they share the same legal department, the same public relations department and the same set of books? The answer is, they can."

 

Romney’s plan calls for the Turnpike Authority to enter into an agreement with the Highway Department to operate and maintain the Turnpike roadways, creating an estimated savings of $20 million annually through improved efficiencies and sharing of maintenance and administrative resources.

 

Under the plan, the Turnpike’s debt would move to the state’s balance sheet at no additional cost to the Commonwealth. The move will free up an immediate $190 million to invest in priorities like education and health care.

 

The Beacon Hill Institute said the Administration’s estimated savings from the merger is conservative.

 

David Tuerck, the organization’s Executive Director, said, "The Beacon Hill Institute has determined that the state could save up to $57 million per year in operating costs by merging the Turnpike with the Highway Department. The state could furthermore enjoy the savings without any loss of quality of services that are currently provided by the Turnpike Authority."

 

"Massachusetts can no longer afford the wasteful and inefficient duplication of effort represented by the Turnpike Authority," said Stephen Adams, President and CEO of the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research. "The Romney Administration’s merger of the Turnpike Authority into the Highway Department will produce significant savings that can help support important public services."

 

Healey also detailed the new governance structure the Administration is proposing for the Turnpike Authority.

 

Under Romney’s proposal, the Turnpike Board will expand from its current five members to nine. The new members will include the Secretaries of transportation and Administration and Finance and the Secretary of the Office of Commonwealth Development as ex-officio members. One additional member will be appointed directly by the Governor. The Governor noted that the addition of ex-officio government members will enhance accountability and make it more accountable to state government and the taxpayers.

 

"It’s time to do what should have been done years ago. It’s time to spend our dollars in a smarter, more responsible way," added Healey. "This proposal takes great strides in our efforts to advance the education of our children by removing wasteful spending from our budget and putting it where it is needed most."

February 3, 2004

ROMNEY ANNOUNCES MCAS RETEST RESULTS FOR CLASS OF 2005

MCAS results show students are requiring fewer tries to pass

 

WORCESTER – Governor Mitt Romney today released the results from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System retest administered in November 2003, saying more students than ever are passing the math and English portions of the exam after just two attempts.

 

Romney said that results from the November retest, the first retest taken by the class of 2005, show that an unprecedented 85 percent of the class has already passed both portions of the exams, earning the competency determination needed to get a high school diploma.

 

In comparison, 76 percent of the class of 2003 and 84 percent of the class of 2004 had passed both exams after the second attempt.

 

Romney congratulated the students who passed the test and pledged his continued support to those who have not yet met the high school graduation requirement through extra help programs. In his budget filed last week, Romney included an additional $20 million to help students in the state’s lowest-performing school districts. He noted that in these districts, only 45 percent of students passed the MCAS on their first try, compared with 77 percent in the rest of the state. These new programs are in addition to the $10 million in MCAS remediation funds already appropriated to help 11th and 12th grade students pass the MCAS.

 

“It is great to see our students and teachers working so hard and showing such great improvement,” said Romney. “For all of those who have not passed the MCAS, we will not give up on you and we pledge even more support this year to help you meet the requirements.”

 

“I am extremely proud of where we are today,” said Education Commissioner David Driscoll. “Our students are passing the MCAS exam in larger numbers and sooner than ever before, our achievement gap is closing, our minorities and LEP students are succeeding, and our students as a whole are reaching the high standards we have set for them. Like the success of the Patriots, this achievement has come from the hard work and focus of our teachers and students.”

 

For the classes of 2004 and 2005, the results indicate that an achievement gap still exists but is narrowing for some subgroups of each class. In the class of 2004, 62 percent of limited English proficient students have passed the test as have 75 percent of students with disabilities, 78 percent of African-Americans and 76 percent of Hispanics. In the class of 2005, 51 percent of limited English proficient students have passed the exam as have 60 percent of students with disabilities, 64 percent of African-Americans and 60 percent of Hispanics.

 

Among the other findings:

 

 

Black and Hispanic students from the class of 2005 both made tremendous gains on their first retest opportunity. After the original Grade 10 test taken in May 2003, just 47 percent of African-Americans and 42 percent of Hispanics had earned their competency determination; after their first retest, 64 percent of African-Americans and 60 percent of Hispanics had passed.

 

The passing rate of vocational school students is comparable to the passing rate of all students. In the class of 2003, 95 percent have passed, 90 percent in the class of 2004 and 78 percent in the class of 2005.

 

A gap is still evident when comparing the results of urban and non-urban students. In the class of 2003, 97 percent of non-urban and 90 percent of urban students have passed; in the class of 2004, 96 percent of non-urban and 82 percent of urban students have passed; and in the class of 2005, 91 percent of non-urban and 69 percent of urban students have passed.

 

Students in the class of 2003 who took the July retest were ineligible for the November exam, but will be eligible to take the one offered in March. In all, 95 percent of students in the class of 2003 have earned their competency determination.

 

For the full report, including individual high school results, please view the Department of Education’s Web site at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas.

 

 

 

February 6, 2004

HEALEY: CONSTRUCTION CHANGES KEY TO SCHOOL BUILDING REFORMS

 

 

WALTHAM – Joined by municipal leaders and public finance experts, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today touted construction reform as essential to Governor Mitt Romney’s proposal to eliminate the staggering backlog of school building projects.

 

“When we reform our public construction laws, the real winners will be the students and teachers across the state that will benefit from teaching and learning in new schools,” said Healey, speaking at the John W. McDevitt Middle School. “Public construction reform is not simply a cost-saving measure, it is a smart investment in our children’s future.”

 

By reforming the state’s construction laws, Healey said the Commonwealth will be able to move forward more quickly on the 420 school projects that are currently waiting state funding.

 

With his Fiscal Year 2005 budget, Healey said the Governor proposed a series of construction reforms that will save as much as 30 percent on building costs statewide. The proposal translates to annual capital savings of at least $200 million for the state as well as millions of dollars more for cities and towns, which will see school construction costs drop dramatically as a result.

 

Jeannette McCarthy, Mayor of Waltham, welcomed Romney’s proposals: “It is important that we pass the necessary reforms including construction reforms that will allow us to correct the current problems with the School Building Assistance program. If the Governor’s reforms are accepted, Waltham will receive around $110 million in reimbursement for our eight school projects.”

 

Romney’s proposal calls for state and municipal governments to have the freedom to use alternative procurement and delivery methods on particularly complex construction for projects valued at more than $5 million. This includes switching to a design-build process that greatly reduces construction time. Massachusetts is one of only five states to prohibit using a design-build process.

 

To hold contractors responsible for cost overruns, Romney’s proposal also allows for the use of a construction manager at risk.

 

In addition, the plan proposes the elimination of filed subcontractor bidding. The current system prevents direct negotiation between contractors and subcontractors, a standard procedure in the construction industry. Far too often, filed sub-bids cause needless delay and foster adversarial relationships between contractors and subcontractors, which typically results in cost overruns due to change orders and claims.

 

The Governor’s proposal also includes a requirement for municipalities to hire a project manager for all projects valued at more than $5 million.

 

“Some of the worst abuses of the Commonwealth’s public construction laws occur at the municipal level, because local governments often lack the expertise to oversee effectively school and other complex construction projects,” said Healey. “We are extremely confident that the savings stemming from professional management will far outweigh any cost imposed by this requirement on cities and towns.”

 

Nearly 25 years ago, the Special Commission Concerning State and County Building, known as the Ward Commission, highlighted the extraordinary corruption and waste associated with the Commonwealth’s filed sub-bid law. The report stated that filed sub-bidding should be repealed, saying it is the least desirable of any known alternative for the selection of subcontractors and its continued use will result in the building of more defective construction at the expense of taxpayers.

 

“Eliminating the filed sub-bid law was a principal recommendation of the Ward Commission in 1980,” said Nick Littlefield, who was chief counsel to the commission. “Unfortunately, we did not succeed in removing that vestige from the past, but I fully support the overdue effort to eliminate it today.”

 

“Associated Builders and Contractors support the Romney Administration’s commitment to real reform throughout the Massachusetts construction industry,” said Greg Beeman, President of the Massachusetts Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors. “We look forward to pursuing our shared goals of ensuring fair and open competition in the construction marketplace and delivering best value to taxpayers.”

 

“I admire the Romney Administration for their courage in addressing construction reform,” said Frederic Mulligan, the President of Cutler Associates, Inc. and Immediate Past President of the New England Chapter Design Build Institute of America. “The taxpayers will be the beneficiaries of reforming our construction laws as it is ultimately their funds that pay for the projects. For many years, private owners have enjoyed the benefits that creative approaches such as design build, best value selection and prequalification have afforded. It would be a welcome change to extend those advantages to the public sector in Massachusetts.”

 

“Public construction in Massachusetts is governed by a set of antiquated laws that drive up costs while driving down quality,” said Glen Tepke of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. “The Commonwealth can no longer afford the luxury of these outmoded public construction laws when we face severe fiscal constraints and an enormous backlog of unfunded capital needs that are crucial to our long-term economic success.”

 

Healey said that she is looking forward to the recommendations of the Legislature’s commission on construction reform and expects that the commission’s report will help enhance the administration’s proposals.

 

 

February 10, 2004

ROMNEY PROPOSAL PRESERVES $400M ROAD & BRIDGE COMMITMENT

Comprehensive Legislation Reforms and Modernizes transportation System

 

Governor Mitt Romney today filed a $1.15 billion blueprint for capital transportation spending that guarantees the state will invest at least $400 million every year in upgrading the Commonwealth’s roads and bridges until the year 2012.

 

The transportation Bond Bill filed by Romney preserves the spending requirement that was first put in place by the federal government in 2001 to ensure that the statewide road and bridge program would remain vibrant during Big Dig construction.

 

Romney said that current law calls for this commitment to end in 2005 when project construction is completed. Under his plan, the state’s road and bridge investment will continue until 2012 when actual payments for the project have ended. Romney noted that more than $1.5 billion of the state’s share of future federal funding is slated to go toward the Big Dig until 2012.

 

“This infusion of funds will jumpstart critical transportation projects that have taken a backseat to the Big Dig for far too long,” Romney said. “The dust may settle on the Big Dig project, but the financial implications will continue for years to come. This commitment will ensure that road and bridge spending will continue to be strong among all of the Commonwealth’s 351 cities and towns.”

 

Romney’s transportation Bond Bill also reflects his commitment to developing residential and economic activity around MBTA stations by setting aside $54 million in a Transit Oriented Development fund. This program will complement the Commonwealth Capital Fund, which was recently established to promote smart growth through discretionary grants.

 

In addition, the bill will provide three years worth of new capital authorization for critical transportation priorities. Funding provisions in the Bond Bill include $425 million for federally assisted transportation projects to support the road and bridge program, $300 million for Chapter 90 local aid, $210 million for non-federally assisted roadway projects, $102 million to protect rail freight properties and to provide capital assistance to Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) and $23 million for various local grant programs.

 

Romney said the funding will be allocated consistent with his Fix it First and Communities First policies as well as with the use of objective criteria in ranking proposed projects.

 

The Bond Bill also authorizes MassHighway to use Design-Build construction in some cases, bring the MBTA and Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Tort Liability Limits into greater consistency with state limits and establish new fines to prevent fare evasion on the MBTA.

 

“This bill is a key element of Governor Romney’s unfolding 25-year plan to bring multi-modal mobility to all Commonwealth residents,” said Douglas Foy, Secretary of the Office of Commonwealth Development.

 

The proposal is available online at www.state.ma.us/eotc/.

 

 

February 11, 2004

ROMNEY STATEMENT REGARDING CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

 

Today, you are witnessing democracy in action. On issues of fundamental importance affecting all of the people, it is ultimately up to the people to decide.

 

That is what this Constitutional Convention is all about. It serves as an important reminder that no one person and no branch of government is above the voice of the people.

 

This is as it should be.

 

Amending the constitution is a serious matter and any changes to the document itself should be finely and narrowly drawn.

 

I recognize that the Senate President and the Senate Minority Leader are trying to find a compromise that will satisfy people on both sides of this issue, but their proposed amendment goes too far. The Constitution should not be used to legislate new social policy.

 

A constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman is not a new proposal but rather a codification of longstanding policy and tradition.

 

Civil union language is best left to the legislative process. My hope is the Constitutional Convention will approve an amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. If we do that, we will have taken an important step toward restoring the people’s voice in their own government.

 

 

February 18, 2004

ROMNEY WANTS TO HELP SENIORS STAY IN THEIR HOMES

New HOME program allows seniors to grow old with dignity

 

Saying too many of the Commonwealth’s senior citizens enter nursing homes prematurely, Governor Mitt Romney today pledged to help them stay in their own homes for as long as possible. Romney launched a new initiative called Helping Our Massachusetts Elders (HOME), which will provide alternatives to nursing home care.

 

“We need to give seniors the help they need to stay in their homes as long as possible. With a little help, we can keep seniors in their own home instead of putting them into what for many turns out to be an inappropriate institutionalized setting,” said Romney.

 

He added, “Our goal is to help meet the needs of our elders as they define them, not as a government bureaucracy defines them.”

 

The HOME program has two components: a new $4 million trust fund to support programs that enable elders to remain in their own homes or congregate community housing and a voluntary managed care program that emphasizes preventative care to keep seniors out of hospitals and nursing homes.

 

Currently the Commonwealth provides a range of health and social services to approximately 1.1 million elders in Massachusetts, but its outdated elder care system puts too many seniors in nursing homes prematurely. Massachusetts has 72 nursing home beds for every 1,000 people age 65 and over. Nationwide, there are only 54 nursing home beds for every 1,000 people age 65 and over.

 

The HOME trust fund is part of a $133.1 million supplemental budget bill the Governor filed today. An interagency task force comprised of representatives from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and the Department of housing and Community Development will be authorized to expend funds from the trust to support models of care that best meet the needs of individual seniors.

 

“We owe it to our seniors to provide them with the highest possible standard of care. Our administration is determined to fight for the kind of services that will maintain the level of dignity and respect to which our seniors rightfully deserve,” said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey.

 

Romney also announced preliminary details of the voluntary Senior Care Options program. It will authorize, deliver and coordinate all services currently covered by Medicare and Medicaid, including primary, acute and specialty care, community and institutional long-term care, behavioral health, medical transportation and pharmaceuticals. In his Fiscal Year 2005 budget, Romney proposed spending $140 million in state and federal Medicaid money on the new program.

 

Secretary of Health and Human Services Ron Preston said the goal is to better coordinate the fragmented medical, psychiatric and social services offered to low income seniors covered by Medicaid and Medicare.

 

“The task force coordinates both housing supports and services, which has been an essential combination for other states that have made progress in allowing seniors to stay in their homes and community,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Ron Preston.

 

“These new initiatives complement the ongoing work of Elder Affairs, the Administration and the senior network by enhancing the options and continuum of care available to seniors,” said Elder Affairs Secretary Jennifer Davis Carey.

 

 

February 19, 2004

HEALEY ANNOUNCES ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING AWARDS

 

 

LAWRENCE – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today announced more than $600,000 in Entrepreneurial Training Program (ETP) awards to help unemployed workers receive vital education and training to start their own businesses.

 

“Governor Romney and I want to make sure that anyone who has the drive and ingenuity can access the training and technical assistance provided through this program,” said Healey, speaking at ValleyWorks Career Center. “The economy is looking up. Now is a great time to start a new business.”

 

Administered by the Department of Workforce Development, Healey said the ETP provides training and technical assistance to individuals with a promising business idea and a desire to start their own business. The training includes seminars on market research, strategic planning, financial management, human resources and commercial real estate. In addition to classroom coursework, participants learn to craft a specific and comprehensive business plan tailored to their needs.

 

Healey added that Massachusetts has been a leader in providing entrepreneurial training to dislocated workers. To date, these training programs have graduated over 2,500 people, of which 95 percent have either opened new businesses or have successfully found jobs with other employers. Of those who have started businesses, approximately 75 percent have been operating continuously for two years or longer.

 

Award winners include:

 

 

Berkshire Enterprises: $135,000 to provide three sessions of entrepreneurial training in Pittsfield for residents of Berkshire County. Berkshire Enterprises has provided services to more than 775 unemployed individuals who have started 423 businesses. Training will be done in partnership with Berkshire Community College and the UMASS Donahue Institute.

 

UMASS Donahue Institute: $206,626 to conduct training sessions in Springfield, Holyoke and Franklin and Hampshire counties as well as oversee a program in Leominster which will be provided by the Twin Cities Community Development Corporation. The Donahue Institute will deliver the ETP through its Pioneer Valley Enterprise Program, which has more than six years of experience delivering training and technical assistance to aspiring entrepreneurs. During that time period, over 140 dislocated workers have been served, starting 129 businesses, of which 121 are still in business today.

 

Northern Essex Community College (NECC): $120,134 to provide entrepreneurial training in Lowell, Lawrence, Lynn and Haverhill. NECC has more than three decades of experience providing credit and non-credit courses in business management and related topics. When Lucent Technologies downsized its facility in nearby North Andover not too long ago, NECC began offering entrepreneurial training to the workers displaced by this event.

 

Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE): $150,000 to provide entrepreneurial training in Norwood, Brockton, Plymouth and Worcester. As a non-profit organization, CWE offers education, training, technical assistance and access to markets and capital to both men and women from a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds. To date, CWE has served over 6,500 people in businesses ranging from home-based and small retail businesses to technology-based businesses.

 

Jewish Vocational Services (JVS): $104,005 to provide two entrepreneurial training sessions in downtown Boston. As a non-profit agency providing workforce development services in Greater Boston, JVS’s Microenterprise Division has served more than 1,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners in Boston and surrounding areas.

 

Salem Harbor Community Development Corporation (SHCDC): $40,591 to conduct a training program in Gloucester. The Corporation’s Advancing Community Business program was launched in 1997, partnering with area banks to provide quality technical assistance and training along with access to loans up to $15,000 for new and existing business owners on the North Shore. To date, the program has served nearly 230 clients.

Today’s award recipients were required to have at least three years experience providing training and technical assistance to new and existing small businesses; expert knowledge regarding business plan preparation; working knowledge of public and private small business services available in their region, including local, state and federal programs that provide financial assistance to start-ups; and commit to working with the One-Stop Career Center system to ensure that unemployed customers receive quality services which will enable them to achieve their employment or business development goals.

 

 

 

February 20, 2004

ROMNEY APPLAUDS STUDENTS FOR EARLY MCAS PREPARATION

 

Governor Mitt Romney today visited the Agassiz Community Center in Jamaica Plain to recognize 39 fourth graders who have spent their school vacation week in an intensive MCAS preparation course.

 

“It is students like you who serve as examples for others,” said Romney. “I applaud you and your parents for taking the time out of your school vacation to come here and prepare yourselves for your first MCAS exam.”

 

Romney lauded the students who participated in the weeklong MCAS boot camp and said he is committed to supporting students who need extra help passing the test.

 

Romney also highlighted his Legacy of Learning initiatives outlined in his State of the State Address last month. Romney’s plan includes $20 million to fund programs that provide extra help for the MCAS test in the lowest-scoring school districts, including Boston. The program will supplement and not replace the $10 million appropriated in Fiscal Year 2004 to help 11th and 12th grade students pass the MCAS.

 

Among other proposals, Legacy of Learning calls for full-day kindergarten, disciplinary school grants, parent preparation, math and science teacher training, intervention in underperforming school districts and higher education scholarships for top achievers.

 

“Legacy of Learning puts people first, kids first. We’ll be putting our money where our future is,” Romney said.

 

 

February 23, 2004

‘TEN MOST WANTED’ CHILD SUPPORT SCOFFLAWS REVEALED

Deadbeats on the list owe $1 million in unpaid child support

 

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today asked the public for its help in locating the state’s Ten Most Wanted deadbeat parents who owe their children more than $1 million in unpaid child support.

 

“Parenthood is not only a privilege, it’s a responsibility. We’re calling attention to these parents because they are deliberately avoiding their responsibility,” said Healey.

 

The Department of Revenue created the Ten Most Wanted poster program in 1992 to shine a spotlight on some of the worst child support delinquents in Massachusetts. Some noncustodial parents have tried to evade their financial responsibilities, but through the exposure of the poster they have not be able to hide for long.

 

Appearing at the news conference with Healey was Linda Payne-Violet of Salem, a mother of two teenagers who works as a nurse’s assistant at a hospice center. Her former husband’s last child support payment of $14.15 was made in November 2002. The family is owed nearly $200,000.

 

“Without child support, we were evicted from our home, our car was repossessed and we had to move in with my family,” said Payne-Violet. “We went from a middle class family to a poor family overnight.”

 

Non-payment of child support is a felony in Massachusetts. Most delinquent parents featured on the poster are charged with two felony violations – willful non-payment of support and leaving the state without making arrangements to pay child support. Each violation carries a two-and-a-half year sentence and a $5,000 fine.

 

Since April 1992 when the first poster appeared, 94 deadbeat parents have been featured. Eighty-five either surrendered or were arrested. Seven remain at large today, including Daniel C. Martinez, who is featured for a second time on the poster unveiled today. Two custodial parents withdrew from the program. Total collections from delinquent parents on the posters are nearly $3 million.

 

“The poster has proven to be an effective tool for collecting back child support, not just from those parents pictured on the poster but from others who don’t want to be on a future poster,” said Marilyn Ray Smith, Deputy Commissioner for Child Support Enforcement. “So the overall success of the program is more than the $3 million collected from those pictured on the posters.”

 

“Governor Romney and I have zero tolerance for parents who refuse to meet their legal obligations and care for the welfare of their children,” said Healey. “Every parent should fulfill his or her role as fathers and mothers. The future of many children are at stake.”

 

The poster is just one method the Child Support Enforcement Agency uses to collect child support. The agency has many enforcement tools, including state and federal tax refund intercept and powers to revoke driving and professional licenses. Last fiscal year, the state collected $443 million in child support payments, up nine percent over Fiscal Year 2002.

 

Child Support Enforcement’s mission is to protect the economic well being of children by enforcing the financial responsibilities of parenthood. The agency also assists parents in establishing paternity and child support orders, collecting child support and asking courts to adjust child support orders when circumstances change. Any parent or guardian of a child under 18 years old can ask the agency for help.

 

The Ten Most Wanted posters will be hung in post offices, courts, government offices and businesses. The poster is also posted on the Department of Revenue’s Web site at www.mass.gov/cse/wanted/tmw2004.PDF. Anyone with information about any of the delinquent parents on the poster should call the tip line at 1-888-926-8337.

 

 

 

February 24, 2004

STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR ROMNEY ON THE FEDERAL MARRIAGE AMENDMENT

 

I agree with the President on the need for a federal marriage amendment that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

 

As I’ve said before, amending the U.S. Constitution may be the best and most reliable way to prevent a patchwork of inconsistent marriage laws between states and to guard against overreaching by the judicial branch.

 

Acts of lawlessness in San Francisco bring into even sharper focus the need to proceed with the process of amending the Constitution. I don’t think anyone ever imagined that we would have courts and local officials defining marriage in a way that has no historical precedent whatsoever, and claiming it’s been in the Constitution all along.

 

Of course, we must conduct this debate with decency, tolerance and respect for those with different opinions.

 

The definition of marriage is so fundamental to society that it should not be decided by one court in Massachusetts or by one mayor in San Francisco.

 

In America, the people should decide. In America, the people are fair and tolerant. Let the people decide.

 

 

February 25, 2004

ROMNEY ENDORSES FINDINGS OF GROGAN TASK FORCE ON EDUCATION

Announces immediate action plan to implement turnaround strategies

 

Governor Mitt Romney today endorsed the findings from the Task Force on State Intervention in Underperforming Districts and announced he will take immediate action to implement their recommendations to ensure that the students of Massachusetts receive a quality education.

 

“I am committed to unlocking the potential of every child, no matter which school they attend,” Romney said. “Our children cannot wait for slow, methodic changes. They need our help now and this report will serve as a blueprint for immediate reform.”

 

Romney said the steps outlined by the task force are a much better alternative than state receivership.

 

The task force, chaired by Paul Grogan, the president of the Boston Foundation, focuses on solutions to help turn around both school districts that are labeled underperforming by the Board of Education as well as “low performing” as defined by new criteria.

 

Statewide, the report calls for removing administrators from the teachers union, a common sense proposal that eliminates an obvious conflict of interest.

 

Under legislation that will be filed today, a school is deemed “low performing” when its student performance on the MCAS exam fails to meet minimum standards for two consecutive years.

 

For those schools, the report calls for giving management the authority to dismiss teachers for “good cause” rather than “just cause,” making it easier to get rid of bad teachers. In districts that have been declared underperforming, these new powers could be applied to any school with the approval of the Board of Education.

 

In addition, the report gives superintendents the authority to convert “low performing” schools into pilot or charter schools, giving them maximum flexibility to make needed changes.

 

The task force report recommends a comprehensive turnaround strategy for underperforming districts, starting with:

 

 

“These recommendations underscore our belief that a new state and local partnership can turn underperforming districts around, rendering state takeover unnecessary,” Grogan said.

 

“These recommendations set a strong foundation for the critical work we have ahead of us,” said Education Commissioner David Driscoll. “They properly represent the sense of urgency out there that steps be taken quickly to improve the districts already declared underperforming.”

 

The report complements the Governor’s Legacy of Learning program, which directs more money to the state’s most challenged schools, encourages parents to get more involved and provides critical funding for state intervention in struggling school districts.

 

To date, Holyoke and Winchendon are the only two districts that have been declared underperforming by the Board of Education. Currently, 208 schools in 45 districts meet the “low performing” criteria.

 

To download a copy of the recommendations of the Task Force on State Intervention in Underperforming Districts, please visit http://www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/news04/Partners_in_Progress_04_4.pdf

 

 

February 26, 2004

HEALEY RECOGNIZES VERYFINE FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

 

 

LITTLETON – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today honored Veryfine Products with the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.

 

Presented monthly as part of Governor Mitt Romney’s “Jobs First” initiative, the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award recognizes individuals who best demonstrate the innovation and spirit that drive the Massachusetts economy and who inspire others to turn their ideas into action.

 

“Governor Romney and I established this award to honor and celebrate companies within the Commonwealth that have shown ingenuity and strength in the marketplace,” said Healey. “Today I am pleased to present Veryfine with this award to highlight their leadership in creative entrepreneurship and job creation.”

 

Veryfine is a family-owned producer of 100 percent fruit juices and a national competitor in the juice-flavored water market. Founded in the 1880s as a vinegar company, Veryfine has been responsible for many innovations in the juice drink business, from high-volume apple juice production in the 1950s to plastic juice bottling in the 1980s to juice drinks and ices in the past few years. Veryfine’s Fruit2O®, a fruit-flavored water, was unveiled in 1999, and now accounts for half of its sales.

 

In addition to its 100 percent fruit juices, Veryfine produces juice drinks, Fruit2O® flavored waters, Fruit2O Plus™ Nectars, Veryfine Chillers and Veryfine Balsams Spring Water. Veryfine is also a significant community contributor to environmental causes, particularly in water cleanliness and energy efficiency.

 

With more than 350 employees in Massachusetts, the company is actively recruiting new personnel.

 

“Veryfine has come a long way since its beginnings in the 1800s,” said Healey. “In the changing world of consumer products they have been able to keep up with consumer demands for innovation and ingenuity, and as anyone can plainly see, Veryfine has proven itself to be a responsible corporate citizen and a friend to the community.”

 

“Veryfine is proud to be publicly recognized by the Governor’s office,” said Samuel Rowse, president of Veryfine Products. “The Entrepreneurial Spirit Award is a testament, not only to our dedication to employees, but to Veryfine’s innovative spirit. From juices to our new Fruit2O® flavored water, it is this forward thinking that will continue to position Veryfine as an integral partner in the Massachusetts business community and leader in its economic growth.”

 

Since July, the Romney Administration has presented the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award to Baril Die Company of Haverhill, Yankee Candle Company of South Deerfield, The Chamberlain Group of Great Barrington, Stacy’s Pita Chips of Randolph, Finale of Boston, ZipCar of Cambridge and posthumously to the founder of Inc. Magazine, Bernie Goldhirsh.

 

 

March 2, 2004

ROMNEY WORKS TO PREVENT OUTSOURCING OF JOBS

Says Unemployment Insurance Reform Necessary To Preserve, Protect Jobs

 

Governor Mitt Romney today called on members of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Commerce and Labor to help him stem the outsourcing of jobs from Massachusetts to other states and nations.

 

“In Massachusetts, we are losing jobs to other countries and other states,” Romney said. “Manufacturing jobs have fled from Massachusetts for decades. But, the new wave of outsourcing is particularly alarming because it involves the very jobs that replaced those jobs that were lost.”

 

He added, “Now, we are seeing the loss of highly skilled manufacturing positions we believed were secure. We are seeing outsourcing in clerical, financial services, accounting, engineering, software and other areas. The promise that education is a sure road to job security is very much in question.”

 

Romney said bringing unemployment insurance costs more in line with other states will stem the tide of outsourcing and help preserve and protect jobs in Massachusetts.

 

“I am fighting to bring new jobs to Massachusetts and to keep the ones we have here,” Romney said. “If the Legislature fails to reform our unemployment insurance system, if it fails to bring it into line with all the other states in America, you will not see jobs come here, you will see them leave here.”

 

Romney’s proposal to reform the unemployment insurance system will immediately reduce the cost on businesses by lowering the “wage base” from $14,000 to $12,800. It will also eliminate the mandatory surcharge on businesses, which could place an unlimited and unpredictable assessment on each and every job in the Commonwealth if the unemployment insurance fund is going insolvent.

 

The plan will provide approximately $120 million in immediate cost savings to employers, resulting in an incentive for job retention and creation.

 

In addition, Romney’s bill proposes benefit reforms that will bring Massachusetts in line with other states, including:

 

 

Under these measures, Romney said Massachusetts will still provide the most generous unemployment insurance benefits in the nation.

 

“We need to get the balance right,” said Romney. “We have an opportunity to work together to reform the system so that Massachusetts continues to provide the best benefit package in the country, but at the same time lessens the cost of retaining and creating jobs in the state.”

 

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney

Testimony

 

before the

 

Joint Committee on Commerce and Labor

Unemployment Insurance Reform

 

March 2, 2004

 

 

Good Morning Chairman Hart, Chairman Rodrigues, and members of the Committee.

 

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the importance of Unemployment Insurance Reform to retaining and creating jobs in the Commonwealth.

 

Today, I am speaking in favor of the reforms contained in my bill H4446 entitled "An Act Further Creating And Protecting Jobs, Easing The Unemployment Insurance Burden On Employers And Preserving The Solvency Of The Trust Fund."

 

That’s a mouthful. Let me tell you what this bill is all about. This is a bill to stem the tide of outsourcing from Massachusetts. We are losing jobs to other countries and other states. Of course, manufacturing jobs have fled from Massachusetts for decades. But the new wave of outsourcing is particularly alarming because it involves the very jobs that replaced those jobs that were lost. Now we are seeing the loss of highly skilled manufacturing positions we believed were secure. We are seeing outsourcing in clerical, financial, accounting, engineering, software, and other jobs. The promise that education is a sure road to job security is very much in question.

 

Why do these jobs leave. We all know the answer; it’s very simple. It is because the cost of labor, even skilled and educated labor, is much lower in these countries. And today, with the low cost of telecommunications and Internet connection, there is little cost penalty to having such work done across the world. So if the cost of a worker is lower somewhere else, the job will be taken there.

 

The Massachusetts unemployment insurance tax hike of over 80 percent is sending jobs away from Massachusetts. It is costing us jobs. As it is fully comprehended and implemented by our employers, it will cost us more jobs.

 

I am fighting to bring new jobs to Massachusetts and to keep the ones we have. If the Legislature fails to reform our unemployment insurance program, if it fails to bring it into line with all the other states in America, you will not see jobs come here, you will see them leave here.

 

I know that many employers and many jobs won’t be affected, at least for a long time. You see, many businesses can’t outsource: their jobs must be performed locally. Construction jobs, hospitality jobs, education jobs, municipal jobs, health care jobs. All of these must remain in the local community; they are not subject to outsourcing. So you won’t be hearing from them. Their representatives will be perfectly happy if you raise unemployment insurance because it won’t cost them jobs. At least not in the short run.

 

But that’s not true for software engineers, financial service workers, specialty manufacturing jobs, telecommunications equipment jobs, biotech jobs, and so forth. These are the jobs that are leaving and if we don’t reform unemployment insurance now, they will keep leaving.

 

The unemployment insurance legislation passed by the General Court last year was a good first step. I congratulate the Legislature for its important action. It is now time to take the next critical step. The competition for job creation is growing more intense between states and nations. Employers are looking for less expensive alternatives to creating jobs in Massachusetts. We simply cannot expect new jobs to come to Massachusetts if we have the highest cost in the nation.

 

It is very easy for employers to measure the cost of unemployment insurance, and compare it state-to-state. Prior to the current law taking effect, Massachusetts had the ninth highest UI cost, as a cost per employee, in the country. With the passage of this law, though, Massachusetts now has the highest UI costs in America. This is a distinction we do not want and we cannot afford.

 

Since January when employers received notification of the new 2004 rates, we have received over 4,200 calls and letters from employers. Many of whom are concerned that the most recent rate increase, coupled with the increase in the taxable wage base, will make it difficult to maintain their current staffing levels or move forward with plans to hire new employees.

 

Let me provide you with a few quotes, from the letters we have received:

 

Mark Canepa, Executive Vice President for Sun Microsystems, stated that: “Regulatory and tax policies influence decisions at global companies like Sun, which can choose to grow and create jobs in a number of locations. Skyrocketing, unpredictable unemployment insurance rates will be taken into account when Sun decides where to hire new engineers or invest in existing operations.”

 

Patrick Griffin, Senior Vice President of East Coast Benefit Plans, Inc. in Dedham, wrote to us: “If this tax remains as is, many employers will be forced to reduce the number of employees in order to absorb such a dramatic increase. This certainly is not good for the economy and will surely dampen the economic recovery”

 

Robert Devereux, President/Owner, of a utility pipeline contracting company in Boston, said the following: “This increase…will hurt my business and could potentially increase unemployment because it may be necessary to make up the UI increase by reducing our workforce.”

 

I have an enormous concern for people who are out of work. It is something I think about every week, every day. I also think about the people who will create that next job.

 

We need to get the balance right – we have an opportunity to work together to reform the system so that Massachusetts continues to provide a generous benefit package, but at the same time lessens the cost of retaining and creating jobs in the state.

 

My bill will provide needed reform to our unemployment insurance system. We calculate that it will create at least 2,500 jobs. Last year, we all took pride in the passage of the economic stimulus and jobs bill. It provided approximately $100 million for job growth, to be invested over several years. But it is dwarfed by the $700 million per year hike in payroll taxes that was put in place at the same time. We may think the voters can be fooled, but the people who are out of work are not.

 

I acknowledge that UI premiums needed to increase, but meaningful benefit reforms can reduce the amount of the increase, and thus encourage job retention and creation.

 

Massachusetts has a long progressive history of providing worker benefits, one of which is extending payments to those who have lost their jobs. In fact, Massachusetts today offers the most generous average total payments to laid-off workers of any state.

 

However, the public needs to know that even with the reforms we are proposing, Massachusetts will still be the most generous in the nation.

 

Here are the facts. With these reforms, Massachusetts’ average total benefit will be:

 

 

Some people say, “shouldn’t our benefits be higher, because we are a high cost of living state?” Well, we are not higher cost than New York or Connecticut or California. Yet they all have significantly lower UI costs and lower average benefits than we do.

 

The benefit reforms that we are proposing would put our Commonwealth in line with other states when it comes to determining benefits. The reforms we seek will:

 

 

We cannot afford to be branded as the highest cost of employment state. It takes years to erase that stigma. We have made good progress to overcome the title of “Taxachusetts.” The current UI law is a great leap backwards in that progress.

 

But what’s even more of a concern is the very real hidden damage that results from being the most expensive state for UI. That damage is the call we never get, from the large, multi-state corporation who doesn’t even consider Massachusetts because they think we will be too expensive. It is the small, main streets business that now decides to not hire that incremental employee. It is the Massachusetts manufacturer who now decides they are better off outsourcing their whole operation to North Carolina, Mexico or China.

 

 

Only by enacting these reforms can we reduce the cost to employers, and thus encourage job retention and creation. Our bill will also:

 

 

Like the benefit reforms, a $12,800 wage base brings MA in line with the other 49 states where the current average wage base is $12,832.

 

There is one provision of the current law, which was not highlighted during the recent debate. That is the requirement that Massachusetts assess a surcharge on every job if the fund appears to be headed for a deficit, requiring interest borrowing from the federal government. This surcharge will be on top of the already high rates imposed by the law. This unpredictability will limit employers’ ability to budget and controls costs, and thereby discourage both the retention and creation of jobs.

 

Because the bills for this year’s unemployment insurance contributions have not yet been sent to employers, we still have a brief window of opportunity to enact these reforms and provide needed incentives for job creation.

 

Time is of the essence and therefore I urge you to act quickly. It is against federal regulations to provide refunds to employers once they have paid their UI bills, so this is our last opportunity to reform the UI system and spur the creation of new jobs for our unemployed citizens!!

 

Over the last two years, I have spoken with many people who are out of work, as I know each of you has. And we’ve all heard the same thing: they want a job. We know it is generous to pay more in unemployment benefits, but if it costs our state tens of thousands of jobs, are we really doing the right thing for our citizens? More jobs is all of our first priority. Let’s do what it takes to prove it.

 

Thank you and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

March 4, 2004

ROMNEY SWEARS IN CAPELESS AS BERKSHIRE COUNTY D.A.

 

PITTSFIELD – Before a full courtroom at Berkshire Superior Court, Governor Mitt Romney today swore in David F. Capeless as the new District Attorney for Berkshire County.

 

Romney made the appointment in accordance with the Governor’s constitutional power to fill the vacancy created by the recent death of former District Attorney Gerard Downing. Capeless had served as First Assistant District Attorney under Downing since 1991.

 

Romney hailed Capeless’s qualifications as a prosecutor, saying, “David Capeless has dedicated his life to being a prosecutor. He has stood up for victims and their families in Berkshire County for the past 13 years.”

 

“As I was making this appointment, prosecutorial qualifications and public safety were paramount in my mind,” Romney said. “But, it was also my goal to provide continuity so as not to jeopardize ongoing prosecutions in the office. David Capeless’s familiarity with the office and its demands, as well as his relationship with his colleagues, will ensure a seamless transition.”

 

Capeless will serve as Berkshire County District Attorney on an interim basis until the next election in November 2004 when he has the option to seek the office in his own right.

 

“I am grateful for the confidence that Governor Romney has placed in me by this appointment and am honored he traveled to the Berkshires to personally administer the oath of office to me,” said Capeless. “The legacy of integrity and professionalism that has been the hallmark of each of the District Attorneys before me is one that I will proudly carry on. I can think of no responsibility that I could take on with greater enthusiasm.”

 

Prior to his service as First Assistant District Attorney in Berkshire County, Capeless was an Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County from 1982 to 1990. In 1996, he was named Prosecutor of the Year by the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association.

 

Capeless earned his law degree from Boston College law School in 1982 and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1974.

 

 

March 8, 2004

ROMNEY ANNOUNCES CREATION OF FAIR housing ADVISORY PANEL

 

To ensure the people of Massachusetts have equal and fair access to housing, Governor Mitt Romney today announced the creation of a fair housing advisory panel to address lending discrimination, housing for people with disabilities and inequities in service delivery.

 

“Fair and affordable housing should be a right, not a privilege,” said Romney, addressing a meeting of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations. “With the help of this newly formed committee, we will make that right a reality and ensure a vibrant and diverse Commonwealth for years to come.”

 

The panel’s work will help Massachusetts meet the federal requirement that states review their fair housing policies at least once every five years. The state Department of housing and Community Development will use the panel’s findings to develop an updated fair housing plan to submit to the federal government later this year.

 

Romney said the committee, whose membership will be announced in the next several weeks, will be comprised of representatives from state housing agencies, advocacy groups, non-profit and for profit organizations as well as other stakeholders, including those representing development concerns.

 

“This advisory board will be well served by the counsel of diverse housing community groups and it will help us to continue promoting fair housing practices throughout the state,” said Romney. “In doing so, we will also be in a more favorable position when seeking future federal housing dollars.”

 

Romney said he will invite at least one Community Development Corporation executive director to serve on the committee. He said he expects the panel to hold their first meeting within a month.

 

“As we move forward with our goals to double housing starts and promote smart growth, valuable input from Community Development Corporations will be critical to ensure that we continue to advance fair housing practices and objectives in our Commonwealth,” said Romney.

 

 

March 9, 2004

ROMNEY ANNOUNCES $45 MILLION TO FIGHT terrorism

351 cities and towns will receive grants to improve homeland security

 

Massachusetts took another important step forward in the fight against terrorism today as Governor Mitt Romney awarded more than $45 million in federal homeland security funding to help the Commonwealth’s communities identify and address security vulnerabilities.

 

"The threat of modern terrorism poses new challenges for law enforcement across Massachusetts and around the nation," said Romney. "These new homeland security funds will allow Bay State communities to work as a coordinated force to collect, analyze and distribute critical terrorism related intelligence and act when necessary."

 

Romney said the latest round of federal funding will be used to pay for training and equipment as well as planning and prevention efforts associated with homeland security across the state.

 

Massachusetts is one of the first states to receive funding this year from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. To be eligible to receive the funds, each state was required to submit a threat, vulnerability and risk assessment and strategy to the federal government. The Commonwealth’s plan, recognized as a national model for other states to follow, was approved last month.

 

"Under the Romney Administration, Massachusetts has launched one of the most aggressive and complete homeland security strategies," said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey. "With these federal funds, the state will work closely with communities across the Commonwealth to put in place plans to prevent and mitigate terrorist activities."

 

The majority of the federal homeland security funds will be distributed on a regional basis according to the overall statewide strategy. Each region will establish a management structure to guide planning and the distribution of funds. The amount allocated to each region was determined based on the results of the Commonwealth’s threat, vulnerability and risk assessment.

 

Those funds will be distributed to the five regions as follows:

 

 

An additional $4.5 million in federal funds will provide a base funding amount of at least $12,000 to each city and town to help ensure they are prepared to support local homeland security investments.

 

Another $9 million in federal funds will enhance the state’s capacity to support anti-terrorism initiatives, bringing the total amount of homeland security funding announced today to just over $45 million.

 

The formula for distributing the funds to the five regions takes into account critical assets, potential threat elements and other threat information received from the federal government.

 

"Public safety is one of the principle purposes of government and one of our greatest responsibilities," said Public Safety Secretary Edward A. Flynn. "The funding announced today will be used to ensure that our citizens are protected and that every precautionary step that can be taken will be taken to prevent domestic and foreign terrorist attacks by those who would seek to destroy our free society."

 

Romney said his top homeland security priority for the Commonwealth is to enhance its ability to collect, analyze and distribute critical terrorism related intelligence and other relevant information. The federal grants will allow the state to use this information as a foundation for a multi-disciplinary, proactive approach to protecting our citizens.

 

Romney serves as the National Governors Association’s co-lead for homeland security and was appointed by President Bush to the homeland security Advisory Council.

 

Access Massachusetts homeland security Planning Regions (pdf)

 

March 10, 2004

HEALEY HONORS GEORGE KNIGHT & CO WITH INNER CITY AWARD

Governor’s Inner City Investment Award Given to Brockton Manufacturer

 

BROCKTON – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today recognized the importance of business investment and job creation in the Commonwealth’s urban centers by honoring George Knight & Company with the Governor’s Inner City Investment Award.

 

Presented monthly, the Inner City Investment Award is given to individuals whose leadership and business success have brought new economic investment and jobs to the Bay State’s cities.

 

“Massachusetts is fortunate to have some of the nation’s most innovative companies and entrepreneurs who are helping to drive economic growth and promote urban revitalization,” said Healey. “For over four generations, George Knight & Company has set the standard for excellence in business and community service.”

 

The award, part of Romney’s “Jobs First” initiative, honors the dedication and hard work of men and women who contribute to the revitalization of the Commonwealth’s cities.

 

Romney also created the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award to recognize the innovation that drives the state’s economy.

 

Established in 1885, George Knight & Company manufactures industrial press machinery and die cutting equipment. They started out producing cutting dyes and machinery used in the manufacturing of shoes, but when companies in the shoe industry were leaving Massachusetts in droves in the 1960s, the company looked for alternative options. For more than four decades, they have specialized in heat transfer press equipment for commercial, private and industrial use.

 

Today, they produce machines that imprint images on a variety of products – from t-shirts and tote bags to mugs, ceramic plates, mouse pads and jigsaw puzzles.

 

“George Knight & Company is an exemplary corporate citizen,” said Healey. “By putting the community first, George Knight sets a standard that all businesses should strive to match.”

 

In order for the company to remain competitive, they moved to a new facility in November, which required a $3 million investment. They will continue to own the building they left behind, but have committed to renovating it in a way that will enhance the downtown Brockton area.

 

“This is an award for all of us who truly care about the future of the city of Brockton,” said Chick Knight, CEO of George Knight & Company. “We hope this recognition will sound a positive note that will attract investors and developers to this community. As the center of commerce for Southeastern Massachusetts, Brockton provides solid opportunities for expansion of commercial and retail business as well as secure and convenient housing. We believe that providing more employment opportunities is the best way to return the city of Brockton to its place of prominence.”

 

Since July, the Romney Administration has presented the Governor’s Inner City Investment Award to H.O. Zimman Publishing of Lynn, Traditional Breads of Lynn, Eastern Fisheries of New Bedford, City Fresh Foods of Dorchester, Court Square Data Group of Springfield, Visualization Technology of Lawrence, City Lights Electrical of Boston and Mill City environmental Services of Lowell.

 

 

 

March 11, 2004

HEALEY HONORS LEOMINSTER COMPANY WITH GOVERNOR'S AWARD

 

 

LEOMINSTER – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today honored Innovative Marketing Resources with the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.

 

Presented monthly as part of Governor Mitt Romney’s “Jobs First” initiative, the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award recognizes individuals who best demonstrate the innovation and spirit that drive the Massachusetts economy and who inspire others to turn their ideas into action.

 

“By honoring Deborah Lefebvre of Innovative Marketing Services, we highlight the importance of entrepreneurship to the Commonwealth’s economy,” said Healey. “The company’s success also underscores the importance of persistence, creativity and quality product in launching new businesses.”

 

Innovative Marketing Resources, a division of Innovative Fulfillment Services, Inc., is a full service project management and direct marketing company specializing in direct mail, data processing and fulfillment. It is 100 percent woman-owned and has been in business for more than a decade. Innovative Marketing Resources currently has 25 employees, and utilizes a number of local temporary agencies to employ even more individuals.

 

Innovative offers fully integrated direct marketing services to their clients. Unlike traditional mailing and fulfillment firms, it can facilitate every phase of a project from marketing strategies to creative development, to production to mailing and fulfillment and response tracking. This turnkey system helps improve efficiency, controls costs and gets results for its clients.

 

Deborah Lefebvre, President of Innovative Marketing Resources, is a board member of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce and is certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). She has been involved with St. Leo’s Catholic School, the Montachusett Chorale, the American Cancer Society, the Center for Women and Business, the Committee to Elect City Officials and the American Red Cross among others.

 

“It is Debbie’s high priority of supporting the local economy and charitable endeavors that contribute to her successful business,” said Healey.

 

“Innovative Marketing Resources is a good and growing company in large part because of the community in which we are located,” said President Deborah Lefebvre. “The greater Leominster area is home to a smart and energetic workforce and a progressive business community that welcomes and fosters new entrepreneurs. We are grateful for this award and we share it with all those who have helped us grow.”

 

Since July, the Romney Administration has presented the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award to Veryfine Products of Littleton, Baril Die Company of Haverhill, Yankee Candle Company of South Deerfield, The Chamberlain Group of Great Barrington, Stacy’s Pita Chips of Randolph, Finale of Boston, ZipCar of Cambridge and posthumously to the founder of Inc. Magazine, Bernie Goldhirsh.

 

 

 

March 12, 2004

STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY ON CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

 

Good afternoon.

 

Our elected representatives met yesterday and took the first steps toward passing an amendment to the state Constitution that defines marriage as the union between a man and a woman.

 

I applaud Senate President Travaglini, Speaker Finneran and all the members of the Legislature for conducting a respectful and thoughtful debate. As we saw, some people feel that the amendment changes the Constitution; I, and many others, feel that it preserves the Constitution.

 

This amendment process began after the state Supreme Judicial Court redefined marriage, setting aside thousands of years of recorded history and legal precedent.

 

The Court directed the Legislature to take action as it deemed appropriate. That’s just what the Legislature did yesterday.

 

The Legislature is now on a track to put this issue before the voters. Ultimately, this is as it should be: the people of our state will decide.

 

I know there are deeply held personal convictions around this issue. There are real people and real lives that are affected. On a matter of such significance and with such tender sentiment involved, I would ask that we continue to show respect and consideration for those of differing views.

 

For all of us, the rule of law is bedrock. We’ve seen the lawlessness that has erupted in other states and how it undermines the higher purposes we all seek to preserve.

 

I know there’s been a lot of speculation about what action I will take as Governor of the Commonwealth. Until the Legislature completes its work at the end of this month, I will have no comment on the options before me.

 

But let me state clearly that whatever I do will be within the bounds of the law. Just as the Legislature is working within the constitutional and legal structure of our state, I will do the same.

 

The Legislature has taken the first step. As the process continues, let us hope the final step will be taken by the people.

 

Thank you.

March 16, 2004

KATHLEEN DENNEHY TABBED AS NEW CORRECTION COMMISSIONER

Governor praises her leadership and positive steps taken as interim head

 

Governor Mitt Romney today named Kathleen Dennehy the new Commissioner of the Department of Correction, making her the first woman to head the prison system in Massachusetts.

 

“Kathy Dennehy stepped into the acting commissioner’s role three months ago at a very difficult time in the department’s history. She’s doing such a great job running things that we decided to stop the search for a new commissioner and give her the job,” said Romney.

 

Widely respected as one of the nation’s top female corrections managers, Dennehy has worked at the Department of Correction for 27 years. In the wake of the August 2003 murder of inmate John Geoghan at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, she was named Acting Commissioner.

 

Dennehy immediately launched an aggressive plan to develop a culture that embraces change and is committed to continuous improvement, including putting in place new performance and accountability measures.

 

“Kathy has proven over the last 27 years that she is ready and able to begin the long arduous task of reforming the Department of Correction,” said Public Safety Secretary Edward Flynn. “These are exceptional times at the Department that require exceptional leadership. I am confident that with a firm and guiding hand, she will steer the department to its rightful place in the criminal justice system as a significant contributor to the state’s public safety. She has my complete support.”

 

Dennehy has been an advocate for change during her entire career, overseeing a number of programs designed to monitor and rehabilitate the state’s inmate population and receiving several accolades for her performance. Prior to being named Acting Commissioner, Dennehy served as Deputy Commissioner for six years.

 

“The cornerstone of my administration will be the establishment of a set of organizational core values to support the cultural change that is needed at the Department of Correction,” said Dennehy. “I am committed to facilitating a comprehensive and open review of the Department’s culture, philosophy and management practices. I am also committed to a system in which our ethical code of conduct is promoted and modeled from top to bottom and across all disciplines.”

 

In the months ahead, Dennehy will work closely with the Governor’s Commission on Correction Reform, chaired by former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, which was formed last year to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s correction system. She will use their findings as the basis for implementing more change within the Department of Correction.

 

Dennehy currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Correctional Association of Massachusetts and the Association of WomenExecutives in Corrections. She is also a faculty member at Curry College and a consultant to the National Institute of Corrections in Washington, D.C.

 

Dennehy holds a master’s degree in public administration from Suffolk University and a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College.

 

 

 

March 22, 2004

ROMNEY ANNOUNCES NEW ANTI-OUTSOURCING INITIATIVE

Three-step plan will stimulate the economy and spur job growth

 

HYANNIS – Governor Mitt Romney today stepped up his efforts to slow the outsourcing of jobs from Massachusetts to other states and nations by unveiling a series of financial incentives to grow and retain jobs.

 

Romney’s plan offers working capital assistance to companies looking to stay and expand in the Bay State, grants and loans to attract new cutting-edge employers to the Commonwealth and job training funds to encourage businesses to immediately hire employees who have been out of work for at least a year.

 

“I am very concerned about outsourcing. The reality of today’s business climate is that a growing number of companies are sending their best jobs out of state,” Romney said. “Whether it’s the loss of one job or 100,000 jobs, it’s a very real issue for all of us. These common sense initiatives will help slow outsourcing and speed up insourcing.”

 

Romney’s anti-outsourcing initiative includes:

 

 

Romney outlined the new initiatives at Sencorp, Incorporated, which recently decided to keep the company and its 115 jobs in Massachusetts because of a working capital loan from the Economic Stabilization Trust. He said the trust is a critical tool to keep jobs in the Bay State.

 

Sencorp President and CEO Brian Urban praised the Administration for their efforts to keep the company in the Bay State. “I want to thank the Romney Administration for the personal encouragement and support which ensured our success in keeping and growing Sencorp in Massachusetts.”

 

“Massachusetts is a world-class center of innovation,” Romney said. “Let’s work together to keep our jobs and keep our employers here in our state where they belong.”

 

 

March 24, 2004

ROMNEY ADMINISTRATION AWARDS $458M IN LOW-INTEREST LOANS FOR 85 LOCAL WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS

 

 

The Romney Administration today awarded $458 million in low-interest loans to 62 communities, wastewater districts and water suppliers for 85 environmental infrastructure and planning improvement projects.

 

“Many of the projects funded this year are concentrated in urban areas and they are consistent with our ‘Fix It First’ strategy of maintaining existing infrastructure over new development,” said Governor Mitt Romney. “This investment in these facilities is critical for the protection of our environment and our public health.”

 

The funds come from the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), administered by the Department of environmental Protection, the Executive Office for Administration and Finance and the State Treasurer’s Office.

 

“The State Revolving Fund program will make an enormous investment in water treatment facilities, wastewater treatment plants, Combined Sewer Overflow mitigation, and rehabilitation of water distribution and wastewater collection systems,” said Commonwealth Development Secretary Doug Foy. “In the last two years, 82 percent of these funds were used on projects that support protection of green space and the upgrading of existing infrastructure.”

 

“Residents of the Commonwealth deserve to have clean drinking water and unspoiled wetlands and waterways and this year’s SRF funding priorities bring us closer to that goal,” said environmental Affairs Secretary Ellen Roy Herzfelder. “Municipalities that receive these funds will be building a healthier community and a safer environment in which to live and work.”

 

“SRF programs offer the critical capital needed to provide responsible wastewater management and to make sure there is a safe supply of drinking water,” said environmental Protection Commissioner Robert W. Golledge, Jr. “These programs are a vital part of our mission to protect the environment and the public health.”

 

The Clean Water SRF will provide $348,915,439 in financing for 62 construction and planning projects aimed at eliminating combined sewer overflows, upgrading wastewater treatment facilities, extending sewers and developing long-term wastewater management plans. An additional $110,050,187 in loans from the Drinking Water SRF will finance 23 drinking water treatment, storage and distribution projects across the Commonwealth.

 

Massachusetts has awarded more than $2.9 billion in Clean Water SRF loans since the program’s inception in 1991. The Drinking Water SRF, initiated in 1999, has financed more than $690 million in projects.

 

Annual grants from the federal government provide seed money for the Massachusetts SRF programs. Matching state funds leverage the federal contribution to make it possible for qualifying municipalities, wastewater districts and water suppliers to borrow money at two percent interest for a range of environmental infrastructure projects.

 

(See attached list of loan recipients.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLEAN WATER SRF 2004

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Applicant

ACUSHNET

ATTLEBORO

BROCKTON

CAMBRIDGE

CHELMSFORD

COHASSETT

CONCORD

EGREMONT

FALL RIVER

GLOUCASTER

GLSD

HAVERHILL

HOLYOKE

HOOSAC WQD

KINGSTON

LEE

LWSC

MWRA

MWRA

MWRA

MWRA

NANTUCKET

NEW BEDFORD

NEW BEDFORD

NEW BEDFORD

NEW BEDFORD

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH

PROVINCETOWN

RICHMOND

SCITUATE

SOUTHAMPTON

SOUTHBRIDGE

TAUNTON

TEMPLETON

UBWPAD

WALTHAM

PLANNING PROJECTS

Company Name

ASHLAND

ASSABET CONSORTIUM

ASSABET CONSORTIUM

ATTLEBORO

BARNSTABLE

DIGHTON

EAST BRIDGEWATER

FOXBOROUGH

FRAMINGHAM

FRAMINGHAM

GLOUCESTER

GLOUCESTER

HOPEDALE

LAKEVILLE

LEICESTER WATER DISTRICT

LOWELL

MANCHESTER-by-the-Sea

MARLBOROUGH

MILLBURY

NANTUCKET

NEW BEDFORD

NORFOLK

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH

ROCKLAND

SOUTHAMPTON

SWANSEA

 

DRINKING WATER SRF 2004

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Applicant

ABINGTON/ROCKLAND

Aquarion H2O of MA - Oxford

COHASSET

DOVER WATER COMPANY

FALL RIVER

FOXBORO

HOLBROOK

HOLDEN

LAWRENCE

LOWELL

METHUEN

MWRA

MWRA

MWRA

NEW BEDFORD

NORTHAMPTON

NORWOOD

READING

SOMERSET

SOUTH HADLEY

STERLING

TAUNTON

TOWNSEND

 

 

March 25, 2004

ROMNEY NOMINATES OWENS AS DORCHESTER CLERK-MAGISTRATE

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today nominated Anthony S. Owens of Dorchester to the position of Clerk-Magistrate for the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court.

 

Owens has been the Chief Probation Officer for the West Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court for the past 13 years. Previously, he was the Assistant Clerk-Magistrate.

 

Owens is a member of Reinventing Justice, a court driven program that brings together police, legislators, ministers, educators and court personnel to implement programs with the court and community. Owens has also designed an Intensive Internship Program at the Boston Municipal Court with area colleges.

 

Owens earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Anselm College and is currently pursuing his master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts.

 

March 29, 2004

STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY ON CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

 

 

Good evening.

 

Earlier today, the State Legislature met in a rare joint session and passed an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

 

For this amendment to become part of our Constitution, it must be passed by the Legislature again and then be approved by the people of Massachusetts in November 2006.

 

The process of amending the Constitution is a serious matter. It should only occur on those few occasions when it is necessary to resolve fundamental questions affecting all of the people.

 

This is one of those times.

 

The reason the Legislature has taken this step is because the Supreme Judicial Court in a recent case issued a decision permitting persons of the same sex to marry. The Legislature has now passed an amendment in opposition to the Court’s decision, creating a conflict between the two branches.

 

Given this conflict, I believe the Supreme Judicial Court should delay the imposition of its decision until the people have a chance to be heard.

 

There is another, more compelling reason to delay the Court’s decision.

 

If we begin providing for same-sex marriages on May 17, as ordered by the Court, and then our citizens choose to limit marriage to a man and woman by their vote in November 2006, we will have created a good deal of confusion during the period in between – for the couples involved, for our state, for other states where couples may have moved and for the children of these families.

 

For these reasons, I will seek a stay of the Court’s decision until the constitutional amendment process has run its course. My formal request for a stay will be delivered tomorrow to Attorney General Tom Reilly, who acts as the Commonwealth’s attorney in these matters.

 

It’s important to note that in defending traditional marriage the Legislature is not attacking nontraditional relationships.

 

People of differing views and lifestyles deserve respect and decency from all of us. There are real people and real lives that are deeply affected by this issue: traditional couples, gay couples and children.

 

But, even as we disagree, let us not forget that what we are talking about is a basic social institution of our state and nation.

 

At the core of American democracy is the principle that the most fundamental decisions in society should ultimately be decided by the people themselves.

 

I believe the Supreme Judicial Court has an obligation, to the Constitution and to the people of Massachusetts, to withhold their decision until the people can consider this issue themselves.

 

Thank you.

March 31, 2004

NEW IT POLICY RESULTS IN FIRST OPEN STANDARDS CONTRACT

 

The Romney Administration today announced the first acquisition of information technology (IT) services under its open standards policy, saying the new guidelines have enhanced the competitive procurement environment.

 

The Executive Department Legal Counsel’s Virtual law Office (VLO) will be developed using open standards and open source components. Similar to systems utilized by large private law firms, the VLO will deliver sophisticated content management, legal case management and new reporting tools.

 

The contract award is expected to result in savings to the Commonwealth both through more efficient management of legal services and outright ownership of the software code. Typically, state government would pay initial and ongoing licensing fees for new software.

 

“The new open standards policy is resulting in fair and open competition,” said Administration and Finance Secretary Eric Kriss. “Out of the gate, this policy is having a positive impact on the state’s bottom line.”

 

Four companies, two of which had never done business with the Commonwealth, provided responses to the VLO Request for Response. After full compliance with state procurement law and regulations, the Operational Services Division in conjunction with the Information Technology Division awarded the contract to Praxium Consultants.

 

“This is an exciting and important first step towards the development of a single legal community in the Executive Branch which will increase efficiency and improve legal resource management,” added Daniel B.Winslow, Governor’s Chief Legal Counsel.

 

Open standard solutions enhance the level of application interoperability and reduce development and support costs. “The new policy ensures that the Commonwealth is getting the best value for its IT investments,” said Peter Quinn, the state’s Chief Information Officer.

 

For more information on the open standards policy, visit the ITD website at www.mass.gov/itd

 

 

 

April 1, 2004

ROMNEY ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO SPUR smart growth PROJECTS

Praises Town of Littleton for sustainable development commitment

 

LITTLETON- Governor Mitt Romney today announced new initiatives to help communities avoid sprawl by using smart growth strategies to boost housing production, preserve open space and ensure safe drinking water for the families of Massachusetts.

 

“To keep Massachusetts economically competitive and to improve our quality of life, it is important to coordinate state resources and implement new policies which encourage sustainable development, especially around town centers where existing infrastructure is already in place,” said Romney.

 

Romney made the announcement in Littleton to celebrate the town’s pursuit of a smart growth agenda.

 

Through the oversight of the state’s Office for Commonwealth Development (OCD), Romney announced two environmental regulatory changes that will help promote new housing development in communities like Littleton without compromising environmental concerns. They are:

 

Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) Changes

 

Under changes to the SRF program, the DEP will eliminate current restrictions which limit flow to only 25% of a new sewer line’s capacity if new developments are proposed around town centers. Current regulations have that 25% limit in place because extending new sewer lines into undeveloped areas can induce sprawl. This SRF change will now allow towns with inadequate or no sewer systems to support dense development in their town centers.

 

Fast track permitting

 

The Executive Office of environmental Affairs (EOEA) has an initiative underway to fast track the permitting process by as much as 25 % for proposals that promote sustainable development. EOEA is developing a policy that will use criteria to identify sustainable development projects. Those projects will have the benefit of a single point of contact that will steer the project through the various permit reviews at the agency level. In addition, MEPA will enhance and streamline its review process to accelerate decisions on projects that meet the sustainable development criteria.

 

“Today’s announcements by the Governor will help communities like Littleton to meet our future smart growth goals,” said Secretary Douglas Foy of the Office of Commonwealth Development.

 

Romney created the Office of Commonwealth Development (OCD) when he took office in 2003 to administer and coordinate the functions of existing agencies which implement state housing, transportation, environmental and energy programs and policies. OCD’s mission is to ensure that those agencies maximize opportunities for each program to leverage other important cross agency goals to increase efficiency and promote smart growth in Massachusetts.

 

Romney also announced a $250,000 grant for Littleton to help protect 85 acres at the Prouty Farm estate for conservation.

 

"We are very grateful to the Governor and the OCD for recognizing Littleton's strong interest in pursuing smart growth strategies in implementing the Town's master plan,” said Littleton Board of Selectmen Chairman Joseph A. Cataldo. “The Town believes it can serve as a model for other communities in this regard and eagerly anticipates the Commonwealth's efforts to assist us with initiatives in the areas of open space and historic preservation, affordable housing production, groundwater protection, economic development, transportation and infrastructure."

 

April 5, 2004

CRIME PANEL BACKS MANDATORY POST RELEASE SUPERVISION

Move saves money, eases transition into society for offenders

 

Massachusetts needs to focus on new cutting-edge strategies to fight crime, including mandatory post-release supervision for inmates, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey said today as she unveiled the recommendations of the Governor’s Commission on Criminal Justice Innovation.

 

“All too often, there has to be a tragedy for our criminal justice system to be reformed,” said Healey, the Commission’s chairman. “The criminal justice reforms outlined today are not backward looking or reactive. They are meant to position us on the cutting edge of crime fighting strategies.”

 

Healey, a former consultant to the US Justice Department, called the report a “strategic plan” for updating the state’s criminal justice system.

 

The Commission assembled over 150 of the state’s top law enforcement practitioners, key government officials, leaders from research firms and academia, social workers and community leaders who spent the past seven months examining the business of law enforcement in Massachusetts.

 

Governor Mitt Romney accepted the report and said it will serve as a “useful blueprint for making changes in our criminal justice system.”

 

The Commission focused their recommendations on five key areas: urban crime strategies, prisoner re-entry, interagency information sharing, forensic sciences and law enforcement education and training.

 

Currently, Massachusetts lacks a mandatory post-release supervision system for the approximately 20,000 inmates who return home each year from incarceration. According to a 2002 “Comprehensive Recidivism Study” by the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission, 49.1% of all offenders recidivate after one year.

 

According to Healey, “Ninety-seven percent of offenders are returned to the community. It makes sense from both a fiscal and public safety perspective to look at re-entry and mandatory post-release supervision to increase the chance that those offenders will become productive citizens.”

 

Without adequate post-release supervision, prisoners once released are often ill prepared to overcome such barriers to successful re-entry as substance abuse, mental and physical health issues and lack of access to housing and employment, the report said.

 

It costs approximately $40,000 a year to incarcerate an offender. Estimates based on effective re-entry programs operating here in Massachusetts suggest the cost for the last year of incarceration and the first year of release can be cut by two-thirds with better programming.

 

The report also notes that sex offenders may require permanent supervision “not so much as a means of rehabilitation but as a protection to the community.”

 

Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins, who co-chaired the subcommittee on Re-Entry and Post-Release Supervision, said more intensive post-release supervision is critical to “reduce the risk of recidivism of offenders leaving prison.”

 

Among the report’s other recommendations:

 

 

New ways to focus resources on so-called “impact players,” those individuals who are most at-risk of falling into a life of crime or committing repeat offenses.

 

New systems to better manage the Commonwealth’s forensic labs, including new capacity for storage of electronic evidence and stronger tools to fight computer crime.

 

An integrated crime-fighting plan that will allow criminal justice data to flow between agencies and – in the context of homeland security – to flow up seamlessly from the officer making the arrest to state and federal agencies that can turn that information into intelligence.

 

Innovative steps to provide higher training standards for new law enforcement recruits and better on-the-job training for police and prosecutors, including a minimum standard of a two-year associate’s degree for entrance into a policing career.

U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan praised the work of the crime Commission for “bringing together this multi-agency, cross discipline group of high level law enforcement, public safety and health and human service professionals.”

 

Added Public Safety Secretary Edward Flynn: “This report is illustrative of the importance of broad-based collaboration across branches of government and state agencies in the creation of an effective anti-crime strategy. It is my hope the ideas and strategies proposed can reduce crime and enhance the quality of life for the people of Massachusetts.”

 

Governor's crime Commission Report

 

 

April 6, 2004 CONTACT:

HEALEY, REILLY ENDORSE DATA SHARING TO PROTECT SCHOOLS

Governor’s crime panel recommends increased sharing of information

 

LOWELL – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today endorsed legislation that would ensure the safety of schools across the Commonwealth by promoting collaboration with law enforcement agencies. This legislation is consistent with several important cross-agency information sharing initiatives recommended by the Governor’s Commission on Criminal Justice Innovation.

 

“Public safety is the government’s first and primary responsibility,” said Healey, joined by Attorney General Tom Reilly at Lowell High School. “The Administration will look to do whatever it can to protect our teachers, counselors and students in public and private schools across the Commonwealth.”

 

Sponsored by Senators Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) and Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), the legislation establishes a community-based juvenile justice program whose purpose would be to promote collaboration among schools, local and state law enforcement agencies and social service providers.

 

“I want to thank Lt. Governor Healey for her leadership on these important public safety issues,” said Reilly. “I also would like to commend Senator Murray and Senator Tarr for recognizing that when adults work together, we can help troubled children and make sure that schools are safe learning environments for all students.”

 

The stabbing of Reverend Theodore Brown, an intervention counselor at Springfield High School in December 2001, tragically illustrates the need for this legislation.

 

In that case, a student – who two years previously stabbed and wounded his mother – killed Reverend Brown during class. There were several officials assigned to case that were aware of the student’s background, but state confidentiality laws prevented the sharing of information. The pending legislation would authorize this to happen.

 

“Communication among school administrators, juvenile justice professionals, service providers and law enforcement officials is essential to intervening on behalf of at-risk youth,” said Healey. “We must give our educators the tools they need to ensure that our schools are safe and that students and teachers are protected.”

 

Established to ensure that Massachusetts stays on the cutting edge of law enforcement, the Governor’s Commission on Criminal Justice Innovation recommended an integrated crime-fighting plan that will allow criminal justice data to flow between agencies.

 

“Sharing critical information is a pivotal part of providing effective public safety. On the national level, it will help us improve homeland security. On the local level, which is the focus of this bill, it will help make our schools and neighborhoods safer,” said Healey.

 

 

 

April 7, 2004

ROMNEY TAPS KIMBALL AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY

 

Governor Mitt Romney today introduced Ranch C. Kimball, an expert in business strategy and development, as his new Secretary of Economic Development.

 

Kimball, 46, has had a distinguished career working in business development and private equity. He most recently led the creation of a private equity unit at Kissinger McLarty Associates in Washington D.C., which is headed by Dr. Henry Kissinger and former White House Chief of Staff Thomas “Mack” McLarty.

 

Prior to that, Kimball was partner at the Boston Consulting Group, where he joined after graduating from college and spent a career working extensively with technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, media and health care companies in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia.

 

“Ranch is a proven leader with tremendous energy and a deep understanding of economic development issues. He will make a strong addition to the team,” said Romney. “Job creation is his first priority, but I also look forward to his leadership and advice in a number of areas, including auto insurance reform, workforce development and cutting red tape.”

 

Kimball replaces Robert Pozen, a former Fidelity executive who served as Romney’s first economic development secretary.

 

“Massachusetts and Governor Romney have a winner on board and I have no doubt workers, families and business and academic communities are about to get an adrenaline rush of bright ideas and bold ambitions for the state,” said McLarty, a former Fortune 500 CEO and Chief of Staff to President Clinton.

 

A 1980 graduate of Princeton University, Kimball said he looks forward to forming strong relationships with business, labor, the Legislature and all other parties with an interest in creating jobs in Massachusetts.

 

Kimball praised the Governor’s Regional Competitiveness Councils, said he wants to build on their recommendations with action-oriented steps that will bring jobs and economic growth to every region of the state and that he has a “very activist view” of being secretary of economic development.

 

“Despite the difficult economic climate, I'm impressed with the breadth of economic development initiatives already launched. I look forward to working alongside the strong team the Governor has put in place as we drive to produce job creation and economic growth,” said Kimball.

 

“I also expect to work closely with both the Massachusetts and the national business community in putting these programs into practice in our Commonwealth. Expect to see extensive outreach, near-term job creation, and a focus on the long-term competitiveness of the state’s economy,” Kimball added.

 

Kimball has a home in Boston, where he plans to reside with his wife, Alexa, and their two-year-old son.

 

 

 

April 14, 2004

ROMNEY NOMINATES HALEY TO DUDLEY DISTRICT COURT

 

Governor Mitt Romney today nominated Arthur F. Haley III to the position of Associate Justice for the Dudley District Court.

 

Haley has been an assistant clerk-magistrate in the Gardner District Court since 1998. From 1990 to 1998, he was a sole practitioner in Fitchburg focusing on real property and probate law. Haley was also a partner with Hillman and Haley from 1989 to 1990, where he concentrated in the areas of municipal law, real estate and litigation. He was also an associate and, subsequently, a partner with the firm of Bowen, Baker and Haley.

 

Currently, Haley serves as Chairman of the Paralegal Advisory Board of Mount Wachusett Community College and has served as President, Assistant Treasurer and Executive Committee Member of the North Worcester County Bar Association. Attorney Haley has also served as the North Worcester County Bar’s Representative in soliciting local companies for the United Way and has organized a charity golf tournament to raise funds toward finding a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease.

 

Haley earned his bachelor’s degree cum laude from Fitchburg State College and received his law degree cum laude from Western New England School of Law.

 

 

April 15, 2004

ROMNEY ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS NEW crime FIGHTING TOOL

 

MARBLEHEAD – The Romney Administration today announced a new online database that provides the Commonwealth’s criminal justice agencies access to information maintained by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

 

“One of the priorities of the Governor’s Commission on Criminal Justice Innovation is improving cross-agency information sharing,” said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, who chaired the Commission. “The state’s ultimate goal is to create a fully integrated criminal justice IT plan that will allow data to flow quickly and seamlessly between different agencies and individuals to prevent crime.”

 

Specifically recommended by the Commission last week, the CJISWeb/RMV database was developed by the Criminal History Systems Board (CHSB) in partnership with the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV).

 

“This cross agency information sharing shows us that barriers can be overcome to better serve our citizens,” said Public Safety Secretary Edward Flynn. “This is a valuable addition to the tools used daily by law enforcement officers to solve crime and to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth.”

 

Massachusetts law enforcement agencies now have immediate access to driver license photos and information through their Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) workstations, hand-held personal digital assistants (PDAs), and mobile data terminals (MDTs) located in police cruisers.

 

The web-based tool allows authorized users to access RMV records based either on personal or vehicle data. Providing tremendous flexibility, the tool allows officers to make identifications when only a last name is available, or identify vehicles with only a few digits of license plates. This technology will be useful in traffic stops, and criminal and homeland security investigations.

 

This system is being used successfully as an investigative tool by numerous police departments throughout the state, including Marblehead.

 

Through the use of the CJIS/WebRMV’s investigative search component and image comparison, Marblehead police Chief Ed Carney was able to determine that the subject of an investigation was operating under several aliases with multiple drivers licenses, discovered outstanding arrest warrants, and arrested the suspect, who was in possession of $10,000 worth of cocaine and an unregistered handgun.

 

The Sex Offender Registry Board, the Probation Department of the Massachusetts Trial Court and 31 police departments and 200 State police cruisers are currently using the system in the first phase of this program. By the end of June, every police department and law enforcement agency in Massachusetts will be able to electronically access information on file at the RMV.

 

 

April 16, 2004

HEALEY HONORS PITTSFIELD’S INTERPRINT WITH INNER CITY AWARD

Interprint expands manufacturing facilities and creates new jobs

 

PITTSFIELD – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today recognized the importance of business investment and job creation in the Commonwealth’s urban centers by honoring Interprint, Inc. with the Governor’s Inner City Investment Award.

 

“We are pleased to recognize Interprint for their significant job creation in Berkshire County and for their ongoing presence and business leadership in the City of Pittsfield,” said Healey. “This award also highlights the importance of business investment in urban communities where the employment needs are greatest.”

 

Presented monthly, the Inner City Investment Award is given to individuals whose leadership and business success have brought new economic investment and jobs to the Bay State’s cities.

 

Romney also created the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award to recognize the innovation that drives the state’s economy.

 

Interprint, Inc. is a worldwide leader in the décor printing industry. The company designs and prints paper used in the manufacturing of laminate for countertops, furniture and flooring. Applications range from furniture for kitchens, living rooms and offices to store fixtures and decorations for train carriages, buses, ships and aircrafts. Interprint has six production sites, including one in Pittsfield, and one sales office worldwide.

 

Interprint employs 670 people on six continents. The Pittsfield location has 109 employees and is one of the most productive facilities, second only to its world headquarters in Germany.

 

The Pittsfield site has outgrown its present facility and broke ground last week on phase one of a new 135,000 square foot manufacturing/office facility situated on 78 acres. The new facility will create 54 new jobs over five years, retain 109 and represent a $20 million investment. In partnership with the City of Pittsfield, the state supported this expansion with its Economic Development Incentive Program. The construction is expected to be completed in spring 2005.

 

“CEO William Hines and Interprint have been good corporate citizens to Pittsfield and the region,” said Healey. “Interprint supports local civic groups and causes, carries clear environmental policies around its use of water-based inks and state-of-the-art air ventilation systems, and participates in various economic development activities.”

 

“Interprint is honored to receive the Governor’s Inner City Investment Award,” said President & CEO William Hines. “Pittsfield and Massachusetts provide an excellent environment in which we continue to grow and create jobs. We look forward to continuing this partnership for many years to come.”

 

Since July, the Romney Administration has presented the Governor’s Inner City Investment Award to George Knight & Company, H.O. Zimman Publishing of Lynn, Traditional Breads of Lynn, Eastern Fisheries of New Bedford, City Fresh Foods of Dorchester, Court Square Data Group of Springfield, Visualization Technology of Lawrence, City Lights Electrical of Boston and Mill City environmental Services of Lowell.

 

 

 

April 23, 2004

ROMNEY EXTENDS GENERAL KEEFE'S TERM OF SERVICE

National Guard chief will coordinate return of troops to home and family

 

Governor Mitt Romney today signed into law a bill extending National Guard Adjutant General George W. Keefe’s term of service for one year, allowing him to welcome home the hundreds of men and women serving our nation.

 

“General Keefe is a soldier’s general,” said Romney. “He started out as an enlisted man and worked his way up through the ranks. He understands where each and every soldier is coming from. General Keefe sent these men and women off to serve our country and he should be here to welcome them home.”

 

The new law, proposed by Romney in March, extends General Keefe’s service one year beyond his 65th birthday, the mandatory retirement age for any National Guard officer. Keefe, who has served in the National Guard for 48 years, turns 65 tomorrow.

 

“I am honored by this opportunity to continue to serve as Adjutant General,” said Keefe. “Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom – we supported these and other missions with professionalism and esprit de corps, mobilizing more soldiers and airmen since September 11, 2001 than we have for any conflict in over half a century.”

 

The General added, "All this is due to the efforts of our members, civilian employees and their families, whose selfless sacrifice has been simply awe inspiring. I would like to thank them for their hard work. I would also like to thank the Governor, the members of the state Legislature and the people of Massachusetts for allowing me to continue to serve with the dedicated men and women of the Massachusetts National Guard."

 

Since September 11, 2001, 7,000 Massachusetts National Guard troops have been deployed, the largest deployment since World War II. Bay State National Guard troops are currently serving homeland security missions in Iraq, Cuba and Afghanistan.

 

The National Guard is an important element of the nation’s homeland security strategy. National Guard soldiers and airmen are responsible for protecting the lives and property of Massachusetts residents as well as preserving peace, order and public safety in times of natural disaster or civil emergency.

 

 

May 24, 2004

HEALEY HONORS GORTON'S SEAFOODS WITH GOVERNOR'S AWARD

 

 

May 24, GLOUCESTER – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today honored Gorton's Seafoods with the Governor's Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.

 

Presented monthly as part of Governor Mitt Romney’s "Jobs First" initiative, the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award recognizes individuals who best demonstrate the innovation and spirit that drive the Massachusetts economy and who inspire others to turn their ideas into action.

 

"By honoring Steve Warhover and Gorton’s, we highlight the importance of entrepreneurship to the Commonwealth’s economy," said Healey. "The company’s success also underscores the importance of persistence, creativity and quality products in maintaining jobs for our citizens."

 

Founded in 1849, Gorton’s has evolved from a fishing and packing company to the country’s largest brand of frozen packaged seafood. By 1906, Gloucester had firmly established itself as the largest fish producing port in the United States and the second largest in the world. Slade Gorton, having founded the family-owned company, merged with many other local fishing businesses to increase its fleet to 39 vessels, the largest fleet of fishing vessels operated by any company on the Atlantic Coast.

 

Over the years, the entrepreneurial spirit of Gorton’s has led to many innovations. In the 1950’s, they introduced the fish stick, and their more recent products include Grilled Fillets, Fish Tenders, Grilled Salmon, Shrimp Bowls and Popcorn Fish. Last year, the company expanded beyond supermarket freezers to the Internet, establishing a whole new method of seafood distribution for the company. Gorton’s pegs the total e-commerce market for fresh seafood at $300 million a year and growing. Recently purchased by Nippon Suisan (USA) Inc., a subsidiary of Nippon Suisan Kaisha Limited, the company today employs more than 700 people, including 500 in Gloucester.

 

“Through innovation and adaptation, Gorton’s is a company that evolved from a North Shore fishing company to a worldwide distributor and processor,” said Healey.

 

"Massachusetts has been a good home to Gorton’s for 155 years and it remains the perfect place for this company to continue to grow,” said Warhover. “We have talented and highly committed employees, access to great transportation and distribution systems, and we are located in one of world’s best places for seafood processing and distribution.”

 

"All of Gloucester congratulates the corporate leaders, employees and vendors of Gorton’s on receiving this unique award,” said Gloucester Mayor John Bell. “Gorton’s and the community of Gloucester enjoy a wonderful relationship that spans three centuries. We are fortunate to have Gorton’s here.”

 

Since July, the Romney Administration has presented the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award to Innovative Marketing Resources of Leominster, Veryfine Products of Littleton, Baril Die Company of Haverhill, Yankee Candle Company of South Deerfield, The Chamberlain Group of Great Barrington, Stacy’s Pita Chips of Randolph, Finale of Boston, ZipCar of Cambridge and posthumously to the founder of Inc. Magazine, Bernie Goldhirsh.

 

April 29, 2004

ROMNEY TURNS IGNITION ON AUTO INSURANCE REFORM

Task force to create competition, new high-risk driver distribution plan within 30 days

 

Committed to rescuing a failing auto insurance market place that offers virtually no choice to consumers, Governor Mitt Romney today introduced the members of a bipartisan task force charged with fixing the system.

 

Romney also announced that the Division of Insurance has taken the first steps toward reform by pushing for changes in the distribution of losses generated by high-risk drivers.

 

“It’s time to give our consumers more choice and the advantages that come with safe driving,” said Romney. “The goal of the task force is to form a consensus for a fair and smooth transition to a competitive marketplace.”

 

The six-member task force includes Senator and Assistant Senate Majority Leader Marian Walsh, Representative and House Insurance Committee Chairman Ronald Mariano, Chief of the Attorney General’s Public Protection Bureau Alice Moore, Secretary of Economic Development Ranch Kimball, Consumer Affairs Director Beth Lindstrom and Insurance Commissioner Julie Bowler.

 

The task force will review potential changes to the system that will open the door to more competition, move to a rate-setting system that is more in line with the rest of the country, examine the costs and benefits of our current “no fault” claims process, crack down on fraud and eliminate the subsidy that good drivers pay for bad drivers.

 

“Automobile insurance reform is a priority for the Senate,” said Senator Walsh. “It is very important to the citizens of Massachusetts that rates be fair and affordable.”

 

“I look forward to working with the Governor, his administration, the Attorney General and Senate leaders on this important task force as we try to devise ways to attract national carriers to Massachusetts,” said Representative Mariano.

 

Romney anticipates recommendations for legislation from the panel before the end of the year.

 

Meanwhile, Insurance Commissioner Julie Bowler today directed the 13-member governing committee of Commonwealth Automobile Reinsurers (C.A.R.) to revise the rules in its Plan of Operation to achieve fair distribution of insurer losses generated by the state’s high-risk drivers. The Commissioner’s letter to C.A.R. comes with the release of a study conducted for the Division of Insurance that outlined inequities in the state’s high-risk pool that have contributed to a 64 percent decrease in auto insurers offering coverage in Massachusetts since 1990, from 53 to 19 currently.

 

“Fixing the residual market is an important first step toward reforming the state’s auto insurance market,” said Assistant Attorney General Alice Moore. “I welcome the opportunity to work on these issues on behalf of Massachusetts consumers.”

 

“The current structure is a major barrier to entry and a prime reason smaller insurers have left. The Division’s report shows the losses from high-risk drivers are out of control. We must transition to a system that reigns in these costs through better management of high-risk losses while ensuring a fair playing field for drivers,” said Lindstrom.

 

Commissioner Bowler’s letter to C.A.R. requests that the governing committee deliver within 30 days a new plan for high-risk drivers that will result in a more efficient and equitable system that avoids market disruption and adverse impact on policyholders. The changes requested include:

 

 

Allocating fairly the premiums and losses of the involuntary agencies, which are agencies appointed by C.A.R. in underserved areas;

 

Maintaining the current C.A.R. system for voluntary agencies to ensure no market disruption until a full implementation of an assigned insurance plan; and

 

Implementing claims handling performance guidelines based on industry best practices, with penalties for those insurers who do not comply.

The Division of Insurance’s report on the state’s residual market system, conducted by Tillinghast Towers and Perrin, clearly illustrates that the auto insurance system in Massachusetts is broken and in need of repair.

 

Among the findings:

 

High loss agencies are not distributed equally among insurers. The performance of these agencies has caused very adverse results for some insurers that carry more than double their market share of high loss agencies;

 

A group of nearly 100 involuntary agencies assigned by C.A.R. had loss ratios in excess of 150 percent. Some of these agencies’ loss ratios approached 300 percent; and

 

The subsidies by driver class are unique to Massachusetts. Rates charged to various types of drivers do not properly reflect the differences in their loss experience.

C.A.R.’s guidelines do not sufficiently monitor quality of claim handling or provide an objective assessment of claim handling practices relative to well-defined benchmarks. The report recommends greater emphasis on evaluating claims handling practices for third party bodily injury claims.

 

 

 

 

May 3, 2004

ROMNEY ACCEPTS FINDINGS OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT COUNCIL

Scientific Evidence, Multiple Review Layers Ensure Only the Guilty Get Ultimate Penalty

 

In a highly awaited report from a panel of scientific and legal experts, the Governor’s Council on Capital Punishment today made recommendations for a death penalty statute that relies on scientific evidence, multiple layers of review and a new “no doubt” standard of proof.

 

Governor Mitt Romney, who assembled the council last fall without regard to their views on the death penalty, embraced the panel’s findings and said he would follow their recommendations in crafting legislation for consideration by the Legislature.

 

Romney called the council’s report “the gold standard for the death penalty in the modern scientific age” and “a model not only for Massachusetts, but for the nation.” Massachusetts is only one of 12 states in the nation without a death penalty.

 

The 11-member council, co-chaired by Joseph Hoffmann, Professor of law at Indiana University, and Dr. Fred Bieber, Medical Geneticist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Department of Pathology and Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, proposed limiting the death penalty as a sentencing option for only the “worst of the worst” first-degree murders. Terrorists, cop killers and murderers who torture their victims or who have multiple victims would be among the narrow set of killers eligible for the ultimate punishment under the panel’s findings.

 

Professor Hoffmann said, “We have recommended so many different safeguards and so many overlapping layers of review that, as a practical matter, these recommendations can achieve a completely accurate and fair death penalty system for Massachusetts.”

 

Dr. Bieber said the panel made no recommendations on whether capital punishment legislation should be considered or enacted in Massachusetts. But, he said, “If our recommendations are implemented and have their intended effect, here or elsewhere, victims of serious capital crimes, and those accused of committing them, can be assured of the highest standards of justice.”

 

To erase any doubt that an innocent person could be put to death, the council called for an unprecedented use of scientific evidence. Before a death sentence can be issued, the panel recommended that “conclusive scientific evidence” be required to corroborate the defendant’s guilt by connecting him or her to the crime scene, the murder weapon or the victim’s body.

 

“Just as science can free the innocent, it can also identify the guilty,” Romney said.

 

In addition, for any capital sentence, the council mandated that an independent panel of scientific experts conduct a thorough review of the physical evidence to ensure it was collected, handled, evaluated, analyzed, interpreted and preserved according to the highest standards of the medical and scientific community.

 

The panel also called for raising the burden of proof at the sentencing stage of any capital trial from “beyond a reasonable doubt” to “no doubt.”

 

The report put forth a number of additional safeguards, including:

 

 

Insisting on a bifurcated trial process with one trial to determine guilt or innocence and a separate one for sentencing. The defendant could request a different jury for each stage of the process;

 

Maintaining an automatic review of any death sentence by the state Supreme Judicial Court; and

 

Creating a Death Penalty Review Commission to review any complaints filed by individuals on death row and to investigate any errors that may have allegedly occurred during the trial.

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, a criminologist, hailed the thoroughness of the council’s work, noting that they held seven full-day sessions, considered thousands of pages of research and conducted interviews with experts.

 

“Today, the Governor’s Council on Capital Punishment has fulfilled its charge,” said Healey. “It has set a new standard of judicial effectiveness and reliability if the death penalty is restored in Massachusetts in the future. Their work has helped us take a significant step forward in our ongoing effort to reform and improve the state’s criminal justice system.”

 

Other members of the council include Retired Superior Court judge Robert Barton; Ralph F. Boyd, Jr., Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and former U.S. Attorney General for Civil Rights; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; Donald R. Hayes, Jr., Director of the Boston police Department crime Lab; Dr. Henry Lee, Chief Emeritus of the Connecticut Department of Public Safety’s Division of Scientific Services and one of the world’s foremost forensic scientists; Henry T.A. Moniz, partner in the law firm of Bingham McCutcheon LLP and former Assistant U.S. Attorney; Kathleen M. O’Toole, former Public Safety Secretary; Dr. Carl M. Selavka, Director of the Massachusetts State police crime Lab; and U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan.

 

 

 

 

May 4, 2004

ROMNEY LAUNCHES ANTI-TERROR INITIATIVE ON RAIL LINES

Transit Watch Program Urges Commuters to “See Something? Say Something.”

 

Governor Mitt Romney today launched a first-in-the-nation initiative to ask commuters for their help in identifying and reporting potential terrorist activity on the Commonwealth’s trains and buses.

 

The new Transit Watch program, with the slogan See Something? Say Something, aims to prevent terrorist activities on the state’s transit systems by providing anti-terror education to passengers of the MBTA and the other 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) in Massachusetts.

 

“We want to reinforce the message that an informed, vigilant public is the best defense against terrorism ,” Romney said. “The bottom line is, if you see something, say something. By working as partners, we can win the war on terror and help create a safer, more secure Commonwealth.”

 

The Transit Watch security awareness campaign involves the initial distribution of 350,000 educational pamphlets throughout the MBTA and RTA system. The initiative also includes the installation of educational placards in transit stations and on buses and subways as well as Public Service Announcement radio spots.

 

Romney urged transit passengers to be on the lookout for passengers acting oddly, unaccompanied bags or packages in a remote area or groups operating in an orchestrated or rehearsed manner. He also cautioned against an individual taking direct action against a suspicious activity, but rather to report the incident to a transit employee. Over 4,000 “front-line” MBTA employees have received expert terrorism prevention training since September 11, 2001.

 

"Transit Watch acknowledges the vital role that our riders play in homeland security by educating them on what to look for and how to bring something suspicious to our attention,” said Public Safety Secretary Edward Flynn. “Our front-line employees cannot be everywhere at once – our riding customers will play a key role in supplementing our security efforts.”

 

The Transit Watch initiative also recommends becoming a more aware transit user by familiarizing one’s self with station entrances and exits and listening closely to station, train or bus announcements. Other tips include creating an advanced plan for establishing contact with family and friends in the event of an emergency and making sure that emergency information and contact numbers are carried at all times.

 

“We want to enter into a security partnership. The MBTA Police, state and local law enforcement, and our passengers can all contribute to make the Commonwealth’s transit infrastructure safer in the post 9-11 world,” said transportation Secretary Daniel Grabauskas.

 

The flyers contain telephone numbers that people can call if they see suspicious activity or packages. The literature also offers advice on how to identify, act on, and properly report potential terrorist activity.

 

 

May 5, 2004

ROMNEY VOWS CHARTER SCHOOL MORATORIUM VETO

Celebrates National Charter School Week by Awarding Four New Charters

 

ROXBURY - Governor Mitt Romney today vowed to veto a proposed charter school moratorium, praising the innovation and excellence in these public schools and saying he will fight for the expansion of charter schools in Massachusetts.

 

“Let there be no doubt, I will veto any charter school moratorium that reaches my desk,” said Romney, appearing at Roxbury Preparatory Charter School with parents of children affected by the proposed moratorium.

 

Parent and student demand for charter school enrollment in Massachusetts is extremely high. More than 13,000 students were put on a waiting list for a charter school this academic year and the waiting list for this coming school year has grown to over 14,000.

 

To mark National Charter Schools Week, Romney awarded charters to the founders of four new schools in Lynn, Cambridge, Barnstable and MetroWest.

 

“Charter schools provide more alternatives in public education and encourage innovation and excellence,” Romney said. “They hold teachers and administration accountable for the educational success of their students and give parents the chance to make choices regarding their children’s education.”

 

Last week, the Massachusetts House of Representatives approved an amendment to their budget that prevents any new charters from being granted until the end of 2005.

 

It also freezes five charters approved by the Board of Education earlier this year and last year, including three receiving charters today: Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School, Community Charter School of Cambridge, KIPP Academy Lynn Charter School. The two other schools affected by the House’s action are Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter School and the Salem Academy Charter School.

 

Because of statutory constraints, 152 school districts in the Commonwealth cannot add new charter schools despite heavy demand from parents. Romney said that he would work to eliminate the caps that unnecessarily hinder the further growth of charter schools: a 120-school cap on the number of charter schools statewide; a four percent cap on the number of children statewide that can enroll in charter schools; and a nine percent cap on the amount of school spending that can go to charter schools from each district.

 

Romney noted that charter schools have achieved excellence, as evidenced by their MCAS scores.

 

“Charter schools offer a valuable public school option to our parents and students, and I applaud the success they have had,” said Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll. “A moratorium would be a mistake because it would trample on the rights of parents to select which type of school their children will attend.”

 

The four new charter schools are:

 

 

In addition, Romney renewed the charters of Roxbury Prep and three other schools, including:

 

• Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School;

 

• Conservatory Lab Charter School in Boston; and

 

• Robert M. Hughes Academy Charter School in Springfield.

 

Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of any school committee under a five-year charter granted by the Board of Education. They are given the freedom to organize their activities around a core mission, curriculum, or teaching method and set their own budgets and staffs.

 

Massachusetts charter schools were created with the philosophy to increase student achievement, to give parents more educational choices, develop best practices and be held accountable for results. A charter school must demonstrate positive results within five years or lose its charter.

 

Romney also celebrated the news that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded MassDevelopment $4 million – in addition to $6 million awarded last year – to fund the Massachusetts Charter School Loan Guarantee Fund. The program will provide funds to be used to guarantee capital to address the cost of acquiring, construction or renovating both owned and leased charter school facilities.

 

For more information on charter schools, go to www.doe.mass.edu/charter.

 

 

May 6, 2004

ROMNEY UNVEILS CLIMATE PROTECTION PLAN FOR MASSACHUSETTS

Comprehensive Strategies Designed to Improve Air Quality and Boost State’s Economy

 

Governor Mitt Romney today unveiled the state’s comprehensive Climate Protection Plan, taking action to reduce pollution, cut energy demands and nurture job growth in the Commonwealth.

 

“Economic success and environmental protection go hand in hand,” said Romney. “The steps we are taking today will ensure a cleaner environment and a brighter future for generations to come.”

 

Romney said the climate plan is one of the nation’s strongest to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and represents a commitment to implementing the regional climate change plan adopted by the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers in August 2001.

 

“EPA New England applauds Governor Romney for his strong environmental leadership,” said Robert W. Varney, Regional Administrator of EPA’s New England regional office. “We look forward to working with the Governor to implement many of these recommendations, especially through EPA programs such as Energy Star, Green Power Partnerships and Climate Leaders, which will help reduce emissions, lower energy costs, save taxpayer dollars and strengthen our economy.”

 

The plan urges all sectors to partner with the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2010. It further calls for an additional 10 percent reduction by 2020 through strict standards for old coal-fired power plants, promotion of renewable energy, encouraging green building technology, energy efficiency, cleaner vehicles and public awareness.

 

Business leaders from Bank of America and Polaroid lauded the Romney plan.

 

“We, at Bank of America, recognize that climate change and atmospheric pollution represent a risk to the ultimate stability and sustainability of our way of life,” said Eugene M. McQuade, President of Bank of America. “We support Governor Romney’s Massachusetts Climate Protection Plan and stand ready to work with the state to fulfill its goals.”

 

“Polaroid is pleased and honored to join with the Governor in his initiative to help reduce harmful green house gas emissions in our environment,” said Bill Kennedy, Corporate Energy Director at Polaroid Corporation. “At Polaroid, we have been working for several years with private and public organizations to reduce our own emissions and we feel the Governor’s program will provide vitally needed momentum to this critical worldwide effort.”

 

“This plan will significantly improve public health, environmental safety and stability, and the overall quality of life in Massachusetts, and they will prepare the way for our state to prosper well into the 21st century,” said Commonwealth Development Secretary Douglas Foy.

 

Some of the plan’s highlights include:

 

 

“The potential for economic growth in Massachusetts extends even further through implementation of this plan,” said Romney. “More efficient use of energy resources will keep manufacturing costs down, allowing local businesses to stay competitive in the world marketplace.”

 

For more information or to read the report, look online at www.mass.gov/ocd

 

 

 

May 7, 2004

HEALEY HONORS CAPE COD HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM

KISS Computing Receives Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award

 

EASTHAM – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today honored KISS Computing, Inc. with the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.

 

Presented monthly as part of Governor Mitt Romney’s “Jobs First” initiative, the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award recognizes individuals who best demonstrate the innovation and spirit that drive the Massachusetts economy and who inspire others to turn their ideas into action.

 

“With small businesses as the backbone of the Massachusetts economy, Governor Romney and I have a tremendous appreciation for the work that KISS Computing is doing every day to keep our state’s economy moving,” said Healey. “We are grateful for the risks that you take and understand the obstacles you have to overcome.”

 

Founded in 1997 by Ross and Amy Lasley, a husband and wife team, in a 10 by 12 foot space, KISS Computing today has 200 clients and seven employees. Specializing in taking the fear out of Web site ownership, KISS offers domains, hosting, site design, site production, custom functionality, Internet marketing services and consulting.

 

With a growing list of more than 500 Web site customers, KISS has developed a number of proprietary products and systems including a robust online hotel reservation system (www.getdors.com) and a system for ROI tracking on cost-per-click Internet marketing campaigns (KISSclicks). With a focus on “success-sites,” they serve local enterprises and Fortune 100 companies. Recently, they were able to report to an Orleans retail store that it was getting a nearly 3,000 percent return on investment by using KISS’s services.

 

In addition, KISS has contributed to the community in many ways and has created jobs in the region. It created the Web site and functionality for WOMR.org, the Cape’s community radio station. KISS is also a supporter of community arts, specifically the Cape Playhouse, Evetide Arts Festival, Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra and the Payomet Performing Arts Center.

 

KISS also created the Web presence for SPAT (Shellfish Promotion and Tasting) of Wellfleet, an organization dedicated to educating the community about shellfishing traditions. It offers to the public free monthly seminars at its Eastham offices on many Internet topics. KISS has worked with many schools, including Mattacheese Middle School, Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School and the Nauset School to offer educational programs for students over the years.

 

“KISS Computing represents the best of the spirit of Massachusetts,” said Healey. “In today’s economy, they have been able to flourish while continually giving back to the community.”

 

“It takes many things to develop a successful business and we have them all right here on the Cape – great talent, a burgeoning group of client businesses and great support from our Chamber of Commerce and the State,” said Lasley. “It’s a great mix and good reason why we are growing so quickly.”

 

Since July, the Romney Administration has presented the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award to Innovative Marketing Resources, Veryfine Products of Littleton, Baril Die Company of Haverhill, Yankee Candle Company of South Deerfield, The Chamberlain Group of Great Barrington, Stacy’s Pita Chips of Randolph, Finale of Boston, ZipCar of Cambridge and posthumously to the founder of Inc. Magazine, Bernie Goldhirsh.

 

 

 

May 7, 2004

HEALEY ANNOUNCES $750,000 FOR CAPE COD OPEN SPACE

Grants will extend protection to 34 acres of sensitive, undeveloped land

 

DENNIS – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today awarded $750,000 in state environmental grants to help protect an additional 34 acres of pristine open space at Coles Pond. The most recent addition in a 30-year effort to preserve the area known as Crowes Pasture, this acquisition boosts the total amount of contiguous land under conservation to 400 acres.

 

“Governor Romney and I are committed to protecting the open space, water supply, wildlife habitat and recreation areas that make Massachusetts such an attractive place to live and raise a family,” said Healey. “With only one third of the land on Cape Cod undeveloped and unprotected, we are using all the tools at our disposal to strike the right balance between conservation and sound development.”

 

Healey said the state investment will help Dennis protect the parcel from future development. Healey said these state grants leverage more than $6,000,000 in federal, local and private funds.

 

“The acquisition of the 34 acres in Crowes Pasture is of critical importance to the Town of Dennis,” said Donald P. Trepte, Chairman of the Dennis Board of Selectmen. “It preserves the last major open space in the Town for conservation and passive recreational purposes and insures that future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy this incredibly beautiful wilderness area with its significant wildlife habitat and rare plant species.”

 

The high economic value of this parcel required funding commitments from a range of public and private partners including the Town of Dennis, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Dennis Conservation Trust. In 2003, the Department of Conservation and Recreation applied for and received a $1 million U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Wetlands grant that was critical to meeting the project’s funding requirement.

 

“Crowes Pasture is a sort of mini-national seashore that citizens from all over come to enjoy,” said Mark H. Robinson, Executive Director of the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides assistance to land trusts. “Involving funding from many sources, this project is a crowning achievement in the push for more and better public-private partnerships and demonstrates how open space preservation should be done.”

 

“Working together with committed partners we have succeeded in conserving another parcel of great environmental value,” said environmental Affairs Secretary Ellen Herzfelder. “This is a great victory for the people of Cape Cod, but also for everyone who comes here to enjoy this area’s tremendous natural beauty.”

 

Covering an ecologically diverse 400-acre area, Crowes Pasture encompasses diverse habitat types, including barrier beach, dunes, vernal pools, salt marsh, pine and oak woodland, coastal plain, pond, cedar swamp, cranberry bog, and meadow. Located within a District of Critical Planning Concern (DCPC) this project has been designated Core Habitat in the BioMap, a state inventory listing critical concentrations of biodiversity across the Massachusetts.

 

The grants are part of the Commonwealth Capital program, announced earlier this year by Governor Mitt Romney, to promote a more strategic approach to land protection in Massachusetts. Commonwealth Capital aims to strengthen partnerships between municipalities and state government, rewarding forward-thinking communities that plan appropriately for growth.

 

 

 

May 12, 2004

HEALEY CELEBRATES ESPLANADE'S 100 NEW CHERRY TREES

Praises Fish Family and Citizens Bank for Donation

 

Marking the centennial anniversary of the Japan Society of Boston, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today helped plant 100 new Japanese cherry trees on the Esplanade and praised the Fish family and Citizens Bank for their generous donation.

 

“Each of these lovely trees is a symbol of the strong friendship and goodwill that exists between the people of Japan and the people of Massachusetts,” said Healey. “On behalf of the people of Massachusetts, I would like to thank the Fish family, the Consul General of Japan and the Japan Society of Boston for all you have done to bring us together over the years.”

 

In addition to the donation of the cherry trees, Healey said the Fish family and Citizens Bank have generously agreed to pay for ongoing maintenance expenses. She noted that today’s planting continues a Boston tradition started nearly 20 years ago by the Japan Society of Boston and the Japanese Consul General’s office. Over this time, approximately 1,400 cherry trees have been planted in public spaces around Boston from the Hatch Shell to Watertown, including several trees on the front lawn of the State House.

 

“Larry and I are pleased to donate these symbolic Japanese cherry trees for the community to enjoy and we look forward to enhancing the delicate beauty of the Esplanade,” said Atsuko Fish, Vice-Chair of the Japan Society and wife of Larry Fish, Chairman, President and CEO of Citizens Financial Group. “As these trees grow, so will the partnerships between the people of Japan and Massachusetts. We extend our gratitude and congratulations in celebration of the Japan Society of Boston’s centennial anniversary of cultivating historic bridges between our two countries.”

 

“This is just the kind of partnership we are working to build with individuals and groups who love the state parks system,” said environmental Affairs Secretary Ellen Roy Herzfelder, whose office has actively pursued public-private partnerships at state parks and recreational facilities across the Commonwealth. “We want to link the positive changes we are making to the system with the tremendous reservoir of enthusiasm towards our parks and recreation areas.”

 

 

May 14, 2004

BANK OF AMERICA, FLEET MERGER YIELDS DIVIDENDS FOR housing

Romney announces that $424 million will be set aside for housing programs

 

ROXBURY – In another step toward the creation of more housing, Governor Mitt Romney today announced that the merger of Bank of America and Fleet Bank will result in the set aside of more than $420 million to spur housing for low- and moderate-income families.

 

“We are fortunate to have such responsible corporate citizens in Massachusetts as Bank of America,” Romney said. “In addition to helping develop more housing across our Commonwealth, the funds announced today will also advance the principles of smart growth. By building new housing in community centers, we can revitalize our urban areas and make them attractive to families statewide.”

 

Under state law, banks that acquire other banks must set aside a percentage of the acquired assets located in Massachusetts as a loan to the Massachusetts housing Partnership (MHP), a statewide quasi-public affordable housing organization. The Bank of America/Fleet Boston merger will yield the state a record $406 million loan and an additional $18 million grant that will be directly targeted for housing.

 

Bank of America and MHP reached an agreement on the loan amount, and the bank agreed to convert a portion of the loan the $18 million grant. The grant can be used in combination with traditional financing to promote housing that serves extremely low-income families, the working poor and homeless, and to develop housing that is smaller in scale and supported by the community.

 

The Bank of America funds nearly double MHP’s loan pool, potentially creating another 10,000 units over the next 10 years. Prior to that, MHP’s fund had grown to nearly a half a billion dollars, made nearly $350 million in loans and financed over 10,000 units of rental housing.

 

The largest previous agreement was when Fleet Financial Corporation made a $143 million loan and $12 million cash grant to MHP following its purchase of BankBoston in 1999.

 

“This loan commitment is unparalleled, and strengthens our long-standing partnership with MHP,” said Anne M. Finucane, President of Bank of America’s Northeast region. “Bank of America is committed to the goal of creating affordable housing and driving neighborhood development for working residents in Massachusetts.”

 

Bank of America has also voluntarily agreed to set aside 10 percent of the loan to offer lower interest rates to eligible non-profit community-based organizations. Eligible non-profit borrowers will know the long-term fixed rate at the start of construction and will not be exposed to possible rising interest rates during construction period.

 

“This is terrific news. We are pleased that Bank of America has agreed to go above and beyond the strict requirements of the law to make this important resource available to build more affordable housing in Massachusetts,” said Joseph Kriesberg, president of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations. “This type of public/private partnership is critical to meeting the housing needs of our state. We look forward to continuing our work with Bank of America as they further develop and implement a comprehensive community investment program for Massachusetts.”

 

The agreement will enable MHP to continue to make loans that are small in scale, community-focused and serve extremely low-income families, using private sector funds at no cost to the taxpayers. It will also enable MHP to find new ways to produce rental housing that complements large-scale and deeply subsidized projects, and find new private resources that will enable more projects to be built.

 

“These funds could not come at a better time,” said Clark Ziegler, executive director of MHP. “It will take new resources and a willingness to think ‘outside the box’ to solve our state’s affordable housing crisis.”

 

 

 

May 14, 2004

ROMNEY AWARDS $6.275 MILLION TO PRESERVE AFFORDABLE RENTS

Development funds to keep 1,202 apartments in Springfield and Boston affordable

 

SPRINGFIELD – Governor Mitt Romney today awarded $6.275 million to preserve affordable rents for more than 1,200 low- and moderate-income families living at six different properties in Springfield and Boston.

 

“We are working diligently to not only increase housing production all across Massachusetts, but to also target state resources to preserve the long-term affordability of existing apartments occupied by low- and moderate-income families,” said Romney. “Today’s awards will go a long way toward helping families in more than 1,200 apartments to stay in their homes.”

 

The awards will be administered from the state Department of housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) Capital Improvement Preservation Fund (CIPF) program. CIPF grants are used to preserve housing in developments that were originally financed by the federal government in the 1970s. As the 25- and 30-year mortgages expire at those developments, owners have the option of converting the affordable rate units into market rate ones. These funds ensure that the homes remain affordable for the next 40 years.

 

“The CIPF program is just one of many financial resources we offer on the state level to create – and in this case – to preserve affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families across the state,” said DHCD Director Jane Wallis Gumble.

 

Romney made the announcement at the Bay State Place Apartments in Springfield, where the Beacon Companies will receive $750,000 of those funds to renovate the 347-unit complex.

 

“On behalf of the Beacon Companies, I am extremely pleased and grateful to receive these funds from Governor Romney and the Department of housing and Community Development,” said Howard Cohen, President of the Beacon Companies. “This new funding source will enable us to preserve Bay State Place’s affordability and allow us to undertake necessary renovations so that our residents and the Springfield community can continue to enjoy quality affordable housing.”

 

 

May 19, 2004

ROMNEY, HUD TEAM UP TO PRESERVE SECTION 8 VOUCHERS

Thousands of Low-Income Families to Stay in their Homes

 

Governor Mitt Romney today announced that his Administration and the U.S. Department of housing and Urban Development (HUD) have come up with a solution that will save thousands of low-income families from the possibility of losing their housing.

 

Over the last several weeks, Romney worked with HUD to secure an additional $3 million in program funding for Massachusetts to avert a looming crisis that could have resulted in the loss of up to 3,700 Section 8 housing vouchers in July.

 

Last month, HUD informed the state Department of housing and Community Development that the 2004 omnibus appropriations bill approved by Congress would leave Massachusetts with a $3 million funding gap that needed to be filled by June 30, the end of the state’s fiscal year.

 

Concerned that families would be left with nowhere to go, Romney met with HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson earlier this month in Washington, D.C. to advocate on behalf of Massachusetts. After the meeting, HUD agreed to annualize the inflation factor applied to each voucher, resulting in an additional $3 million for the Massachusetts Section 8 program.

 

“I want to commend Secretary Jackson for his willingness to work with me in helping to resolve this troubling issue,” said Romney. “Thanks to HUD, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will not have to take any vouchers away from our citizens.”

 

Romney also congratulated the Massachusetts congressional delegation for their advocacy on this issue.

 

The Section 8 program, administered by the state Department of housing and Community Development, offers housing choices for very low-income households by helping families pay up to 70 percent of their rent in privately owned housing.

 

Eligible households are issued a Section 8 voucher. The family is then given up to 180 days to locate their own rental housing, which can be located anywhere in the country or they can elect to remain in their current unit provided it meets program requirements. Rental units must meet minimum standards of health and safety. The rent for the unit must be reasonable in comparison to rents charged for similar, unassisted apartments in the area. A rental subsidy, determined by the family’s income, is paid directly to the landlord on behalf of the participating family by the housing agency. The family pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the Section 8 program.

 

 

 

May 21, 2004

ROMNEY SIGNS TAYLOR'S law TO GIVE PATIENTS VOICE IN HEARINGS

 

 

Governor Mitt Romney today was joined by the family of Taylor McCormack to sign into law a measure that ensures patients have a voice in disciplinary hearings conducted by the Board of Registration in Medicine.

 

When John and Catherine McCormack’s 13-month-old daughter, Taylor, died in October 2000 after her emergency surgery was delayed, they were unable to attend the disciplinary hearing for the doctors involved. “This bill will make sure that that won’t happen again to any other family,” said Romney.

 

Prior to today, patients and their families were prohibited from attending the state’s disciplinary hearings against the doctors involved in their cases. The new “Taylor’s Law” will allow them to be present with an attorney and, if they wish, present an impact statement.

 

Romney praised the persistence of John McCormack, Taylor’s father, who devoted countless hours to making sure that other families have a more open process when filing a complaint against a doctor with the state Board of Registration in Medicine.

 

“After the death of my daughter, we were shut out of the Board of Registration in Medicine disciplinary hearings,” said McCormack. “I looked into my heart and decided I needed to do something to make sure other families have a voice in the system. This law ensures that patients and their families have due process, accountability and fairness when they have a complaint before the board.”

 

“I commend John McCormack for his incredible persistence,” said Romney. “He has spent hundreds of hours on this issue for the love of a daughter that was lost so tragically. Today, the McCormack family has made a positive impact that will give families access and involvement in the hearing process.”

 

 

 

May 23, 2004

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS TO THE STUDENTS OF SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY

 

I don’t remember when it was exactly that I finally went past the sandbar. My family had a summer cottage on the shores of one of the Great Lakes. For the first 40 or so feet, the lake is shallow, warm, and protected from big waves by the sandbar. That’s where I spent most of the hot summer days as a boy. I liked it there. One day, my brother got me up on water skis. Perhaps fearing that a turn would make me fall, he drove the boat, and me, straight out into the deep. By the way, this lake is over 100 miles wide. I screamed at him the whole terrifying ride. He took me about a half mile. But ever after, the deep water is where I wanted to be: surfing in the breakers, water skiing, diving. I got out of the shallow water, for good.

 

Over the years, I have watched a good number of people live out their lives in the shallows.

 

In the shallows, life is all about yourself. Your job, your money, your house, your rights, your needs, your opinions, your ideas, your comfort.

 

In the deeper waters, life is about others: family, friends, faith, community, country, caring, commitment. In the deeper waters, there are challenging ideas, opposing opinions, and uncomfortable battles.

 

One business colleague, I’ll call Rich, told me that his life ambition was to be listed in Forbes among the 400 wealthiest people in the world. His ambition, his pre-occupation with self, overshadowed his marriage and his loyalties to his friends – so he lost them all. He became wealthy in the way he hoped. But he swims in the shallowest of waters, because he swims alone.

 

Another business colleague, Bob, once told me he hoped he could make enough money to give away great sums of it. Remarkably, the more he gives away, the more he seems to have. He financed a program for troubled kids. They live for thirty days in the Anasazi desert. Young lives that were quite lost, have been found. He just told me that he’s leaving the firm that pays him millions of dollars to take his family for three years of service in Ghana.

 

Don’t you just love people who swim in the deep waters of life!!

 

Almost every dimension of your life can be held to the shallows or taken into the deeper water. Your career, your involvement with others, your spouse and your children, your politics – each can be lived with you comfortably at the center. Or, they can draw you out of yourself, into service and sacrifice, into selflessness.

 

That’s particularly true with your family, your children.

 

I spoke with one of my old high school girlfriends a few years back. She said that she and her husband weren’t sure whether or not they wanted children. They could take so very much time. So as a bit of a test, they decided to buy a dog and see how it went.

 

A girl I met when my wife was teaching explained that she didn’t want to wait until high school graduation to start having babies. She wanted a baby right away. She liked babies. And her friends had babies.

 

Children can be about making us happy, as it was for these. Or they can be the object of the greatest sacrifice and the greatest investment we will ever make.

 

My sister Lynn graduated from Stanford University. She put her career on hold to raise remarkable children. She uses all she ever learned to do that job. As mother, she is a psychologist, financier, counselor, therapist, educator. She has almost no time for herself. And she loves it.

 

Your family can be all about you, or it can be all about giving in the most all-encompassing ways to others. When it comes to family, it’s a lot more rewarding in the deep water.

 

You are, by now, thinking a good deal about your career. If you are at all like I was at this point in your lives, you are looking with some anxiety toward the prospects for your career. I believe the economic environment will be more turbulent and competitive than any we have ever seen. Some of you will be tempted to stay near shore, where there are no big breakers.

 

I sat next to a father at parent’s night at high school a few years back. He said he worked as a manager at the MBTA. He had found a way to put in less than five hours a day and still get paid a full salary (kind of like George Costanza’s job at the Yankees).

 

You can take the same approach to your career – put in as little as possible. I’d recommend a different course: give your job as much as you can. Push yourself beyond expectations.

 

An engineer faculty member from MIT sat in the audience at Hanscom Air Force base in Bedford looking at the tapes of the Patriot missiles taking out Scuds that were bound for Saudi Arabia. The success or kill percentage was better than 80%, as I recall. The session was a self-congratulatory event for those who had been part of the project. But there was something about the data that caught his attention.

 

He spent days and days analyzing and reanalyzing the data. He just wouldn’t let well enough alone. And then he announced that the reported success was all wrong. The debris on the tapes was from the Patriot missiles exploding, not the Scuds. The military and the manufacturer protested. But he proved he was right. As a result, designs were changed, programs were revamped, and now the Patriots actually save lives.

 

Look beyond the money and perks and benefits: do you love what you’re doing? Are you making a difference? Is your heart in it? In almost every career I have known, there is a way to serve others, to contribute. Find it, and let that drive your effort.

 

At some point in your life, a few of you may be presented with the opportunity to step off your career path, to give yourself fully to some kind of service. When I was asked to leave my investment company to run the Olympics in Salt Lake City, I dismissed the idea out of hand. I was making too much money, I didn’t know bupkis about running a sports event. The job would pay me nothing. The organization was in the worst condition of any I had ever seen. And, after the Games were over, the position would lead nowhere. It was a dead end.

 

I took it. It was the highlight of my professional life. I gave more of myself than I ever had before. I came to know and respect remarkable people. There are currencies more lasting than money. It can be enormously rewarding to take the unobvious course, to jump into the deep water.

 

That’s true in politics as well. I grew up in a political family. As a teenager, I was out collecting signatures. I visited every one of Michigan’s 83 counties. I love arguing about politics. But I meet a lot of people who don’t care about government or who are more comfortable hanging around people who agree with them than exploring ideas and arguments with people who don’t. Some people like to buy a daily paper that’s just filled with columnists and editorials that agree with their own prejudices and perspectives. It’s easy and safe staying with shallow reasoning that doesn’t test you, challenge you and maybe cause you to change your mind. I chuckle when I read some of our newspapers. There is almost no diversity of opinion on their pages, just ridicule and invective toward those who have different views.

 

I’m afraid that even some educators have become less devoted to exploring and testing different positions and viewpoints than they are to promoting their own bias.

 

Bias is shallow thinking and shallow water. Read widely, particularly from people who disagree with you. Argue to learn rather than to win. If you don’t respect, I mean really respect, the views of people who disagree with you, then you don’t understand them yet. There are smart people on both sides of almost every important issue. Learn from them all. If you have life all figured out in neat little packages, you’re in Neverland, not the real world. And it’s boring there.

 

There’s one more thing I’ve seen in the people who swim in the deep waters of life. They don’t fashion their values and principles to suit their self-interest; they live instead by enduring principles that are fundamental to society and to successful, great lives. I learned important lessons about those principles from some of the Olympians I saw in Salt Lake City, like bobsledder Vonetta Flowers.

 

Vonetta was brakeman on USA sled two. All the attention, however, was on sled one, the sled that had taken the World Cup and was a lock for the Olympic Gold. But just before the Olympics, the pilot of sled one dropped her partner and invited Vonetta Flowers to join her.

 

Vonetta had a tough decision. On sled one, she’d get a gold medal for sure – the first Olympic gold to be won by an African American in the Olympic Winter Games. Those of us rooting for US metals hoped she would jump to sled one. She didn’t. She decided that friendship and loyalty to her longtime teammate on sled two was more important than winning the gold.

 

Of course, sled one did well. But when sled two beat them all, coming in first, the crowd went nuts. And tears dripped off Vonetta’s cheeks. Friendship and loyalty above gold.

 

You live one time only. Don’t spend it in safe, shallow water. Launch out into the deep. Give yourself to your family, to your career, to your community. Open your mind to diverging viewpoints. And live, not by what suits the moment, but by the principles that endure for a lifetime. Jump in, the water’s fine!!

 

May 24, 2004

HEALEY HONORS GORTON'S SEAFOODS WITH GOVERNOR'S AWARD

 

May 24, GLOUCESTER – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today honored Gorton's Seafoods with the Governor's Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.

 

Presented monthly as part of Governor Mitt Romney’s "Jobs First" initiative, the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award recognizes individuals who best demonstrate the innovation and spirit that drive the Massachusetts economy and who inspire others to turn their ideas into action.

 

"By honoring Steve Warhover and Gorton’s, we highlight the importance of entrepreneurship to the Commonwealth’s economy," said Healey. "The company’s success also underscores the importance of persistence, creativity and quality products in maintaining jobs for our citizens."

 

Founded in 1849, Gorton’s has evolved from a fishing and packing company to the country’s largest brand of frozen packaged seafood. By 1906, Gloucester had firmly established itself as the largest fish producing port in the United States and the second largest in the world. Slade Gorton, having founded the family-owned company, merged with many other local fishing businesses to increase its fleet to 39 vessels, the largest fleet of fishing vessels operated by any company on the Atlantic Coast.

 

Over the years, the entrepreneurial spirit of Gorton’s has led to many innovations. In the 1950’s, they introduced the fish stick, and their more recent products include Grilled Fillets, Fish Tenders, Grilled Salmon, Shrimp Bowls and Popcorn Fish. Last year, the company expanded beyond supermarket freezers to the Internet, establishing a whole new method of seafood distribution for the company. Gorton’s pegs the total e-commerce market for fresh seafood at $300 million a year and growing. Recently purchased by Nippon Suisan (USA) Inc., a subsidiary of Nippon Suisan Kaisha Limited, the company today employs more than 700 people, including 500 in Gloucester.

 

“Through innovation and adaptation, Gorton’s is a company that evolved from a North Shore fishing company to a worldwide distributor and processor,” said Healey.

 

"Massachusetts has been a good home to Gorton’s for 155 years and it remains the perfect place for this company to continue to grow,” said Warhover. “We have talented and highly committed employees, access to great transportation and distribution systems, and we are located in one of world’s best places for seafood processing and distribution.”

 

"All of Gloucester congratulates the corporate leaders, employees and vendors of Gorton’s on receiving this unique award,” said Gloucester Mayor John Bell. “Gorton’s and the community of Gloucester enjoy a wonderful relationship that spans three centuries. We are fortunate to have Gorton’s here.”

 

Since July, the Romney Administration has presented the Governor’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Award to Innovative Marketing Resources of Leominster, Veryfine Products of Littleton, Baril Die Company of Haverhill, Yankee Candle Company of South Deerfield, The Chamberlain Group of Great Barrington, Stacy’s Pita Chips of Randolph, Finale of Boston, ZipCar of Cambridge and posthumously to the founder of Inc. Magazine, Bernie Goldhirsh.

 

 

 

 

May 27, 2004

ROMNEY WELCOMES STRAUMANN USA TO MASSACHUSETTS

Governor lauds increase in jobs, cites decrease in unemployment rate

 

ANDOVER – An upbeat Governor Mitt Romney, celebrating good news on the jobs front, today announced that Straumann AG, a Swiss medical device manufacturer, will locate its first North American headquarters in Andover, creating more than 300 new manufacturing jobs over the next five years.

 

The announcement follows news that the Massachusetts unemployment rate dropped to 4.8 percent in the month of April. The state economy added 5,500 jobs in April on top of 2,700 new jobs in March, the first time the state has seen two consecutive months of job growth since February 2001.

 

"Our economic policies are contributing to the improvement in the Massachusetts employment picture, but we still have more work to do. Holding the line on taxes and creating a business-friendly environment will continue to be among our highest priorities,” Romney said.

 

Romney said Straumann is the kind of innovative technology company that his economic development team is committed to attracting to Massachusetts. “The opening of Straumann’s new $50 million North American headquarters in Andover will bring 160 new manufacturing jobs to the Bay State right away and more than 300 over the next five years,” he said.

 

Romney noted that Straumann considered seven states, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida, as potential locations for its first American manufacturing facility before ultimately deciding on Massachusetts.

 

“We are investing in people and infrastructure to get closer to our customers in the United States and to take maximum advantage of our rising position in the market,” said CEO Gilbert Achermann. “The Andover location provides access to an important pool of scientific and skilled labor talent and enables us to house our key U.S. functions under one roof close to other leading companies in the medical device business.”

 

Romney praised the efforts of Team Massachusetts – a coalition of public and private economic development organizations including the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment, the Massachusetts Alliance for Economic Development and MassDevelopment – for working in partnership with Straumann to highlight the overall value of doing business in the Commonwealth.

 

As discussions between Straumann AG and Team Massachusetts progressed last year, the Governor was asked to meet personally with company executives to demonstrate the state’s commitment to new business opportunities and job creation.

 

Susan Houston, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Alliance for Economic Development said, “Straumann’s decision to locate this facility in Massachusetts after considering multiple states is a testament to the competitive strengths we have here in the Commonwealth to support emerging technology businesses. We are pleased to have been a part of the team that supported Straumann’s decision to come to Massachusetts.”

 

“We must build on the cooperative spirit that brought Straumann USA to Massachusetts and apply the Team Massachusetts mentality to future deals,” said Robert L. Culver, President and CEO of MassDevelopment. “The medical device industry is too important to the Commonwealth to risk letting these firms overlook the clear advantages of doing business in our state.”

 

With an investment of more than $50 million over the next five years, the new site will house Straumann’s U.S. management, currently headquartered in Waltham, as well as a state-of-the-art production and development unit to manufacture high precision implants for tooth replacement. When operational at the end of 2005, the new unit will supply the North American market and will complement Straumann’s current production unit in Villeret, Switzerland, which opened in 2000.

 

Barbara Berke, Director of the Massachusetts Office of Business and Technology, praised Straumann’s decision to set up their North American headquarters in Massachusetts, saying, “Straumann’s decision highlights the fact that firms are beginning to realize that Massachusetts offers tangible value for manufacturing operations in addition to the readily evident advantages of our life sciences R&D cluster.”

 

 

May 28, 2004

ROMNEY MARKS MEMORIAL DAY BY HONORING VETERANS

Signs Legislation to Make Peacetime Vets Eligible for State Benefits

 

On the eve of Memorial Day weekend, Governor Mitt Romney today recognized the contributions of peacetime military veterans by signing into law a measure that extends to them the full recognition and benefits they had previously been denied.

 

Romney noted that Massachusetts veterans who served during peacetime have not received the same state benefits conferred upon patriots who served during periods of war. This new law will make approximately 54,000 soldiers, who were primarily enlisted between the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars, eligible for a variety of state benefits, including housing assistance, employment and education benefits and real estate, auto excise and sales tax abatements.

 

“It is time to acknowledge the extraordinary sacrifice of all of our veterans,” Romney said. “While many Massachusetts soldiers served our nation in a period technically dubbed ‘peacetime,’ they restored American pride in the wake of Vietnam and helped bring a successful end to the Cold War.”

 

He added, “The service of these men and women was not without cost. There are countless stories of soldiers who served with great distinction only to be denied veteran status after returning home.”

 

Until the passage of this law, only veterans who had served at least one day of active duty during wartime were eligible for state benefits. Now, that status will be extended to peacetime veterans, with 180 days of active duty, who were honorably discharged from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force or Coast Guard.

 

“Peacetime veterans are the men and women who, in fact, won the Cold War, yet for too long were relegated to second-class status among their peers,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Medal of Honor recipient Tom Kelley.

 

Also eligible for state benefits are:

 

• Peacetime veterans with fewer than 180 days active duty who were awarded service-connected disabilities;

 

• Full-time National Guard members with 90 days of active service and at least one day of wartime service; and

 

• American Merchant Marines who served in armed conflict between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946.

 

“Every man and woman who volunteered to serve this country should be treated with the same degree of respect, gratitude and dignity,” said Romney.

 

Romney also signed into law today a bill that expands the crime of destroying or defacing a veteran’s grave marker, metal plaque or flag to include a veterans flag holder that commemorates a particular war conflict or period of service.

 

 

June 2, 2004

ROMNEY NAMES MAJOR ROBBINS NEW STATE police SUPERINTENDENT

Experience in homeland security Makes Robbins Ideal Choice for Job

 

Saying homeland security remains his “number one public safety priority,” Governor Mitt Romney today appointed Logan Airport’s security commander, Major Thomas Robbins, as the new Superintendent of the State Police.

 

Just months after terrorists hijacked two airliners out of Boston and flew them into the World Trade Center in New York City, Major Robbins was named Director of Aviation Security at Logan Airport and spearheaded many new anti-terrorist strategies. In February 2002, he was appointed the airport’s State police Troop Commander, where he continued to make security enhancements that have helped make Logan a national model for aviation security.

 

“Major Robbins’s 24 years of State police experience combined with his focus on homeland security at Logan Airport make him the ideal choice to lead Massachusetts’ chief law enforcement agency,” said Romney.

 

“Of all the candidates, no one had more experience on the homeland security front lines than Major Robbins,” Romney added.

 

State law requires the Governor to select the Superintendent of State police from within the department. All those holding the rank above lieutenant are eligible for the appointment.

 

After entering the State police Academy in 1979, Major Robbins joined the force in 1980, having graduated first in his class of 50. During his years of service with the State Police, he has served as an instructor and as Commandant at the Academy, Supervisor of the North Shore Anti Gang Violence Unit and Station Commander at the Andover Barracks.

 

“The State police play a pre-eminent role in Massachusetts’ regional response to law enforcement and homeland security challenges,” said Public Safety Secretary Edward A. Flynn. “I am proud of the competitive selection process we put in place for this position, out of which Major Robbins became the clear choice.”

 

“I would like to thank Governor Romney and Secretary Flynn for allowing me the opportunity to lead the fine men and women of the State police as we, together with our federal and local partners, chart a course of public safety and security for the citizens of Massachusetts,” said Major Robbins, who will begin serving in his new capacity on June 11.

 

Robbins was selected from a pool of 22 candidates who applied for the position and were interviewed by the Executive Office of Public Safety. Four finalists were interviewed by the Governor.

 

The State police Colonel position has been held on an acting basis by Lieutenant Colonel Bradley Hibbard since May 27 when Colonel Thomas Foley retired.

 

 

June 3, 2004

ROMNEY DELIVERS FIRST DIVIDEND ON REFORM

Announces $500M Estimated Budget Surplus for FY04, Files Supplemental Spending Bill

 

Eighteen months after facing a $3 billion deficit, Governor Mitt Romney today announced the state will end the current 2004 fiscal year with an estimated $500 million budget surplus. He proposed spending the surplus to increase the quality of life in communities throughout the state.

 

Among the largest items in a supplemental budget bill filed today, Romney proposed sending $100 million to cities and towns in the form of additional local aid and setting aside $254 million for one-time capital improvements throughout Massachusetts, including road and bridge upgrades and renovations to the parks system, swimming pools and beaches.

 

Calling the surplus “the first dividend on reform,” Romney credited the Legislature for working cooperatively with the Administration in restoring fiscal balance to the Commonwealth without raising taxes.

 

“Being fiscally responsible isn’t easy – and it’s not always popular – but it has its rewards. If we continue the hard work of reform, we can do even more for the people of Massachusetts,” said Romney.

 

The total supplemental spending bill is $457 million, which also includes:

 

• $19 million for adult basic education;
• $11.8 million for substance abuse treatment;
• $10 million for MCAS remediation summer programs in the lowest performing school districts;
• $8 million for one-time grants to dentists and community health centers to increase access for children under MassHealth;
• $25 million to create a virtual gateway within Health and Human Services to facilitate access to services;
• $19.5 million for a nanotechnology center at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell; and
• $10 million for state pier repairs and harbor dredging in New Bedford.

 

The increase in local aid is unrestricted and will go out through the existing lottery formula.

 

However, Romney suggested that cities and towns prioritize the needs of their local schools. He noted that $100 million translates into the hiring of 2,000 additional teachers statewide.

 

“As the municipal liaison for the Romney Administration, I have had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of local officials over the past 17 months,” said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey. “I have heard from them first hand about what they need most, and I can tell you that the package we are introducing today responds to the concerns of the cities and towns throughout the Commonwealth.”

 

The Governor also pointed to the economic impact created by the one-time infusion of money targeted for capital projects. “All of this money – money that goes above and beyond the existing capital budget – will help spark the creation of new jobs,” said Romney.

 

The supplemental budget also contains language to make the voter-approved personal income tax cut a reality by reducing the rate from 5.3 percent to 5 percent starting January 1, 2005. The reduction, originally scheduled to take effect in 2003, was frozen due to the fiscal crisis.

 

“Now that the worst is behind us and revenue collections are once again robust, we don’t have any excuse not to enact what the citizens of the Commonwealth voted for,” said Romney.

 

Romney noted that none of the surplus dollars from the 2004 fiscal year will be used to pay for the tax cut. Instead, it will be paid for out of the 2005 fiscal year.

 

 

June 3, 2004 CONTACT:

ROMNEY, TRAVAGLINI OPEN NEW AIRPORT MBTA STATION

$23 Million Investment in Blue Line Facility Is Part of “Fix It First” Policy

 

Governor Mitt Romney and Senate President Robert Travaglini today officially opened the MBTA’s new Blue Line Airport Station, creating a state-of-the-art gateway for visitors and Massachusetts residents who fly into and out of Logan International Airport.

 

“Today, we are taking an important step in our efforts to reinvigorate and enhance our transit system here in the Commonwealth and modernize our airport,” Romney said. “For too long, too many of our MBTA stations have been allowed to deteriorate and fall into disrepair. To reverse that problem, my administration has committed to improving our existing infrastructure and focusing first on what needs to be fixed.”

 

The MBTA began construction on the $23 million project in April of 2000. The new station, located approximately 500 feet east of the existing station, was built in coordination with the Massachusetts Port Authority and the Central Artery project, both of which have nearby construction projects.

 

“We fought long and hard to see this outdated eyesore transformed into a visitor-friendly center for travelers,” said Travaglini, who represents East Boston, the airport and new station’s host community. “First impressions are so important. The new Airport Station shows tourists that Boston is well on its way in developing a world-class public transportation system.”

 

The new station features wider escalators and elevators to accommodate travelers with luggage, turnstiles with adjacent luggage slides and monitors with flight information. The new Airport Station is also compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and has longer platforms to accommodate six-car train sets. The new facility is decorated with porcelain enamel panels depicting historic local images.

 

“Airport Station is one of the first things that many air passengers coming to the Boston area see upon their arrival,” said transportation Secretary Daniel Grabauskas. “This project will make the station a more inviting, accessible and enjoyable experience for hundreds of thousands of visitors.”

 

“Today’s opening is another major milestone in the MBTA’s $740 million project to modernize the entire Blue Line with new stations and a new fleet,” said MBTA General Manager Michael Mulhern. “Next year, customers will be boarding the first of 94 new subway cars that will improve service reliability and increase overall capacity.”

 

The 12-station Blue Line runs approximately six miles between Wonderland Station in Revere and Bowdoin Station in downtown Boston.

 

 

 

 

June 4, 2004

HEALEY ANNOUNCES $62 MILLION FOR AFFORDABLE housing

Awards create and preserve 1,058 homes and emphasize smart growth

 

LOWELL – Emphasizing the importance of smart growth when building new housing in Massachusetts, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today announced that $62.4 million in state resources will be used to create and preserve 1,058 rental homes in 14 cities and towns across the Commonwealth.

 

“Many of these grants and low-interest loans will be used to finance new housing for low- and moderate-income families in areas across the state where there is supportive infrastructure and access to various modes of public transportation,” said Healey. “This type of smart growth development will create many new housing opportunities and bolster the economy by creating jobs while preserving precious natural resources and valuable open space.”

 

Approximately $42 million of the funds announced will be generated through private investment in exchange for 10 years of state-administered federal low-income housing tax credits, and an additional $1.1 million will be leveraged through the similar sale of state issued tax credits.

 

The remaining $19.3 million will be awarded from the state Department of housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) housing Stabilization Fund (HSF), Facilities Consolidation Fund (FCF), HOME program and the housing Innovations Fund (HIF) as well as the Affordable housing Trust Fund, which is administered by DHCD and MassHousing. Each of the programs is designed to serve developers who produce housing for income-eligible seniors, families, individuals and special needs residents across the state.

 

In addition to the building at 767 Merrimack Street, which will be renovated for six low- and moderate-income families utilizing $249,222 of those funds, Healey also announced that two other projects in Lowell will receive $2.35 million. The awards will be used to preserve the affordability of six rental apartments in a Pawtucket Boulevard building, and to transform a vacant downtown Middlesex Street building into a 90-bed and 12 single-occupancy room transitional facility for the city’s homeless.

 

“Smart growth development is about building where it makes the most sense, namely around central business districts or traditional city or town centers, near transit stations, or in areas that have been previously developed for commercial, industrial or institutional uses,” said Douglas I. Foy, Commonwealth Development Secretary. “Today’s awards are significant because we are not only adding to the state’s overall housing supply, but we are offering more than 942 of these 1,058 units at affordable rents and almost all of them will be constructed following smart growth principles.”

 

In addition to the City of Lowell, projects will be funded in the cities of Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Easthampton, Gloucester, Haverhill, Holyoke, New Bedford, Springfield, Westfield and Worcester as well as the towns of Ashfield and Westport.

 

 

June 8, 2004

ROMNEY DECLARES JUNE 11th DAY OF HONOR FOR PRESIDENT REAGAN

 

State executive branch departments and agencies will be closed on Friday after Governor Mitt Romney today declared June 11, 2004 a state holiday in honor of former President Ronald Reagan, who died Saturday at his Los Angeles home.

 

Romney’s Executive Order follows President George Bush’s designation of Friday, June 11 as a national day of mourning in which U.S. stock markets and federal offices will be closed.

 

“It is appropriate and fitting to set aside a day to honor the memory of Ronald Reagan, who inspired the nation with his optimism and belief in the greatness of the American people,” said Romney. “He led the nation with vision, courage and humor and defended freedom and democracy around the world.”

 

 

 

June 9, 2004

ROMNEY APPOINTS McCOMBS MEMA DIRECTOR

First Woman to Lead Emergency Management Agency in Massachusetts

 

Citing the importance of the Commonwealth’s continued preparedness for and response to natural and man-made disasters, Governor Mitt Romney today announced the appointment of Cristine McCombs as Director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).

 

On January 5, 2004, McCombs was elevated to the position of Acting Director of MEMA, becoming the first woman to serve in that critical role. She has been a key member of the MEMA team since 1991, following Hurricane Bob, when she joined the agency to help provide federal and state assistance as MEMA’s Disaster Recovery Manager.

 

“Cristine McCombs is an emergency management professional with more than 13 years experience,” Romney said. “She has done an impressive job as the acting head of MEMA since the beginning of this year and I am confident she will continue to lead the Bay State’s emergency preparedness efforts with excellence for years to come.”

 

Serving as the State Coordinating Officer for nine presidential and seven state declared disasters, McCombs has overseen the allocation of hundreds of millions of dollars to the Commonwealth to assist municipalities, non-profit institutions, businesses and homeowners.

 

In addition, McCombs has been directly responsible for all aspects of fiscal monitoring of federal and state disaster grants, including housing & Urban Development, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Hazard Mitigation Grants. She also developed the interagency strategy for administration of the Commonwealth’s mitigation programs with the Department of environmental Management.

 

“Director McCombs clearly understands the critical role that MEMA needs to play in a post 9/11 world, and I look forward to working with her as we confront natural and man-made challenges to the people of the Commonwealth,” said Public Safety Secretary Edward A. Flynn.

 

“I appreciate the opportunity presented by Governor Romney and Secretary Flynn to lead this agency that coordinates the Commonwealth’s preparedness and response to all emergencies and disasters,” said McCombs. “I look forward to the upcoming challenges and will work tirelessly to ensure the continued safety of all the citizens of Massachusetts.”

 

In her new role, McCombs also serves as Chairperson of the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) and as the State Liaison Officer to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

 

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA helps develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made.

 

For additional information about MEMA, visit the agency’s Web site at www.mass.gov/mema.

 

 

June 10, 2004

ROMNEY SWEARS IN ROBBINS AS NEW STATE police COLONEL

 

 

FRAMINGHAM- Governor Mitt Romney today swore in Thomas Robbins as the new Superintendent and Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police, praising his homeland security and leadership experience.

 

“At a time when homeland security is our number one public safety priority, Colonel Robbins has the extensive experience and vision to make the Massachusetts State police a national model for both crime fighting and terror prevention,” said Romney, who administered the oath of office to Robbins during a ceremony at the State police Headquarters in Framingham.

 

During his nearly 25 years with the State Police, Robbins has served in every major division of the organization. Just months after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Robbins was deployed to Logan Airport as Director of Aviation Security where he spearheaded many new anti-terrorist strategies. In February 2002, he was appointed the airport’s State police Troop Commander, where he continued to make security enhancements that have helped make Logan a national model for aviation security.

 

After entering the State police Academy in 1979, Major Robbins joined the force in 1980, having graduated first in his class of 50. During his years of service with the State Police, he has served as an instructor and as Commandant at the Academy, Supervisor of the North Shore Anti Gang Violence Unit and Station Commander at the Andover Barracks.

 

State law requires the Governor to select the Superintendent of State police from within the department. All those holding the rank above lieutenant are eligible for the appointment. Romney interviewed four candidates selected from an original pool of 22 applicants before selecting Robbins on June 2, 2004.

 

“Law enforcement in the post-9/11 world has taken on the additional challenge of anti-terrorism,” said Public Safety Secretary Edward A. Flynn. “Colonel Robbins is the right person to build on the strong history of the State police to ensure that it is focused on the highest value missions that have the greatest impact on public safety and homeland security.”

 

The Massachusetts State Police, created in 1865, is the oldest statewide law enforcement agency in the United States. Originally 33 men led by a constable, the State police is today comprised of approximately 2,300 highly trained Troopers. The current leadership structure dates back to 1974. Colonel Robbins will be the eleventh Colonel and Superintendent of the State Police.

 

“I am proud and honored to accept the distinguished rank of Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police,” said Colonel Robbins. “I joined this Department because I wanted to share in the proud history that is steeped in a tradition of excellence, honor and esprit de corps. I look forward to the challenges ahead and I am confident in the ability of the men and women on this department who will stand with me in meeting those challenges.

 

Colonel Robbins begins serving in his new capacity immediately.

 

 

June 15, 2004

BOARD OF HIGHER ED OVERWHELMINGLY OKAYS ADAMS SCHOLARSHIP

Board Approves Key Component of Romney’s Legacy of Learning Plan

 

FRAMINGHAM – The Board of Higher Education today overwhelmingly approved the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program, the central component of Governor Mitt Romney’s Legacy of Learning initiative first unveiled last January during his State of the State Address.

 

Romney said the Adams scholarship will encourage student achievement and help middle-class families send their children to college by offering four years of free tuition at the University of Massachusetts or at any of the nine state or 15 community colleges to the highest performing high school graduates from across Massachusetts.

 

“Families all across the Commonwealth are struggling to afford to send their children to college,” Romney said, during a rare appearance before a meeting of the Board of Higher Education. “The new Adams scholarship will make the dream of obtaining a college education a reality for thousands of Bay State students and keep our most talented students right here in Massachusetts.”

 

Beginning with the class of 2005, the Adams scholarship is open to all public school students who score in the top 25 percent on the MCAS test by the end of their junior year. Students who receive the tuition waiver must complete their college studies in four years or less and maintain a 3.0 grade point average.

 

Based on the number of high school students who took the MCAS test statewide last year, about 17,000 in next year’s senior class would qualify for free tuition. Last academic year, average tuition at state colleges was $977 and $740 at community colleges. At UMass, the average tuition was $1,575.

 

The program is estimated to cost $8.3 million initially in Fiscal Year 2006 and about $34 million annually when it is fully up and running by its fourth year.

 

In addition to the tuition waiver, Romney’s original proposal provided a $2,000 annual bonus to the top 10 percent of MCAS scorers to help defray the cost of fees. It was also open to students enrolled in parochial and private schools if they met the MCAS requirements. These components still need legislative approval.

 

The new merit-based Adams scholarship program will complement the $95 million in annual needs-based aid the state already spends on students from low-income families.

 

Romney said the Adams scholarship “will help working families that are caught in the trap of making too much to qualify for financial aid, but too little to fully finance their child’s college education.”

 

Said Romney: “These families work hard, play by the rules and keep our economy running. They watch every dollar and often struggle to make ends meet. All they ask for in return is a fair shake.”

 

 

June 18, 2004

ROMNEY MAKES SMOKING HISTORY IN BAY STATE

Massachusetts Becomes Sixth State to Enact Statewide Smoking Ban

 

Saying Massachusetts’ workers deserve to breathe clean air on the job, Governor Mitt Romney today signed into law a landmark measure that bans smoking in the workplace beginning on July 5, 2004.

 

“Today, we can all breathe a little easier,” said Romney, who was joined at the historic State House bill signing by Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, members of the Legislature, advocates and children. “Everyone has the right to breathe clean air and be free of secondhand smoke, especially our kids.”

 

With the passage of the new statewide smoking ban, Massachusetts joins five other states in protecting workers from health hazards resulting from exposure to secondhand smoke. According to the U.S. environmental Protection Agency, secondhand smoke is a Class A carcinogen that kills an estimated 53,000 nonsmokers each year in the United States. In the Bay State, more than 1,000 deaths are attributable to secondhand smoke exposure each year.

 

“The significance of this new law cannot be understated,” said Healey. “The next generation of workers in the Bay State – our children – will never have to work in a smoke-filled workplace.”

 

All workplaces in the Commonwealth that have one or more employees must be smoke-free as of July 5, 2004. The legislation creates a number of exemptions from the law, including private membership clubs and “smoking” or “cigar” bars.

 

“This is a landmark day for workers in Massachusetts, and we applaud the Legislature, Governor Romney and Lieutenant Governor Healey for clearing the air,” said Dr. Gena Carter, Vice Chair of Tobacco Free Mass. “No longer will an employee’s chosen career or where he or she works require them to breathe in a known carcinogen.”

 

The workplace is the primary source of secondhand smoke exposure for adult non-smokers in the United States. Levels of secondhand smoke in restaurants are about 160 percent to 200 percent higher than in office workplaces. Levels in bars are 400 percent to 600 percent higher than in office workplaces. As a result, restaurant and bar workers are one-and-a-half to two times more likely to die of lung cancer than they would be if their workplaces were 100 percent smoke-free.

 

“Massachusetts is making smoking history with the passage of this law to prohibit smoking in most workplaces across the state,” said Senator Richard T. Moore, Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care. “I commend my colleagues who worked to pass the law as well as the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards and other organizations that advocated for the law.”

 

Representative Rachel Kaprielian, one of the sponsors of the legislation, said, “This is clearly a win-win for Massachusetts. Workers will no longer suffer the lethal consequences of secondhand smoke; businesses can compete on a level playing field; and we can all breathe a clean sigh of relief that our hard work has finally paid off. The public health of Massachusetts has just been vastly improved.”

 

Massachusetts is the sixth state to go smoke-free, joining New York, Connecticut, Maine, Delaware and California. More than 100 cities and towns in the Commonwealth already have smoke-free regulations.

 

The Department of Public Health has been actively working on an implementation plan for the new law. A toll-free number has been established at 800-992-1895 for businesses to contact with questions about how the law applies to their workplace.

 

Funds from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be used to coordinate a public information campaign to educate business owners, workers and the general public on the new law.

 

Information for business owners, including fact sheets, “no smoking” signs and a guide for implementation of the smoke-free workplace law will be available at www.mass.gov/dph/mtcp. Training and technical assistance will be available for local boards of health. Six information sessions to discuss the law, resources and enforcement issues have been scheduled.

 

As required by the new law, the Department of Public Health will create a commission to assist in the effective implementation and compliance of the smoking ban.

 

The commission will include representatives from the business community, local boards of health, public health organizations and state government.

 

“The passage of the smoke-free workplace law is a victory for the public health of all Massachusetts workers,” said Public Health Commissioner Christy Ferguson. “The passage of this law will ensure that all Massachusetts workers, whether they wear a blue collar, a white collar or no collar at all, will no longer be exposed to the dangers of second-hand smoke while they are on the job.”

 

 

June 22, 2004

"Preserving Traditional Marriage: A View from the States"

Testimony of Governor Mitt Romney Before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee

 

Mr. Chairman, Senator Leahy, Senator Kennedy, distinguished members of the Committee, thank you for asking me to join you today.

 

First, I ask that my written remarks be inserted into the record of this hearing.

 

You have asked for my perspectives on the recent inauguration of same sex marriage in my state. This is a subject about which people have tender emotions in part because it touches individual lives. It also has been misused by some as a means to promote intolerance and prejudice. This is a time when we must fight hate and bigotry, when we must root out prejudice, when we must learn to accept people who are different from one another. Like me, the great majority of Americans wish both to preserve the traditional definition of marriage and to oppose bias and intolerance directed towards gays and lesbians.

 

Given the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Congress and America now face important questions regarding the institution of marriage. Should we abandon marriage as we know it and as it was known by the framers of our constitution?

 

Has America been wrong about marriage for 200 plus years?

 

Were generations that spanned thousands of years from all the civilizations of the world wrong about marriage?

 

Are the philosophies and teachings of all the world’s major religions simply wrong?

 

Or is it more likely that four people among the seven that sat in a court in Massachusetts have erred? I believe that is the case.

 

And I believe their error was the product of seeing only a part, and not the entirety. They viewed marriage as an institution principally designed for adults. Adults are who they saw. Adults stood before them in the courtroom. And so they thought of adult rights, equal rights for adults. If heterosexual adults can marry, then homosexual adults must also marry to have equal rights.

 

But marriage is not solely for adults. Marriage is also for children. In fact, marriage is principally for the nurturing and development of children. The children of America have the right to have a father and a mother.

 

Of course, even today, circumstances can take a parent from the home, but the child still has a mother and a father. If the parents are divorced, the child can visit each of them. If a mother or father is deceased, the child can learn about the qualities of the departed. His or her psychological development can still be influenced by the contrasting features of both genders.

 

Are we ready to usher in a society indifferent about having fathers and mothers? Will our children be indifferent about having a mother and a father?

 

My Department of Public Health has asked whether we must re-write our state birth certificates to conform to our Court’s same-sex marriage ruling. Must we remove “father” and “mother” and replace them with “parent A” and “parent B?”

 

What should be the ideal for raising a child: not a village, not “parent A” and “parent B,” but a mother and a father.

 

Marriage is about even more than children and adults. The family unit is the structural underpinning of all successful societies. And, it is the single-most powerful force that preserves society across generations, through centuries.

 

Scientific studies of children raised by same sex couples are almost non-existent. And the societal implications and effects on these children are not likely to be observed for at least a generation, probably several generations. Same sex marriage doesn’t hurt my marriage, or yours. But it may affect the development of children and thereby future society as a whole. Until we understand the implications for human development of a different definition of marriage, I believe we should preserve that which has endured over thousands of years.

 

Preserving the definition of marriage should not infringe on the right of individuals to live in the manner of their choosing. One person may choose to live as a single, even to have and raise her own child. Others may choose to live in same sex partnerships or civil arrangements. There is an unshakeable majority of opinion in this country that we should cherish and protect individual rights with tolerance and understanding.

 

But there is a difference between individual rights and marriage. An individual has rights, but a man and a woman together have a marriage. We should not deconstruct marriage simply to make a statement about the rights of individual adults. Forcing marriage to mean all things, will ultimately define marriage to mean nothing at all.

 

Some have asked why so much importance is attached to the word “marriage.” It is because changing the definition of marriage to include same sex unions will lead to further far-reaching changes that also would influence the development of our children. For example, school textbooks and classroom instruction may be required to assert absolute societal indifference between traditional marriage and same sex practice. It is inconceivable that promoting absolute indifference between heterosexual and homosexual unions would not significantly effect child development, family dynamics, and societal structures.

 

Among the structures that would be affected would be religious and certain charitable institutions. Those with scriptural or other immutable founding principles will be castigated. Ultimately, some may founder. We need more from these institutions, not less, and particularly so to support and strengthen those in greatest need. Society can ill afford further erosion of charitable and virtuous institutions.

 

For these reasons, I join with those who support a federal constitutional amendment. Some retreat from the concept of amendment, per se. While they say they agree with the traditional definition of marriage, they hesitate to amend. But amendment is a vital and necessary aspect of our constitutional democracy, not an aberration.

 

The constitution’s framers recognized that any one of the three branches of government might overstep its separated powers. If Congress oversteps, the Court can intervene. If the Executive overreaches, Congress may impeach. And if the Court launches beyond the constitution, the legislative branch may amend.

 

The four Massachusetts justices launched beyond our constitution. That is why the Massachusetts legislature has begun the lengthy amendment process.

 

There is further cause for amendment. Our framers debated nothing more fully than they debated the reach and boundaries of what we call federalism. States retained certain powers upon which the federal government could not infringe. By the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, our state has begun to assert power over all the other states. It is a state infringing on the powers of other states.

 

In Massachusetts, we have a law that attempts to restrain this infringement on other states by restricting marriages of out-of-state couples to those where no impediment to marry exists in their home state. Even with this law, valid same sex marriages will migrate to other states. For each state to preserve its own power in relation to marriage, within the principle of Federalism, a federal amendment to define marriage is necessary.

 

This is not a mere political issue. It is more than a matter of adult rights. It is a societal issue. It encompasses the preservation of a structure that has formed the basis of all known successful civilizations.

 

With a matter as vital to society as marriage, I am troubled when I see an intolerant few wrap the marriage debate with their bias and prejudice.

 

I am also troubled by those on the other side of the issue who equate respect for traditional marriage with intolerance. The majority of Americans believe marriage is between a man and a woman, but they are also firmly committed to respect, and even fight for civil rights, individual freedoms and tolerance. Saying otherwise is wrong, demeaning and offensive. As a society, we must be able to recognize the salutary effect, for children, of having a mother and a father while at the same time respecting the civil rights and equality of all citizens.

 

Thank you.

 

 

June 23, 2004

ROMNEY TO VETO CHARTER SCHOOL MORATORIUM

Pledges to Increase Funding for Reimbursement to School Districts

 

Governor Mitt Romney today announced he will veto the charter school moratorium from the Fiscal Year 2005 budget, saying the hundreds of students already committed to attending these schools do not deserve to have their lives put on hold indefinitely.

 

Romney also committed to ensuring proper transitional funding for public school districts that send students to charter schools, noting he will approve the $37.7 million in the budget for that purpose – representing nearly a three-fold increase over the prior fiscal year.

 

“Charter schools are public schools. All of our public schools deserve our support and encouragement,” said Romney, joined by dozens of parents on the front lawn of the State House in front of the statue of Horace Mann, the father of American public education.

 

He added, “Charter schools make other public schools stronger because they have to respond to competition. Charter schools provide meaningful educational choices and are held strictly accountable for their successes and failures.”

 

Romney’s veto, which he will make official on Friday when he acts on the entire budget, will remove the obstacle threatening to keep five charter schools from opening as scheduled. If Romney’s veto stands, three of the schools – Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter School in North Adams, Kipp Academy Lynn Charter School and Salem Academy Charter School – will open this fall. Two other schools – Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School in Marlborough and Community Charter School of Cambridge – are scheduled to open in the fall of 2005.

 

“Parental involvement is critical to the success of a child’s education,” said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey. “That is why Governor Romney and I support the choice that parents have made to give their children a charter school education. Charter schools are an excellent alternative for parents who are seeking more options for their child’s education.”

 

Some of the charter schools named in the moratorium have already invested millions of dollars to prepare for their openings, including signing multi-year leases and hiring teachers and staff to begin instructing eager children.

 

“It’s not about the contracts and leases we have,” said Dennis Wright, Executive Director of Salem Academy Charter School. “It’s about 88 families who feel like they are having an educational opportunity taken away from their children. Why punish families for making a choice that the rules in place at the time said they had to make?”

 

Kathleen Fitzgerald, a single mother with four daughters, wanted all her children to have a public education in Salem.

 

“My daughter, Fallon, had a full scholarship at a private school, but we sacrificed that to choose Salem Academy Charter School,” said Fitzgerald. “Now, I feel like I’m walking a plank with my daughter having lost her space, lost her scholarship and now losing this opportunity that we dreamed about for the last year. The option the district presented me with was not what I felt was best for my four children.”

 

Romney said he recognized the legitimate concerns that local officials and legislators have about the current charter school funding formula and the process by which charter schools are approved. He noted that he is committed to working with the Legislature to resolve those issues.

 

“My Administration is working to address concerns over the funding formula for charter schools and the charter school approval process,” said Romney. “But, we can work out those issues without prohibiting already approved schools from opening their doors to new students.”

 

Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of any school committee under a five-year charter granted by the Board of Education. Parent and student demand for charter school enrollment in Massachusetts is extremely high. More than 13,000 students were put on a waiting list for a charter school this academic year and the waiting list for this coming school year has grown to over 14,000.

 

Massachusetts charter schools were created as part of the 1993 Education Reform Act with the mission to increase student achievement, give parents more educational choices, develop best practices and be held accountable for results. A charter school must demonstrate positive results within five years or lose its charter.

 

 

 

June 24, 2004 CONTACT:

HEALEY HONORS TEACHERS FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT

Franklin Middle School and Beverly History Teachers Win Awards

 

Nancy Tyler Schoen, the music director at the Remington Middle School in Franklin, was today named the 2004-2005 Massachusetts Teacher of the year, said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey.

 

Healey also awarded Dean Eastman of Beverly High School the first Massachusetts Preserve America History Teacher of the Year honor.

 

"Governor Romney and I could not be prouder of Nancy Schoen, Dean Eastman, and all the other teachers who have dedicated themselves to the betterment of education in the Commonwealth," said Healey.

 

She added, "These teachers are a true inspiration. In the months ahead, we will continue to do everything possible to support them by promoting an agenda of positive reform and higher standards through the Legacy of Learning program. We owe this commitment not only to our teachers, but also to our parents and children."

 

Schoen, of Franklin, has been teaching children music for 24 years. Dedicated to her students and school, she has served on the Remington Middle School Mentor Team, the Remington Middle School Alliance, the Remington Middle School School Improvement Council, Franklin Public Schools Music Curriculum Committee and the Franklin Public Schools Unified Arts Scheduling Committee.

 

Eastman, of Andover, has taught social studies at Beverly High School since 1970. In 1989 he was selected as the Massachusetts Christa McAuliffe Fellow and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Award Winner. He has also participated in seminars on the American Civil Rights Movement at Cambridge University and a seminar on British perspectives on American History at Oxford University, both sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

 

The Preserve America History Teacher of the Year is a new honor sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History. Eastman will represent Massachusetts in the national program and is a candidate for the national award.

 

Commissioner of Education David Driscoll lauded the work of the two educators.

 

"Our classrooms are filled with individuals who are committed to achievement for every child and these educators are two of our finest," Driscoll said. "It is through the hard work, creativity and dedication of our teachers that our students are successful."

 

The Massachusetts Teacher of the Year is automatically the state’s candidate for National Teacher of the Year. While remaining in the classroom, Schoen will serve as ambassador to the teaching profession over the next year by making speeches and conducting workshops throughout the state. She succeeds Melinda Pellerin-Duck, last year’s Teacher of the Year.

 

There were four finalists and six semifinalists selected this year for the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year.

 

Finalists

 

Judith M. Cournoyer

Eastford Road School

Southbridge Public Schools

 

Jennifer Kate Dowdle

Shepherd Hill Regional High School

Dudley-Charlton Regional School District

 

Holly Marie Lesenechal

R.J. Murphy School

Boston Public Schools

 

Brian G. Michaud

Dighton Elementary School

Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School

District

 

Semi Finalists

 

Paul Brooks Clark

Manchester Memorial School

Manchester-Essex Regional School District

 

Monique Dangleis

Green Meadows Elementary School

Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District

 

Roger L. Desrosiers

Millbury Memorial Jr./Sr. High School

Millbury Public Schools

 

Ann P. Knell

Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School

Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District

 

Jennifer M. Rudolph

Weston Middle School

Weston Public Schools

 

Robert Wilson

Floral Street Elementary School

Shrewsbury Public Schools

 

Any Massachusetts resident, including parents, students, colleagues, administrators or superintendents, can nominate the Teacher of the Year. Nominations for the Preserve America History Teacher of the Year can be submitted by a supervisor of the nominee.

 

The first runner-up for the 2004 Massachusetts Preserve America History Teacher of the Year is Beth A. Harding of Dr. Arthur F. Sullivan Middle School in Worcester.

 

For more information on teacher recognition programs, log onto the Department of Education’s Web site at http://www.doe.mass.edu/eq/recognition/.

 

 

June 25, 2004

ROMNEY SIGNS $22.402B FISCAL YEAR 2005 'NO NEW TAX' BUDGET

Takes Fiscally Conservative Approach by Issuing $108.5M in Vetoes

 

A week before the start of the new budget year, Governor Mitt Romney today signed into law a $22.402 billion spending plan for Fiscal Year 2005 that restores spending in critical accounts, contains no new taxes and is balanced. Romney vetoed $108.5 million in spending.

 

Romney praised the Legislature for increasing spending on education, public health prevention and other health and human service programs, and for adopting many of his initiatives as they relate to housing, pension reform, public safety and assistance to abused and neglected children.

 

“In total, we are very pleased with the effort of the Legislature. This budget is consistent with our objectives and in many respects is in line with what we proposed,” said Romney. “It’s on time, balanced and contains no new taxes.”

 

Spending in the Fiscal Year 2005 budget represents 3.2 percent growth over estimated spending in the last fiscal year, excluding certain off-budget items, including investments in the pension system, the school building assistance program and a small portion of Medicaid spending.

 

“We have taken significant steps forward in this budget, but there is much more to do,” said Romney. “Specifically, we should merge the Massachusetts Turnpike and the Highway Department to eliminate unnecessary duplication of overhead costs, continue to increase access to meaningful public school choice through charter schools, enact far more substantive reforms to our pension laws and reduce the 112 courthouses currently operating in the Commonwealth to a number more appropriate for a geographically small state in the modern age.”

 

Romney vetoed $108.5 million from the budget, including millions of dollars in legislative earmarks for projects that did not go through the normal grant-making process or for which no rationale was presented. Among the vetoes:

 

 

$20 million in additional payments to private contractors working for the state to increase the salaries for direct care workers.

While the Governor favors a more equitable salary structure for these workers, there was no guarantee the money would be used for its intended purpose. Health and Human Services Secretary Ron Preston is leading a review of the Commonwealth’s Purchase of Service system that will look at the salary structure and suggest changes.

 

 

$10 million for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

 

The Governor believes the purpose of creating independent authorities is to insulate the Commonwealth and its finances from their activities. Instead of a taxpayer subsidy, Romney called on the MWRA to find savings within its budget in order to mitigate the impact of water and sewer rate increases.

 

 

$7.4 million for the trial court, including $1.6 million for additional court officers and $1 million for duplicative overhead at the Boston Municipal Court.

Saying the opportunity exists to increase savings and efficiencies in the court system, the Governor called on the Legislature to consider the consolidation of the state’s sprawling network of courthouses and to merge the Boston Municipal Court into the rest of the state’s district court system.

 

The budget commits more than $4.2 billion to the Commonwealth’s 351 communities, including $3.18 billion in direct education aid, a $75 million boost over last year’s spending. The spending program adopts some elements of Romney’s Legacy of Learning initiative and increases funding over last year for other priorities that will help make schools first-rate, including:

 

 

Boosting special education spending by $80 million;

 

Increasing transportation assistance to regional school districts by $12 million;

 

Reimbursing school districts who send students to charter schools by an extra $24.7 million;

 

Raising METCO spending by $2.2 million to expand educational opportunity for inner-city children;

 

Supporting students struggling to pass the MCAS test with an additional $4 million in remediation funds;

 

Recruiting and retaining teachers and school leaders through a $1.5 million initiative; and

 

Taking disruptive students out of the classroom by including $1 million for alternative education settings; and

The budget also makes significant investments in homeland security and public safety, including:

 

 

Providing $6.9 million to fund two new State police classes;

 

Enhancing intelligence capabilities at the State police with $2.7 million to expand the Anti-Terrorism Unit and its efforts to collect, analyze and disseminate critical intelligence obtained from every level of government; and

 

Enhancing DNA and forensic analysis at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office and the State police crime Lab with a $4 million boost in funding.

Romney also approved millions of dollars in new spending for health and human service programs to support the elderly, protect abused and neglected children and promote public health. These initiatives include:

 

 

Assisting abused and neglected children in the care of the state by increasing funding by $5.5 million to recruit more foster parents and raise the daily rate they are paid;

 

Addressing the needs of girls placed in the custody of the Department of Youth Services with $2 million in new funds;

 

Funding the $2.5 million Child Psychiatric Access Project, which increases access to child psychiatrists so pediatricians can consult with these experts on issues around prescription medications and families can better understand the services available to their children; and

 

Helping homeless families transition to permanent housing through a $2 million pilot program.

In the budget, the Legislature also took the first important step to encourage sustainable and smart housing development in our communities through zoning reform initiatives that will provide more housing for citizens while protecting open space.

 

Romney also vetoed a number of outside sections of the budget, including:

 

 

A provision that would have cost taxpayers money by prohibiting vendors doing business with the public sector from subcontracting jobs out of the country;

 

Language that would have shielded from public view financial information provided to the public pension board by money management firms that do business with the fund;

 

A plan that would have permitted illegal aliens to pay the same in-state tuition rate at our public colleges and universities as Massachusetts citizens;

 

The establishment of a new Massachusetts Fire Safety Commission until the Legislature adopts fire safety legislation recommended in the wake of last year’s tragic Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island; and

 

A moratorium on the opening of five new charter schools in North Adams, Lynn, Salem, Marlborough and Cambridge.

“We have made real progress with many of the administration’s priorities relating to education, housing and public safety,” said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey. “As far as we have come, we are also reminded of the need to continue down the path of reform so we can do even more for the families of Massachusetts.”

 

 

June 29, 2004

ROMNEY WELCOMES 3COM TO Massachusetts

Governor praises company for 25 years of growth and job creation

 

MARLBOROUGH – Governor Mitt Romney today officially welcomed the world headquarters of 3Com Corporation to Massachusetts and joined the company’s 1,900 employees across the globe to recognize its 25th anniversary.

 

“With the state’s unemployment rate steadily decreasing and with companies like 3Com announcing job growth, our state has a lot to celebrate today,” said Romney. “Our economic policies are contributing to the improvement in the Massachusetts employment picture, but we still have more work to do. Holding the line on taxes and creating a business-friendly environment will continue to be among our highest priorities.”

 

Romney noted that 3Com is the kind of innovative technology company that his economic development team is committed to attracting and retaining in Massachusetts.

 

“The relocation of 3Com’s world headquarters from California to Marlborough represents jobs and a boost for the Massachusetts economy,” he said.

 

3Com, a leading provider of voice and data networking products, services and solutions, relocated its headquarters from Santa Clara, California last summer. They are now actively recruiting for various positions including operations, marketing and finance functions as well as senior level engineers.

 

“June 2004 is a significant month for 3Com,” said CEO and President Bruce Claflin. “In June 1979, 3Com began an unparalleled history of 25 years of innovation that transformed the way the world exchanges information. In June 2003, 3Com began moving its headquarters to Marlborough as it furthers its strategic focus on the enterprise networking market. And in June 2004, I'm pleased that for our most recently completed fiscal quarter in 2004 we’ve experienced a 5 percent increase in revenue over our fourth fiscal quarter in 2003 - marking a major milestone in our turnaround efforts.

 

“We’re delighted Governor Romney will be kicking off our employee celebration of these milestones, particularly considering his support of our move to Marlborough and his proven abilities in turning around organizations,” said Claflin.

 

 

 

June 30, 2004

HARSHBARGER COMMISSION RECOMMENDS BLUEPRINT FOR REFORM

 

 

SHIRLEY – The 15-member Governor’s Commission on Corrections Reform today presented their comprehensive findings and recommendations to Governor Mitt Romney.

 

The report notes that although 97 percent of inmates are eventually released back into society, the Department of Correction (DOC) inadequately prepares them for successful re-entry. The panel urges the Department to make prisoner re-entry a top priority to ensure inmates don’t re-offend once they serve their sentence and are back living in the community.

 

The commission’s findings also call on the Department to seize control of skyrocketing labor costs and put in place other workforce accountability measures. The report points out that corrections officers in Massachusetts use an average of 17.5 days of paid sick leave each year, including five unsubstantiated days. Paid sick time accounts for $21 million of the Department’s budget, which is the equivalent cost of 230 additional corrections officers, exclusive of overtime pay.

 

The Commonwealth’s corrections officers use paid sick time at a much higher rate than officers at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which average 5.25 days annually. Correction officers in the state of California, with the nation’s largest prison system, use an average of 12.75 sick days per year.

 

“A tragic crisis shone a spotlight last year on the operations and culture of the Department of Correction,” said Romney, while accepting the commission’s report at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. “This group of experts worked long and hard to identify areas of weakness in our state prison network. Their conclusion is clear: It is time to correct our system of correction.”

 

In October 2003, Romney formed the commission, chaired by former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, in response to the need for a top-to-bottom review of the state corrections system cited by the panel investigating the murder of incarcerated former priest John Geoghan.

 

In crafting their recommendations to Romney, the commission held 14 meetings, conducted 12 site visits, reviewed more than 300 documents, interviewed key stakeholders and DOC staff, surveyed superintendents and captains at six facilities, held public hearings and conducted focus groups including nearly 40 current inmates over the past eight months.

 

“This report is a comprehensive, top-to-bottom review of the Department of Correction, that identifies ways to enhance public safety, ensure fiscal responsibility and implement fair and just policies and practices in the interests of inmates, staff and the community,” said Scott Harshbarger. “I believe that by adopting this report as a road map for change, the Department can become a strong and vital partner in the Commonwealth’s public safety efforts.”

 

“With the support of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, critical members of the Legislature, and the quality leader we have in Commissioner Dennehy, we have a rare opportunity to initiate real reform of criminal justice in Massachusetts,” said Public Safety Secretary Edward A. Flynn. “The findings in this report will help us take another critical step along the path to delivering on our promise to radically improve the Commonwealth’s correction system.”

 

Major findings and recommendations include:

 

PUBLIC SAFETY AND INMATE RE-ENTRY

 

Findings:

 

• The Department does not adequately prepare inmates for release back

 

 

The Department does not hold inmates accountable for participating in productive activities such as programs, work, and treatment.

 

Models of effective re-entry planning exist and could be useful for the Department.

 

The Department’s ability to effectively transition inmates is limited by state laws, sentencing practices and internal DOC policies.

 

Post-release supervision strengthens inmate re-entry and is especially necessary for inmates who are at a high risk for re-offense.

Recommendations:

 

 

The Commonwealth must view reducing the rate of re-offense by returning inmates as one of its highest public safety priorities.

 

The Department should adopt a comprehensive re-entry strategy, including risk assessment, proven programs, “step-down,” and supervised release.

 

The Department should hold inmates more accountable for participation in productive activities designed to reduce the likelihood that they will re-offend.

 

The Commonwealth and the Department should revise sentencing laws and DOC policies that create barriers to appropriate classification, programming, and “step-down.

 

The Commonwealth should establish a presumption that DOC inmates who are released are subject to ongoing monitoring and supervision.

 

There should be a dedicated external review of inmate health and mental health services.

 

There should be a dedicated external review of issues pertaining to female offenders in the Department’s custody.

“Re-entry is the cornerstone of criminal justice reform,” said Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey. “Not many people realize that the vast majority of all inmates return to the community. Incarceration must include rehabilitation, not just punishment, or else we are merely exacerbating our future crime problems by increasing recidivism. Making re-entry a central part of the Department of Correction’s mission could pay significant dividends to reducing crime in our communities.”

 

FISCAL MANAGEMENT

 

Findings:

 

 

As staffing costs comprise 73 percent of the DOC budget, the Department’s fiscal management is closely linked with its capacity for efficient and effective labor management.

 

Massachusetts DOC union workers have a high rate of sick leave usage.

Recommendations:

 

 

The Department should take responsibility for bringing down staffing costs and reducing worker absenteeism.

 

The Department’s budget should be more closely aligned with its mission and priorities. This will enhance public safety in a fiscally responsible manner.

 

The report recommends that that DOC should take responsibility for bringing down staffing costs and reducing worker absenteeism and its budget should be more closely aligned with its mission and priorities. This will enhance public safety in a fiscally responsible manner.

FAIR AND CONSISTENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES

Findings:

 

 

Many of the Department’s current policies, procedures and practices are not fair and consistent, including those related to inmate classification, discipline and grievances.

 

Current policies and practices do not adequately ensure the safety of inmates in protective custody.

 

The Department’s current systems for oversight and accountability are deficient, including those related to investigations and data integration.

 

Effective communication with inmates is inhibited by a limited bilingual work force. This may impact institutional security.

Recommendations:

 

 

The Department should ensure that policies and procedures, including those related to inmate classification, discipline, and grievances, are transparent, well-communicated, have specified appeals processes, and are implemented by staff who are appropriately selected, trained and supervised.

 

The Department should ensure that policies and procedures are properly implemented through oversight and accountability systems, including an independent investigative authority, data management, and unit management.

 

The Department should conduct a system-wide facility review to ensure that its physical plant is consistent with the security needs of the staff and the inmate population, and the Department’s mission.

 

The Department should adequately protect and care for inmates in protective custody.

 

The Department should increase the linguistic diversity and cultural competence of its workforce.

LEADERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY

 

Findings:

 

 

Important aspects of the Department’s mission have not been fully effectuated.

 

The Department’s internal management systems are inadequate to support the reforms contained in this report.

 

Models of performance management systems exist, and could assist the Department in improving agency performance, accountability, and cost efficiency.

 

The Department’s management does not have sufficient authority and discretion.

 

The Department is inextricably linked to external criminal justice and human service agencies.

 

The Commissioner’s new strategic plan is a step in the right direction.

 

An external advisory board on corrections would provide necessary ongoing monitoring and oversight of the DOC.

Recommendations:

 

 

The Department should revise its mission to include reducing the rate of re-offense by inmates released into the community.

 

The Department should adopt a performance management and accountability system to enhance agency performance, improve the culture, and utilize budget resources more effectively.

 

The Department’s management capacity should be strengthened through the collective bargaining process and revisions to the internal rank structure.

 

There should be an external advisory board on corrections to monitor and oversee the Department. The board should work cooperatively with the Commissioner to develop concrete goals for the future of the Department.

“Since my appointment, a core group of staff have worked with me to develop a strategic plan for issues targeted for immediate intervention,” said Correction Commissioner Kathleen Dennehy. “The Commission has provided a critical step in educating the public and guiding the Department of Correction into the future. Our initial action plans will be revised to fully reflect the depth and breadth of the Commission’s recommendations.”