September state primary

[Larry Rhodes]

With the upcoming primary elections in September I'm in a real bad way over who to vote for in the senatorial race.

On one hand you have Brian Knuutilla who has been endorsed by -- Drum Roll please:

Clinton
      Clinton Select Board Member Mark Ellworthy
      Clinton Parks & Recreation Director Estebon Mandoza

Can't Knuuttila get it straight? Mark El isn't a selectman and Mandoza isn't the director of Parks and Recreation.

I could never vote for this guy knowing the Mandoza gang is pushing for him. They only support candidates that can do them favors. Mark E, I know you post here and I don't like your politics (nothing personel!) but come on, endorsing one of Estebons's candidates?

On the other hand you have Jen Flanagan who has been endorsed by-- Drum Roll again please:

Kevin Haley, Clinton Board of Selectmen

This is a tough call Is there a third party candidate running?


I do like Kerrigan, we need new blood. No more Sal Demasi butt kissers needed.

[Larry Rhodes]

Hey, democracy is alive and well I think. We've got Steve Kerrigan running against Harold Naughton in the primary (Go Steve!) and now I read that a republican named William Higgins from Northboro is running a sticker campaign to take on the democrat. From what I read this guy is a former postmaster and Northboro town treasurer. Heres a little bit from the telegram.


"Higgins is a former Northboro town treasurer and a former member of the Northboro School Committee. He is also a former chairman of the town Democratic Committee and later was treasurer of the town Reform Committee. He registered as a Republican about six years ago and serves as chairman of the town Republican Committee.

Asked why he switched from the Democratic Party, Mr. Higgins said: “The Democratic party left me, because of more taxes.”

He said he decided to run against Mr. Naughton last week, after reading about several controversies involving Democratic politicians and their associates.

“I’m upset and mad. There’s no shame in the Democratic Party,” he said. “The governor hasn’t come out one time saying things are wrong.”

“Mr. Naughton is very liberal. He votes for every tax,” said Mr. Higgins. “I’m more of a traditionalist. If I’m elected, I would take the view of my constituents. He just follows the Democrats. It’s almost like he goes against the viewpoint of constituents.”

Rep. Naughton replied:

Mr. Naughton denied the allegation with a chuckle.

“Just look to this week, when I voted against the governor’s raises in gun fees for licensed firearm owners. I sponsored an amendment to lower those fees,” Mr. Naughton said.

I'm going to look up Rep. Naughtons record and see how many tax increases he did vote for and against. I'll post them here.

[Mark E]

Well Larry - Rep Knuutilla should NOT be using my name on his list of people endorsing him. I am supportting Jen Flanagan.  They have many things listed that are incorrect on his Web site. SO....... the drum roll can be a bit longer and I also supprt Hank for his run to stay in the House.

Wanted to clear the air --- I am sure this may hurt Jen with most of the folks here at the forum.

[Larry Rhodes]

Well Larry - Rep Knuutilla should NOT be using my name on his list of people endorsing him. I am supportting Jen Flanagan.  They have many things listed that are incorrect on his Web site. SO....... the drum roll can be a bit longer and I also supprt Hank for his run to stay in the House.

Wanted to clear the air --- I am sure this may hurt Jen with most of the folks here at the forum.

Mark - I find it strange that someone running for Senate can't even keep his supporters straight. No your support of Jen doesn't really hurt her I don't think. Knuutilla not knowing who supports him does a bit.

I did do some reading on Harold Naughton's record and do find him to be very much in step with the house leadership which is very much against the ordinary taxpayer. Even though he says he doesn't vote for those pesky taxes his record shows differently. I don't yet have much information on Steve Kerrigan as he doesn't have a voting record - Yet. I liked that the republican candidate is against more taxes though. Some of the facts about Harold's voting record are:

H 4645 Cigarette Tax Increase - Voted Yes - Bill Passed - House (131 - 23)

Legislative Committee Chair Pay Raises (DeLeo Amendment) Voted Yes - Amendment Adopted - House (126 - 20)

Vote to adopt an amendment to H 4589 that increases the pay rate for the senate and house chairpersons of the Joint Committee on Revenue and the house vice-chairman of the Committee on Revenue by $7,500.

H 4988: Nurse Staffing Bill - Voted Yes - Bill Passed - House (133 - 20)
Minimum staffing, mandatory overtime - Yes this is almost a tax on consumers

SB800 Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions- Voted Yes - Bill Passed - House (119 - 36)

S 2220: Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Voted No - Bill Failed - House (40 - 117)
Vote to pass an initiative proposing a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

H 4282   Supplemental Budget- Voted Yes - Bill Passed - House (126 - 18)

-$453,292 to the commonwealth's Washington D.C. office (Sec. 2).

-Creates an advisory board to assess the appropriate compensation for government officials. The board members are to be appointed by the governor (Sec. 5).

-Changes the salary for the Director of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority from not more than the Commissioner of Highways receives to between $160,000 and $190,000 (Sec. 21).

-Increases the salary of district attorneys from $117,499 to $144,508 (Sec. 14).

-$116.5 million to fulfill collective bargaining agreements including $50.2 million to the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union, $29.5 million to the Service Employees International Union, Local 509, and $15.9 million to the National Association of Government Employees (Sec. 2A).

S2301 Bill relative to establishing the commonwealth corps. Voted Yes

[Tony Marini]

Well Larry - Rep Knuutilla should NOT be using my name on his list of people endorsing him. I am supportting Jen Flanagan.  They have many things listed that are incorrect on his Web site. SO....... the drum roll can be a bit longer and I also supprt Hank for his run to stay in the House.

Wanted to clear the air --- I am sure this may hurt Jen with most of the folks here at the forum.

Yawn...

[Desdinova]

Holy Crap, I've seen Happy Naughton out going door to door a couple times in the last week. Whens the last time he did that? Looks like Kerrigan has him running a little scared. Nice to see some competition for once.

I keep seeing those pesky Flanagan signs in all the familiar places. Looks like the clique has deemed her as the high priestess of cliquedom. Knuutilla doesn't stand a chance.

Jimmy the Greek is putting the Vegas odds at 2 to 1 1/2 for Flanagan and 1 to 1 (even) for the Naughton - Kerrigan bout.

Desi

[fred]

where have you been he's been from one end of the town to the other. I stopped him at the entrance of Injectronics by union st.. I was on break and stopped him to ask him how the campaining was going. He said he started at dike drive area and walked his way to union st.. I had asked him when will he be making it to my neighborhood. He said this past wednesday, but I haven't seen him at all. The last time I had seen any politician in my hood was McGovern. And No I don't count Mendoza walking around my hood a politician. I told most people who to vote for and why. He wasn't one of them.
  I might get flack for this, but being a undecided I'm swinging towards happy harry. He's from clinton he has looked out for clinton as a whole. Kerrigan he's from lancaster have you seen how they take care of thier firefighters. It takes boycott for them to support firemen and state action. That's it for me, so let me have it.

[Larry Rhodes]

  I might get flack for this, but being a undecided I'm swinging towards happy harry. He's from clinton he has looked out for clinton as a whole. Kerrigan he's from lancaster have you seen how they take care of thier firefighters. It takes boycott for them to support firemen and state action. That's it for me, so let me have it.

fred, I don't think Kerrigan had anything to do with the firefighter issue, he was busy in his other jobs at the time. If you were to read what was in the Telegram today you would see that happy harry as you call him (i like that name) is really the same as Kerrigan. So to me new blood is a really good reason to vote for him. He won't have the baggage that happy harry does and thats having to bow and vote the way Sal DiMasi the speaker of the house says to.

Most voters can’t find many differences in the basic ideologies of state Rep. Harold P. Naughton Jr., D-Clinton, and his challenger, Stephen J. Kerrigan of Lancaster.

Both are lifelong Democrats; both have long-standing family connections to the district; both basically agree with party principals; and both have approximately 20 years of government experience.

But Mr. Kerrigan, 36, says his experience, which includes 14 years as a top aide to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, a year as a senior staffer with former Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly, and chief of staff for the 2004 Democratic Convention Host Committee, gives him an edge. [/b]

Harry has done some good, I'll give him his due, but he's lost a lot of his luster IMHO. now just one of the typical beacon hill pols.


 

[Bugged]

The way I see it, as the incumbent Harold has the experience as a legislator. Kerrigan's resume above tells me he only has experience kissing someone's elses ass. No ACTUAL legislative experience at the state level.

[Ben]

No ACTUAL legislative experience at the state level.

So is this the same reason why you will vote for McCain? Because Obama has little experience at the national level - only two years as senator.

[Tom C]

Joe, Ben brings up a very good point.  Glad to see you dropping the Obama stickers.

Yom C

[Bugged]

No ACTUAL legislative experience at the state level.

So is this the same reason why you will vote for McCain? Because Obama has little experience at the national level - only two years as senator.

Two different animals. Kerrigan wants to be a legislator claiming he has experience. Both McCain and Obama ARE legislators (Obama at state and fed. level, McCain only fed.) who want to be Administrators.....niether have experience

[Boomer]

Tusk you!

[Boomer]

By the way, what is wrong with the way Lancaster treats firemen?

Boston has theirs on 'flex' time and other towns have queers on the force.

Nobody ever worries about those of us in the dreaded private sector, queitly slaving away for those tax dollars.

[Bugged]

Joe, Ben brings up a very good point.  Glad to see you dropping the Obama stickers.

Yom C

Tusk you!

You'd think you two were taking spilling lessons from me!

[Boomer]

Good point, Joe.   When I'm posting at 10:00pm and sometimes get up at 03:00, I can be more than tired.   That said, here is some plain speaking from Condoleeza Rice to the Russians - and there are no mispellings and no doubt about what she means.   I do like her!

"When you threaten Poland, you perhaps forget that it is not 1988," Rice said. "It's 2008 and the United States has a ... firm treaty guarantee to defend Poland's territory as if it was the territory of the United States. So it's probably not wise to throw these threats around."

[Bugged]

I can see defending Poland, and the Russians would be nuts to start anything there. I'm sure glad Georgia wasn't already accepted as a NATO member though. The Russians control an important oil pipeline in Georgia right now.

[Larry Rhodes]

The way I see it, as the incumbent Harold has the experience as a legislator. Kerrigan's resume above tells me he only has experience kissing someone's elses ass. No ACTUAL legislative experience at the state level.

Harold also has experience kissing ass, Sal Dimasi's, open you eyes Mr. Grealis.

I glad that the Kerrigan campaign has asked for debates/forums so the people can get a real look at how the two match up. My mind is made up as to who I'm voting for, but many others are not. Although Naughton may just chicken out as he was the most to lose! I bet he doesn't do it.

[Larry Rhodes]

I glad that the Kerrigan campaign has asked for debates/forums so the people can get a real look at how the two match up. My mind is made up as to who I'm voting for, but many others are not. Although Naughton may just chicken out as he was the most to lose! I bet he doesn't do it.

It looks like Mr. Naughton has lost his nerve and is not debating Steven Kerrigan. I think it's a shame that an incumbent would shirk his duties and not be as accountable and transparent to the electorate as is humanly possible.

Mr. Kerrigan on the other hand is willing to debate or discuss the issues openly and honestly. I like that in a representative and would never vote for someone who isn't willing to give his opinions and to debate. That's what a democracy is all about.

Vote for Kerrigan
Larry R.

[Bugged]

Hank will crush Kerrigan.