Economy:
According to the MetroWest Economic Research Center, the 13 communities in MetroWest and Greater Marlboro generate nearly 180,000 jobs and a $10.8 billion payroll. Our region, with Framingham at the center, is literally the crossroads of the Commonwealth in terms of generating the jobs and creating the workforce that are essential to a successful 21st century economy. Site Selection magazine named Massachusetts the number one state in the country for the quality of its workforce. I will do everything in my power to enhance the role Framingham plays in sustaining that ranking and I will support continued growth in high wage jobs for our workers in the life sciences, health care, building trades, information technology, services and the creative enterprises and the arts.
Environment:
Buildings are the biggest consumers of energy, among the biggest wasters of energy, profligate water users and heavy contributors to polluting run-off into our waterways. New construction is becoming “greener” by newly enacted laws, but older buildings are more problematic. I am a strong proponent of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) environmental policies. I will bring that knowledge to bear as state representative and promote all the ways the built environment can better serve us all.
Social Services:
For many years, Framingham has been a generous host to a wide range of governmental, public safety, health care, educational, religious, recreational and social service agencies, facilities and institutions, most of which are tax-exempt. Whether it is caring for the elderly and frail, providing higher education, offering support to the vulnerable among us, allowing for spiritual respite -- those activities are deeply rooted in our community. The drain from escalating costs on sustaining municipal services, though, has strained the town’s relationship with its tax-exempt institutions. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the rise of social service providers and facilities. Compounding the friction is the sense that agencies are increasingly invoking the Dover Amendment, which exempts non-profit entities from standard zoning laws, to pursue their plans but which results in an erosion of home rule and the ability of Framingham to plan for and safeguard the rights of all of its citizens.
Education:
Framingham deserves more statewide recognition and financial support than it presently receives for its powerhouse educational nucleus. Our broad spectrum of schools and services enriches not only our community but also the entire MetroWest area. Our taxpayers support education directly through the tax dollars we pay and indirectly through the income lost from valuable tax exempt property they use. Our local contribution entitles us to our place at the table when state funding and reimbursement are under consideration by the legislature and the Governor. My job as your state representative .will be to bring to Framingham our fair share of state aid and programs to maintain and strengthen our educational infrastructure and programs. Consider the particulars: Framingham is home to a successful K-12 public system as well as a strong K-12 parochial school system with St. Tarcisius, St. Bridget and Marian High. Framingham hosts the internationally known Sudbury Valley School, the Christa McAuliffe Regional Charter Public School, Keefe Technical Vocational High School, the Thayer Campus of FHS, the Learning Center for the Deaf, Framingham Jewish Day School and the Summit Montessori School. Don’t overlook Framingham State College, Mass. Bay Community College and a Clark University graduate program facility. Together our community, MetroWest and the Commonwealth all benefit when these institutions are strong and successful. They attract and retain young people who contribute to our economic prosperity and desirability as a residential community. I will work to direct the attention of my legislative colleagues and the Governor to Framingham’s important contribution to those values and to the importance of their receiving significant support. Look out for more Issues coming soon!
According to the MetroWest Economic Research Center, the 13 communities in MetroWest and Greater Marlboro generate nearly 180,000 jobs and a $10.8 billion payroll. Our region, with Framingham at the center, is literally the crossroads of the Commonwealth in terms of generating the jobs and creating the workforce that are essential to a successful 21st century economy. Site Selection magazine named Massachusetts the number one state in the country for the quality of its workforce. I will do everything in my power to enhance the role Framingham plays in sustaining that ranking and I will support continued growth in high wage jobs for our workers in the life sciences, health care, building trades, information technology, services and the creative enterprises and the arts.
Environment:
Buildings are the biggest consumers of energy, among the biggest wasters of energy, profligate water users and heavy contributors to polluting run-off into our waterways. New construction is becoming “greener” by newly enacted laws, but older buildings are more problematic. I am a strong proponent of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) environmental policies. I will bring that knowledge to bear as state representative and promote all the ways the built environment can better serve us all.
Social Services:
For many years, Framingham has been a generous host to a wide range of governmental, public safety, health care, educational, religious, recreational and social service agencies, facilities and institutions, most of which are tax-exempt. Whether it is caring for the elderly and frail, providing higher education, offering support to the vulnerable among us, allowing for spiritual respite -- those activities are deeply rooted in our community. The drain from escalating costs on sustaining municipal services, though, has strained the town’s relationship with its tax-exempt institutions. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the rise of social service providers and facilities. Compounding the friction is the sense that agencies are increasingly invoking the Dover Amendment, which exempts non-profit entities from standard zoning laws, to pursue their plans but which results in an erosion of home rule and the ability of Framingham to plan for and safeguard the rights of all of its citizens.
Education:
Framingham deserves more statewide recognition and financial support than it presently receives for its powerhouse educational nucleus. Our broad spectrum of schools and services enriches not only our community but also the entire MetroWest area. Our taxpayers support education directly through the tax dollars we pay and indirectly through the income lost from valuable tax exempt property they use. Our local contribution entitles us to our place at the table when state funding and reimbursement are under consideration by the legislature and the Governor. My job as your state representative .will be to bring to Framingham our fair share of state aid and programs to maintain and strengthen our educational infrastructure and programs. Consider the particulars: Framingham is home to a successful K-12 public system as well as a strong K-12 parochial school system with St. Tarcisius, St. Bridget and Marian High. Framingham hosts the internationally known Sudbury Valley School, the Christa McAuliffe Regional Charter Public School, Keefe Technical Vocational High School, the Thayer Campus of FHS, the Learning Center for the Deaf, Framingham Jewish Day School and the Summit Montessori School. Don’t overlook Framingham State College, Mass. Bay Community College and a Clark University graduate program facility. Together our community, MetroWest and the Commonwealth all benefit when these institutions are strong and successful. They attract and retain young people who contribute to our economic prosperity and desirability as a residential community. I will work to direct the attention of my legislative colleagues and the Governor to Framingham’s important contribution to those values and to the importance of their receiving significant support. Look out for more Issues coming soon!
LEADERSHIP, EXPERIENCE, VISION