7 Responses to Thank you Methuen!

1. Betty and Rod says:

   November 7, 2007 at 8:22 am

   BILLY!!!! BILLY!!!!! BILLY….WHAT WONDERFUL NEWS……WHAT A LANDSLIDE!!
   THE GOOD PEOPLE OF METHUEN REMEMBER GREAT LEADERSHIP!!!!
   CONGRATULATIONS, MAYOR MANZI TO YOU AND YOUR WONDERFUL FAMILY!!!!
   LOVE YA
   BETTY & ROD

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2. Jim says:

   November 7, 2007 at 8:23 am

   Ouch! Precinct by precinct those vote counts must have hurt….

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3. Joyce & Busty says:

   November 7, 2007 at 9:14 am

   BRAVO !!!!

   KEEP SMILING!!!

   Love Ya
   Paisano

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4. Jules Gordon says:

   November 11, 2007 at 1:37 pm

   Your Honor,

   How about Starbucks, at the loop, at 5:30 PM?

   coffee and…. My treat.

   Jules

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5. Denise Perrault says:

   November 12, 2007 at 4:28 pm

   Hi Mayor Manzi,
   Congrats on your victory as 2nd term mayor.

   I would like to know what your plan is for fair and affordable housing for people who are in the extremely low and low income bracket. (up to $10 per hour)

   I attended a 40b hearing at the state hosue recently and the issues that were brought up is how the single population and mothers are left out of the housing measurement calculation that HUD uses such as ‘per household income'(among other things).

   The term afordable is endlessly used, but means nothing. It’s just a word, but does not help people who need a place they can afford to live. Massachusetts is the 3rd highest cost of living state in the country. Over 200,000 people have fled Massachusetts in the past few years because it is not ‘affordable’.

   These luxury condos and elderly units do not help families to have a roof over their head. Even if a person makes $10 per hour, $400 a week, less taxes of approx 30% leaving only $280 a week, $1140 a month.

   How does a single mother or even a single individual have a chance to afford anything? For all those couples that have 2 incomes, congrats to you. Thank your lucky stars you are not single.

   Many times each household has 2 adults working in the home creating enough money to qualify for a housing loan. However, if a sincle person, even if they are educated are unable to qualify for a loan since the median income is approximately $48,000 and usually 2 incomes combined. There are many single people way below this income bracket and experiencing a housing dilemma.

   The national average salary for a famly of 2 needed to just survive with no vacations or extra money saved is $34,000 a year. This level of income is almost impossible to attain without a college degree, unless a person travels to Boston.

   Since all the facturies have fled the US thanks to President Clinton who signed Nafta, many people are working in low-income jobs unable to provide for either themselves if single, or their family if a single mother or even a 2 adult family. There is a housing crisis in Massachusetts, In a report from the Boston Law School, there was a shortage of 36,000 units in 2002 during the Romney administration, I can imagine what the shortage is presently.

   My son Josh and I lived in a tent at Salisbury Beach Reservation for almost 3 weeks until I could find housing with a long-term friend and lived doubled-up with another family outside the school district.

   Though we were supposed to be protected under the McKinney-Vento Act, a federal law that protects homeless kids (doubled-up is considered homeless since permanent housing is unattainable)from being thrown out of the school district, we were not protected.

   According to the No Child Left Behind, there are supposed to be tutors for kids failing, but I was told Methuen does not do this. The organization is http://www.tutorsforkids.org, the contact name is John Desess 781-338-6276. Tutors are supposed to be provided when a child is failing in school. I looked online and found that there is a state SES contact for tutors for kids who are failing (see above). My son needs tutoring and we are not able to get this according to his guidance counselor Methuen does not provide this service even though all schools have access to federal funds under the No Child Left Behind Act, a federal law.

   My son, like many other kids in high school, end up quitting and become a ‘youth at risk’ because they are not traditional learners who learn like the traditional kids.

   I am pretty disappointed in the way I have been treated because I don’t come from money or privileged family ties in this community. I have been unfairly treated and so hasn’t my son, needless to say unprotected at times in various departments including the police, the health department, among a few.

   I have given a lot of time during my life to help others. I guess when people say money talks, they mean it.

   Though I am struggling to survive now, when I am done grad school, I don’t anticipate being in this position of poverty, but rather in a position of making a difference in the way things are done in this state.

   Rather than going through a ‘circular event’ of phone calls 1-800-frustrate, when trying to get help, I hope to cause a change in many areas of government including local.

   More people need to be informed about local government through grammar schools that hopefully will make government officials more accountable to their constituents.

   I am now in the Women in Politics and Public Policy program and am learning about government in local, state and federal program, etc. There are so many layers, departments, etc., it’s almost impossible to know about.

   Good luck in your present term. I am glad to hear that you will be rebuilding the high school. That has been such a needed project for over a decade.

   Children’s education and services to help them get through high school and hopefully through college is so imperative to the future of our country. We will get out of what we put into our kids even when it costs money. They are our future and are behind the 8 ball in comparison to other countries. I am so excited that Governor Deval Patrick is highly interested in seeing a change in our educational system. His new project is called the Readiness Project. After speaking to a person in that office I asked that they have a forum at the new Lawrence High School. They are implementing forums across the state including lowell. I asked that they have one in this location because many people do not go to Lowell and it is not easy to get to. Hopefully, the forum will be held in this location as well.

   I was listening to CNN last week discussing the high drop-out rate of kids in high school. We need to review what is not working in our country regarding our school system and especially the MCAS testing that is done in Massachusetts. Governor Patrick addressed changing this type of testing at my graduation ceremony.

   I think a reward system would also be something to look at especially for those kids who are failing in high school and dropping out.

   I have an idea of what might help spark the attention of the kids in high school to get excited about future careers. I spoke to my son’s friends girls and boys. They don’t understand why certain classes are needed.

   When I’m not doing 10 things at once I’d like to share it with you. I hope to graduate next spring.

   Good luck in the next years of your mayoral position. Looking forward to future positive changes. Denise

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6. Bill Manzi says:

   November 14, 2007 at 5:02 am

   Edits were performed.

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7. Jim says:

   November 14, 2007 at 10:25 am

   “Edits were performed.”
   Oh thank God!!!

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