Methuen To Begin Single Stream Recycling

Posted on July 12, 2010 by billmanzi

METHUEN WILL START SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING ON JULY 12TH
Manzi Says This New Effort Will Simplify Recycling & Save Money

Mayor William M. Manzi, III announced today that Methuen will begin Single Stream Recycling on July 12th. This means that residents will no longer have to sort paper, plastic and cans. They can all be placed in the same container and left on the curb for pick-up. Manzi says that this new citywide program will save money and encourage more people to recycle by simplifying the process.

“Citizens have been asking us to do this for years,” Manzi said. “Now that the recycling company is equipped to handle Single Stream, we are ready to move full speed ahead with this program.” Methuen residents can continue to use the same blue recycling bins that they already use. They are also free to use a regular trash container as long as the container is marked with a blue “Single Stream” sticker. The stickers are available at City Hall, the Town Yard and the Transfer Station. Recycling is for paper, bottles and cans. Regular trash will still need to be separated.

A detailed mailing will be sent to all residents this week. Information is available on city website http://www.ci.methuen.ma.us or by calling 978-983-8545.

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President Obama on Helping Our Vets

Posted on July 10, 2010 by billmanzi

The President used his weekly address to talk about beefing up our assistance for veterans, including additional funding for the V.A., a post 9/11 GI Bill, and additional help for vets who end up homeless. The President also spoke of revamping our way of reaching out to, and assisting, those vets who suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome. Some of these initiatives are long overdue, and the President is right to focus additional resources on these areas. If the country expects our men and women to fight to protect our nation then the cost of their care during and after their service should NEVER be an issue.

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RGA Launches on Cahill Again

Posted on July 10, 2010 by billmanzi

Haley Barbour, in town for a National Governors Conference, is making his presence felt once more in the Massachusetts Governors race, unleashing a new wave of ads paid for by the Republican Governors Association targeting Tim Cahill. Cahill saw his poll numbers plunge after the last wave of RGA ads hit, and this ad buy will likely add to his difficulties. Cahill responded in the Boston Herald by calling out Barbour.

“If he (Barbour) ever wants to see me, he can come to Quincy. I’m here anytime,” Cahill said.

“How would a guy from Mississippi know what my record is? He should focus on his own state which is suffering right now,” he added. “These guys are more focused on their Washington agendas. When I’m governor, I’ll come down to Mississippi and straighten out his state as well.”

Somebody in his media operation should tell Tim Cahill that insulting Haley Barbour will not help him politically. Nobody really cares about Haley Barbour. But the ads are obviously having an impact, and not just on Tim Cahill’s poll numbers. His cash on hand is dropping, as anemic fundraising and his last media buy that cost about $400,000 whittle his war-chest and call in to question his strategic plan. Will he still be standing after this media buy by the RGA, and how can he counter it with no money?

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13192976&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=D4964A&fullscreen=1

RGA Ad – Tim Cahill: “Patronage” from Republican Governors Association on Vimeo.

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Methuen Awarded Community Development Block Grant

Posted on July 9, 2010 by billmanzi

My thanks to Governor Deval Patrick and Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, as well as Reps. Linda Campbell and Barbara L’Italien, as well as Senator Steve Baddour.

$668,071.00 Grant Will Be Used To Fund Several Programs

Mayor William M. Manzi, III announced today that Methuen has received a $668,071.00 federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The grant will enable the City to continue several programs that aid Methuen residents and social service organizations.

The Community Development Block Grant, provided through the federal government and Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, provides services to Methuen residents, particularly low and moderate-income elders, persons with disabilities, and low and moderate-income households.

The CDBG grant provides residents of Methuen with a housing rehabilitation program to assist with safety/code improvements, and accessibility improvement to elderly and disabled residents when necessary. The grant also supports a full time Code Enforcement Officer, providing daily monitoring and enforcement of code violations within the City’s target area.

Grant funds also allow the City to provide important youth services through the Methuen Arlington Neighborhood Community Center, child care services through the Merrimack Valley YMCA, adult literacy training through the Nevins Memorial Library, and transportation assistance through the Council on Aging.

“This grant will enable Methuen to preserve many valuable housing and social service programs,” said Methuen Mayor William M. Manzi, III. He also thanked the Rep. Niki Tsongas, Governor Deval Patrick, and Methuen’s Legislative Delegation for securing the grant. He credited the hard work of his staff and the Methuen Community Development Department for completing and tracking the grant application.

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Sophomoric Hijinks

Posted on July 9, 2010 by billmanzi

Charlie Baker released an internet ad yesterday that took advantage of some technical difficulties Governor Patrick had during a Fox-25 interview, trying to score points at the Governor’s expense by using the Fox video. I don’t consider it a big deal, but the Baker folks better do a little better than that if they hope to close the gap. And over at Boston.com Tim Cahill was claiming that Massachusetts grants illegal immigrants drivers licenses and in-state tuition, neither of which is true.

“Governor Patrick is not enforcing our own laws here in Massachusetts by granting licenses for illegal immigrants and giving them in-state tuition breaks,’’ Cahill wrote. “That is wrong and will be changed under a Cahill administration.’’

Can’t change something that is not there Tim. The requisite “clarification” was soon issued.

Asked about the misstatement, Cahill’s chief of staff, Amy Birmingham, said in an e-mail: “We are aware that currently these thing[s] are not happening. The point that was being made is that the governor is for in-state tuition for illegals and granting them licenses.’’

The Governor hit back at Baker:

“Like much of Charlie Baker’s campaign, this juvenile ad is based on a lie. It is not surprising that Charlie Baker would turn the technical difficulties of a Fox news interview into a cheap shot.”

He seemed to just ignore Cahill.

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McCain Scores a Direct Hit

Posted on July 6, 2010 by billmanzi

Senator John McCain, locked in a bitter primary fight with former Congressman J.D. Hayworth, has scored a direct hit with a new ad ripping Hayworth apart for his appearance as a paid pitchman for a shady company selling information on how to get U.S. Government grants. Calling Hayworth a “huckster” McCain scores big, turning Hayworth’s own words back on him. Devastating ad if you are a Hayworth fan.

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Cahill Takes the Plunge

Posted on July 5, 2010 by billmanzi

Treasurer Tim Cahill, plunging in the polls, has decided to try to stanch the bleeding by making a media buy in the dead of summer. Cahill is using the internet ad he unveiled a couple of weeks back for television, and has also gone on radio. His strategy of conserving his funds for the last couple of months lies in tatters. What will the buy cost, and will it reverse the political fortunes of a candidacy that has hit a major bump in the road?

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Steele on the Ropes Again

Posted on July 5, 2010 by billmanzi

GOP Chairman Michael Steele is under withering fire from key members of his own party over remarks he made last week questioning our ability to win in Afghanistan and calling that war one of “Obama’s choosing”. The reaction from the neo-con right was swift, with Bill Kristol, and Liz Cheney calling on Steele to resign. John McCain offered some harsh criticism as well. From Politico:

McCain offered the harshest response to Steele’s remarks Sunday, though he too said the chairman’s future is up to others.

“I think those statements are wildly inaccurate and there’s no excuse for them,” McCain told ABC’s “This Week.” He added that “Chairman Steele sent me an email saying they were misconstrued.”

Steele, the Arizona Republican said, “is going to have to assess whether he thinks he can still lead the Republican Party as chairman of the party and come to a decision.”

Steele truly is the gift that keeps on giving for Democrats. But in all this controversy there is something of substance to think about. Is a land war in Afghanistan winnable in the traditional sense?

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39358.html#ixzz0soR6dGYO

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The President on Jobs and Solar

Posted on July 5, 2010 by billmanzi

The President spent his weekly address time speaking of the need for job growth and cited two solar companies who are locating manufacturing facilities in the United States. Manufacturing, or the lack thereof, has been a critical factor in our economic descent. The free trade zealots would have us believe that this is all a matter of “retooling our economy” for a new world order, where the economy of the United States, bereft of manufacturing, will adapt in other ways. Workers will be “retrained” for this new world order. This canard has led to the “hollowing out” of America, with companies outsourcing much of our manufacturing, and sapping the very thing that created our economic strength in the first place: MANUFACTURING.

For those who point to the United States as a “high labor cost” manufacturer two things need to be pointed out. The United States and its government have been shockingly passive as unfair trade practices, including direct industry subsidies by foreign governments, have wiped out huge sections of our manufacturing base. (See European subsidy of Airbus). The second thing to consider is the German model, where a “high cost” nation continues to prosper, with a booming export business and a real manufacturing base.

It is well past time for the United States to develop an industrial policy that places the needs of America first. And that means the redevelopment of a manufacturing sector right here in America. Difficult, yes. Impossible, definitely not.

Read the Buchanan column here.

Read the Myerson column here.

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Governors Race Polling

Posted on June 29, 2010 by billmanzi

The Boston Globe released a poll on the Governor’s race a couple of days ago, and it showed a couple of interesting variables. Patrick led the poll, as he has done consistently, by 7 points over Charlie Baker 38-31. The Governor’s numbers in terms of job performance are still shaky, but he has shown marked improvement over the last Globe survey. Baker, behind an introductory ad blitz, has moved his numbers up as well.

Tim Cahill’s numbers, tanking after he absorbed a deluge of negative ads from the Republican Governor’s Association, really bottomed out in this survey, where he came in at 9%. I realize that it is relatively early but his rapid descent is now self feeding, with folks likely not wanting to “waste” their vote on the independent candidacy that appears to be faltering. Of course that is only one man’s speculation but independent candidacies that are underfunded face similar challenges, and usually meet the same fate.

One number that stands out to me is the preference of the “independent” (unenrolled) voter, where Baker leads by a 35 to 30 margin over the Governor, with Cahill coming in with 12%. Still a good sized chunk of undecided voters at 20%, but Baker will be hard pressed to win this race without substantially widening that gap. With the party voters appearing to return “home” Governor Patrick just needs to stay close with independents, and leverage his larger Democratic base to victory in November.

Baker has made the move that he needed to make to stay in this race, and the Globe has characterized it as “a surge”. But the Governor has yet to do any paid media, and has held a consistent lead even in his worst days. Knocking out the Governor is going to be a bit harder than some of the pundits thought a few months back.

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