Governor's Race Rasmussen Poll

Posted on November 28, 2009 by billmanzi

A new Rasmussen survey shows a very tight Governor’s race, with Governor Deval Patrick holding a narrowing lead over Republican Charlie Baker and Independent Tim Cahill. In that three way race Patrick comes in at 33%, with Baker at 28%, Cahill at 25%, and undecided at 14%. With Christy Mihos as the Republican nominee Patrick comes in at 32%, with Cahill at 28% and Mihos at 26% and undecided at 14%. The poll numbers continue to be ominous for the Governor with regards to job performance, with only 34% approving of the Governor’s job performance, and 64% disapproving. In terms of favorability the Governor had 13% who viewed him “very favorably”, while 31% viewed him “very unfavorably”. Those numbers seem consistent across the differing polls, and quite frankly are not good news for the Governor. The positive news for Governor Patrick appears to be that with all of the negatives highlighted he continues to lead. The center right split appears to be aiding him, but the Republicans and Cahill have not started to apply pressure on the Governor either. Still a way to go, but we have not as of yet seen the uptick in polling data that the Governor and his team have been hoping for. Read the Rasmussen findings here.

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Santa Parade Highlights in Methuen

Posted on November 25, 2009 by billmanzi

We had the Santa Parade in Methuen Saturday, and we were blessed with great weather and huge crowds. My thanks to Jill Stackelin, Dennis Marcello, and all of the volunteers who made the Parade such a huge success. The Grand Marshals were Scott Yim and Madison Aleska, two Methuen High graduates who led the hugely successful Relay for Life held in Methuen this past year. Their contribution to the fight against cancer was monumental, and it was so great to have them back for the parade. Thank you Scott and Madison! See additional Parade photos here.

Grand Marshal

Santa Parade Reviewing Stand

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Happy Birthday Jules Gordon

Posted on November 24, 2009 by billmanzi

Yes I realize he has been kicking the tar out of me but today we recognize and congratulate Jules Gordon on the occasion of his birthday. May he have many more!!!! Now lets keep kicking the stuffing out of those Dems…..

Posted in Methuen | Tagged | 7 Comments

Grand Opening Butlers and Bars

Posted on November 23, 2009 by billmanzi

Congratulations to Deborah Ingalls, the owner of Butlers and Bars, who opened a new location at 19 Hampshire Street in Downtown Methuen. Deb had a great kickoff at the new location Saturday evening, and I wish her all the best.

Deb Ingalls of Butlers and Bars

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Reid Hits Sixty

Posted on November 23, 2009 by billmanzi

The first major test on the health care bill for Majority Leader Harry Reid occurred Saturday, and he managed to hold his caucus intact, pushing the bill forward with sixty votes. Despite Reid’s victory the bill faces major hurdles in the week ahead, with many of the centrist Democrats holding objections to differing aspects of the bill. Reid’s ability to hold the caucus together for adoption is still very much in question, with at least four members of his own caucus threatening to bolt over inclusion of a “public option” in the bill. Reid has his work cut out for him, but has managed to hold things together so far. Both Senators from Massachusetts voted to advance the bill. Read the Washington Post story on Reid’s continuing challenges here.

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The High Cost of Dying

Posted on November 22, 2009 by billmanzi

With all of the talk about bending the cost curve in health care Sixty Minutes aired a provocative segment tonight that is sure to ignite major and heated discussion. What did you think? What do we do to truly bend that curve, and is it even realistic to think cost containment can be achieved within our current political system?

http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/player-dest.swf
Watch CBS News Videos Online

Posted in National News | Tagged | 5 Comments

President Obama on His Foreign Travel

Posted on November 21, 2009 by billmanzi

The President talks about his foreign trip, and the hope of opening new markets to American made goods and in so doing creating new American jobs. He talks of his efforts to stop nuclear proliferation, as well as commenting on efforts made to promote American values during his trip to China.

Posted in National News | Tagged | 6 Comments

Another Speaker In a Huff

Posted on November 20, 2009 by billmanzi

Governor Deval Patrick yesterday called the State Legislature to task for going out of formal session, going to the state house press room personally to urge the Speaker to call the Legislature back into session. The Governor is upset with the lack of House action on an education bill that had been passed by the Senate that raised the state cap on Charter Schools, as well as a failure to fully close a $600 million dollar gap identified by the Governor’s budget team. The Governor took a swipe at the Speaker in the press room.

“It’s more than a little frustrating that they would leave for whatever it is, six or seven weeks, with so much of the Commonwealth’s vital business undone,’’ Patrick said during a rare, unscheduled visit to the State House press room.

“It’s my hope that the members will realize that their rules are of their own making, that they have it in their own power to work a couple of more days, or frankly, as long as it takes to get this work done.’’

The Speaker, through a spokesman, fired right back:

“Governor Patrick’s comments seem to be more about political necessity than ‘moral obligation,’ ’’ DeLeo spokesman Seth Gitell said in an e-mailed statement. “Speaker DeLeo’s obligation is to the Commonwealth’s schoolchildren, not Governor Patrick’s political calendar.’’

The Legislature left a few prominent items on the table, including the Quinn Bill funding cut advocated by the Governor, as well as the the recission of two paid holidays for Suffolk County, Bunker Hill Day and Evacuation Day. The House has left action on the Education Bill until January, giving anti-charter forces time to mobilize against the bill.

The animus now on display between the Governor and the Speaker does not portend well for future collaboration, and could lead to some bruising battles about how to close budget gaps that remain to be fully dealt with. The Speaker is not doing much speaking these days, as he has refused to return a call from the Governor. He seems as perturbed with Deval as Sal Dimasi was.

Posted in State News | Tagged | 3 Comments

Grand Opening Furniture Fixer New England

Posted on November 20, 2009 by billmanzi

The Furniture Fixer New England store had its grand opening yesterday. The Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce joined owner Jonathan Anderson and his family as he opened his Furniture Repair shop in Railroad Square at 5 Pelham Street. Best of luck to Jon and his lovely family.

Ribbon Cutting Furniture Fixer

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Reid Makes His Move

Posted on November 19, 2009 by billmanzi

Majority Leader Harry Reid yesterday made the move that all have been awaiting, unveiling a Health Care Bill that will be the focus of an intense legislative battle in the Senate. Reid’s bill has received a positive fiscal score from the CBO, which estimates that the fiscal impact will shave about $130 billion from the deficit over the next decade. Reid has included a public option, albeit with an “opt-out option for the States. Reid has also included a tax on so called cadillac health plans, imposing a 40% tax on plans worth $8500 for individuals and $23,000 for families. Additionally he proposes to increase the medicare tax on high earners (200,000 individuals or $250,000 married would go from 1.45% to 1.95%), and in a move sure to send plastic surgeons into a rage proposes a 5% tax on elective “cosmetic surgery. Plenty to digest, and the fighting has already started, with Republican opposition appearing to be unanimous.

But Republicans dismissed it as “another trillion-dollar experiment,” in the words of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.). Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.) said the bill “may claim to be deficit-neutral, [but] it uses sleight-of-hand budgetary tricks by assuming unrealistic tax increases and Medicare cuts that members of Congress will not be willing to follow through on.”

Reid got some positive comments from the center of the Democratic Party, with Kent Conrad offering some praise.

Sen. Kent Conrad (N.D.), the budget chairman and a leading Democratic fiscal hawk, said after a briefing on the bill, “I was very impressed by what Senator Reid has done.”

Reid will be looking to get all sixty Democratic votes to stop the Republican filibuster, which would reduce his Senate vote requirement to 50 for final passage. A key player now becomes Independent Joe Lieberman, who has threatened to support a Republican filibuster. Reid is not out of the woods, but he is closer than many thought possible. The CBO letter to Reid is attached below, as is the bill itself.

Read the New York Times analysis of key differences between the House and Senate Health Care Bills.

reid-health-care-bill

reid_letter_11_18_09

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