President Points to Loss of Insurance Coverage

Posted on September 13, 2009 by billmanzi

President Obama, in his weekly address, pointed to a new Treasury Department Report that the current system of health care will lead many to lose coverage in the years ahead, including many middle class families. I have attached the Treasury Report below. The potential loss of coverage for so many is coupled with exploding and unaffordable price increases, leading city and state governments to the brink of insolvency, and many families into bankruptcy. The current system remains unsustainable for this country. What will come next?

Read the New York Times coverage here.

treasuryfinal-hc-report092009

Posted in National News | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Transportation Secretary James Aloisi to Leave

Posted on September 11, 2009 by billmanzi

Transportation Secretary James Aloisi, in office less than a year, will be leaving on November 1. Aloisi had succeeded Bernard Cohen, presiding over some very tumultous times as Transportation Secretary. Aloisi had managed to quarell with or offend many key players in the transportation arena, including several powerful legislators. Aloisi will leave in advance of the major changes in the portfolio required under the transportation reform legislation passed recently.

Posted in State News | Tagged | 1 Comment

Methuen September 11th Remembrance

Posted on September 11, 2009 by billmanzi

Methuen will have a ceremony today marking the tragic events of September 11, 2001. This Ceremony of Remembrance will be at Methuen’s Central Fire Station and will begin promptly at 9:55. We will never forget the heinous act perpertrated against civilians, and our hearts and prayers remain with all of those who lost loved ones.

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H1N1 Methuen Informational Meeting

Posted on September 10, 2009 by billmanzi

Sorry about the short notice, but Methuen will be conducting a H1N1 Informational Meeting starting tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the Great Hall. It will be televised. We will follow this meeting with another at Methuen High School later this month. I have posted the agenda below.

City of Methuen
H1N1 Informational Meeting
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Searles Building – Great Hall

I. Introduction

II. H1N1 Where we are now
Methuen
Mass
United States

III. Influenza
Symptoms
Steps to prevent
Booklet – What to do if you have the Flu

IV. Schools
Monitoring Absenteeism
Exclusions
Closures
Classroom Based Sanitizer Program

V. Seasonal Vaccinations
When and where are the clinics
School program/flumist

VI. Moving Forward
Local Flu meeting
Regional Flu Summit
H1N1 Vaccinations
Priority Groups

VII. Closing

Posted in Methuen | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The Obama Health Care Speech

Posted on September 10, 2009 by billmanzi

The President makes the case for health care reform before the Congress. The President’s speech was interrupted by Republican Rep. Joe Wilson, who shouted “you lie” when the President was speaking to the issue of coverage of illegal immigrants. It was a stunning breach of protocol, and even members of the Republican Party condemned the outburst. Wilson himself later issued an apology. From the New York Times:

His office later issued an apology, saying: “This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the president’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the president’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.”

The President took on his critics directly, attempting to dispel some of the myths surrounding his proposal. Did the President make his case effectively?

Posted in National News | Tagged | 18 Comments

The Presidents Talk to the Ninth Grade

Posted on September 10, 2009 by billmanzi

Some pretty severe indoctrination here, eh?

Posted in National News | Tagged | 1 Comment

Cahill Makes it Official

Posted on September 10, 2009 by billmanzi

State Treasurer Tim Cahill officially announced what has been known for a long time- he is running for Governor as an independent. The Treasurer called for lowering taxes, including a lowering of the recently hiked sales tax, and indicated that he would be willing to cut programs that have strong political support. The Treasurer’s attempt to win the Governor’s job as an independent has never been done before in Massachusetts, but he starts with poll numbers that make him competitive. He did manage to get his announcement stepped on by the President’s health care address, but maybe that was unavoidable. Can Tim Cahill win as an independent?

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/16977198001?isVid=1&publisherID=245991542

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September Artist of the Month

Posted on September 8, 2009 by billmanzi

MAYOR MANZI NAMES ANTHONY J. ROSS AS SEPTEMBER’S ARTIST OF THE MONTH
Life-Long Resident’s Work on Display in the Mayor’s Office

Mayor William M. Manzi has named Anthony J. Ross as September’s Artist of the Month. Tony is a life-long resident of Methuen and graduated from Methuen High in 1963. He is married to Carol Connolly Ross. Together they have 5 children and 15 grandchildren.

Tony credits the beginning of his career to Mr. Melia, his high school art teacher, and Mr. Winn his drafting teacher. In Tony’s last semester of his senior year at Methuen High, Mr. Winn and Mr. Melia sent him to a Massachusetts extension college course held at MIT in Cambridge. There he took a 3-credit course in Technical Illustration. Tony was the only high school student in class. Upon completion of the course the professor, Dorothy Ladd, took and interest in him and offered him a temporary position working at MIT for the summer after his graduation. He worked at MIT for four years after that summer. He continued his education and graduated with a certificate in Design & Illustration from FAS of Westport Conn.

After leaving MIT, Tony took a position as Chief of Graphic Design with Tufts New England Medical Center. During his stay at Tufts, he obtained a part time commission to design a logo for the then new “Salem Witch Museum” in Salem Massachusetts. The logo is still in use today.

Tony went into the computer industry as the manager of Graphic Design and Technical Illustration Dept. for NEC Information Systems and also worked for Polaroid Corp. He retired from the computer industry in 2002. He continues to be an avid painter and is a member of the Methuen-based Arts Institute Group of the Merrimack Valley.

Mayor Manzi stated, “Tony is one of the many talented artists working in our community. It is an honor to display the fine artwork of this life-long Methuen resident. I encourage people to come to my office and view his work.”

The Methuen Artist of the Month Program was created by Mayor Manzi three years ago in order to give members of the Methuen Arts Community a forum to display their work and to encourage participation in Methuen’s growing creative economy. Methuen artists interested in being considered for Artist of the Month should contact the Mayor’s Office.

September Artist of the Month

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Joe Kennedy Declines to Run

Posted on September 7, 2009 by billmanzi

Joseph Kennedy today announced that he will not seek the Senate seat held by his uncle Ted Kennedy. Kennedy made the announcement on the website of Citizens Energy. The announcement should pave the way for a pretty full week of candidate announcements from other Democrats who had been waiting on word from Kennedy. It has been assumed that Vickie Kennedy will not run, but I have not as of yet seen that announced formally. Locally there will be a real focus on Chancellor Martin Meehan of Lowell, who has the money and the political skills to push himself to the top tier immediately. Martha Coakley is already moving briskly, so time for the other potentials is a real factor. Here is the Joe Kennedy statement:

I want to thank the millions of Americans who have expressed their love and admiration for Senator Kennedy over the last few weeks. It was very moving to see so many people come out to pay their respects to a man who fought so hard to make this world a better place, especially for those struggling for life’s basic needs – a decent home, a living wage, a safe neighborhood, their daily bread, a good education, and access to health care.
Given all that my uncle accomplished, it was only natural to consider getting back involved in public office, and I appreciate all the calls of support and friendship that have poured in.

My father called politics an honorable profession, and I have profound respect for those who choose to advance the causes of social and economic justice in elective office. After much consideration, I have decided that the best way for me to contribute to those causes is by continuing my work at Citizens Energy Corporation.

Our efforts cover a broad array of the challenges facing this country – to heat the homes of the poor, install energy-savings technologies to cut costs for homeowners and businesses, build wind farms throughout the United States and Canada to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, and construct transmission lines to carry new sources of renewable energy.

Over 30 years after starting the company, there is much yet to be accomplished at Citizens Energy, and I continue to be committed to our mission of making life’s basic needs more affordable.

Posted in State News, U.S. Senate Race | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Obama Labor Day Message

Posted on September 5, 2009 by billmanzi

With job losses continuing the nation’s unemployment rate rose to 9.7%, as August showed a net job loss of 216,000. While it is clear that job losses are slowing,the unemployment rate is at its highest level in over twenty years, with a budding economic recovery not translating into any job creation. The job loss number for August was the lowest we have experienced in over a year, which on the job front now constitutes “positive” news. Against that backdrop President Obama gave his weekly address, focusing on Labor Day and jobs.

Posted in National News | Tagged | 6 Comments