Down on the Farm

Republicans can learn a lesson from farmers in terms of building our party from the ground up. The Massachusetts Agricultural Commission held a conference last weekend at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Worcester. Called "Making a Difference in our Communities," this two-day event was covered by Pamela Sacks in Monday's (Jan. 26) Telegram & Gazette. Ms. Sacks focused her article on the lead speaker at the conference, Alexandra Dawson, an attorney who spoke on Sunday. Although the premise that smaller farms are still abundant in the state, hovering around 6100, does not meet the criteria for a complete parallel, both farmers and Republicans are struggling to make their groups thrive and this is where the sage advice Ms. Dawson gave to the commission could be applied to the GOP.

Responding to the question of whether aggie coms should join across the state as conservation commissions have done, Ms. Dawson replied, "A small group of really dedicated people with somewhere to park their computer is all you need." (p.B1) In terms of thinking about organizing a movement, what could be closer to the grassroots level in both the figurative and literal sense than farming? "Agricultural commissions are as close to the ground as you can get. They [opponents] can't figure out who you are and they can't get at you. It's spread out. As all guerilla movements of the last generation prove, you don't know how to get rid of it." (Alexandra Dawson, p.B1)

The wisdom imparted by Ms. Dawson can be applied to Republicans' efforts to re-build the party in Massachusetts. A few dedicated people who truly care, not just about the Republican Party but about the Commonwealth and the Country can start a movement. That small, caring group already exists and I think we can all bank on the fact that each of them owns a computer and has a desk to "park" it .The six Republicans who voted for Lew Evangelidis and of course, Lew, are committed to changing our party. In addition to Lew, they are Reps. Susan Gifford, Don Humason, Jeff Perry, Karyn Polito, Todd Smola and Dan Webster. Let us join with them to re-build the GOP from the ground up and spread our ideas and enthusiasm across the state until it gets to the point that nobody can figure out "how to get rid of [us]."

Telegram & Gazette, Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, p.B1 "Smaller farmers still going strong" by Pamela H. Sacks
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090126/NEWS/901260333/1003/NEWS03

An Odd Time For a Heart-to-Heart

What else has to happen to prove the dire need for a two-party government? On January 7th, Sal DiMasi was overwhelmingly re-elected by his Democratic colleagues as Speaker of the House. On January 27th he will officially tender his resignation, both as Speaker and as State Representative. I will not pronounce him guilty. How could I? He has not been charged with any crime. What I will point out, however, is the fact that so many Democrats, most likely with the fear of retribution hanging over them, fell in line January 7th and voted for DiMasi. How could a conscientious leader, knowing he is planning on leaving office at the end of the month, lead his following off the edge of a cliff, making them look like a bunch of lemmings? Garnering overwhelming support from his fellow Dems, DiMasi appeared ecstatic on the evening news, and I might add, surprised, although I don't recommend he should consider acting as a third career. Why go to your family and discuss stepping down less than three weeks after being re-elected? Did Mr. DiMasi suddenly decide he misses practicing law and can't wait to return to that? The Telegram quotes him as saying, "This decision was not made lightly and was made for a very simple reason: For me and my family it is time - time to move on, time to return to private life and time to return to my first professional love, the law." But didn't you realize all of that on January 7th, Mr. Speaker?

Now consider the two people most likely to succeed, John Rogers and Robert DeLeo. According to today's Globe article written by Frank Phillips, both men appear to have issues swirling around them, although these accusations are being hurled from one against the other. From p. A6, "Rogers supporters are pointing out that some of the ticket brokers legislation at the center of the state and federal probes was passed by DeLeo's committee, although no one has accused DeLeo of wrongdoing. DeLeo's allies, in turn, have pointed out that Rogers is being dogged by campaign-finance questions. He had made undisclosed monthly payments from his campaign funds to a close friend and political consultant who used the money to help him buy a Cape Cod vacation home they say they co-own." Add to all of that the questionable exits and history of the past two Speakers from the State House and what do you get?

The most unlikely-to-be-believed quotation stemming from Mr. DiMasi comes to us by way of the Telegram on p.A6 and relates to the Speaker's respect for the citizens of Massachusetts. "I never lost sight of the importance of all that we do and I urge you in the difficult fiscal times ahead to maintain this as The People's House." Please, Sal, cut the humor.

Telegram & Gazette, Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, p.A1 "DiMasi to resign under shadow" by Rodrique Ngowi of The Associated Press
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090126/NEWS/901260355/1116

The Boston Globe, Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, p.A1 "DiMasi will resign" by Frank Phillips
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/01/26/dimasi_will_resign/

The Boston Globe, Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, p.A6 "House speaker's relationships contributed to his undoing" by Andrea Estes and Matt Viser
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/01/26/house_speakers_relationships_contributed_to_his_undoing/

What A Difference 3 Days Make

After three days on the job, President Obama has directed Guantanamo to be closed (albeit within a year), torture to be no more and is aiming for a responsible pull-out of U.S. troops in Iraq within sixteen months. In my mind those numbers add up to a reinvigoration of our Constitution and the reinstatement of our moral authority across the nations of this world.

Let Republicans say, "Amen!" Let Democrats say, "Amen!" Let Independents say, "Amen!"

The Boston Globe, Friday, Jan. 23, 2009, p.A1 "Obama changes US course on treatment of detainees" by Joseph Williams and Bryan Bender
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2009/01/23/obama_changes_us_course_on_treatment_of_detainees/

Telegram & Gazette, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, p.A3 "Sources: Obama set to close Guantanamo" by Lara Jakes and David Espo, from the Associated Press
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090122/NEWS/901220584/1052/RSS01&source=rss


The Boston Globe, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, p.A1 "Down to Business" by Joseph Williams and Bryan Bender
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/01/22/down_to_business/

Massachusetts Republicans Thirst For Hope

Representative Lew Evangelidis may have come up short by two votes on January 7th but he remains firm in his pursuit of changing the way Republicans conduct business on Beacon Hill and throughout the state. Mr. Evangelidis is determined to remake the GOP into something vibrant, active and relevant. He will not stick with the status quo.

"This Is a Day of New Beginnings" is a contemporary hymn with text written by Brian Wren and music composed by Carlton Young. Verse 1 speaks of today.

"This is a day of new beginnings,
time to remember and move on,
time to believe what love is bringing,
laying to rest the pain that's gone."

Our country's 44th President, the first African-American, starts his first day at the new job. Despite enormous complications and problems, Americans across this nation are reveling in the idea that we can once again believe in our government and allow ourselves to hope. Rep. Evangelidis stands ready to offer that same kind of hope to Republicans in Massachusetts. Doing things as they have always been done is no longer acceptable, with the palpable results being 16 Republican reps remain in the House. I would ask the GOP leadership to give hope a chance. Let the flowers bloom with Lew Evangelidis. Give the Republicans in this state something to believe in. Step aside, do what is best for the Republican Party and for Massachusetts and allow hope to thrive with new leadership in Representative Lew Evangelidis.

As part of Representative Evangelidis' ongoing campaign to remake the Republican Party, he and his caucus have formed a new website. Visit "Take Back Beacon Hill" by clicking on the link below. The link is also on the "permanent" side bar on the right under contact information.

http://www.takebackbeaconhill.com/
Information taken from The Chalice Hymnal, Worship Leader's Companion, Chalice Press, St. Louis, Missouri, 1998, #518.

A Wonderful and Spontaneous Realization

As I was walking into a store with two sets of double doors, an African-American man stepped ahead of me. He opened the outer door for himself, started inside, then quickly realized he had let the door close on me. He stopped, turned, apologized and held the inner door open for me. Our eyes met and we flashed smiles at each other, genuine smiles. As we looked into each others' eyes, I saw something I still cannot completely define. The closest I can come to putting into words what I sensed that brief moment is what I will call mutual post-racial understanding and joy. It was though we were affirming each other with our eyes and with our smiles. I knew that he knew that his black-ness didn't matter to me and he knew that I knew that my white-ness did not matter to him. For a few seconds, we celebrated that we were no longer black and white. Two strangers looked at each other and acknowledged we are now color blind.

May every Republican, every Democrat and every Independent work to support our new President, Barack Obama, and may we join together to rebuild our great country. God bless President Obama and his family. God bless the United States of America.

The House Chambers and The East Room

Yesterday evening at the State House and at the White House, Governor Deval Patrick and President George W. Bush presented their respective speeches. Both politicians seemed to be engaged in damage control. Governor Patrick began first and after detailing a few successes, delivered harsh news on the state's economy, saying that all Massachusetts citizens should expect to feel the realities of our present fiscal decline. What captured me most was his very calm, assuaging, almost sweet tone of voice, similar to the way a mother would speak to reassure her skeptical child. The Governor delivered the bad news in such a way that one might be fooled into thinking he had something good to share. The fact is the state budget looks bleak and telling children they will no longer be able to study art or music in school because the government was not able to make cuts elsewhere is not reassuring, regardless how that is said.

President George W. Bush, with the hope of establishing at least a lukewarm legacy, used his prime-time spot to try to convince the American public he was a successful President. Early on in his speech he talked about September 11th, a time when Americans rallied behind him. He mentioned areas he considers successes (Iraq and Afghanistan) and emphasized that his decisions were based with the country's best interest in mind. That I believe. What is so sad is that although he was striving to do the right things for our country, he did not surround himself with people with understanding and intelligence. President Bush did not wish to hear disagreements. He wanted support for his ideas, which were misguided and poorly analyzed. True, he did what he thought was right, but what he thought was right was catastrophically wrong.

I offer articles from today's (Jan. 16) Telegram & Gazette and Boston Globe about the State-of-the-State and President George W. Bush's Farewell Address.

In The Telegram: "Governor warning of more cutbacks" by John J. Monahan, p.A1
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090116/NEWS/901160686/1116/NEWSREWIND

In The Boston Globe: "Patrick gently warns of layoffs; urges ethics cleanup" by Matt Viser and Frank Phillips, p.B1
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/01/16/not_the_time_to_lose_either_our_will_or_our_way/

In The Telegram: "Bush's farewell upbeat, hopeful" by Deb Riechmann, p.A3
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090116/NEWS/901160512

In The Boston Globe: "In farewell, Bush says his years made nation safer" by Joseph Williams, p.A2
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/01/16/in_farewell_bush_says_his_years_made_nation_safer/

Representative Lew Evangelidis Has Decried the State Budget as "Unaffordable and Unsustainable" Since Last Spring

As reported by the Telegram and Gazette, yesterday the Legislature voted to give Governor Deval Patrick authority to cut the state budget and in turn, reduce funds for cities and towns. From before the time the budget was approved, Representative Lew Evangelidis has vocally opposed it, and was quoted in The Landmark, calling it "unaffordable and unsustainable". This idea echoed in the House Chambers yesterday. John Monahan reports in today's Telegram on p. 1 above the fold, "House Republicans argued against the deep cuts to local aid, complaining that the administration and Democrat-controlled Legislature should have begun curbing state spending last spring to avoid such a severe fiscal crisis."

Representative Karyn Polito of Shrewsbury argued that reforming the budget should have been initiated early in Mr. Patrick's term. According to Mr. Monahan's article (p.4) Ms. Polito said, "The governor has been here for two years. Where is the reform? Where is the demonstration that he has wrung out every ineffeciency? Where is the pension reform?" Ms. Polito added that local aid should not be touched.

The vote in the House tallied 131 to 22. Most Republicans voted against giving the governor emergency powers.

Representative Evangelidis issued the following press release detailing his stance on the subject.

EVANGELIDIS OPPOSES LOCAL AID CUTS

Evangelidis said, “Last year I voted against the budget which increased spending by $1.4 billion. It was clear at that time that this budget was unaffordable and unsustainable. I stated at that time that this budget would lead us back next session to make painful retroactive cuts due to our overspending. This is exactly what happened. Although the economic crisis has made a bad situation worse, we could have avoided half these cuts if we had passed a responsible budget last year.

When Governor Patrick signed the budget last July his administration publicly stated that they knew this budget was close to $500 million out of balance, but he vetoed only $120 million in spending. The legislature overrode and spent almost all of those vetoed items. I was one of only a few legislators to support Governor Patrick’s vetoes, even on this minimal amount. Now the legislature has given Governor Patrick the authority to cut local aid to balance our budget. I have always promised my communities that I would prioritize local aid and education funding above all else. For that reason alone I voted against today’s legislation. Especially in light of having a state supported healt h care system that has spun out of control, an unnecessary Governor’s Washington D.C. Office, no pension or transportation reforms, state owned golf courses etc.

Additionally, the Governor did not outline after being requested to do so, what specific cuts he will make with his additional budget cutting authority. In light of all the above, it is completely unacceptable for me to approve any cuts that will affect our communities local services and education.

"Here come the cuts to local aid" by John J. Monahan is on p. 1 in today's Telegram & Gazette.

C-Mass. Republican Legislators Chime in Against Pay Raise

Kudos to Representatives Lew Evangelidis of Holden, Karyn Polito of Shrewsbury and Todd Smola of Palmer for rejecting a pay raise. Although this increase was built into the Constitution with an added amendment and is scheduled to take place every two years, the timing is quite inappropriate. Rep. Smola was quoted in yesterday's (Jan. 9, P.B4) Boston Globe as saying "It seems ironic that Beacon Hill is preparing to make additional budget cuts that will hurt our cities and towns while accepting a raise in pay at the same time."

Given the economy, people, even legislators have to contend with personal finances and some may be in better circumstances than others, making it more feasible for them to go without the money, however certain Republican legislators in Central Massachusetts are making the good judgment to forgo that raise. This speaks highly of them and they deserve to be commended. In Friday's Telegram & Gazette (Jan. 9, p.A4) Representative Evangelidis expressed his compassion and concerns for those currently suffering as well as for those who could potentially lose their jobs. "I cannot in good conscience accept this legislative pay raise at a time when state revenues are rapidly declining. Every day on the news, and everywhere I go, I hear so many stories of families having difficulty making ends meet. There are also projections that there is an expectation that over 100,000 jobs could be lost in Massachusetts." According to Rep. Polito, in the same T & G article, EMC is on the verge of laying off 600 employees.

To read "Will pols accept raise?" by Steve LeBlanc of The Telegram & Gazette, (Jan. 9, p.A1) click on the link below.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090109/NEWS/901090654/1116/NEWSREWIND
To read "Two dozen lawmakers to reject pay raise" by John C. Drake of The Boston Globe (Jan.9, p.B1) click the link directly below.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/01/09/two_dozen_lawmakers_to_reject_pay_raise/

"The Man in the Arena" by TR

Theodore Roosevelt said in his "Citizen in a Republic" speech delivered in Paris on April 23, 1910:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

From: www.leadershipnow.com
Source: "Citizenship in a Republic," Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910 The Works of Theodore Roosevelt, Vol XIII, pp. 506-529

The True Leader

Yesterday did not turn out to be what we had hoped, but those of us in the Wachusett area remain optimistic and extraordinarily proud of Representative Lew Evangelidis. On WBZ-TV Channel 4 on the 6 o'clock news (Wed., Jan. 7) Rep. Evangelidis explained the "present" votes received by the Speaker of the House. He spoke with authority for the opposition, saying those votes were an indicator showing discontent with the goings-on on Beacon Hill. Representative Evangelidis continues to prove that regardless of yesterday's outcome, he is the leader and the voice of the minority party, both in the House and throughout Massachusetts.

Time To SayThank You

Following Marshall Horwitz's lead in his e-mail to area Republicans, I dedicate today's entry to thanking everyone who has contributed to State Representative Lew Evangelidis' campaign for House minority leader. Thank you for writing letters to The Telegram & Gazette, as well as to papers outside the region. Thank you for calling and e-mailing radio talk shows to direct the conversation towards Rep. Evangelidis. Thank you for contacting friends and family throughout the state and encouraging them to write letters to their local papers. Thank you for supporting our great Representative Lew Evangelidis!

A very special thank you goes out to Dick Callahan, Chairman of the Holden Republican Town Committee, who knows how to put it all together and does it. To Marshall Horwitz, Vice-Chairman of the HRTC, who through his example and his words, has taught me the importance of expressing gratitude, I say thank you for that lesson, as well as for the tremendous amount of time, energy and intellectual sweat you've put into this effort in so many ways. Marshall and Dick are exemplary in their commitment to improve the political climate in this state and their understanding of how to enact that change is sound.

To Representative Lew Evangelidis, thank you for being the candidate. Thank you for representing us and for making us proud to be Republicans. Thank you for the tremendous amount and quality of work you do. We wish you the best in today's vote and regardless of the outcome, we consider you the leader, not just of House Republicans, but of the Republican Party in Massachusetts.

Another Two Letters of Endorsement for Representative Lew Evangelidis

Craig Bovaird is a small business owner who lives in Princeton. Mr. Bovaird writes from a business perspective why he thinks State Representative Lew Evangelidis should be elected minority leader of the House.

Massachusetts ends 2008 with Democrats holding 88% of the Legislature. With the loss of three Republican seats in the House, majority percentage rises to a whopping 89.5%. The long-held governorship now rests in Democratic hands and there are no U.S. Republican congressmen or senators representing Massachusetts. Common sense informs us that having a system of checks and balances is crucial for good government. Representative Lew Evangelidis stands for common sense and good government.

As a small business owner, I understand the necessity of staying within a budget. Spending non-existent money to cover rising costs of materials and production is not an option in sustaining a successful business. Mr. Evangelidis understands these principles and knows how to apply them to setting budgets and living within monetary constraints. He is not afraid to prioritize, something small business owners must understand in order to keep their companies viable. He believes in looking for ways to conserve and to become more efficient and streamlined, versus raising more dollars through higher taxes. Representative Evangelidis is a friend to small business and last year earned an 88% rating with the foremost business advocacy group in the Commonwealth, Associated Industries of Mass.

Massachusetts Republicans need a new leader in the House and Representative Evangelidis has the energy and dedication, the desire to work hard and the fortitude to oppose the Democratic majority’s propensity towards increasing taxes to solve problems. House Republicans would do well to elect State Representative Lew Evangelidis as minority leader.

Robert Dumont, Chairman of the Sterling Republican Town Committee, reacts to Brian Burke's Telegram & Gazette "As You See It" column.

In his piece in "Commentary" on Tuesday, December 30,2008,Republican State Committee man Brian Burke bemoans the current state of the Republican Party in Massachusetts and ends by saying, " Two-party government is the only way out of this mess, but our state's Republicans must find a way to make the voters see it." I suggest that new leadership in the legislature is one big part of the answer. Lew Evangelidis should be elected Minority Leader of the Massachusetts House of Representatives!

Robert C. Dumont

Another Voice Supporting Rep. Lew Evangelidis as Minority Leader

Mary Fudeman is a former legislative aide to Representative Lew Evangelidis. She writes why he should be the next GOP leader in the House.

We in Massachusetts are fortunate to have many forward-thinking, energetic elected officials representing us at the local, state and federal levels. State Representative Lew Evangelidis is one such official. Since he was first elected to the House in 2002, Rep. Evangelidis has effectively worked across party lines to get things done for his district and for the state of Massachusetts. Now he would like to bring his energy and his enthusiasm to the office of House minority leader. I urge the Republicans in the House to vote for Rep. Evangelidis on January 7. He has consistently put our cities and towns, our schools and our environment at the top of his agenda. As Minority Leader, he will be in a great position to work towards fiscal responsibility in our state while at the same time supporting the services and environmental policies that will keep Massachusetts strong and competitive. He will energize the Republican party in Massachusetts and help bring us back to a two-party system.

Mary Fudeman, Cambridge

Representative Lew Evangelidis for Leader of The House

I wholeheartedly support State Representative Lew Evangelidis in his pursuit to become the next House minority leader and I strongly urge the other 15 Republican representatives to vote for him. On January 7th, 16 Republicans and 144 Democrats will be sworn into the House, 5 Republicans and 35 Democrats in the Senate. Single party dominance is unhealthy at best; dangerous at worst. It is time for a change.

With his fresh ideas, courage and amazing work ethic, Representative Evangelidis will infuse new energy and life into the Republican Party. Mr. Evangelidis recently proposed adding an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ban candidates and politicians from accepting money from lobbyists and special interest groups such as corporations and unions. Proposing changes of this magnitude is bound to anger the Old Guard, but rather than acquiesce to the power brokers, Mr. Evangelidis speaks out against wrongs, all the while fully aware of potential consequences. Representative Evangelidis is that young, energetic leader, the one with The New Voice, who Massachusetts needs to change the course of things-as-they-are.

Advice From a Founder

In yesterdays editorial section of The Boston Globe, Ira Stoll, through the eyes of Samuel Adams, offers a take on dealing with today's harsh economic realities. (Jan. 2, p. A13) "A revolutionary for our times" is an interesting piece that presents an alternate way of handling financial difficulties. According to Stoll, Adams was not the wealthiest Founding Father, as evidenced by the fact that "before he set out to Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress in 1774, the people of Boston took up a collection to buy him a new suit and pair of shoes." Stoll writes how Adams dealt with modest living by accepting it and devoting the time he had to his country. Adams, in part, attributes the source of his world view to those who came before. In his words, "The virtues of our Ancestors inspires us -- they were contented with Clams & Muscles." (June 1,1774)

Here we sit, 235 years later, on the cusp of a new year, traditionally a time to re-set priorities and focus on improving ourselves. Ira Stoll suggests we look to Samuel Adams for direction in viewing our somewhat sorry predicament, saying that as Americans we tend to look to the Founders for advice on many fronts, why not this? "It's something to consider this year when job-hunting, looking for ways to cut the family budget, or absorbing losses in retirement accounts or brokerage statements. Samuel Adams had an insight that seems especially worth recalling at this moment: There are things, like freedom and equality and family and faith and country, that are more important than money." Rather than feeling sorry for oneself, we would do well to do as Sam Adams did -- be happy with our "Clams & Muscles" and decide to "contribute to the Redemption of [our] Country."

To read Ira Stoll's entire article, click the link below.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/01/02/a_revolutionary_for_our_times/