By Brian Boyd
A Plymouth businessman has announced he will seek the Republican nomination for the new 9th Congressional District.
Christopher Sheldon, a management consultant and Plymouth County Charter Study Commissioner, has formed a campaign committee, he announced in a news release Friday.
"Like many from the South Shore, South Coast, Cape and Islands, I am very concerned about the direction of our country and especially our economy," Sheldon said in the release. "I believe in the American dream and I believe that, if we start now, there is still time to get our nation back on track."
He cited professional politicions and partisanship as impediments to solving problems in Washingron, and he said there is a need for someone with business and economic experience who is willing to work across party lines. Sheldon has tentatively scheduled a formal announcement of his candidacy and a campaign kick-off event for March 30.
The new 9th district, created as part of the redistricting process following the 2010 census, encompasses Cape Cod and parts of the South Shore and South Coast, including New Bedford.
U.S. Rep. William R.Keating, D-Mass, who currently represents part of the new district, and Bristol County and District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter are seeking the Democratic Nomination.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Additional Dates for Town/Ward/City Bootcamps
The MassGOP has added more Boot Camps in addition to the January 28th Boot Camp which was completely booked shortly after the date was announced. The training is intended for Republican Town, Ward and City Committee leaders that want to grow their committee with new members and fresh ideas. The program is completely new and updated for 2012.
The program is being offered by the leadership of the Attleboro Republican City Committee, which has a long history of local Republican success. Elected Republicans representing Attleboro include two State Representatives and a State Senator, the Mayor, the leadership and majority of the members of the City Council including the President, and the leadership of the School Committee.
The Massachusetts Republican Party partnering up again with Howard Bibeault and Susan Blais of the Attleboro Committee is inviting the leaders of the local Town and Ward and City Committees to attend a full day of free training classes. In one day participants can learn how to GROW their Committees with new members and new ideas on how to get Republican Candidates elected.
An all new and updated for 2012 - 65 page Hardcover Reference Book will be presented to each attendee. Subjects covered in the Handbook include:
- GOP History & why we are Republicans
- Positive Energy: It's contagious!
- How to grow a Republican Committee
- Why we need Republican Town/Ward/City Committees
- How to organize, electing your officers, OCPF filings
- Checking Accounts, ByLaws, Membership List
- Membership Recruitment & Membership Drives
- Calendar, Events, Meeting Locations, Agenda and Speakers
- Technology - A world of free tools !
- Candidate Debates, Community Involvement, Voter Registrations
- Fundraising, Donations, Dues
- Finding and supporting Rebublican Candidates to run !
- How to organize your committee (Mandatory by MA State Law this April)
and lots more !
The newly added dates include:
Sunday, February 5, 2012 - 9AM to 3PM (With Lunch and Snacks)
Location: State Senator Ross - Office - 93 Commonwealth Ave, North Attleboro, MA
Sunday, April 22, 2012 - 9AM to 3PM (With Lunch and Snacks)
Location: Labonte's Auto School - 130 Cedar Street, Milford, MA
Sunday, April 26, 2012 - 9AM to 3PM (With Lunch and Snacks)
Location: State Senator Ross Office - 93 Commonwealth Ave, North Attleboro, MA
Saturday, May 19, 2012 - 9AM to 3PM (With Lunch and Snacks)
Location North of Boston Area - Venue to be announced
Anyone considering running for office, and declared candidates and their teams should be planning to attend a Boot Camp ! After noting which boot camp you and your team wish to attend contact the MassGOP at BootCamps@massgop.com.
The program is being offered by the leadership of the Attleboro Republican City Committee, which has a long history of local Republican success. Elected Republicans representing Attleboro include two State Representatives and a State Senator, the Mayor, the leadership and majority of the members of the City Council including the President, and the leadership of the School Committee.
The Massachusetts Republican Party partnering up again with Howard Bibeault and Susan Blais of the Attleboro Committee is inviting the leaders of the local Town and Ward and City Committees to attend a full day of free training classes. In one day participants can learn how to GROW their Committees with new members and new ideas on how to get Republican Candidates elected.
An all new and updated for 2012 - 65 page Hardcover Reference Book will be presented to each attendee. Subjects covered in the Handbook include:
- GOP History & why we are Republicans
- Positive Energy: It's contagious!
- How to grow a Republican Committee
- Why we need Republican Town/Ward/City Committees
- How to organize, electing your officers, OCPF filings
- Checking Accounts, ByLaws, Membership List
- Membership Recruitment & Membership Drives
- Calendar, Events, Meeting Locations, Agenda and Speakers
- Technology - A world of free tools !
- Candidate Debates, Community Involvement, Voter Registrations
- Fundraising, Donations, Dues
- Finding and supporting Rebublican Candidates to run !
- How to organize your committee (Mandatory by MA State Law this April)
and lots more !
The newly added dates include:
Sunday, February 5, 2012 - 9AM to 3PM (With Lunch and Snacks)
Location: State Senator Ross - Office - 93 Commonwealth Ave, North Attleboro, MA
Sunday, April 22, 2012 - 9AM to 3PM (With Lunch and Snacks)
Location: Labonte's Auto School - 130 Cedar Street, Milford, MA
Sunday, April 26, 2012 - 9AM to 3PM (With Lunch and Snacks)
Location: State Senator Ross Office - 93 Commonwealth Ave, North Attleboro, MA
Saturday, May 19, 2012 - 9AM to 3PM (With Lunch and Snacks)
Location North of Boston Area - Venue to be announced
Anyone considering running for office, and declared candidates and their teams should be planning to attend a Boot Camp ! After noting which boot camp you and your team wish to attend contact the MassGOP at BootCamps@massgop.com.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Time to fix Public Housing
By Raymond Mariano
The current public housing system is a well-intentioned failure. This system, originally intended to provide temporary transitional support to struggling families, has become the housing of choice for multiple generations of the same family. Such a system promotes reliance on public assistance and creates intergenerational poverty.
With each subsequent generation, the lack of motivation to leave public housing becomes more ingrained. Today, children living in public housing are more likely to become adult residents and raise their own children in public housing than in generations past.
Additionally, the intergenerational reliance on public housing clogs the system with the same families. The result is that thousands of families are forced to remain on an endless waiting list.
The current system is based on the mistaken notion that residents of public housing can't do anything to help themselves and that they are destined to fail. We reject that notion. Rather than believing in our residents and helping them get on their feet, our existing system provides a strong disincentive to work and to accurately report income.
The time has come for a bold new approach. One approach aims to break the permanent cycle of poverty and public housing reliance, as well as transform lives by changing the concept behind providing this public benefit.
With close to 80 percent of Worcester's public housing residents unemployed, we propose a requirement for able-bodied residents under the age of fifty to go to work or attend school full time in order to continue to receive housing benefits.
In order to ensure that residents are provided the necessary tools and resources to meet the school/work requirements, all residents will participate in intensive case-management services, and will be provided with access to resources that will help improve the educational, occupational, financial and health needs of each member of the household.
As an incentive to go to work, all residents will participate in an escrow program to allow them to maintain their rents at a pre-employment level. The increased portion of their rent, that would normally result from their increased income, will be put in escrow to allow the resident a greater chance of self-sufficiency when they leave public housing after a few years.
Too many children living in public housing fail and drop out of school. Poor attendance and dismal graduation rates have become the norm. As a part of this new approach, children will be required to attend school on a regular basis and not exceed the guidelines for absences set by the local school district for their family to continue to receive housing benefits.
Although most public and leased housing residents have the desire and motivation to improve their lives, many lack the skills and knowledge to actually do so. Life 101 is a program specifically designed to provide residents with basic but significant life skills, including training related to healthy relationships, parenting, financial literacy, housekeeping, being a good neighbor and conflict resolution.
In general, public housing children lack resources, family support and a positive father/male role model. Lack of education contributes to a lack of sustained employment among our residents.
Ultimately, our goal is to help make residents self-sufficient and motivate them to move out of public or leased housing and take their place in the larger community. We believe that housing authorities should do more than change the windows and doors every few years. In fact, if we are willing to believe in our residents and provide them with the support they need, we believe that we have the opportunity to change lives.
Raymond V. Mariano is executive director of the Worcester Housing Authority.
The current public housing system is a well-intentioned failure. This system, originally intended to provide temporary transitional support to struggling families, has become the housing of choice for multiple generations of the same family. Such a system promotes reliance on public assistance and creates intergenerational poverty.
With each subsequent generation, the lack of motivation to leave public housing becomes more ingrained. Today, children living in public housing are more likely to become adult residents and raise their own children in public housing than in generations past.
Additionally, the intergenerational reliance on public housing clogs the system with the same families. The result is that thousands of families are forced to remain on an endless waiting list.
The current system is based on the mistaken notion that residents of public housing can't do anything to help themselves and that they are destined to fail. We reject that notion. Rather than believing in our residents and helping them get on their feet, our existing system provides a strong disincentive to work and to accurately report income.
The time has come for a bold new approach. One approach aims to break the permanent cycle of poverty and public housing reliance, as well as transform lives by changing the concept behind providing this public benefit.
With close to 80 percent of Worcester's public housing residents unemployed, we propose a requirement for able-bodied residents under the age of fifty to go to work or attend school full time in order to continue to receive housing benefits.
In order to ensure that residents are provided the necessary tools and resources to meet the school/work requirements, all residents will participate in intensive case-management services, and will be provided with access to resources that will help improve the educational, occupational, financial and health needs of each member of the household.
As an incentive to go to work, all residents will participate in an escrow program to allow them to maintain their rents at a pre-employment level. The increased portion of their rent, that would normally result from their increased income, will be put in escrow to allow the resident a greater chance of self-sufficiency when they leave public housing after a few years.
Too many children living in public housing fail and drop out of school. Poor attendance and dismal graduation rates have become the norm. As a part of this new approach, children will be required to attend school on a regular basis and not exceed the guidelines for absences set by the local school district for their family to continue to receive housing benefits.
Although most public and leased housing residents have the desire and motivation to improve their lives, many lack the skills and knowledge to actually do so. Life 101 is a program specifically designed to provide residents with basic but significant life skills, including training related to healthy relationships, parenting, financial literacy, housekeeping, being a good neighbor and conflict resolution.
In general, public housing children lack resources, family support and a positive father/male role model. Lack of education contributes to a lack of sustained employment among our residents.
Ultimately, our goal is to help make residents self-sufficient and motivate them to move out of public or leased housing and take their place in the larger community. We believe that housing authorities should do more than change the windows and doors every few years. In fact, if we are willing to believe in our residents and provide them with the support they need, we believe that we have the opportunity to change lives.
Raymond V. Mariano is executive director of the Worcester Housing Authority.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
