PLATFORM
A Look at the Issues
Paid Family Medical Leave
Bill believes that no employee should be forced to choose between their job and their health or that of their family. The Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) Act will ensure that all workers are protected if they need to take time off due to illness, to take care of a sick family member, or after the birth of a child. As a manager of small business/nonprofit organizations Bill knows it is hard to replace talented employees. Hiring replacements takes time and resources. Everyone is best served with PFML.
The Massachusetts Senate has passed the PFML Act, but it will be up to your next State Representative to make sure that it is passed in the House. As your Representative, Bill will vote for this common sense law.
Protect Our Local Skies and Advocate for Fair Air Traffic Policies
Milton is experiencing an unacceptable level of air traffic. The frequency of planes is taking a toll on sleep and quality of life, and many of us are extremely concerned about the effects of particulates in the air emitted from engines flying at low altitudes overhead. In April, Bill delivered your complaints in person at the Massport Board Meeting, but more work is needed. Bill will continue to push our state’s US Senators to step up and deliver our message on a federal level. Bill will work with other elected officials at all levels to support the whole community advocacy effort that is needed to address this important quality of life issue.
Revitalize our Economy, Parks, and Community Spaces
As a long time resident of the Norfolk 7th District, Bill knows the importance of our local parks, green spaces, and vital community spaces/resources. He will work on the state level to secure funds to improve and maintain these important assets for our and future generations’ enjoyment. Bill will be our voice on Beacon Hill and will seek opportunities to assist in the development and revitalization of our business districts. He will collaborate with local community members and with other elected officials on plans to add parking and reduce traffic, an issue that many Milton and Randolph residents have raised as he has gone door to door during the campaign. He has heard your concerns and intends to take action.
Address Challenges Facing Our Schools
Bill deeply believes in the power of education and will work to ensure that each child has access to an excellent education in his/her community. Charter schools, though well-intentioned and a part the solution to address the education gap, are not the only solution and have not achieved their intended goals.
The children of Randolph and Milton deserve the best and Bill will make consistent votes that are focused on resolving the challenges facing our schools and teachers. Changes regarding how funds are allocated in the public school system need to be explored, particularly because Randolph public schools are at a disadvantage under the current system.
Preserve the Blue Hills and Local Reservation Land
Our local reservation lands are a source of pride for our entire community that set us apart from other areas and make this one of the best places to live in Massachusetts. Bill will work to ensure that we protect these environmental assets from development and that they can be enjoyed by generations to come.
Address the Opioid Crisis
In 2015 alone more than 1,500 Massachusetts residents died in Opioid related deaths. We can’t afford to ignore this issue. Bill supports laws and programs that increase access to mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment. Bill supports the efforts to de-stigmatize those seeking help for opioid addiction and supports programs that lead to the outcomes that best benefit individuals, our neighborhoods, and society. He supports Jail Diversion Programs that address issues related to mental health, substance abuse, and mass incarceration.
Fight for a Living Wage
Today’s minimum wage in Massachusetts of $10.00/hour leaves families unable to pay their bills, feed their families, and develop the self reliance and resiliency that all residents long for and deserve. We need a living wage for ALL. Bill supports a $15 minimum wage in Massachusetts.
The following is Bill's response to the Milton Times Candidate's Corner question regarding The November ballot question.
I do not support the ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in Massachusetts. I have come to this position after talking with many residents of Milton and Randolph who have shared their personal stories and concerns. If this ballot initiative passes, it will lead to the creation of a billion dollar marijuana industry at a time when our families, friends and communities are working desperately to address the substance abuse and addiction problems facing our state today. Chiefly, I am concerned that this new billion dollar industry will market to kids and young adults.
Many of these concerns echo those raised by the Campaign for a Safe & Healthy Massachusetts. According to their website (http://www.safeandhealthyma.com), the Safe and Healthy Massachusetts campaign is a growing coalition of families, workers, businesses, health care and community leaders, anti-addiction advocates, educators, and first responders who are opposing the legalization of the commercial marijuana industry in Massachusetts. They point out that the proposed initiative is written in a way that will benefit the large marijuana industry, but leave local communities little power when it comes to ensuring that legalization is implemented responsibly. The fact that, two years into legalization, Colorado has more marijuana stores than Starbucks and McDonalds combined, is staggering. This ballot initiative is not right for Massachusetts.
Ballot Question: Legalize Marijuana?
Milton TImes Question: Deer Hunting in Blue Hills?
The following is Bill's response to the Milton Times Candidate's Corner question regarding the planned deer hunt in the Blue Hill Reservation this fall.
I am not a supporter of public deer hunting in the Blue Hills. If there needs to be herd reduction then contraceptive measures should be employed as a next step. If the decision by the DCR is to reduce the herd by hunting I would much rather see the DCR follow the lead of Duke Forest in North Carolina which is a similar sized protected land with hiking trails throughout. Like the Blue Hills Reservation, Duke Forest abuts residential and commercial areas and has heavily trafficked roadways cutting through it.
The comparisons continue in that Duke has had to deal with the same vegetation destruction threatening the long term health of the ecosystem. However, they have approached the herd reduction differently by hiring professional sharpshooters that hunt on specific nights for several weeks, allowing the trails to be safely open during daylight to the public. Or during other years they have gone the route of training a specific group of hunters that have access to the forest for several weeks to reduce the herd numbers. The hunters are members of the public but it is more controlled and considered a trained, private group with accountability protocols vs open permits without specific training.
In closing, let me add that not once have I ever felt the need to wear orange clothing as a safety measure in the Blue Hills. I’d rather the trails stay a relaxing oasis where we don’t have to look over our shoulders or worry.