My top priority as your next state representative is to bring a strong voice to Beacon Hill and a listening ear to the Third Barnstable District.  For me serving as state representative is about more than just going to Boston and voting on legislation.  Being state representative is about working with citizens, local business owners, civic organizations, and town governments to solve problems and pave the road to the American dream.

DECISION-MAKING

Let me share with you the ingredients I will use when facing challenges of my constituents, Cape Cod, or the Commonwealth:
1.  I will seek to understand the current challenge and its complexities before jumping to provide answers.
2.  I will bring together all sides of an issue when possible to hear their suggestions.
3.  I will have an open-mind when developing my approach to the problem.

THE 5% RULE

10 Years ago Massachusetts had record surpluses.  What happened to them?  The state government continued to grow and when our structural deficit hit, even before the current recession, the state began balancing the budget on Rainy Day funds.  That's how we got into the mess we're in now.  

I want to introduce what I am calling the 5% Rule.  The 5% Rule is that state government can and should be able to rule this Commonwealth on a 5% tax on income and a 5% sales tax.  I support returning the state sales and income taxes to 5%. I believe we must address the structural deficit that exists within the state budget by the guiding principle of "Reform before Revenue."  

The message is simple, my grandfather used to always say "if you don't have the money, don't buy it."  I acknowledge that there is a place for managed debt and bonded obligations, but the general principle that we can't have everything has gotten away from legislators on Beacon Hill.  Transportation and Economic development reform were steps in the right direction, now we must look for efficiencies in all state services.

IMMIGRATION

Immigration is the foundation of the greatest resource in the United States, our citizens.  We should do everything possible at the state level to assist legal immigrants in becoming U.S. citizens.  I recall a family story about my great grandmother who came here from Portugal.  She was asked during her citizenship test what are the colors of the American flag? and she responded, "Red, white, blue, and gold." The examiner responded, "Gold?" She smiled and pointed out the gold fringe on the flag behind his desk. She became a proud U.S. citizen and raised her family in East Falmouth.

While supporting legal immigration, I am opposed to offering preference or government benefits to illegal immigrants.  The current proposal to extend in state tuition and other government benefits to illegal immigrants doesn't make sense.

If they graduate from a state college or university and are illegally in this country, it is illegal for them to get a job and pay taxes.  That's just the wrong message we want to send to those going through the official channels for citizenship, and to our citizens in the Commonwealth whom are struggling to send their own children to college.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

Our towns have been hit hard over the past two years by cuts in local aid. The state has expected our towns to revise their budgets mid year, which has wreaked havoc on critical local services like fire and police protection, education, library services and public works.  Our towns have fallen prey to the fly by the seat of the pants budgeting habits on Beacon Hill.

As Falmouth Town Moderator, I know first hand what happens to towns when state government cuts local aid and breaks promises like the Quinn bill funding for police education.  Beacon Hill must stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of local governments. State government should be reformed and make good on its promises.  Today it's the Quinn bill, what's tomorrow? Chapter 115 Veteran's benefits?  We must not let that happen.

I believe cutting local aid should be off the table.  We need to develop a revenue sharing formula which is fair to cities and towns and is based on a defined share of state taxes.

I see our towns having to choose when to use stabilization funds, and the state requires towns to have a 2/3 supermajority vote in order to save money and also in order to spend it.  Meanwhile, the state legislature can spend the state's savings with a simple majority.  I propose we require the state to also have a 2/3 super majority to spend from the Rainy Day account and that the requirement on cities and towns to put money into savings be returned to a simple majority.

CAPE WIND

Renewable energy is an important goal for the Commonwealth, but I am opposed to the current Cape Wind proposal for 130 turbines in Nantucket Sound. All reasonable estimates of the cost of this project show that electricity generated would be two to three times the current rate paid by Cape consumers.  The current contract signed between CapeWind and National Grid places the rate per kilowatt hour at 18.7 cents.  Look at your electric bill this month, when I reviewed mine I found I was paying 8.7 cents with CONEDISON last month and this month the rate went down to 7.9 cents. 

In this economy when unemployment has reached an all time high and people are working harder for less, I am opposed to anything that doubles or nearly triples electric rates for consumers. Let us look at land-based wind, or underwater hydrokinetic turbine projects which cost less and preserve our maritime vistas and the historic beauty of our region.  Nantucket Sound is not the right location for this project.  

NATURAL RESOURCES

I consider myself a conservationist and not an environmentalist. We must use sound science to balance our effects on the natural world and to conserve our natural resources for future generations.  I maintain decisions about conservation and protection of natural resources should be based on sound science. The appropriate boards and commissions of experts should be making these decisions and not members of the state legislature.

Based on the testimony of state and national experts at the January 14, 2010 legislative hearing on H.B. 796, there is no need to ban commercial fishing of striped bass, nor is there a need to reduce the recreational catch limits at this time.  The commercial and recreational fisheries can and should coexist.  

HEALTHCARE

Mandated health insurance benefits in Massachusetts significantly contribute to the high costs of health care in this state.  Mandated benefits often exceed what individuals actually need for coverage.  I support allowing you the consumer, the citizen of the Commonwealth, to decide the level of coverage that best suits your needs, not some bureaucrats in Boston.

Furthermore, the mandate on businesses that employ 10 or more employees to provide health benefits or be subject to an "assessment," a tax, has kept many small businesses hovering at 9 employees.  Tort reform must also be explored in a way that will reduce the cost of our healthcare while still protecting patients.