This week we were able to spread a little good news for the First Berkshire District. First, the city of North Adams was awarded over $3 million under federal stimulus money in order to upgrade the roadways in and around the city. Most of the work will happen on the major paths into the city. This is great news and I hope we are able to do more in other towns in the district.. Thanks goes to Peter Niles, the District One chief for his help on this. He does a great job. This coupled with broadband planning and pushing for the new science building at M.C.L.A. dramatically enhances our efforts to rebuild our economy.
The other good news was that the list of Registry of Motor Vehicles, first listed as twelve closings became eleven as we worked with the Patrick administration to keep our North Berkshire Registry open. At the end of the day, we were not only successful, but we will have enhanced the office by adding District One highway engineers as a satellite office at the Registry. I had opportunities to lobby the Governor on this issue and expressed the objection that any measurement that just takes use into account doesn't help us in the Berkshires because of our smaller population. I told him that under that measurement alone, the Berkshires always lose. However, we are part of the state and should get the same services as elsewhere. To his credit the Governor agreed and Transportation Secretary Aloisi came up with this plan. Thanks to them, Lt. Gov. Murray, Registrar Kaprelian, Sen. Ben Downing, and Mayor Barrett for their advocacy and help. This was a collaborative effort and was innovative.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sunday Morning Musings
Toward the end of the song Stairway to Heaven is the lyric, “And as we wind on down the road, our shadows longer than our souls,”. The singer is making the point that the person he is talking about is more concerned with material wealth than her spiritual health. I have been thinking a lot about this over the past few months as we have been struggling with our budget. How much can we do and how do we do it? Where does government help end and our responsibility begin? How much are we responsible for our fellow man and how much is too much? We struggle with these constantly as we try to strike a balance. It isn’t easy. Do we spend more to help people in need now or do we appropriate in order to seed future projects that will help our budget in the long term? What is truly necessary and who sets those priorities? What is material and what is spiritual?
First, let me say that spiritual is not necessarily religious, but is, to me, a human responsibility to help each other as best we can. And material is not necessarily money, but services that give us comfort. Economic times such as these give us pause and an opportunity to examine every program that we have to decide what is viable and necessary, and what is outdated and dysfunctional. While this is painful, it is necessary for the continuation of an effective government.
This isn’t easy. First, entropy keeps most programs going even if they are outdated. People hate change. I know I do. I am still disgruntled about the designated hitter rule! So we resist change, well, just because. We also resist change because each line item, each program has grown its own constituency that will fight hard to keep a program going even if it is no longer as effective as other newer programs. People are employed in those agencies and they fight hard to keep going. Who wants to lose a job?
But programs can be very much like grass growing in a driveway or on a flagstone walk in the backyard. We can see the grass growing between stone and we can cut that back, but the roots continue to grow until they threaten to split apart the masonry. Much the same, we can enact budget cuts, but the core of or programs continue to grow. And left unchecked, they threaten the stability of the budget.
This is the second time in my legislative career that we have witnessed a deep recession. The first was in the early nineties and the second is this one. There have been others, but not like these two where the effect was deep and lasting over several budgets.
While there are similarities between the two, there is one striking difference this time. People seem more concerned with their shadows that their souls. People are more likely to criticize over one issue than in the past. When I first entered office in 1987, people would disagree on an issue, but would still consider all your work or positions rather than just one. Today, there is far more vitriol that doesn’t add to the debate, but further pulls us apart.
Some of this may be that more people are getting news from the internet or from blogs where there is no fact checking and a nastiness that seems to come with anonymity. It may be the threat of job loss as our economy churns and old jobs are lost and new jobs require new skill sets. Some is admittedly self-inflicted as we have grown far better at the politics of some issues than the actual governing of those issues.
For those of you who read this blog on a regular basis (thanks to both of you!) you know that I have talked about new ways to conduct business in government. We cut programs and increase taxes, but we also need to reform government in order to do things better and more efficiently with new technologies, and we need to expand our tax base by creating opportunities for business expansion. We can’t do this by adhering to old ideologies or based on political philosophy alone, but we need creative thinking and active participation focused on problem solving rather than scoring political points. And we can’t do this alone. No one person or ideology has a corner on the truth. We need a conversation on what we expect and how we achieve that. No political rallies. No vitriolic talk show hosts, just a conversation amongst ourselves. Wouldn’t that be nice?
First, let me say that spiritual is not necessarily religious, but is, to me, a human responsibility to help each other as best we can. And material is not necessarily money, but services that give us comfort. Economic times such as these give us pause and an opportunity to examine every program that we have to decide what is viable and necessary, and what is outdated and dysfunctional. While this is painful, it is necessary for the continuation of an effective government.
This isn’t easy. First, entropy keeps most programs going even if they are outdated. People hate change. I know I do. I am still disgruntled about the designated hitter rule! So we resist change, well, just because. We also resist change because each line item, each program has grown its own constituency that will fight hard to keep a program going even if it is no longer as effective as other newer programs. People are employed in those agencies and they fight hard to keep going. Who wants to lose a job?
But programs can be very much like grass growing in a driveway or on a flagstone walk in the backyard. We can see the grass growing between stone and we can cut that back, but the roots continue to grow until they threaten to split apart the masonry. Much the same, we can enact budget cuts, but the core of or programs continue to grow. And left unchecked, they threaten the stability of the budget.
This is the second time in my legislative career that we have witnessed a deep recession. The first was in the early nineties and the second is this one. There have been others, but not like these two where the effect was deep and lasting over several budgets.
While there are similarities between the two, there is one striking difference this time. People seem more concerned with their shadows that their souls. People are more likely to criticize over one issue than in the past. When I first entered office in 1987, people would disagree on an issue, but would still consider all your work or positions rather than just one. Today, there is far more vitriol that doesn’t add to the debate, but further pulls us apart.
Some of this may be that more people are getting news from the internet or from blogs where there is no fact checking and a nastiness that seems to come with anonymity. It may be the threat of job loss as our economy churns and old jobs are lost and new jobs require new skill sets. Some is admittedly self-inflicted as we have grown far better at the politics of some issues than the actual governing of those issues.
For those of you who read this blog on a regular basis (thanks to both of you!) you know that I have talked about new ways to conduct business in government. We cut programs and increase taxes, but we also need to reform government in order to do things better and more efficiently with new technologies, and we need to expand our tax base by creating opportunities for business expansion. We can’t do this by adhering to old ideologies or based on political philosophy alone, but we need creative thinking and active participation focused on problem solving rather than scoring political points. And we can’t do this alone. No one person or ideology has a corner on the truth. We need a conversation on what we expect and how we achieve that. No political rallies. No vitriolic talk show hosts, just a conversation amongst ourselves. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Saturday, June 20, 2009
FY 2010 Budget Statement
This is a very tough but honest budget. Over the past year, we have experienced a revenue drop that I have not seen in my 23 years in the legislature.
In a normal budget year, we would have experienced a $1.4 billion increase in our budget due to the natural expansion of obligations in areas such as health care, pensions, education, debt service on prior year capital spending and other prior approved spending.
This year, we not only cut out any increase in spending, but we also cut over $1 billion in the House budget and then closed a $1.5 billion gap by utilizing $199 million from the stabilization account. We also maximized federal funds and continued to make further cuts to our bottom line. In short, between our current budget and next year’s, we had to close a $5 billion gap.
We are not alone; this is a worldwide recession and every state is going through the same process. We are fortunate that in years past the Legislature had placed money into a Stabilization Fund that we have been able to draw down over the last few months.
In an effort to balance the budget, we have reformed our transportation system, cut dozens of line items in their entirety, reformed the way we do business in state government and increased our own health insurance premiums. Through the whole process we made tough decisions and were forced to raise the state sales tax to 6.25%.
We did not come to these decisions lightly. In my opinion, the increase to the sales tax was preferable to the Governor’s more burdensome gas tax proposal which would have cost my constituents approximately three times as much as the sales tax.
These budget times are unprecedented in recent history. No part of the budget was spared, including local aid. We are bound by the state constitution to create a balanced budget and we tried to find the proper balance between cuts, taxes and reforms.
Can we do more to reform our budget? Yes, but real reform is difficult and takes time. The legislature will continue to work on these reforms as we go forward.
That said, there are some bright spots for the 1st Berkshire District. We were able to keep 75% of the funding for veterans services like the Turner House. The Emergency Food Assistance Program was level funded at $12 million and the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program was brought up to $1.2 million.
Payment in lieu of taxes was zeroed out in some versions but in the end we were able to ultimately achieve funding of $27.3 million.
Language was kept in for funding our community coalition.
The Mass Cultural Council, so important to our economy, was funded at $9.7 million.
Regional Transportation Authorities (RTA's) received $44.6 million, but there are new funding formulas that will among other things annually allocate $15 million of the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund to RTAs as we continue to work to modernize our system as a whole.
Local Tourism Councils were kept funded in a time where it would have been easy to be short sighted and eliminate this expenditure entirely.
We funded the essential School Pothole Account at $3.5 million and that is an important avenue for our distressed schools.
Our colleges and our Councils on Aging both received modest increases.
Again, this is the worst revenue outlook that I have experienced in my 23 years. I worked very hard and did my best to secure funding in these tough times for my constituents. All of this was done in an incredibly tough year. I have, in the past, worked to bring reform to the way we do business in Massachusetts. I will continue to work hard to do this in the future as it is a pleasure to work for the great people of North Berkshire and Franklin County.
In a normal budget year, we would have experienced a $1.4 billion increase in our budget due to the natural expansion of obligations in areas such as health care, pensions, education, debt service on prior year capital spending and other prior approved spending.
This year, we not only cut out any increase in spending, but we also cut over $1 billion in the House budget and then closed a $1.5 billion gap by utilizing $199 million from the stabilization account. We also maximized federal funds and continued to make further cuts to our bottom line. In short, between our current budget and next year’s, we had to close a $5 billion gap.
We are not alone; this is a worldwide recession and every state is going through the same process. We are fortunate that in years past the Legislature had placed money into a Stabilization Fund that we have been able to draw down over the last few months.
In an effort to balance the budget, we have reformed our transportation system, cut dozens of line items in their entirety, reformed the way we do business in state government and increased our own health insurance premiums. Through the whole process we made tough decisions and were forced to raise the state sales tax to 6.25%.
We did not come to these decisions lightly. In my opinion, the increase to the sales tax was preferable to the Governor’s more burdensome gas tax proposal which would have cost my constituents approximately three times as much as the sales tax.
These budget times are unprecedented in recent history. No part of the budget was spared, including local aid. We are bound by the state constitution to create a balanced budget and we tried to find the proper balance between cuts, taxes and reforms.
Can we do more to reform our budget? Yes, but real reform is difficult and takes time. The legislature will continue to work on these reforms as we go forward.
That said, there are some bright spots for the 1st Berkshire District. We were able to keep 75% of the funding for veterans services like the Turner House. The Emergency Food Assistance Program was level funded at $12 million and the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program was brought up to $1.2 million.
Payment in lieu of taxes was zeroed out in some versions but in the end we were able to ultimately achieve funding of $27.3 million.
Language was kept in for funding our community coalition.
The Mass Cultural Council, so important to our economy, was funded at $9.7 million.
Regional Transportation Authorities (RTA's) received $44.6 million, but there are new funding formulas that will among other things annually allocate $15 million of the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund to RTAs as we continue to work to modernize our system as a whole.
Local Tourism Councils were kept funded in a time where it would have been easy to be short sighted and eliminate this expenditure entirely.
We funded the essential School Pothole Account at $3.5 million and that is an important avenue for our distressed schools.
Our colleges and our Councils on Aging both received modest increases.
Again, this is the worst revenue outlook that I have experienced in my 23 years. I worked very hard and did my best to secure funding in these tough times for my constituents. All of this was done in an incredibly tough year. I have, in the past, worked to bring reform to the way we do business in Massachusetts. I will continue to work hard to do this in the future as it is a pleasure to work for the great people of North Berkshire and Franklin County.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Slot Resolution at Democratic Convention
Congratulations to all the people who worked hard to get an anti-slot resolution adopted during the Democratic Issues Convention this weekend. Getting this adopted was impressive and makes me feel that we still can beat this when it comes up for a vote later this year. Good job!
Sal DiMasi and Public Service
Since the news of indictments broke this week, I have been thinking over what to say or even what to think concerning this whole matter. I was one of the last defenders of the Speaker in the House and was quite vocal. I have been thinking over this a lot in the past few days and know that I have to write something.
First, let me say that I still won’t make any judgments concerning Sal DiMasi. That is now for the courts and everyone is innocent until the trial is over. Everyone deserves this right.
So what can I say? Well, for starters, I have been asked how we could have voted in January for a Speaker that had been in the paper so many times over the past year with all of the allegations concerning Cognos and other issues. I won’t speak for anyone else, but there were at least three reasons that I voted for him. First, he was and is my friend and I had never seen any impropriety from him in the years that we worked together. Politics is a rough and tumble business and that doesn’t mean I hadn’t seen him partake in the shoulder sharpened tactics that we all employ when are sure we are right on an issue. But I have never seen the Speaker cross the line on the ethics of an issue.
Second, our word is our bond in the Legislature. We live by our ability to convince people of our positions on issues. We live and die by our word. So when I was told on many occasions that nothing wrong was done on the allegations, I believe that we are wired to believe each other on this count as we know how much it means when we say such things to one another.
Third, there were alternative explanations for each and every allegation. For example, I was told that the department of education needed to have new software in order for our Ways and Means Committee to be able to see into the department. We spend more on education than on most parts of the budget and we need information in order to spend that money wisely. It makes sense, then, to go out to bid for software that makes the system more transparent to us and that gives us this information. It wasn’t as if Cognos was a “fly by night” company. They were a reputable firm. Lastly, I knew that we didn’t make the decision in the Legislature as to who was awarded the contract. Therefore, I tended to believe the Speaker on these issues as they made sense with alternative explanations and given how we operate.
There were other issues at work here as well. Many times in my career, I have been contacted by friends or acquaintances looking for help with the government. This may be help, or for a reference in getting a job that is posted or they have a great idea and need the services of our economic development offices. When someone in the business community calls me and tells me that they are having trouble with the department of revenue because they have fallen behind on their taxes, I will call DOR and remind them that we shouldn’t be in the business of putting people out of business and ask them to work something out. Or perhaps someone will have a problem with the registry of motor vehicles and we try to be helpful. Each one of us has businesses that we know or are in our district that call us. Constituent requests make up a lot of our phone calls and advocacy. In all cases, I ask the department in question for a fair shake and consideration. After that, it is up to the business or individual to make their own case on the problem or issue in question. But people shouldn’t be penalized for knowing us or for their friendship. I assume or assumed that the Speaker was doing the same thing.
Lastly, those of us in public life are frustrated by the press and that leads us to discount their stories when there are legitimate concerns. When was the last time we saw a good story about the work of the Legislature in the press? I would gladly take the bad stories if they wrote about all the good work we do. I work very hard for my constituents and spend a lot of time in Boston, away from my family and district in doing so. I have been the author of quite a few major pieces of legislation, and have never had a scandal in my district or office. That is not the exception, but the rule. Most members work very hard for their districts and on many state issues. Yet, over the past week, we have been called pigs, enablers, crooks, bums, and a few more choice words. People never see all the good we do and yet get the daily dose of allegations. A little balance would be nice.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t things we can do to make the system and situation better. There are. However, we must make sure that we don’t rush in and change things that will make it more difficult to do our jobs. The toughest ethics laws in the world are not going to stop someone who will betray their constituents and the public trust. So we need to be smart concerning reforms. I would suggest that one of the ways we can make government more transparent and get more people involved in by going back to doing business the way we used to when I first came into the Legislature. By that I mean that we should print our daily calendar and have more formal sessions dealing with issues before us. The daily calendar was a listing of all bills ready for action. We used to read through the calendar each day and then go back through it to take up issues ready for debate. Not only is this more informative for the public, but gives the whole Legislature more power by placing each issue in some form on the floor. With that one can make motions and it gets harder for a select few to decide what we will deal with. This gives tremendous empowerment to the rank and file members and it also hones debate skills as more people speak on the floor.
I also think we need a way to televise our hearings and sessions again. I have always been surprised by the number of people who would tell me they watched our sessions. It is expensive, but I feel we need to try to find a way to cover this as it adds a lot to our transparency.
There is more, but this post is already overly long. I promised myself that I would cut the size of these, but as I have said before, these are complicated issues and the public deserves more than a sound bite.
First, let me say that I still won’t make any judgments concerning Sal DiMasi. That is now for the courts and everyone is innocent until the trial is over. Everyone deserves this right.
So what can I say? Well, for starters, I have been asked how we could have voted in January for a Speaker that had been in the paper so many times over the past year with all of the allegations concerning Cognos and other issues. I won’t speak for anyone else, but there were at least three reasons that I voted for him. First, he was and is my friend and I had never seen any impropriety from him in the years that we worked together. Politics is a rough and tumble business and that doesn’t mean I hadn’t seen him partake in the shoulder sharpened tactics that we all employ when are sure we are right on an issue. But I have never seen the Speaker cross the line on the ethics of an issue.
Second, our word is our bond in the Legislature. We live by our ability to convince people of our positions on issues. We live and die by our word. So when I was told on many occasions that nothing wrong was done on the allegations, I believe that we are wired to believe each other on this count as we know how much it means when we say such things to one another.
Third, there were alternative explanations for each and every allegation. For example, I was told that the department of education needed to have new software in order for our Ways and Means Committee to be able to see into the department. We spend more on education than on most parts of the budget and we need information in order to spend that money wisely. It makes sense, then, to go out to bid for software that makes the system more transparent to us and that gives us this information. It wasn’t as if Cognos was a “fly by night” company. They were a reputable firm. Lastly, I knew that we didn’t make the decision in the Legislature as to who was awarded the contract. Therefore, I tended to believe the Speaker on these issues as they made sense with alternative explanations and given how we operate.
There were other issues at work here as well. Many times in my career, I have been contacted by friends or acquaintances looking for help with the government. This may be help, or for a reference in getting a job that is posted or they have a great idea and need the services of our economic development offices. When someone in the business community calls me and tells me that they are having trouble with the department of revenue because they have fallen behind on their taxes, I will call DOR and remind them that we shouldn’t be in the business of putting people out of business and ask them to work something out. Or perhaps someone will have a problem with the registry of motor vehicles and we try to be helpful. Each one of us has businesses that we know or are in our district that call us. Constituent requests make up a lot of our phone calls and advocacy. In all cases, I ask the department in question for a fair shake and consideration. After that, it is up to the business or individual to make their own case on the problem or issue in question. But people shouldn’t be penalized for knowing us or for their friendship. I assume or assumed that the Speaker was doing the same thing.
Lastly, those of us in public life are frustrated by the press and that leads us to discount their stories when there are legitimate concerns. When was the last time we saw a good story about the work of the Legislature in the press? I would gladly take the bad stories if they wrote about all the good work we do. I work very hard for my constituents and spend a lot of time in Boston, away from my family and district in doing so. I have been the author of quite a few major pieces of legislation, and have never had a scandal in my district or office. That is not the exception, but the rule. Most members work very hard for their districts and on many state issues. Yet, over the past week, we have been called pigs, enablers, crooks, bums, and a few more choice words. People never see all the good we do and yet get the daily dose of allegations. A little balance would be nice.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t things we can do to make the system and situation better. There are. However, we must make sure that we don’t rush in and change things that will make it more difficult to do our jobs. The toughest ethics laws in the world are not going to stop someone who will betray their constituents and the public trust. So we need to be smart concerning reforms. I would suggest that one of the ways we can make government more transparent and get more people involved in by going back to doing business the way we used to when I first came into the Legislature. By that I mean that we should print our daily calendar and have more formal sessions dealing with issues before us. The daily calendar was a listing of all bills ready for action. We used to read through the calendar each day and then go back through it to take up issues ready for debate. Not only is this more informative for the public, but gives the whole Legislature more power by placing each issue in some form on the floor. With that one can make motions and it gets harder for a select few to decide what we will deal with. This gives tremendous empowerment to the rank and file members and it also hones debate skills as more people speak on the floor.
I also think we need a way to televise our hearings and sessions again. I have always been surprised by the number of people who would tell me they watched our sessions. It is expensive, but I feel we need to try to find a way to cover this as it adds a lot to our transparency.
There is more, but this post is already overly long. I promised myself that I would cut the size of these, but as I have said before, these are complicated issues and the public deserves more than a sound bite.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Got To Read Each Day
Let’s get off of politics for a post. I just got back from a book signing by one of my favorite authors. Michael Connelly is a former police beat reporter from Los Angeles who has written a series of mysteries, mostly about a detective named Hieronymus Bosch (I hope I spelled that right). He also has written a few books, including “The “Lincoln Lawyer” about a lawyer named Mickey Haller. These are great books and I think that he is one of the best at his craft right now. I bought “The Scarecrow”, his new novel.
Mr. Connelly was at Border’s with another great author, George Pelecanos. He was a writer and director for the TV series “The Wire”. He has also written about a dozen books and I look forward to reading these. I bought his new book, “The Way Home”.
I believe that reading is extremely important. It teaches us about people and places, but does so much more. On a basic level it teaches us vocabulary. It also teaches us to think and handle complex plots and problems. It allows us to use our imaginations and that introduces innovation and creativity into our thought process. That makes a tremendous difference in our lives.
I have been very active in our literacy efforts in the State House throughout most of my career. In 1993, I formed the literacy caucus along with former Representative Barbara Hildt and former Representative and former Mayor of Fall River Ed Lambert. That year we introduced the first state budget line item for adult basic education (ABE). We managed to get $4 million placed into the Education Reform bill and into the budget. Since then this line item has grown to a high of over $30 million. This has been used to create a network across the state. Adult basic education is broken down into three parts: literacy, GED preparation, and English as a second language. I have also been active in our local reading days or promotions. Libraries have been an important budget item for me. ABE has been my number one budget and legislative priority since 1993.
Reading is the great equalizer. You can be rich or poor, as long as you can get to a bookmobile or a library, you can meet interesting people or go to fascinating places within the pages of a book. And it doesn’t matter what you read as long as you continue to read. When I speak in schools about reading, I tell the kids that I read something every day. That is the truth. It is a practice that I have kept since my school days.
Back to Michael Connelly. He is a fascinating author that gives you a very detailed description of police work. His characters are complicated and varied and it brings you into the world of detective work. I like that. I have read all of his books. I like to stick with an author if I like his work. I have read all of the books by Stephen King, David Baldacci, Beth Saulnier, Dan Brown, and Lee Childs. Not everything I read is fiction. I am on my third book by Bill Bryson and have read a few of Robert Reich’s books on the economy. I am working through “The World is Curved” by economist David Smick, and have “China Inc.” about the emerging economy of China by Ted Fishman. Again, it doesn’t matter what you read as long as you enjoy it.
I'd like to share three stories about authors. First, I was fortunate to have been asked to introduce David Baldacci at a conference years ago. I hadn’t read any of his books, but had seen the movie “Absolute Power” based on his novel. I went out and bought “Saving Faith” and “The Winner” along with “Absolute Power” before meeting him. He graciously signed all of these and asked me which I liked best. I had to tell him I hadn’t read any, and he laughed and signed them anyway. Since then I have read all of his books and like the stories about the Camel Club best. If I had to recommend one book, though, read “Wish You Well”. It is different than most of his books and it is very good. Baldacci is very much involved in literacy and has his own literacy foundation. He deserves our support for his work and philanthropic support.
The second story is about author Beth Saulnier. Beth is from North Adams and I knew her father. In 1990, I was running for my third term and she was just back in North Adams from college, working for a local newspaper. We had just raised taxes in Massachusetts in reaction to a recession and very difficult budget year. It was a tough year for many and I had a very tough local challenger. During a debate where the questioners were members of the local media, she asked a question on an issue that hadn’t come up in the other debates that year. (It is a long story, so I will leave the actual question for a future post.) To make a long story short, I think I answered the question adequately, but my opponent gave this long rambling and funny answer. After that, I felt much better about reelection. Beth wrote five books under her name and two under the name Elizabeth Bloom. In a book set in North Adams, she autographed my copy of the book, “To Dan, whose political career I once saved.”
My third story is about the Senior Senator from Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy. I know Ted Kennedy as an elected official and admire him. In 2006, he wrote a book, “America Back on Track”. It is about what we need to do to revitalize this nation. That same year he was the commencement speaker at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams. I brought my copy of the book to commencement to ask him to sign it. As I sat down with the Senator, he took his pen and started flipping through the book discussing certain parts and underlining passages. As he was doing that it struck me that here I am sitting with one of the preeminent US Senators of our times and the author of the book, and I have a copy not only signed, but he underlined his favorite passages and points. How cool is that?
Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day
The following are my Memorial Day remarks for 2009. I join many others in remembrance of those who have fallen in service to this country. Thank you for your service.
Thank you for holding this ceremony. It is important that we gather here in thanks to those who have given themselves for their country. Many communities do not commemorate the day with as many ceremonies at their schools or town halls as we do here. We continue to do so and that says a lot about the character of our community. Thank you. Once again we are met on a Memorial Day, celebrating and commemorating those who gave their lives for this country and for their fellow man. We have been doing this for about 150 years, since a local druggist, a Mr. Welles, suggested after the Civil War that we honor those who fell in that war. That idea was picked up by Gen Murray, a patriot who had fought with distinction in the Civil War. He and Welles formed a committee and that first year they brought their Memorial Day ceremonies to three cemeteries locally. The next year they did the same thing and that is how this got started. It was originally called Decoration Day because that was how they commemorated the day, by decorating the graves of the fallen soldiers. That was 1865. In 1868, it was made an official day of commemoration, but it wasn’t until 1971 that the last Monday in May was designated as Memorial Day. The first President to speak at a national Memorial Day ceremony was James Garfield in 1880. His notable words capture the true spirit of why we set aside this day of remembrance: He said of our veterans, ”We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country, they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and virtue.”
I’d like to take Garfield’s stirring words one-step further. I’d like to believe the men and women we honor today immortalized more than their patriotism. They immortalized the principle that freedom is essential to the human condition. So vital is freedom that men and women die to preserve it – not only for themselves, but also for others.
Since that day in 1865, two things have remained consistent. Memorial Day ceremonies have been kept every year, and young men and women have given their lives for their country and to ensure our safety. It is not only fitting that we continue to observe this day, it is our duty as Americans to honor these fallen patriots. We honor their service, remind ourselves of the lessons taken from them, lessons on patriotism, service, lessons that teach us that great ideals such as democracy and freedom don’t simply happen, but come at a great cost, and rededicate ourselves to those same ideals that these heroes died for.
Stephen Ambrose said of WWII, we paid dearly in human lives, but he said that we didn’t tire of war or our responsibility, because determination outweighed that price. Determination, loyalty, patriotism…it doesn’t matter what you call it, it is the selflessness of young men and women who are called to duty and they sacrifice their safety and ultimately, their lives for their friends, family and even for people they have never met. They do so because they respond to the call of duty. They do so because they know that if they do not, then we lose something far greater, the democracy and the example of human rights and freedoms that is America.
And they must also realize that this service continues today; in Afghanistan, Iraq, patrolling the waters in East Africa, and so many other places where our troops put themselves in harm’s way to defend the ideals of our country. And that is the message that we must keep to pass along to each generation. In all of these cases, men and women served this country not because of an immediate threat to their families and homes, but to serve the ideals and principles of this country. They held dearly to the beliefs set forth by the Declaration of Independence. They are simple yet powerful; We hold these truths to be self evident, that all people are endowed with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These are not just words to us, but the ideals for which men and women have unquestioningly, time and again, put themselves in harm’s way defending. And continue to do so today. As we adjourn our sessions in the State House, we have a moment of silence and adjourn in memory of any soldier that is killed in duty to their country. It still happens today and we still adjourn in honor of our fallen comrades and fellow citizens. None of these brave men and women planned to give their lives that day, but they knew the risks of military service and they risked their lives daily in the cause of a free nation.
At our best, we should pay homage to our nation’s dead all year round. But we don’t. One of the amazing things about living in a free land is that we don’t have to think each day about our freedoms. We can take for granted freedom of speech, assembly, worship and all the others that people have fought so hard to give to us. We can take them for granted because that is what freedom is; it is the ability to do what we can without fear that someone will take it away from us. But we, here today know, that the price of this freedom has been the blood of our men and women; those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of laying down their lives, those who sacrificed and came home wounded in body, mind, and spirit, and those who sacrificed by staying at home and waiting for their loved ones to return.
And we know that there will always be a need to be vigilant in this world. We need to make sure that in taking these freedoms for granted, we do not lose that sense of how dear freedom is, or how costly, and; as my grandfather, who came to this country and became a citizen because of the love for is adopted land, taught me years ago, we must not forget those who made and kept this nation as a beacon of freedom and hope to the rest of the world.
We must always remember what unites us as one America, and recognize that the mortar holding our society together is mixed with the blood and tears of those who fought and died in battle. Over one million and a quarter men and women have breathed their last while serving our country. We can never repay them and their families for this sacrifice, but we can honor their actions with our remembrance.
Let us hold up the example of their courage for all to see.
Let us carry the message of their sacrifice to the generations to come.
And let us never forget the price that they paid to ensure that this remains the greatest country in the history of this planet.
The brave men and women who gave their lives for our country deserve our remembrance and they have handed off to us that awesome responsibility to take up the service that they gave their lives for and pass it forth to a new generation. It is now up to us to be the heroes and the people who preserve those ideals and rights that they died for. Hopefully, someday we will not send people into battle to defend these inalienable rights. Hopefully someday we can live in peace. But that will only happen if we rededicate ourselves to our nation and to the lessons and ideals that these people gave of themselves to defend. That is why we meet each year, to remember their sacrifice and to thank them for that selfless sacrifice. We meet to remember that we must stay vigilant and become the next generation to advance these principles. And we meet to celebrate that great experiment in democracy that is called America.
As long as we continue to meet and commemorate their lives, then their lives continue to hold meaning and continue to inspire us to carry on the ideals of freedom and democracy. They continue to live in our hearts and minds and continue their service to our country. Again, thank you for holding this ceremony and God Bless America.
Thank you for holding this ceremony. It is important that we gather here in thanks to those who have given themselves for their country. Many communities do not commemorate the day with as many ceremonies at their schools or town halls as we do here. We continue to do so and that says a lot about the character of our community. Thank you. Once again we are met on a Memorial Day, celebrating and commemorating those who gave their lives for this country and for their fellow man. We have been doing this for about 150 years, since a local druggist, a Mr. Welles, suggested after the Civil War that we honor those who fell in that war. That idea was picked up by Gen Murray, a patriot who had fought with distinction in the Civil War. He and Welles formed a committee and that first year they brought their Memorial Day ceremonies to three cemeteries locally. The next year they did the same thing and that is how this got started. It was originally called Decoration Day because that was how they commemorated the day, by decorating the graves of the fallen soldiers. That was 1865. In 1868, it was made an official day of commemoration, but it wasn’t until 1971 that the last Monday in May was designated as Memorial Day. The first President to speak at a national Memorial Day ceremony was James Garfield in 1880. His notable words capture the true spirit of why we set aside this day of remembrance: He said of our veterans, ”We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country, they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and virtue.”
I’d like to take Garfield’s stirring words one-step further. I’d like to believe the men and women we honor today immortalized more than their patriotism. They immortalized the principle that freedom is essential to the human condition. So vital is freedom that men and women die to preserve it – not only for themselves, but also for others.
Since that day in 1865, two things have remained consistent. Memorial Day ceremonies have been kept every year, and young men and women have given their lives for their country and to ensure our safety. It is not only fitting that we continue to observe this day, it is our duty as Americans to honor these fallen patriots. We honor their service, remind ourselves of the lessons taken from them, lessons on patriotism, service, lessons that teach us that great ideals such as democracy and freedom don’t simply happen, but come at a great cost, and rededicate ourselves to those same ideals that these heroes died for.
Stephen Ambrose said of WWII, we paid dearly in human lives, but he said that we didn’t tire of war or our responsibility, because determination outweighed that price. Determination, loyalty, patriotism…it doesn’t matter what you call it, it is the selflessness of young men and women who are called to duty and they sacrifice their safety and ultimately, their lives for their friends, family and even for people they have never met. They do so because they respond to the call of duty. They do so because they know that if they do not, then we lose something far greater, the democracy and the example of human rights and freedoms that is America.
And they must also realize that this service continues today; in Afghanistan, Iraq, patrolling the waters in East Africa, and so many other places where our troops put themselves in harm’s way to defend the ideals of our country. And that is the message that we must keep to pass along to each generation. In all of these cases, men and women served this country not because of an immediate threat to their families and homes, but to serve the ideals and principles of this country. They held dearly to the beliefs set forth by the Declaration of Independence. They are simple yet powerful; We hold these truths to be self evident, that all people are endowed with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These are not just words to us, but the ideals for which men and women have unquestioningly, time and again, put themselves in harm’s way defending. And continue to do so today. As we adjourn our sessions in the State House, we have a moment of silence and adjourn in memory of any soldier that is killed in duty to their country. It still happens today and we still adjourn in honor of our fallen comrades and fellow citizens. None of these brave men and women planned to give their lives that day, but they knew the risks of military service and they risked their lives daily in the cause of a free nation.
At our best, we should pay homage to our nation’s dead all year round. But we don’t. One of the amazing things about living in a free land is that we don’t have to think each day about our freedoms. We can take for granted freedom of speech, assembly, worship and all the others that people have fought so hard to give to us. We can take them for granted because that is what freedom is; it is the ability to do what we can without fear that someone will take it away from us. But we, here today know, that the price of this freedom has been the blood of our men and women; those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of laying down their lives, those who sacrificed and came home wounded in body, mind, and spirit, and those who sacrificed by staying at home and waiting for their loved ones to return.
And we know that there will always be a need to be vigilant in this world. We need to make sure that in taking these freedoms for granted, we do not lose that sense of how dear freedom is, or how costly, and; as my grandfather, who came to this country and became a citizen because of the love for is adopted land, taught me years ago, we must not forget those who made and kept this nation as a beacon of freedom and hope to the rest of the world.
We must always remember what unites us as one America, and recognize that the mortar holding our society together is mixed with the blood and tears of those who fought and died in battle. Over one million and a quarter men and women have breathed their last while serving our country. We can never repay them and their families for this sacrifice, but we can honor their actions with our remembrance.
Let us hold up the example of their courage for all to see.
Let us carry the message of their sacrifice to the generations to come.
And let us never forget the price that they paid to ensure that this remains the greatest country in the history of this planet.
The brave men and women who gave their lives for our country deserve our remembrance and they have handed off to us that awesome responsibility to take up the service that they gave their lives for and pass it forth to a new generation. It is now up to us to be the heroes and the people who preserve those ideals and rights that they died for. Hopefully, someday we will not send people into battle to defend these inalienable rights. Hopefully someday we can live in peace. But that will only happen if we rededicate ourselves to our nation and to the lessons and ideals that these people gave of themselves to defend. That is why we meet each year, to remember their sacrifice and to thank them for that selfless sacrifice. We meet to remember that we must stay vigilant and become the next generation to advance these principles. And we meet to celebrate that great experiment in democracy that is called America.
As long as we continue to meet and commemorate their lives, then their lives continue to hold meaning and continue to inspire us to carry on the ideals of freedom and democracy. They continue to live in our hearts and minds and continue their service to our country. Again, thank you for holding this ceremony and God Bless America.
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