by Nathan Lamb | October 15, 2010
Many national pundits are predicting a rough election season for Democrats, but freshman state Sen. Jamie Eldridge is looking to short-circuit that prediction by reaching out to voters and highlighting his commitment to education, job creation and infrastructure.
“I’ve been going door-to-door almost every night, making phone calls, going to community events- working seven days per week,” said the Acton-based Democrat. “I think certainly voters areanxious, it’s my job to talk with them about what the state is doing to respond to their concerns, to listen to what they think needs to be done and respond accordingly.”
Eldridge identified the economy as cause for much of the anxiety, saying voters are concerned about state aid cuts impacting education and local services. Having consistently advocated for increased state aid for school districts since he was first elected to the State House nearly eight years ago, Eldridge said that remains a priority because education is key to job creation in Massachusetts.
“There’s always a lot of different questions about how you create jobs,” he said. “I’ve always been someone who believes very strongly it’s about an educated work force.”
More specifically, Eldridge pointed out his support for the so-called Acton Plan for school aid reform, which commits the state to eventually covering 17.5 percent of education costs in school districts across the state. The measure became law in 2006 and Eldridge said it resulted in a “significant increase” for nearly every community even if the five-year implementation of the program was interrupted by the recession.
“ We got two years into it and the recession happened in 2008, so its been frozen,” he said. “That’s something I’dlike to get back to.”
Eldridge also listed infrastructure as vital to economic development, citing efforts to improve public transit and water/wastewater capacities within his district.
With transportation, Eldridge said he’s been a consistent supporter of the $150 million improvement plan on the Fitchburg commuter rail line. The upgrades include a second set of tracks between South Acton and Ayer, which will soon allow for more frequent train service west of South Acton.
Elsewhere, Eldridge termed access to public water and wastewater disposal as long-term issues he’s working on as chairman of the senate’s Water Infrastructure Finance Commission. He credited the federal stimulus package with allowing communities to proceed with long-deferred projects, but added they need to find options for other communities that need such upgrades, to ensure that both residents and businesses have long-term access to clean water.
Eldridge listed environmental legislation as another priority, saying he supported a recent effort to expand the state’s bottle deposit program, along with initiatives to encourage clean and alternative energy.
“I think the best example of that which already passed was the Green Communities Act…which was basically investing in new forms of alternative energy,” he said. “By passing that legislation, we’re creating investment where unfortunately the private sector is not providing that funding to expand jobs.”
Asked about the ballot initiative to reduce the sales tax, Eldridge said he voted for that increase saying it was only to avoid “brutal” cuts in the state budget. However, Eldridge added he was among the 10 senators whose first choice was raising the state income tax, saying that would be fairer to both the middle class and business community.
Asked about how the campaign is going, Eldridge said voter anxiety has made for a difficult election season, but he also stood by the positions he’s taken as a legislator over the past eight years, saying he hasn’t been afraid to stand up to party leadership or for what he believes is right.
“I’m proud of the fact that I take strong positions on issues,” he said. “I think this district is a very issues oriented district; I think they read up on the issues, they know how I voted on things- and hopefully my knowledge on these issues is something they respect and they’ll send me back for another term.”
by Nathan Lamb, Staff Writer | August 14, 2010
Littleton —
The state has relocated a massive pile of old railroad ties from western Littleton, following complaints that the creosote-soaked wood was producing noxious odors and environmental concerns for a nearby residential neighborhood.
The wood pilewhich was estimated as containing anywhere from 25,000 to 30,000 old railroad tieswas recently moved to a storage area at Devens, according to State Senator James Eldridge (D-Acton).
“The MBTA was responsive, but it did take some time,” he said.
The old ties were stacked near the railroad, Harwood Avenue, and Taylor Street in 2009 as part of a commuter rail improvement project. However, residents from nearby Masonbrook Lane neighborhood began complaining about nuisance odors from the woodpile last August.
The Board of Health got involved shortly thereafter, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) placed a vapor barrier over most the ties.
Among the neighbors dissatisfied with the railroad woodpile was Masonbrook Lane resident Eric Heine, who launched a website, www.railroadtieremoval.org, earlier this year to draw attention to the issue. He credited the Board of Health and Eldridge with playing key roles in getting the MBTA to take action, saying the neighborhood was glad to see the chemical-soaked wood relocated.
“We didn’t want our kids being exposed to the stuff,” he said. “We’re glad they’ve been removed.”
In the big picture, Eldridge said the ties were removed as part of $250 million state and federal effort to improve commuter rail service on the Fitchburg line, something that’s been in the works for over 10 years.
In the particular case, he said the ties were removed when the MBTA added a second set of rails (also called double tracking), between South Acton and Ayer. Eldridge said the double tracks generally increase the regularly of service and decrease delays, adding there’s already double track on much of the Fitchburg Line, adding t. However, he estimated this improvement project would take another five years to complete.
In an e-mail comment, MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said relocation of the ties that would not effect the timetable for the track improvements.
Fox News talk show host Glenn Beck going after Jamie Eldridge for his leadership on National Popular Vote:
By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff | July 27, 2010
The Massachusetts Legislature has approved a new law intended to bypass the Electoral College system and ensure that the winner of the presidential election is determined by the national popular vote.
“What we are submitting is the idea that the president should be selected by the majority of people in the United States of America,” Senator James B. Eldridge, an Acton Democrat, said before the Senate voted to enact the bill.
Under the new bill, he said, “Every vote will be of the same weight across the country.”
But Senate minority leader Richard Tisei said the state was meddling with a system that was “tried and true” since the founding of the country.
“We’ve had a lot of bad ideas come through this chamber over the years, but this is going to be one of the worst ideas that has surfaced and actually garnered some support,” said Tisei, who is also the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor.
The bill, which passed on a 28-to-9 vote, now heads to Democratic Governor Deval Patrick’s desk. The governor has said in the past that he supports the bill, said his spokeswoman Kim Haberlin.
Under the law, which was enacted by the House last week, all 12 of the state’s electoral votes would be awarded to the candidate who receives the most votes nationally.
Supporters are campaigning, state by state, to get such bills enacted. Once states accounting for a majority of the electoral votes (or 270 of 538) have enacted the laws, the candidate winning the most votes nationally would be assured a majority of Electoral College votes. That would hold true no matter how the other states vote and how their electoral votes are distributed.
Illinois, New Jersey, Hawaii, Maryland, and Washington have already approved the legislation, according to the National Popular Vote campaign’s website. The new system would only go into effect once a sufficient number of states have passed laws that would make it work.
The current Electoral College system is confusing and causes presidential candidates to focus unduly on a handful of battleground states, supporters say. They also say that the popular vote winner has lost in four of the nation’s 56 elections.
Presidential candidates now “ignore wide swaths of the country” they consider strong blue or red states and focus their campaigning on contested states, Eldridge said. If the president were picked by national popular vote, he argued, candidates would spread their attention out more evenly.
“That’s really what we’re talking about is making sure that every voter, no matter where they live, that they’re being reached out to,” he said.
Opponents say the current system works. They are concerned about a possible scenario where Candidate X wins nationally, but Candidate Y has won in Massachusetts. In that case, all of the state’s 12 electoral votes would go to Candidate X, the candidate who was not supported by Massachusetts voters.
Tisei also criticized the proponents for not following the normal procedures to seek a constitutional amendment.
“The thing about this that bothers me the most is it’s so sneaky. This is the way that liberals do things a lot of times, very sneaky,” he said. “This is sort of an end run around the Constitution.”
The measure passed both branches of the Legislature in 2008 but did not make it all the way through the process.
By Todd Wallack, Globe Staff | June 30, 2010
A state board that grants tax breaks to corporations is again withholding information about its awards before it votes on those requests, a move that critics contend leaves no time for the public to review and respond.
The Economic Assistance Coordinating Council is scheduled this morning to vote on requests by Boston Scientific Corp., Smith & Nephew, eClinicalWorks, and other companies for millions of dollars in state and local tax incentives, in exchange for increasing jobs and investment in Massachusetts. But the council refused to release the company’s proposals or the staff’s recommendations on the amount of money to award each company prior to the scheduled vote.
“It doesn’t make sense,” said State Senator Jamie Eldridge, Democrat of Acton, who has sponsored legislation that would make more information available about tax incentives. “The information should be public” so people can comment on them at the meeting or beforehand.
The state’s public meetings law requires the body to vote on the proposals in public, but is silent on whether they must provide the meeting materials to the public in advance. Eldridge said he plans to reexamine the meetings law next year.
Kofi Jones, a spokeswoman for the board, made up of state employees and gubernatorial appointees, said the Patrick administration considers the tax information to be internal documents until the board votes on them. She said the board would provide the documents after the meeting in response to a public records request from the Globe.
By contrast, local cities and towns typically make similar proposals public before voting on them.
“Just like we have access to the state budget, we ought to have access to information on tax credits,” said Deirdre Cummings, legislative director for the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group in Boston. “From a transparency perspective, having the information ahead of time is important.”
The tax program typically provides a mix of local and state tax incentives to companies that promise to increase employment as a result. According to a copy of the meeting agenda released yesterday, the board is considering incentives for 13 expansion projects. Quincy last week approved a $320,000 property tax break for Boston Scientific, which must be approved by the state council. The Natick maker of medical devices promised to invest $55 million in its Quincy distribution center by 2013 and create five full-time jobs by 2018.
Boston Scientific has previously drawn criticism for receiving millions of dollars in tax incentives to expand in Marlborough, and then cutting jobs.
In March, the Globe reported that the state has given out hundreds of millions of dollars in state and local tax breaks to projects that would almost certainly have been built anyway. Recipients have created few quality jobs, or never delivered the jobs promised. But the state said it has made changes to the program to address those concerns.
By Jennifer Fenn Lefferts, Globe Correspondent | June 24, 2010
The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail received an unexpected boost last week when state officials announced $931,500 in funding to design its stretch between Westford and Concord.
Supporters said they had no idea the money, which will allow the next two phases of the multiuse recreational trail to be designed simultaneously, was coming through.
“I was not expecting it,” said Acton resident Tom Michelman, president of the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. “It would’ve been a long process to get both projects funded. Design should be going forward very quickly now.”
The money is part of a $3.5 billion authorization for bonds to pay for state transportation projects.
State officials said the funding represents a commitment from the Patrick administration to improve transportation services across the commonwealth.
“As we continue under Governor Patrick’s leadership to make improvements to bicycle and pedestrian access, recreational trails such as the Freeman are an important part of our investment strategy to support healthy transportation options,” Jeffrey Mullan, secretary of the state’s Department of Transportation, said in a statement.
The Freeman trail is proposed to follow the 25-mile route of the old New Haven Railroad between Framingham and Lowell, crossing through Chelmsford, Westford, Carlisle, Acton, Concord, and Sudbury along the way. The first phase, 6.8 miles in Lowell, Chelmsford and Westford, has already opened. Partial designs have been done for the Westford, Carlisle, and Acton phase and the stretch in Concord.
The funding announced Friday by Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray at an event in Acton will pay for the final design in the four communities. It will be combined with $500,000 that the state awarded late last year to Westford, Carlisle and Acton, said Roland Bartl, Acton’s planning director.
“It came as a surprise but it’s the result of intense advocacy for the rail trail that finally produced results,” he said.
Bartl said the four communities have signed agreements to complete the design together. Acton will serve in the lead role, Bartl said, but all four communities will have input as the project proceeds.
If everything goes smoothly, Bartl said, the design could take up to three years to complete. He said hearings will be held and the towns must submit plans at various stages to the state for approval.
“We want to make sure we don’t rush it and that everyone has their say,” Bartl said. “And there will always be a glitch.”
The design is for the construction of a roughly 12-foot-wide paved asphalt path along 13 miles, construction of a pedestrian bridge over Route 2A/119, and the rehabilitation of six rail bridges along the trail. A segment of the trail crossing Route 2 will be handled as part of the Concord rotary redesign project.
The estimated construction cost of the trail through Acton, Westford and Carlisle is $7.7 million.
Barbara Pike, Concord’s representative on the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail board, said the project is listed on the state’s plan for transportation construction funding in 2020, but that can change.
“We’re hoping once this thing is designed and is ready to go, it will move up,” Pike said.
Pike said the funding announcement came “out of the blue.”
“It’s thrilling that this project has gotten this level of support from the state in this economic climate,” Pike said. “It means we’re ready to take that next step.”
State Senator Jamie Eldridge, a Democrat from Acton, said the first section of the trail provides a scenic and safe transit option and is already a popular venue for bikers and pedestrians.
“The additional funding . . . will help us take the next step forward in extending this project into Acton, Carlisle, Concord and Westford, making it accessible for many more biking enthusiasts,” Eldridge said.
By Matt Murphy, Sun Correspondent | June 22, 2010
BOSTON — Two local lawmakers are spearheading an effort on Beacon Hill to “blunt the impact” of the Supreme Court decision that opened the door to unlimited corporate spending in political campaigns.
Sen. Jamie Eldridge, an Acton Democrat, introduced legislation yesterday co-written with Rep. Cory Atkins, D-Concord, that would impose a series of public-disclosure requirements on corporations that spend money for advertising to influence elections.
The bill is a direct response to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC decision in January that struck down prohibitions against corporate spending on campaigns.
The 5-4 ruling essentially found that corporations are entitled to the same First Amendment rights as ordinary citizens.
“The bill is about protecting the integrity of our democratic system from the corrosive influence of profit-driven political spending,” Eldridge said at a Statehouse press conference.
Eldridge worked on the bill with Atkins and Rep. William Straus, D-Mattapoiset.
Atkins did not attend the announcement after being hospitalized Sunday night with pneumonia, according a member of her staff. She was being treated at Emerson Hospital in Concord.
The bill, titled the Massachusetts Corporate Political Accountability Act, would require the CEO of any company to appear personally in ads paid for by his company to state that he “approved this message,” similar to requirements for candidates.
The legislation also requires the top five contributors to an organization making an independent political expenditure to identify themselves, and requires the majority of the board of directors or shareholders in a public company to approve political spending.
Lastly, the bill bans foreign companies from trying to influence Massachusetts elections with independent spending, and prohibits state contractors or prospective state contractors from making campaign contributions or funding advertisements on behalf of a candidate for public office.
Crafted primarily to increasing transparency around corporate spending in campaigns, Eldridge and other supporters acknowledged that their bill could do little to curb the potential for large amounts of corporate dollars to be spent in upcoming elections. An amendment to the U.S. Constitution would be necessary to reverse the Supreme Court decision.
“It’s just a first step,” said Eldridge, who is hopeful he can persuade his colleagues to pass the bill before the Legislative session ends July 31.
Advocates said they were concerned the court decision would not only impact high-profile congressional and state races, but trickle down to local elections as well.
“We fear this will unleash a flood of corporate money into our election,” said Pam Wilmot, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts.
Eldridge envisioned a scenario in which deep-pocketed developers would begin to run advertisements to try to influence local races for boards of selectmen and zoning boards to curry favor for their projects.
There are four bills pending in Congress that take similar steps to curb corporate political influence at the federal level.
Eldridge, Atkins and other lawmakers plan to call for a resolution to be passed by the Legislature urging Congress to begin the process of amending the Constitution to overturn the high court ruling.
By Rachel R. Briere, Sun Correspondent | June 18, 2010
LITTLETON — The opening of North America’s largest software-development lab in Littleton yesterday further proves that high-technology isn’t just for Route 128 and Cambridge.
The IBM Mass Lab, a campus on Route 110 off Interstate 495, powered up yesterday morning with a grand-opening celebration.
The site is a massive techie think tank near the Westford line with a team of nearly 3,400 valuable players in software design and development. The 494,000-square-foot King Street facility also brings in former employees of Cognos, Ascential Software Corp., Lotus and Rational Software, all or part of which IBM has acquired since 2003.
“Looking back, in the 1980s we had a dozen software-development laboratories around the world.
Today we have more than 70,” said Steve Mills, senior vice president and group executive for IBM Software.
IBM’s global communications manager, Karen Lilla, said the company has gradually moved its employees from other Massachusetts locations during the last two years. About 1,000 more job opportunities are expected to be posted in the next few months.
In 2007, IBM beat out Raytheon Co. to lease the once-vacant building, which was built in 1984 to house Digital Equipment Corp. Digital was acquired in 1998 by Compaq Computer, which in turn was bought by Hewlett-Packard a few years later. HP moved most of its Littleton employees down I-495 to Marlboro during a consolidation of its own a few years ago.
“One of our goals was to bring everyone together under one roof, face-to-face, to collaborate on projects,” Lilla said.
Gov. Deval Patrick attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, saying IBM’s growth is central to the state’s economic rebound. He said the consolidation and future expansion play a key role in his administration’s goal for economic growth in the Bay State.
“It’s a sweet spot for us economically,” Patrick said. “Massachusetts is on the mend and move — IBM is part of that.”
State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, and state Rep. James Arciero, D-Westford, both said the opening of IBM was a team effort between the governor, local politicians, business owners and residents. A main component to the project is making the lab easily accessible to employees who make the “reverse commute” from Greater Boston, Arciero said.
“For young and talented college graduates living in Cambridge, Arlington and Boston, to get to work at a suitable time is important,” Arciero added. “The infrastructure, including the expansion of Route 110, improvements to Route 2 and the creation of the double track on the (MBTA) Fitchburg rail line accommodate the work force.”
Eldridge said he, Arciero and others are advocating for $2 million from the state to purchase land near the MBTA stop in Ayer. He believes this is a key piece in expanding economic growth outside Boston.
“An important component is to harness the innovative, young work force,” Arciero said.
IBM is also hoping to attract a new generation of employees with a number of green initiatives. The renovated site incorporates sustainable design and construction, focusing on energy efficiency, recycling, reusing and water conservation.
Employees are encouraged to ride bicycles to work; the location has a storage garage for bicycle commuters and dressing rooms with showers to change. “Green Parking” spaces in the lot are available for employees who drive vehicles that get more than 40 miles per gallon. There is also a gym, volleyball court and soccer field for employee use.
“They’re encouraging people to get out and talk with others, which most who have worked in cubicles rarely do. Many think it’s strange,” said Operations Manager Joe Kiggen. “The goal is to get people moving.”
Mills said IBM employs 10 percent of the state’s work force. He said the Littleton lab is critical in the company’s growth within the Bay State.
“We view Massachusetts as an innovation hotbed,” Mills said. “This is very exciting day and just the beginning.”
Hudson — State Senator Jamie Eldridge officially kicked-off his re-election campaign Monday night in Hudson with Governor Deval Patrick, State Representatives Kate Hogan and Jim Arciero, and well over one hundred supporters. Eldridge highlighted his leadership on the environment, ethics reform, and transparency in government and pledged to continue to fight for the priorities of the Middlesex & Worcester district.
“I’ve always been an independent leader in the Legislature, from my first vote in the House, against electing Tom Finneran as Speaker. I think it’s what the district demands,” Eldridge said. “But in particularly tough times it’s not just about independence. It’s about leadership. It’s not about just voting for something or saying you’re going to support something but taking the lead and fighting for the priorities of this district by filing and passing legislation.”
Speaking to a packed room of over 100 Eldridge supporters, Governor Patrick asked if the crowd was “Fired up?” and “Ready to go?” to get Eldridge re-elected this November.
“Jamie will show political courage all day long,” Governor Patrick said. “He has shown it over and over and over and over and over again. He does it because he is guided by a rudder that is not just what is politically expedient but by generational responsibility – an ancient ideathat each of us in our time is supposed to do all we can to leave this place better for those who come behind us.”
Eldridge highlighted a list of accomplishments in his first term as State Senator, including passing corporate tax credit transparency and accountability legislation, being a leader in the effort to strengthen our ethics and lobbying laws, passing corporate campaign disclosure legislation in the Senate, leading the fight to pass the Municipal Relief Act, filing and passing a comprehensive bullying prevention law, establishing the Water Infrastructure Finance Commission, and working with Governor Patrick and others to bring federal stimulus dollars to the district for vital transportation and infrastructure projects.
A video of the speech can be found at the newly launched 2010 re-election campaign website, www.JamieEldridge.com.
Eldridge pledged to run a strong grassroots campaign to reach out to residents of all the communities that comprise the Middlesex & Worcester district. In recent weeks, Eldridge has gone door-to-door to speak with constituents in Ayer, Shirley, and Westborough and plans to be out, often, in every community of the district this summer and fall.
“It’s important to work hard for every vote and really engage with voters on the issues that matter most to them,” Eldridge said. “I’m looking forward to the campaign and the opportunity to share with the voters the work I have done on Beacon Hill on their behalf.”
Photo Credit: Jeffrey Mayes
Hudson – State Senator Jamie Eldridge has opened his campaign office in downtown Hudson. The office, at 19 Main Street, provides the campaign with a central location in the Middlesex & Worcester District and plenty of space for the volunteers that are the lifeblood of a state Senate campaign.
“I’m very excited to be opening my campaign office,” said Eldridge. “It’s a central location in the district and is well-suited for voter outreach. This location is perfect for accommodating volunteers making phone calls or as a staging location for going door-to-door in the district. Reaching out to voters in all the communities of the district is very important to me, and this office helps me do that.”
The office is located on the rotary in downtown Hudson. The Eldridge campaign is sharing the space with state Representative Kate Hogan’s (D-Stow) and Congresswoman Niki Tsongas’ campaigns. Senator Eldridge’s campaign can be reached at 978-202-3071, or via email at jamie@jamieeldridge.com. Representative Hogan’s campaign can be reached at 978-875-3487 or via email at repkate@gmail.com.
Congrats! RT @harmonywho I won! I won! (I tied!) RT @wmasspi: Manic Mon 2/6: #Syria: @mittromney #masen; #Obama; @harmonywho @JamieEldrigeMA #
