Today - March 22nd - was World Water Day, which we marked at the State House with a briefing by the Think Outside the Bottle Campaign on how we can restore public confidence in our water supply, end unnecessary state spending on bottled water, and reinvest in our public water supplies.

At the briefing, we saw a preview of a new video explaining the bottled water problem and how demand for the product has become “manufactured” over time:

Massachusetts spends a little more than half a million dollars a year on bottled water for state offices and public events. At a time when the nation’s public water systems are facing a $24 billion shortfall, and our water infrastructure here in Massachusetts is severely underfunded, we can’t afford to spend scarce public dollars on bottled water - an unnecessary use of the most essential public resource.

Over the years, bottled water corporations like Coke, Nestle and Pepsi have become very good at convincing us that the only place to get clean, safe water is from a bottle. But the fact is that tap water is as clean — and in many cases, cleaner — than bottled water, without the serious social & environmental impacts.

As a result of this marketing by bottled water companies,  people across the country are losing confidence in public tap water, even though bottled water is less regulated than tap water.

The Think Outside the Bottle campaign aims to counteract this push by bottled water corporations by educating the public about the problems of bottled water and promoting the use of clean, safe, public tap water instead. I’m proud to support their efforts.

As part of that, myself and others are calling upon Governor Patrick to end unnecessary state spending on bottled water, switching to tap water as a show of confidence and reinvesting the savings - more than half a million a year - in improve public water systems.

Ending this unnecessary spending, as well as passing the Expanded Bottle Bill, are two ways our state can be part of the growing movement to reduce the use of environment-draining bottled water.

Last night it was announced that the MBTA has agreed to Acton’s proposed alternate design for the South Acton Train Station. This is incredible news for the Town of Acton, and all the commuters who use the South Acton Train Station.

Key features of the new design include dual side platforms, platform access from both sides of the station, and elevators and overhead bridge rather than ramps to accommodate crossing safely over the tracks.  The modified design will encourage multimodal access to the station, including automobile, pedestrian, bicycle and shuttle services.

I am so proud of all of the hard work and advocacy that local leaders, my colleagues in the state legislature, Representatives Benson and Atkins, and residents of Acton and surrounding communities put into this effort.  By working together we ensured that a vital piece of public transportation infrastructure will reflect the needs and values of our community and continue to be accessible and safe for everyone.

This is a good reminder that engaged citizens working together can make a real difference. Learn more about the citizen advocacy efforts here, or watch this video, created before last night’s announcement:

Today the State Senate unanimously passed An Act Relative to Bullying, bullying-prevention legislation that prohibits physical, verbal and written acts that threaten or cause harm to another student, including Internet “cyber-bullying”, and requires schools to develop a bullying prevention and intervention plan in consultation with teachers, school staff, professional support personnel, administrators, students and parents.

The anti-bullying legislation was largely based on a bill I originally filed last year, and it’s something I and my office have been working very hard on over the past few months. You can read the speech I delivered on the floor of the Senate today here.

The bill that passed today is comprehensive, prevention-oriented legislation that will work to end the persistent cycle of bullying we’ve seen in the Commonwealth’s schools for years, leading to tragedies like those in South Hadley, Springfield and too many other communities. Every student deserves to feel safe in their own schools, and this bill is a strong step in that direction.

The bill, which now moves on to the House, requires all school districts, charter schools and non-public schools to develop prevention and intervention plans by December 31, 2010 that include procedures for investigating bullying incidents, notifying parents and determining appropriate disciplinary actions.

The bill requires school principals to notify local law enforcement of bullying incidents if there is reason to believe criminal charges may be pursued. It also allows Individualized Education Programs for children with special needs to include provisions that will help them handle and respond to incidents of bullying. The bullying ban extends to all school facilities, school-sponsored functions, school buses and bus stops.

The bill that passed also included two amendments that I worked on with MassEquality, a statewide LGBT advocacy group that supported this bill. These amendments will ensure that bullying prevention training programs include research on populations of students most likely to be bullied, and that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education periodically reviews school districts to be sure they are properly implementing programs and trainings.

There is nothing I or the legislature could do that could begin to mitigate the tragedy bullying has brought to families across the Commonwealth. However, we can work together to pass this crucial legislation as soon as possible. And, in so doing, prevent more of our friends, neighbors and loved ones from ever knowing that same sadness.

I am often asked, when out in the district, what it is a State Senator “does.” It’s an understandable question. And especially when I’m talking to children in my district visiting the State House, it can be challenging to explain what it is I do for 70-80 hours each week!

Although we do our best to let our constituents know - through press releases and op-eds, through our email newsletters, and even through blogs like this - what we are working on, the fact is that most of what we do each day and week goes unreported.

A typical week for me is 6 or 7 days of work, often starting at 8am (or earlier!) in the morning and going till 9pm or later.  No complaints from me on that front - I love my job and feel honored to have the chance to represent the Middlesex & Worcester District in the State Senate. Every day is different, and there are so many important issues competing for my attention, as well the long-term organizing work that needs to be done to create lasting change in Massachusetts.

Tuesday was a particularly busy day here in the State Senate, and much good was accomplished. I thought I’d take this chance to give you a behind-the-scenes look into what it’s like to be a State Senator.

7:30am: Coffee in hand, I begin the day in the State House by sending notes to constituents I met with last week, and checking my email for requests and inquiries from constituents, assigning them to staff as needed.

On the docket for the day are a few key hearings, plus an all-important budget meeting with the Senate Ways & Means Committee, to prepare for.

9:30am: I speak to the Women’s Bar Association about one of my top priority bills, An Act Removing Barriers to Asset Development and Financial Stability for Low-to-Moderate Income Families. This bill would remove state-imposed barriers to asset development for low-to-moderate income residents of the Commonwealth who receive support through the Department of Transitional Assistance, promoting gainful employment and financial stability. This bill was put together through the work of the Asset Development Commission, which I chaired.

Jamie speaking to Women's Bar Association

It’s a common sense bill that puts our state government in the position of supporting, rather than discouraging, low-income families as they try to build assets and climb out of poverty, and I’m grateful to the WBA for their support of the bill this session.

10:30am: The Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, which I co-chair, is hosting a hearing on a number of local bills. But today is a particularly important day for the Committee: after many months of work, we have released the Municipal Relief Act, a package of legislative changes and local-option programs - big and small - designed to give our cities and towns the tools they need to operate more effectively and, ultimately, save money.

These are tough times for our cities and towns, with cuts to local aid coming at the same time as rising costs. This bill won’t make all of these problems disappear - but it will give municipal officials the tools they need to tackle these problems head on and govern as effectively as possible in this time of lean resources. Learn more here .

11:15:  - The Joint Committee on Economic Development is holding a hearing on the “An Act Promoting Economic Development Throughout the Commonwealth,” a reorganization of all the economic development agencies in Massachusetts. The room is packed with legislators, lobbyists, staff and media, all there to testify (or observe testimony) on this expansive, complicated legislation.

Jamie with Peter Lowitt, from the Devens Enterprise Coalition

I’m there to testify on some things I’d like to see the bill include: corporate tax credit transparency language, which would allow us to determine which credits are working, and which aren’t; a greater focus on workforce training and economic development for low-income families and poorer areas of the state; and the creation of a state-owned bank to make sure that small businesses receive the loans they need to grow and create jobs.

I’m also there on a more local matter, to ask the Committee to leave the Devens Enterprise Commission (DEC) out of the reorganization, given that the DEC is more of a land use board rather than an economic development agency. This is an issue of great local importance to the towns of Ayer, Harvard, Shirley and the Devens Community, all of which I represent.

Read my testimony to the Committee.

Noon: I’ve got about an hour and a half before my next meeting, with the Senate Ways & Means Committee. This is enough time to go through some legislative updates with my staff, answer a few phone calls from local reporters, review the final documents before the budget meeting, and even grab a quick lunch at my desk. (Chicken Caesar salad wrap, from the Hi-Spot deli across the street.)

Jamie preparing for the budget meeting with staff

1:30: Today I have my annual budget meeting with Senate Ways & Means Chair Steven Panagiotakos. This is my chance to lay out my budget priorities for the year, explain why they are important to my district and the Commonwealth, and press my case. My staff and I spent weeks preparing for this meeting - deciding which priorities I want to push for, and then laying out the case for why these programs and priorities are particularly deserving of support.

In this tight budget climate, I’m well aware that very few programs, if any, will see increases in funding; in most cases I’m asking that the programs at least receive level funding from last year.

My main budget priorities going into this meeting are:

1) Protecting local aid (including Chapter 70, lottery aid and regional school transportation) to cities and towns.

2) Maintaining funding for vital social safety net services (programs to help the homeless, low-income families, at-risk children, those with disabilities, the elderly).

3) Advocating for a fair, adequate and stable tax system that will raise sufficient revenue to support our state’s goals and priorities.

4) Promoting budget transparency and accountability, particularly around the issue of tax credit transparency, so that we can be sure that every penny of the public’s money is being spent effectively.

5) Preventing deeper cuts in spending on environmental protection, stimulating economic development, and investing in transportation.

2:30: The Judiciary Committee is hearing one of my bills, The Massachusetts Civil Rights Restoration Act. This bill would restore the right of an individual to bring a claim where a governmental policy or activity has the effect of unlawfully discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin or sex. It’s a complicated legal concept, but the end result of the bill would be to allow citizens to bring claims of discrimination against the government in cases where policies have led to systematic, indirect discrimination, particularly in areas of environmental justice, transportation and housing.  I’ve worked closely with ACE, an environmental justice group based in Roxbury, to highlight this legislation.

I join State Representative Byron Rushing, the lead sponsor in the House, to testify before the committee on why this bill is important. Read my testimony here.

Jamie testifies with Rep. Byron Rushing at Judiciary Committee Hearing

3:30pm: Earlier today, the Education Committee reported out a bullying-prevention bill, using a bill I filed last January as a framework. The bill prohibits bullying, including cyberbullying, on school grounds and would require schools to develop a bullying prevention and intervention plan. It’s a comprehensive, prevention-oriented piece of legislation, designed to end the tragic cycle of bullying we’ve seen in the Commonwealth’s schools for years, leading to tragedies like those in South Hadley, Springfield and too many other communities.

I work with my staff to review what’s included in the final bill, and put together a press release on the bill for local papers, which you can read here.

5:00pm: After a few more phone calls, it’s time to catch the train back to Acton. Since my accident last fall, I’ve spent a lot more time riding the Commuter Rail. It’s a good way to do my part to reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion, plus it gives me some time to relax. That said, it can be a long commute, and I look forward to gaining the extra 10 minutes once the double-tracking project from Fitchburg to Boston is complete. Securing the funding for the project is something I worked on for years with my predecessor, Senator Pam Resor, because we knew it would benefit thousands of constituents who commute to Cambridge and Boston and back every day.

6:30pm: It’s a rare meeting-free evening for me tonight. (In a typical week, I have evening meetings most weekdays, and sometimes on Saturday or Sunday night.) It’s a chance for me to catch up on paperwork: review staff memos, read the papers, and get some writing done as well.

And so ends a day - and night! - in the life of a Massachusetts State Senator.  This particular day involved more meetings at the State House - and fewer in the district - than usual, but it was the sort of jam-packed schedule I’ve gotten used to over the past years. There’s so much going on in the State Legislature and the district that my mind tends to race at night, thinking about what else needs to be done. (To the amusement of my staff, who sometimes joke about the emails they receive from me late, late at night or in the early morning.)

I love the work I do, and hope to continue to have the opportunity to do it for many years to come.

(Cross-posted on BlueMassGroup)

In the wake of Senator-elect Scott Brown’s unexpected victory last week, I know that many of us have been asking the question and discussing amongst ourselves, “What does this mean, and where do we go from here?”

There have been many theories and explanations for his win, from debates about campaign strategies to discussions of the effect larger national issues may have had on the race.

Whatever the explanation, what is clear is that voters are upset, and frustrated with the status quo. They’re angry about a lack of visible progress, deals made behind closed doors, and giveaways to corporate special interests.  In my opinion, the election results were partly a result of federal inaction on concerns important to Massachusetts families , and a gut-level belief that in this tough economy, not enough is being done by Democrats to help working families, while too much is being done to help the wealthy and privileged.

They’re frustrated with the status quo, and so am I - and so, I suspect, are you. The status quo is unacceptable, and we need to do everything we can to change it.

The answer, I believe, is to do more to help working families get and stay on their feet. Here in Massachusetts, we need to pass more legislation that has a direct impact on people’s lives, and that shows what we stand for as Democrats.

We need to pass meaningful Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) reform quickly, to help reduce recidivism rates among ex-offenders while lowering criminal justice costs. This is a problem that hurts tens of thousands of people across the Commonwealth every single day. Advocates and legislators have been working on it for years - it’s time to get it done.

Although Massachusetts is a national leader in expanding access to health insurance, health care costs continue to spiral out of control, particularly for small businesses. There are a number of proposals before the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing.  Passing meaningful health care cost control legislation could have a real effect on struggling local families and businesses.

The growing foreclosure crisis is an affordable housing issue that has had a serious effect on the Commonwealth. The Legislature should quickly pass legislation that would increase neighborhood stability by creating protections for tenants in foreclosed properties and requiring banks and financial institutions to ensure proper upkeep and maintenance of foreclosed properties.

There are a number of important bills dealing with environmental safety that should be enacted this year, from the “E-Waste” bill to promote recycling of electronics like TVs and computers (which I’ve filed with Representative Smizik) or the Safer Alternatives bill, which would reduce exposure to toxic, cancer-causing chemicals currently found in any number of commonly used products. Passing these bills will ultimately save lives, and the sooner we do it, the better.

In the wake of another tragic story about the deadly consequences out-of-control bullying can have, it’s well past time we pass bullying prevention legislation. Ensuring that every school has a bullying prevention and intervention plan, one that includes a focus on cyberbullying, would be a first step towards stopping this sort of behavior when it starts and before it spirals out of control. I’ve proposed a bill that would do this, as have many of my colleagues. The leaders of the Joint Committee on Education have indicated they are working on a bill; I hope the best parts of all the proposals can be combined and a strong bill reported out and voted on soon.

And we need to do all of these things, and more, with a focus on transparency and accountability, so that voters can be confident that we are always acting in the best interests of the people, and not for special interests.  A good start would be to include provisions in the state budget to promote tax credit transparency so that the Massachusetts Legislature and the public has a better sense of where our tax credit dollars are going, and what we’re getting, in terms of job creation, in exchange.

These are just a few of the many issues affecting working class families that the Legislature ought to tackle in the upcoming months. Right now, I am spending  some of my time at the State House making calls to House and Senate committee chairs, asking that the legislation mentioned above is reported out of committee and brought to a vote as soon as possible — and I hope you’ll join me in that effort.

In times like these, it can be a natural reaction for legislators to want to run away from being bold, to avoid doing anything that might be seen as politically risky.  I couldn’t disagree more, and that’s where you can help make a difference. We face huge problems, and the people need their representatives to be problem solvers.

So let your legislators know that you’re paying attention, and that you want to see action on these and other important matters before the end of the session.  We need to hear from you, now.

Yesterday, I was honored to speak at a press conference announcing a new report from the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow and the Safe Chemicals Healthy Families Campaign. The report added to the ever-growing body of evidence regarding the link between exposure to chemicals found in many household products and many common, chronic diseases.

Read the report.

This report only further highlights the need to pass the Safer Alternatives Bill, of which I am a co-sponsor, in this legislative session. Passing this legislation will help keep Massachusetts residents - especially children - safer and healthier.

I co-sponsored this bill, and continue to advocate for its passage, because there is strong evidence linking exposure to certain common chemicals to rates of chronic diseases such as cancer, childhood leukemia, learning disabilities and reproductive disorders.

The Safer Alternatives Bill would ensure that if an economically feasible safer alternative to a toxic chemical is found, for a particular use, and the chemical presents a high hazard to Massachusetts residents and workers, programs exist to assist businesses in making a transition to the safer alternative.  Not only does this measure reduce exposure to toxic chemicals for everyone in Massachusetts, it does so in a way that supports economic growth.

In addition to providing vital protections from harmful chemicals, this measure will save the Commonwealth millions of dollars in healthcare costs. According to the report released today, Massachusetts would save more than $100 million annually. In this time of fiscal crisis, such savings are another compelling reason to support this legislation.

Not only will this bill save the Commonwealth money, but preventing exposure to toxic chemicals is, quite simply, the right thing to do — and we should do it as soon as possible. As the Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on the Environment, I am working to see this bill reported favorably out of committee. I hope to see the bill brought the floor of the House and Senate for a full vote before the end of this legislative session.

It was great to have the opportunity to speak in favor of this important piece of legislation, and to hear from other legislators and advocates who understand that passing this bill can increase the length and quality of life for millions in Massachusetts. It’s been wonderful to hear from so many constituents about this bill, and, as always, I look forward to your continued input moving forward.

With the New Year upon us, I wanted to take a moment to share with you my thoughts on the work to be done by the Massachusetts Legislature this year, and to let you know about some of the bills I will be prioritizing in my own work over the coming months.

Legislative Budget

Although the economy seems to be slowly rebounding and revenue numbers have finally started to hit benchmark levels, the fact remains that we face a serious budget gap this year of several billion dollars. As a result, the budget process will dominate the legislative agenda for much of the spring, as we make the hard choices as to which priorities we will continue to fund, what will be cut, and what new revenue, if any, we will seek out.

During the budget process, my priorities will be:

1)      Protecting local aid (including Chapter 70, lottery aid and regional school transportation) to cities and towns.

2)      Maintaining funding for vital social safety net services (programs to help the homeless, low-income families, at-risk children, those with disabilities, the elderly, etc.).

3)      Advocating for a fair, adequate and stable tax system that will raise sufficient revenue to support our state’s goals and priorities.

4)      Promoting budget transparency and accountability, particularly around the issue of tax credit transparency, so that we can be sure that every penny of the public’s money is being spent effectively.

5)      Preventing deeper cuts in spending on environmental protection, stimulating economic development, and investing in transportation.

Approving the annual budget is one of the Legislature’s most important jobs. Please be in touch to let me know your priorities for funding in the coming fiscal year.

Key Issues Facing the Legislature

The Legislature, working in partnership with Governor Deval Patrick, has made government reform a priority over the past year, passing sweeping reforms to our pension, lobbying and campaign finance, and transportation systems last spring. I expect we’ll continue in that vein this year, starting with passage of a final education reform bill this week, as we look for reforms that can help improve the functioning of government and other no-cost policy proposals that can make a positive difference in the lives of people all across this Commonwealth.

Issues I expect will come before the Legislature this year include:

Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sentencing Reform: I was pleased to support a comprehensive CORI and Sentencing reform bill, which passed the Senate last fall. This bill will help reduce recidivism among ex-offenders and lower criminal justice costs, saving the state money while promoting public safety at the same time. Read my testimony in support of CORI reform here.

Health Care Cost Control: Although Massachusetts is a national leader in expanding access to health insurance, health care costs continue to spiral out of control. Members of the Senate are currently working on legislation to address the health care cost problems, which I expect will come before members sometime this year.

Safe Driving Bills: Texting while driving and the issue of re-testing for elderly drivers are two issues that received a lot of attention last year, following a string of fatal accidents. I support a ban on texting while driving and hope to see it come before the Legislature quickly. I also support efforts to require retesting for drivers over a certain age, along with policies that would permit doctors who have patients with cognitive disabilities, of any age, to recommend them to the Registry of Motor Vehicles for retesting. Thinking long term, of course, it is also important to remember that if Massachusetts places additional restrictions on senior drivers, we will need to give seniors additional options for getting around town so they can run their errands and remain involved in their communities.

Expanded Gambling: It seems possible that the question of expanded gambling in Massachusetts will come before the Legislature this fall. I am strongly opposed to bringing casinos, slot machines, or “racinos” to the Commonwealth, and I will be working hard to try and defeat these proposals this session. Learn more about my position on expanded gambling here.

Foreclosure: The growing foreclosure crisis is an affordable housing issue that has had a serious effect on our district, and the Commonwealth as a whole. I’m supportive of legislation that would increase neighborhood stability by creating protections for tenants in foreclosed properties and requiring banks and financial institutions to ensure proper upkeep and maintenance of foreclosed properties, and I hope to see this issue addressed by the Legislature this spring.

Transgender Nondiscrimination Bill: Representative Carl Sciortino’s bill adding gender identity and expression to the state’s nondiscrimination and hate crimes statutes is another piece of legislation that ought to pass this session. This no-cost bill, which has the support of a majority of the House and Senate and, according to polling, a strong majority of the public, would provide important protections for a group of people who often face discrimination. The bill is ultimate about equality, and I hope Massachusetts will take the next step forward on the path towards equality for all people by passing this bill this year. Read my testimony on the bill here.

Municipal Relief: As the Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Municipalities, I have been working hard on municipal relief bill, to provide cities and towns with new tools to respond to the ongoing fiscal crisis by managing limited resources more efficiently. I hope to see the bill brought before the Legislature this spring.

The bill will offer provisions for managing employee benefits more effectively, require each community to move all its eligible retirees to Medicare coverage, and provide some pension funding relief within fiscally responsible parameters.  In addition, several provisions encourage and facilitate regionalization of municipal services and reform municipal procurement requirements, thus providing cost efficiencies without jeopardizing transparency or quality.

Priority Bills

In addition to the above issues facing the Senate, I will also be working to advance (and, hopefully, pass) the legislation I have filed through the legislative process. You can view a full list of the bills I have filed this session here, but here a few highlights:

Asset Development Legislation: This bill would remove state-imposed barriers to asset development for low-to-moderate income residents of the Commonwealth who receive support through the Department of Transitional Assistance and will promote gainful employment and financial stability for low-income families. Although there is some initial cost associated with the bill, which may make its passage this year difficult, I believe that ultimately it would save the Commonwealth money in reduced need for services (over time) and reduced administrative costs.  Watch my testimony on the bill here.

Massachusetts Freedom to Vote Bill: This bill comprehensively and fundamentally updates and improves voting in Massachusetts, and if enacted, would give Massachusetts some of the strongest voting laws anywhere in the United States. It is my hope that at least pieces of this bill - including Election Day Registration and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds - can make it through the Legislature this session.

E-waste Bill: This bill requires producers of electronic waste (e-waste), - i.e. computers, televisions and printers - to be financially responsible for the proper disposal of their products. The bill aims to vastly reduce the amount of hazardous chemicals leaching into landfills from e-waste disposal by increasing public accessibility of e-waste recycling, while also taking the financial burden of collecting and recycling e-waste products off of municipalities and placing it instead on the manufacturers. We came very close to passing this bill last session, and I am working to see it signed into law this year.

Sustainable Water Resources Act: We know that when streams get too low, it has a serious impact on water quality and the aquatic habit. However, there are currently no minimum streamflow standards in place to safeguard the water levels in rivers and streams necessary for sustaining healthy ecosystems, fish, and other water-dependent wild.

This bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt regulations establishing standards for restoring and maintaining stream flow in the rivers and streams of the Commonwealth. In addition, the bill updates the state’s dam safety statute and allows for municipal water banking.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts about these issues, or any other concerns you may have. Please contact my office anytime to let me know your thoughts, or for answers to any questions you may have.

This past Friday, my staff and I spent the day at the Middlesex & Worcester district office in Marlborough, volunteering for the local Holiday Helper program.  We arrived at the office prepared to sort toys — a task that seemed, when it was first assigned to us, rather straightforward and quick, but that ended up being a massive project.

Massive, because of the overwhelming generosity shown by Marlborough residents eager to give back to those less fortunate in their community. There were multiple truckloads of donated dolls, games, trucks, clothing and other gifts that needed to be unloaded, unpacked, and sorted into piles before being packaged up for children in the community who otherwise might not have presents this season.  When I entered the room where all of these toys were being stored, there were literally thousands of toys ready to be sorted for needy children in the Marlborough area.

The work my staff and I did that day was just a small part of a much larger community-wide operation that takes place every year, from identifying families in need to processing applications, soliciting donations, and distributing gifts to area children. We were honored to be a part of it, and I am so proud that my District Director, Peggy Ayres is one of the primary organizers of the effort every year.

The Marlborough Holiday Helper program began in December of 1988, when a local family, having suffered through a year of illness, job layoffs, and ultimately eviction, came to the Department of Human Services for help paying their rent.  Even after receiving money from the Mayor’s Charity Relief Fund, it became apparent that the parents would not be able to provide Christmas presents for their three children.  The Human Services Department reached out to the community to donate gifts, and was met with extraordinary generosity.  The Holiday Helper Program was born to ensure that all children in the community would receive a gift during the holiday season.

Rosalind Baker, director of Marlborough’s Human Services Department, and Peggy from our office currently run the Holiday Helper program, processing applications from families who otherwise would not have gifts for their children during the holidays.

It’s a huge job, and they do amazing work. Last year the program received 500 applications, and this year many more are expected.  No applications are denied, and although children may not receive every item on their wish list, the Holiday Helper program tries to ensure they receive at least one item a child specifically requests.

Spending Friday unpacking waist-high boxes of gifts, and filling bags for children with trucks, mittens and books soon to be tucked under Christmas trees and given during Hanukah this week, I was proud to represent a community that fosters such selfless kindness. The Holiday Helper program, as well as all of the many other similar holiday programs and food banks throughout the Middlesex & Worcester District, are such a  success thanks to the strong community support they receive each year.

Despite all of the work put in by dozens of volunteers, including myself and my staff last week, there is so much work left to be done to make sure that every area needy child has a memorable holiday.  If you have a day or even a few hours to help out, please contact Peggy at (508) 786-3040 or email her at Margaret.Ayers@state.ma.us for information on sponsoring a child or helping with the distribution process.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy Holiday Season!

Jamie

P.S. On another charity note, this past Monday I had the pleasure of being at the ribbon cutting of a new Marlborough-based program of Employment Options, called Furnishing Options, that collects surplus furniture and other household goods and provides them to low-income individuals and families to furnish their homes.  If you or your family have household goods to donate, or would like to help support the program, please contact Diane Ring, Executive Director, at (508) 485-5051 extension 245, or visit www.employmentoptions.org/FurnishingOptions.

One Monday morning this past fall, a group of young, committed environmental activists came into my office. They were part of the Leadership Campaign, and they’d spent the past night sleeping on the Boston Common as part of a weeks-long event to raise awareness about climate change. My staff and I were impressed with this group’s passion and activism, and I wanted to share some information with you about what they are trying to accomplish.

The Leadership Campaign is a collection of students, environmental organizations, and other interested individuals who are calling for state government to address the effects of global climate change, with their dedication demonstrated by nightly sleep-outs on over twenty college campuses throughout the state and at Boston Common in protest of the dirty electricity used to power their college homes, apartments and dorms. With the UN Climate Change Convention talks starting today in Copenhagan, last night marked the group’s final sleep-out.

Their focus? Reducing carbon dioxide emissions, highlighting NASA climatologist James Hansen’s assertion that the current political consensus to stabilize carbon dioxide levels at 450 parts per million is an inadequate goal, and that the current 390PPM level must be brought down to 350 to prevent global destabilization.

In particular, they are pushing for passage of An Act to Repower Massachusetts, which calls for a complete overhaul of the Commonwealth’s current protocol for electrical generation. I was more than happy to sign on and support this forward-thinking legislation.

The bill would create a new RePower Massachusetts Emergency Task Force, which would be charged with creating a comprehensive plan by June of 2010 to achieve a 100 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emission levels by January 1, 2020.  The recommendations and regulations of the Task Force will reflect careful consideration of the impact of the transition to a clean energy economy on low-income communities and will allow for a complete phase-out of coal-powered electricity by January 1, 2015.  An Advisory Council will periodically review and adjust the legislation in order to ensure that it meet the overarching goal of 100 percent greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2020.

The global warming phenomenon has, in the past decade, become the greatest challenge to environmental security that we face here in Massachusetts, and indeed on a national and global level.  While Massachusetts has proven itself a leader in efforts to diminish the effects of global warming through such legislation as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the Green Communities Act, more needs to be done to address real threat that global warming poses to our state’s ecological, social, political and economic wellbeing.

There are many issues facing the Commonwealth, but it is clear there is no more important issue for the world than stopping global warming.  It is so inspiring to see dedicated citizens like these young people putting so much effort into making a difference on this issue.  Across the Middlesex & Worcester District, there are environmental activists, municipal officials, and everyday citizens who are doing their part, and I am equally committed to passing legislation to make a difference in stopping global warming as well.

I was recently asked to be a guest blogger for a fantastic local organization — Give US Your Poor: The Campaign to End Homelessness.

Go read it here.

Here’s a little more about this great group:

Give US Your Poor is a national public education campaign addressing homelessness. It is housed at the McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. In 1999, Give US Your Poor began as a documentary film project looking at homelessness, and has grown into a wider education campaign utilizing networks, media, public support, and the latest research on homelessness. From the beginning, Give US Your Poor has existed not to compete with other homeless organizations, but rather to complement and work with them.