BV Dispatch #3 Neal Delivered for His Constituents Jay Gilchrist, GBVD
Ritchie has done his list of personal accomplishments I asked for (Oct 2, 2010)
He did it in a better way than I suggested. He ran it as a ‘broadside blast’ against charges from a primary opponent. I reformatted to bold up the salient points.
There is a 15 bulleted list at the bottom suitable for presenting to voters
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The following article appeared in Northampton‘s Daily Hampshire – Gazette on Tuesday, October 5, 2010.
NEAL DEFENDS HIS SERVICE TO HIS EAST DISTRICT CONSTITUENTS
By Congressman Richard E. Neal
When Dr. Jay Fleitman announced his candidacy for Congress last year, I welcomed the challenge. I respect anyone who enters the public arena and engages voters with honest discussions about the issues that matter most. He worked hard to get his name on the ballot in the
Republican primary that was held on September 14th. He ran a positive and substantive campaign, but the voters made their decision on Election Day and he was defeated.
That is why I was surprised to read his angry and mean spirited comments in the Daily Hampshire Gazette last week. I have never met Dr. Fleitman, and I never commented on his campaign, despite being asked by reporters on several occasions. My position was to simply let
him focus on his Republican opponent in the primary, and I would engage the winner of that contest in the general election. Following his loss, it was clear that there was more he wanted to get off his chest.
I have no doubt that Dr. Fleitman met many good and decent people on the campaign trail from western and central Massachusetts . The second congressional district is filled with thousands of hard working men and women from the Connecticut River to the Blackstone River and
beyond. Many have become my friends and supporters. I have been to their chicken barbeques, porkettas and festivals. I have visited their Rod and Gun Clubs and VFW Halls. I have met them in their homes and at their jobs. I am proud to represent them in Congress, and I share their hopes and aspirations.
So when Dr. Fleitman suggests that I have neglected people from the eastern part of the district, he must not have met:
The young teacherfrom Hopedale who wrote to thank me for the tour of the Capitol I arranged for her class. I have her note in my desk;
The senior citizenwho stopped me in North Brookfield this month to say that his Social Security issue had been favorably resolved by my office;
The fatherfrom Northbridge who e-mailed me a photo this week of his son at West Point after I successfully nominated him to the U.S. service academy;
The high school studentfrom Southbridge whose painting I had hung on the wall of the United States Capitol Building ;
Or the Fire Chieffrom Douglas who just thanked me for securing federal funds to purchase a new fire truck for the town.
When Dr. Fleitman was traveling east, he must not have attended the annual financial aid conference I have held in Milford for more than a decade where hundreds of students and their parents appreciate the advice we provide them every January as they decide how to pay for college. He must not have visited MilfordPond, where I have worked with town officials and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers for years to restore that local landmark.
He could have even joined me for a cup of coffee at theoffice I have at the Post Office Building in Milford. I would have been happy to tell him that we are making progress on the local storm water issue of the Charles River.
I don’t know the nameless public officials that Dr. Fleitman says have been ignored. However, he should talk to people like
State Senator Dick Moore of Uxbridge, State Senator Steve Brewer of Barre, State Representative John Fernandes of Milfordand State Representative Geraldo Alicea of Southbridge
They will tell you their phone calls are always returned.
Ask the students and teachers in classrooms from the 41 cities and towns that I visit each year to talk about the importance of a good education. Ask the families enjoying the heritage corridors, the
business executive in Spencer, or the hospital administrators in Charlton about my work fighting for them. These people do not care that I am from Springfield ; they just know that I have always been in their corner.
The most puzzling comments from Dr. Fleitman were about my work in Southbridge and the south county region. Let’s start with the American Optical facility. Without the intervention of myself and the late Senator Ted Kennedy, that building would be empty or demolished.
Instead it is a state-of-the-art hotel and conference center that is the crown jewel of the town. In addition to its partnership with the Department of Defense, both Quinsigamond Community College and
Westfield State University have a presence on the Southbridge campus.
Students are taking classes from morning to night six days a week with more coming. The medical company Karl Storz is a new tenant with more than 600 employees.
Across the street is the police station that was built with federal funds that I helped secure.
Not far is Harrington Hospitalwhere medical equipment that provides better cancer screening for women was purchased with my help.
I learned long ago that politics is a tough business. And I know that during campaign season, many candidates say things they later regret. As far as Dr. Fleitman is concerned, I am glad he was a candidate and got to travel this beautiful, historic and diverse district. But when discussing my record, he is certainly entitled to his own set of opinions, but he is not entitled to his own set of facts.
Remember, it’s Promises Kept, not Promises Made
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Richard Neal’s Personal List of Accomplishments for Us
WITH ALMOST 300,000 CONSTITUENTS IN US DISTRICT 2, MANY NEED HELP
* Barbecues, festivals, VFW halls, homes and sadly funerals. That’s where I’m often seen
* Hopedale teacher’s class: ” thank you Rep. Neal for arranging our tour of the Capitol”
* N. Brookfield citizen says “your office solved my Social Security issue ”
* Northbridge father emailed this week “Son nominated by Neal and now at West Point”
* Southbridge student’s painting “Now hangs in the US Capital building”
* Douglas Fire Chief send thanks ” We got the fire truck we needed and you provided”
* Annual financial aid conference, Milford, “gets needy kids into college”
* Neal and Army Engineer Corps – “restored landmark Milford Pond after years of work”
* Neal pushes for storm water project relief for beleagured Milford town businesses
* Business executive in Spencer “aided in local issue and issue resolved”
* Restoration of American Optical Bldg – now revenue producing hotel- Southbridge
* “Two new colleges opened on Southbridge Campus thru Neal’s efforts”
* Karl Storz Co. – new tenant, “600 employees now, in Southbridge. Thanks, Rep.Neal”
* Southbridge got a new Police Station, ” thanks to Richard Neal’s federal efforts”, and
* Harrington Hospital thanks Rep Neal for the cancer screening equipment he arranged
From the Connecticut to the Blackstone Rivers, Promises Kept, Not Just Made
