Representative Don Humason



ELECTION DAY, FINALLY! By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. November 1, 2008 After nearly two years on non-stop electioneering at the national level, the day of reckoning is finally here. Someone joked recently that he was looking forward to voting Tuesday for President because that would mean an end to the presidential campaign, at least for a few weeks until the next campaign started! If all goes well as I hope it will next Tuesday, I’ll be back with my weekly column in the Saturday Westfield Evening News on November 8. I’d certainly appreciate your vote. But even if you don’t plan to vote for me for Westfield’s State Representative, I’d encourage you to get to the polls and cast your vote for the other races. On Saturday, November 8, I’ll publish the results from my September column “Another Constituent Survey.” I received nearly 3 times the responses this time than I did on my first survey. Close to 100 people replied with their answers and opinions. I haven’t looked yet. It will be interesting to see how they matched up with the outcomes on Election Day. I wanted to say a few words about the terrible tragedy that occurred last week at the Westfield Sportsman’s Club annual Machine Gun Shoot. I am a proud member of the club and a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. I was even at the club Sunday but left before the shooting. I am deeply saddened at the terrible accident that resulted in the young boy’s death. I know that all the members of the Sportsman’s Club and the Westfield community share that sadness and regret. Our thoughts and condolences are with the family. There will surely be much attention focused on the Massachusetts gun laws in the wake of this tragedy. Whether new laws are called for, or a clarifying of the dense, hard to understand gun laws as they currently exist, I think we all agree that as parents, firearms enthusiasts, and government leaders we want to be sure we do everything possible to prevent another instance like this. No amount of legislation or law can prevent accidents from happening. And we all know that common sense cannot be legislated. But something will happen when the Legislature reconvenes next session, I’m certain. Even before we formally convene in January, the House and Senate have taken steps during the current informal session to do our part to act on the state of the Commonwealth’s economy and financial situation. The Legislature took up parts of a Supplemental Budget bill filed by Governor Patrick that complement the Governor’s 9C cuts and further assist with balancing the state budget. Things like extending the pension funding schedule two years from 2023 to 2025, permitting the Mass Highway Department and the Department of Conservation and Recreation to spend up to $50 million for FY ’09 for emergency snow and ice removal in order to accommodate for timing discrepancies between the need for snow removal and availability of funds, allowing transferability within the Executive Office Secretariats, providing a two month tax amnesty program to infuse the state with revenue that might otherwise not be collected, and authorizing the transfer of up to $200 million from the Stabilization/Rainy Day fund to the General Fund. The Legislature has frozen hiring, conference travel expense reimbursement, and the purchase of many office supplies. I wholly expect the budget situation to get worse before it gets better. This state and our country have weathered financial crisis before. I am confident we will come through if we all pull together. Finally, I’m aware that some people have questions about issues in Boston or Westfield that they would like to talk to me about but they are not able to meet with me during the week in my district office or at my public office hours. So I’ve decided to schedule some evening and Saturday office hours as well. My next public office hours will be this Saturday, November 1, from 11-12:30PM at Zuber’s Deli on Southwick Road. No appointment is necessary. Please feel free to come by and speak with me and my Chief of Staff Sarah Latour. Thank you. Have a great week. See you on Election Day! Representative Humason and his Legislative Aide Jonelle Gingrich may be reached at his State House office, Room 542. Boston, MA 02133. (617) 722-2803. Representative Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at his Westfield district office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085. (413) 568-1366. Representative Don Humason’s website is www.DonHumason.org
This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group

ELECTION DAY, FINALLY!

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

November 1, 2008

After nearly two years on non-stop electioneering at the national level, the day of reckoning is finally here.

Someone joked recently that he was looking forward to voting Tuesday for President because that would mean an end to the presidential campaign, at least for a few weeks until the next campaign started!

If all goes well as I hope it will next Tuesday, I’ll be back with my weekly column in the Saturday Westfield Evening News on November 8.

I’d certainly appreciate your vote. But even if you don’t plan to vote for me for Westfield’s State Representative, I’d encourage you to get to the polls and cast your vote for the other races.

On Saturday, November 8, I’ll publish the results from my September column “Another Constituent Survey.” I received nearly 3 times the responses this time than I did on my first survey.

Close to 100 people replied with their answers and opinions. I haven’t looked yet. It will be interesting to see how they matched up with the outcomes on Election Day.

I wanted to say a few words about the terrible tragedy that occurred last week at the Westfield Sportsman’s Club annual Machine Gun Shoot. I am a proud member of the club and a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. I was even at the club Sunday but left before the shooting.

I am deeply saddened at the terrible accident that resulted in the young boy’s death. I know that all the members of the Sportsman’s Club and the Westfield community share that sadness and regret. Our thoughts and condolences are with the family.

There will surely be much attention focused on the Massachusetts gun laws in the wake of this tragedy. Whether new laws are called for, or a clarifying of the dense, hard to understand gun laws as they currently exist, I think we all agree that as parents, firearms enthusiasts, and government leaders we want to be sure we do everything possible to prevent another instance like this.

No amount of legislation or law can prevent accidents from happening. And we all know that common sense cannot be legislated. But something will happen when the Legislature reconvenes next session, I’m certain.

Even before we formally convene in January, the House and Senate have taken steps during the current informal session to do our part to act on the state of the Commonwealth’s economy and financial situation.

The Legislature took up parts of a Supplemental Budget bill filed by Governor Patrick that complement the Governor’s 9C cuts and further assist with balancing the state budget.

Things like extending the pension funding schedule two years from 2023 to 2025, permitting the Mass Highway Department and the Department of Conservation and Recreation to spend up to $50 million for FY ’09 for emergency snow and ice removal in order to accommodate for timing discrepancies between the need for snow removal and availability of funds, allowing transferability within the Executive Office Secretariats, providing a two month tax amnesty program to infuse the state with revenue that might otherwise not be collected, and authorizing the transfer of up to $200 million from the Stabilization/Rainy Day fund to the General Fund.

The Legislature has frozen hiring, conference travel expense reimbursement, and the purchase of many office supplies.

I wholly expect the budget situation to get worse before it gets better. This state and our country have weathered financial crisis before. I am confident we will come through if we all pull together.

Finally, I’m aware that some people have questions about issues in Boston or Westfield that they would like to talk to me about but they are not able to meet with me during the week in my district office or at my public office hours. So I’ve decided to schedule some evening and Saturday office hours as well.

My next public office hours will be this Saturday, November 1, from 11-12:30PM at Zuber’s Deli on Southwick Road. No appointment is necessary. Please feel free to come by and speak with me and my Chief of Staff Sarah Latour.

Thank you. Have a great week. See you on Election Day!

Representative Humason and his Legislative Aide Jonelle Gingrich may be reached at his State House office, Room 542. Boston, MA 02133. (617) 722-2803.
Representative Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at his Westfield district office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085. (413) 568-1366.
Representative Don Humason’s website is www.DonHumason.org

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group