Representative Don Humason



HOME OF THE BRAVE November 7, 2009 By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. I would like to offer my congratulations to all the winners in the local election this past Tuesday. I look forward to working with the new Mayor, City Councilors, School Committee members, and Athenaeum Trustee, as well as those continuing to serve in their respective positions. Thank you, also, to those who ran. While some races, like At-Large City Councilor and Gas & Electric Commissioner didn’t see many candidates, other races this year, from Mayor, to Wards 2 and 5, to School Committee, saw many candidates vying for the seats. Competition for the positions gives the voters choices and options. It makes the other candidates work harder and smarter. It betters them. Competition is good for the process. So I am grateful to the individuals who decided to put their names on the line and run. As a person who has been in the political arena for a while and has run both with opposition and without, I can attest that there is nothing else like it. Putting yourself and your family out there in your community for your fellow citizens to assess, judge, and then vote for or against; if you haven’t experienced it for yourself you can’t know what it is like. Far be it from me to wag my finger and chastise the voters of Westfield, but I agree with Mayor Mike Boulanger when he said he was surprised by the low turn out at the polls Tuesday. Roughly 33% of registered voters voted. 23,330 people in the Whip City are registered. City Clerk Karen Fanion had predicted turnout might reach 41%, but that didn’t happen. As Mayor Boulanger said, “That means that two-thirds of the city’s residents shouldn’t complain about anything the next two years.” The phenomenon of voter interest, involvement, and turn out for national races like President, while eschewing local races like Mayor, has always puzzled me. Personally, I believe the best government is local government. Local government, which is closest to the people, is most responsive. And yet, for some strange reason many folks ignore local races and instead opt to vote only in the “big races” at the national level. That always seemed backwards to me. You will most likely never meet the President. But you can meet your local City Councilor, Mayor, or State Representative. You can call local elected officials like me at my house or office, see me at the bank or grocery store, find me shopping downtown, or eating at a local restaurant. Yet many fail to get involved with retail grassroots politics at the local level. I wonder why. The House met briefly this week to take up a saltwater fishing license bill and legislation called the “Home of the Brave” bill. House bill 4310 was drafted in anticipation of Veteran’s Day to give veterans an advantage in business, to provide a safe place for veterans to age with dignity, and to give veterans the ability to use military training as a substitute for certain licensure training. This bill also makes changes for members of the armed forces serving abroad and residents living overseas to improve the overseas ballot procedures, allowing them more access to voting methods. Current service members are also given additional bonuses through the “welcome home” bill, and a new medal of honor is created. Minority Owned Business Definition Currently, women and minority owned businesses qualify for assistance from State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance. House 4310 would include disabled veterans in the definition of minority businesses and make them eligible for all of the programs and assistance for which women and minority owned businesses currently qualify. Home of the Brave, Inc. House 4310 creates The Home of the Brave, Inc., a 5.01(c)(3) non-profit corporation. It will be able to use private, state, and federal money to house and care for honorably discharged veterans, their spouses, and the spouses of deceased veterans. Funds may be used to buy, build, lease, and rent properties to house veterans. “Welcome Home” bonus for multiple deployments The Welcome Home Bill bonus currently gives service members returning from active duty a monetary bonus of $1,000 dollars if they served in Iraq/Afghanistan and $500 dollars if they served abroad anywhere else outside the U.S. This bill would change the bonus program by allowing those returning from a tour to get 100% of this bonus the first time they return and 50% of the bonus each subsequent time. If they are killed while abroad, the next of kin receives the bonus. Licensure requirements Individual state licensing boards shall promulgate rules and regulations to award veterans exemptions from requirements or credits towards licensure for all related military experience and schooling in the area in which the veteran seeks to be licensed. Medal of Liberty House 4310 creates a Medal of Liberty to be given to the next of kin of service members killed on duty. Absentee Voting by Uniformed Services Voters and Overseas Voters This legislation expands the use of federal write-in absentee ballots, currently in use for federal elections, to all elections. Administered by the Federal Voting Assistance Program, these ballots are used to ensure that overseas absentee ballots are cast and received during the tight timeframe between elections (especially between primary and general election). Specifically, this ballot allows overseas voters, particular service men and women, to receive a federally-regulated absentee ballot online and to cast their vote electronically, via fax or email, or through traditional mail. *** Representative Don Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org
This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group

HOME OF THE BRAVE

November 7, 2009

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

I would like to offer my congratulations to all the winners in the local election this past Tuesday. I look forward to working with the new Mayor, City Councilors, School Committee members, and Athenaeum Trustee, as well as those continuing to serve in their respective positions.

Thank you, also, to those who ran. While some races, like At-Large City Councilor and Gas & Electric Commissioner didn’t see many candidates, other races this year, from Mayor, to Wards 2 and 5, to School Committee, saw many candidates vying for the seats. Competition for the positions gives the voters choices and options. It makes the other candidates work harder and smarter. It betters them. Competition is good for the process. So I am grateful to the individuals who decided to put their names on the line and run.

As a person who has been in the political arena for a while and has run both with opposition and without, I can attest that there is nothing else like it. Putting yourself and your family out there in your community for your fellow citizens to assess, judge, and then vote for or against; if you haven’t experienced it for yourself you can’t know what it is like.

Far be it from me to wag my finger and chastise the voters of Westfield, but I agree with Mayor Mike Boulanger when he said he was surprised by the low turn out at the polls Tuesday. Roughly 33% of registered voters voted. 23,330 people in the Whip City are registered. City Clerk Karen Fanion had predicted turnout might reach 41%, but that didn’t happen. As Mayor Boulanger said, “That means that two-thirds of the city’s residents shouldn’t complain about anything the next two years.”

The phenomenon of voter interest, involvement, and turn out for national races like President, while eschewing local races like Mayor, has always puzzled me. Personally, I believe the best government is local government. Local government, which is closest to the people, is most responsive. And yet, for some strange reason many folks ignore local races and instead opt to vote only in the “big races” at the national level.

That always seemed backwards to me. You will most likely never meet the President. But you can meet your local City Councilor, Mayor, or State Representative. You can call local elected officials like me at my house or office, see me at the bank or grocery store, find me shopping downtown, or eating at a local restaurant. Yet many fail to get involved with retail grassroots politics at the local level. I wonder why.

The House met briefly this week to take up a saltwater fishing license bill and legislation called the “Home of the Brave” bill.

House bill 4310 was drafted in anticipation of Veteran’s Day to give veterans an advantage in business, to provide a safe place for veterans to age with dignity, and to give veterans the ability to use military training as a substitute for certain licensure training. This bill also makes changes for members of the armed forces serving abroad and residents living overseas to improve the overseas ballot procedures, allowing them more access to voting methods. Current service members are also given additional bonuses through the “welcome home” bill, and a new medal of honor is created.

Minority Owned Business Definition

Currently, women and minority owned businesses qualify for assistance from State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance. House 4310 would include disabled veterans in the definition of minority businesses and make them eligible for all of the programs and assistance for which women and minority owned businesses currently qualify.

Home of the Brave, Inc.

House 4310 creates The Home of the Brave, Inc., a 5.01(c)(3) non-profit corporation. It will be able to use private, state, and federal money to house and care for honorably discharged veterans, their spouses, and the spouses of deceased veterans. Funds may be used to buy, build, lease, and rent properties to house veterans.

“Welcome Home” bonus for multiple deployments

The Welcome Home Bill bonus currently gives service members returning from active duty a monetary bonus of $1,000 dollars if they served in Iraq/Afghanistan and $500 dollars if they served abroad anywhere else outside the U.S.

This bill would change the bonus program by allowing those returning from a tour to get 100% of this bonus the first time they return and 50% of the bonus each subsequent time. If they are killed while abroad, the next of kin receives the bonus.

Licensure requirements

Individual state licensing boards shall promulgate rules and regulations to award veterans exemptions from requirements or credits towards licensure for all related military experience and schooling in the area in which the veteran seeks to be licensed.

Medal of Liberty

House 4310 creates a Medal of Liberty to be given to the next of kin of service members killed on duty.

Absentee Voting by Uniformed Services Voters and Overseas Voters

This legislation expands the use of federal write-in absentee ballots, currently in use for federal elections, to all elections. Administered by the Federal Voting Assistance Program, these ballots are used to ensure that overseas absentee ballots are cast and received during the tight timeframe between elections (especially between primary and general election). Specifically, this ballot allows overseas voters, particular service men and women, to receive a federally-regulated absentee ballot online and to cast their vote electronically, via fax or email, or through traditional mail.

***

Representative Don Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group