Representative Don Humason



MASS DOT Westfield Evening News column By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. May 22, 2010 On Monday, Senator Mike Knapik, Mayor Dan Knapik, and I had the chance to welcome Jeffrey Mullan, the Secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to Westfield. Secretary Mullan is in Governor Deval Patrick’s cabinet and oversees the huge, newly re-organized, state transportation agency, which includes the Highway Department and the Aviation Division. Secretary Mullan was accompanied by Christopher Willenborg, former head of Barnes Airport who is now the MassDOT Aeronautics Division Administrator. We began with a tour of Barnes Airport led by current airport manager Brian Barnes. We toured two aviation-related businesses, General Dynamics Aviation Services and AirFlyte Maintenance. We also had the chance to give Secretary Mullan an up-close look at an F-15 fighter jet at the 104th Fighter Wing. We thought it was important to show him the airport and the aviation-related businesses that make up the airport. The Aviation Division is one of the smaller agencies in MassDOT and doesn’t get the respect I think it deserves. Then again, I am the Chair of the Aviation Caucus. Before he left to go back to Boston we grabbed Secretary Mullan and took him to look at the site of the Great River Bridge construction. We also walked him up onto the closed Drugstore Hill/Pochassic Road bridge so he could see, first-hand, the negative impact the bridge closure was having on the Prospect Hill neighborhood. And we asked him to go back to Mass Highway and see if something could be done to expedite the design and bidding and construction of the new Pochassic Road bridge so that residents and businesses in the area would not have to suffer. He made no promises, but said he would take our concerns back with him to Boston and see what he could do. I am satisfied that there is nothing more the Senator and Mayor and City Engineer Mark Cressotti and I could have done to make our case to him. We literally had him on the spot. The House of Representatives was in formal session on Wednesday and debated several pieces of legislation: House 889, an act relative to Savings Bank Life Insurance and House 4320, an act relative to manufacturer rebates and discount programs for pharmaceutical products both passed the House. There was another bill on the calendar to be debated but it was held until a later date due to problems foreseen in gaining its passage. The bill is Senate 2260, an act relative to comprehensive siting reform for land based wind projects. Basically, proponents of the bill wanted this legislation passed which would give developers and builders of green energy facilities, namely wind mills, special rights when it came time to siting the facilities. Opponents, like me, questioned why so-called green projects needed special abilities to skirt local zoning rules and exemptions from current conservation rules. Shouldn’t a green project be able to abide by green rules to protect green space? I thought so. So did many others and so the bill was pulled. I’m sure it will be back again another day. The state Senate met in formal session on Thursday to swear in Senator-elect Richard Ross, R-Wrentham, who won a Special Election to fill the state Senate seat vacated when Scott Brown became U.S. Senator. Now the Senate is back to 5 Republicans and 35 Democrats while the House drops to 15 Republicans and 136 Democrats. The Senate will meet over several days next week to debate their version of the Fiscal Year 2011 state budget. The Senate budget debate should be concluded by Thursday, May 27. I haven’t read it yet but hear it contains similar cuts to local aid and state government programs as the House. The good news is that there are no tax increases in their budget either. After the past couple of years where state budgets contained tax and fee increases (which I consistently voted against) I think the legislative leadership finally realized that there was no appetite among members for more taxes. I’d guess the Scott Brown election, the Tea Party movement in the Bay State, and the upcoming November elections have something to do with it too. A reminder that members of the Massachusetts Bar Association will be offering free legal advice to citizens through its Dial-A-Lawyer Program next Wednesday, May 26, from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The number to call if you want free legal advice is 413-782-1659. I would like to conclude this week’s column with some words of congratulations. To the Holy Trinity Church in Westfield on their centenary dedication, to the Westfield State College Class of 2010 on their commencement, to the recipients of scholarships from the Citizens Scholarship Foundation of Westfield, and to Glynis DeVerry of Westfield on being recognized as an unsung heroine by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. Congratulations all! * * * Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield Evening News. 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. Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Boston office, State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org
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MASS DOT

Westfield Evening News column

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

May 22, 2010

On Monday, Senator Mike Knapik, Mayor Dan Knapik, and I had the chance to welcome Jeffrey Mullan, the Secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to Westfield. Secretary Mullan is in Governor Deval Patrick’s cabinet and oversees the huge, newly re-organized, state transportation agency, which includes the Highway Department and the Aviation Division.

Secretary Mullan was accompanied by Christopher Willenborg, former head of Barnes Airport who is now the MassDOT Aeronautics Division Administrator. We began with a tour of Barnes Airport led by current airport manager Brian Barnes. We toured two aviation-related businesses, General Dynamics Aviation Services and AirFlyte Maintenance. We also had the chance to give Secretary Mullan an up-close look at an F-15 fighter jet at the 104th Fighter Wing.

We thought it was important to show him the airport and the aviation-related businesses that make up the airport. The Aviation Division is one of the smaller agencies in MassDOT and doesn’t get the respect I think it deserves. Then again, I am the Chair of the Aviation Caucus.

Before he left to go back to Boston we grabbed Secretary Mullan and took him to look at the site of the Great River Bridge construction. We also walked him up onto the closed Drugstore Hill/Pochassic Road bridge so he could see, first-hand, the negative impact the bridge closure was having on the Prospect Hill neighborhood. And we asked him to go back to Mass Highway and see if something could be done to expedite the design and bidding and construction of the new Pochassic Road bridge so that residents and businesses in the area would not have to suffer. He made no promises, but said he would take our concerns back with him to Boston and see what he could do. I am satisfied that there is nothing more the Senator and Mayor and City Engineer Mark Cressotti and I could have done to make our case to him. We literally had him on the spot.

The House of Representatives was in formal session on Wednesday and debated several pieces of legislation: House 889, an act relative to Savings Bank Life Insurance and House 4320, an act relative to manufacturer rebates and discount programs for pharmaceutical products both passed the House.

There was another bill on the calendar to be debated but it was held until a later date due to problems foreseen in gaining its passage. The bill is Senate 2260, an act relative to comprehensive siting reform for land based wind projects.

Basically, proponents of the bill wanted this legislation passed which would give developers and builders of green energy facilities, namely wind mills, special rights when it came time to siting the facilities. Opponents, like me, questioned why so-called green projects needed special abilities to skirt local zoning rules and exemptions from current conservation rules.

Shouldn’t a green project be able to abide by green rules to protect green space? I thought so. So did many others and so the bill was pulled. I’m sure it will be back again another day.

The state Senate met in formal session on Thursday to swear in Senator-elect Richard Ross, R-Wrentham, who won a Special Election to fill the state Senate seat vacated when Scott Brown became U.S. Senator. Now the Senate is back to 5 Republicans and 35 Democrats while the House drops to 15 Republicans and 136 Democrats.

The Senate will meet over several days next week to debate their version of the Fiscal Year 2011 state budget. The Senate budget debate should be concluded by Thursday, May 27. I haven’t read it yet but hear it contains similar cuts to local aid and state government programs as the House. The good news is that there are no tax increases in their budget either.

After the past couple of years where state budgets contained tax and fee increases (which I consistently voted against) I think the legislative leadership finally realized that there was no appetite among members for more taxes. I’d guess the Scott Brown election, the Tea Party movement in the Bay State, and the upcoming November elections have something to do with it too.

A reminder that members of the Massachusetts Bar Association will be offering free legal advice to citizens through its Dial-A-Lawyer Program next Wednesday, May 26, from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The number to call if you want free legal advice is 413-782-1659.

I would like to conclude this week’s column with some words of congratulations. To the Holy Trinity Church in Westfield on their centenary dedication, to the Westfield State College Class of 2010 on their commencement, to the recipients of scholarships from the Citizens Scholarship Foundation of Westfield, and to Glynis DeVerry of Westfield on being recognized as an unsung heroine by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. Congratulations all!

* * *

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield Evening News.

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. Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Boston office, State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org