Sears Questions Miceli's Voting Record -- Miceli gets Flunking Grades from 3 Independent Employer Groups

The Lowell SUN reports today that Rep. Miceli does not find the same meaning that his opponent Doug Sears finds in the flunking grades on the economy 3 major employer groups gave him in the past two weeks. 

Sears, in a press release to the SUN, mentioned "scores cards" from three independent employer organizations that rank legislators: National Federation of Independent Businesses (which Senator Scott Brown referenced frequently in last night's debate with Prof. Warren) gave Miceli a 33% on votes aligning with its small-business platform; Citizens for Limited Taxation scored Miceli at 56% on taxation issues; and, Associated Industries of Massachusetts ranked Miceli 50% -- lowest of all 200+ Legislators!

"Tewksbury and Wilmington deserve better," Sears said in his Press Release.

Small businesses are the engine for economic recovery in Massachusetts. Excessive and unnecessary permitting costs hurt business locally, and higher doing business costs have driven manufacturing out of state and overseas.

Miceli defends his votes as in the best interest of "his" constituents.

However, Sears questions whether Miceli's "constituents" are Wilmington and Tewksbury's businesses, employees and customers. Sears says: "You have to have employers before you can have employees and customers." Many store-fronts are shuttered along Rte 38 in both towns.

An answer? Miceli's his 2012 Pre-Primary 2012 Campaign Finance Report lists 12 contributors from 01/01/2012 to 08/18/2012. 7 of 12 contributors are unions. Does this mean he favors union employers at the expense of other of "his constituents?"  Yes. 7/12 is a "majority" in anybody's book!

Recent example: Tewksbury and Wilmington Firefighter unions recently endoresed Miceli. Why? Tewkbury, fire fighters receive 365 day year pay for working 90 to 95 days a year. They want his help to keep it that way. Why? their other days are paid holidays, bonus days, overtime, and time off to work on their second jobs. 

Any "constituent" over 18 would love such a job, especially in this economy. For Miceli, such "economics" provide Tewksbury taxpayers "good value"?

Playing Santa Claus with your money is how he stays in office: he gets firefighter union endorsments and you get the bill! The contribution pays for the silence of Miceli ("the conservative warrior"?) on discussions of cost savings from privating ambulance service or regionalizing fire safety departments.

As a candidate for Representative Sears is interested in debating these employer issues, and others, in Wilmington and Tewksbury. 

Sears says: "Jim Miceli has never met a union he wouldn't take money from."

http://www.lowellsun.com/local/ci_21590053/miceli-defends-voting-record

Follow Katie Lannan at twitter.com/katielannan.

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(p.s. If a reader knows of a union or labor PAC Miceli wouldn't take money from, please put a corrective post below.)