Monday, November 5, 2012
Reader finds Rep. Lyon's legislative priorities "disturbing."
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Monday, November 5, 2012
To the Editor: Remembering the dangers and difficulties women encountered before Roe v. Wade, I am a passionate supporter of a woman's right to choose. I don’t favor abortions; I simply acknowledge the reality that abortions will be performed, and believe the procedure should be as safe as possible for every potential patient. A woman’s right to choose a safe abortion is threatened in too many states, but I had thought that Massachusetts was not among them. The attacks have begun here in the guise of very disturbing legislation supported by State Representative Jim Lyons. The legislation, House Bill 2239, consists of one sentence. It would repeal our state law creating a 35-foot safety zone around facilities that provide abortions. …
State Rep. Lyons thanks voters for their support and makes a final pitch heading into Election Day.
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Monday, November 5, 2012
As this campaign approaches election day, I write to thank you, the voters and citizens. During my door-to-door campaign, I was warmly welcomed into the homes and neighborhoods of Andover, Tewksbury, Boxford, and North Andover throughout the last six months. I deeply appreciate your kind greetings and helpful comments while visiting your communities. I have worked to campaign with the civility and decency that is worthy of you, the voter. I am proud that the Lyons campaign has focused squarely on the issues: increasing Local Aid, rolling back the 25% Sales Tax hike, ending rampant political patronage among Beacon Hill insiders, advocating openness and transparency in state government, stopping the waste of tax dollars in the EBT card …
Readers says L'Italien has a solution-oriented approach to legislating.
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Monday, November 5, 2012
To the Editor: We support Barbara L'Italien for a lot of reasons -- her work ethic, her solution-oriented approach to legislating, and her tremendous accomplishments during eight years as one of Andover's state respresentatives. But after two years of stalemate and partisan rancor, perhaps the biggest reason we plan to vote for Barbara is because of her willingness to reach across the aisle and her history of finding bipartisan solutions. Barbara was first elected in 2002, entering the Statehouse as a Democrat just as Mitt Romney began his tenure as a Republican governor. From the beginning, Barbara made it clear that party politics was not her style. At considerable risk to her own political future, Barbara stood up against Tom …
Reader says the incumbent has been an advocate for local aid.
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Monday, November 5, 2012
To The Editor: Our representative, Jim Lyons, has delivered on his promise to advocate for local aid. Thanks to Jim’s hard work, we have seen the local aid fund increase by 7%. Prior to Jim’s election in 2010, the Beacon Hill powerbrokers had been slashing the local aid budget in order to fund their political priorities, such as patronage hiring and bailouts for Lawrence City Hall. Jim Lyons is a strong voice for local aid funding because Jim understands that our most important services are provided through our local communities, not through the bloated Beacon Hill bureaucracy. When we experience a health or safety emergency, we depend on our fire and police departments. When we are concerned about traffic or roads, we call our local …
Reader believes Lyons' policies are not in the best interests of children.
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Monday, November 5, 2012
To the Editor: The death of a child causes incalculable pain and loss to the parents. Moreover, when the tragedy is due to suicide, that pain is compounded by knowing it might have been preventable. Dozens of gay and lesbian teens every year commit suicide after prolonged anti-gay bullying. Suicide among gay youths is much higher than among their straight peers. However, the risk of suicide can be significantly reduced by counseling and an empathic ear. As a psychiatrist, I understand the value of counseling-- being heard and understood can make the critical difference between life and death. That's why I was astonished to learn about Rep. James Lyons' attempt to make it harder for gay youth to seek and receive this much-needed help. He …
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Reader says L'Italien has been a strong advocate for the Autism Community.
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Sunday, November 4, 2012
To the Editor: For the past thirty years I have worked with children and adults with autism and related disorders, so I am well aware of the challenges they and their families face. Autism affects more than 1 in every 88 children, 1 in 54 boys in Massachusetts, and sometimes it can be difficult for parents to detect until their child enters school. That's why I'm glad the autism community has an advocate as strong as Barbara L'Italien. Before L'Italien was in office, many insurance companies did not offer to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism. Families were stuck with huge bills for diagnostic visits, behavioral therapy and other vital care services for family members with autism. Often only those families who could afford to …
Reader says Lyons is a voice for fiscal responsibility.
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Sunday, November 4, 2012
To the Editor: Please join me in voting for Jim Lyons for state representative in the 18th Essex District. Jim Lyons has kept his promise of being a watchdog for the taxpayer. Representative Lyons has fought the status quo of political patronage and wasteful spending. Jim has battled the governor for accountability and exposed millions of dollars in fraud. I have worked with Jim Lyons in a professional capacity as a selectman and watched while he fought to increase local aid. While others told Rep. Lyons there were huge projected deficits at the state level, Lyons replied that waste could be cut and local aid could be increased. There was much resistance to his proposals to reign in state spending and fully fund local aid and Chapter 70 …
Former state rep. has impressed him.
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Sunday, November 4, 2012
To the Editor: Like many residents of Tewksbury's Precincts 3 and 3a, I'm looking forward to the upcoming election on November 6th. Due to redistricting, we are now in the 18th Essex district, and we have a choice of two representatives-- Jim Lyons and Barbara L'Italien. For me, the choice is clear. Barbara L'Italien has impressed me with her balanced and bipartisan approach to legislating. Barbara puts her constituents above her party affiliation, and it shows. Working with Democrats and Republicans alike, she was able to pass landmark legislation granting insurance coverage to children with autism. This bill attracted the co-sponsorship of none other than Scott Brown, and ended up passing unanimously! Barbara knows that to get real …
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Candidate in the 18th Essex district Barbara L'Italien sent out mailers to citizens in the district that said incumbent State Rep. Jim Lyons (R-Andover) has an agenda that does not represent the priorities of Merrimack Valley communities.
(Editor's note: The 18th Essex District includes Tewksbury Wards 3 and 3A) With the election days away, Barbara L'Italien, challenger for the 18th Essex state rep. seat, sent out some mailers recently that claim that State Rep. Jim Lyons is backed by groups that are anti-equal marriage and anti-choice. The mailer contains several bullet points explaining the different efforts he had made while a state rep. that do not represent the will of the district. L'Italien claims Lyons wrote a bill would restrict health insurance coverage to cover counseling for rape victims, supported the restriction of counseling for gay students, supported the elimination of funding for teen pregnancy prevention and supported the elimination of student health …
Reader says Lyons is "just the kind of person we need representing our Merrimack Valley district."
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Saturday, November 3, 2012
To the Editor: Jim Lyons is just the kind of person we need representing our Merrimack Valley district. Jim represents change and reform in state government. Jim has worked diligently to increase our Local Aid and he has fought against the reckless spending of our hard-earned tax dollars. Jim is fearless when standing up for the taxpayers, small business owners, and struggling working families of the 18th Essex District. That's why the big city Democrat power-brokers are frantically spending so much money to hurt Jim Lyons and his advocacy for Local Aid and responsible budgets. These power-brokers will do anything to defeat Jim and then bring back one of their own - Democrat insider Barbara L'Italien. L'Italien followed along with the big …
Joe Bill
7:33 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012
Is this a joke? L'Italien is a hack through and through. Hasn't she served as Director of Governmental Affairs? She is the queen of patronage jobs. Yes...let's elect this hack over Jim Lyons who is trying combat the fraudulent activities this government has enabled. He pressed Duvall on free healthcare for illegals...a 240,000,000 tab for taxpayers. But yet people support a hack who supports tax … more ›