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After the strong momentum created by the
support and enthusiasm of the formation of my exploratory committee
for the state senate last week, I am proud to officially announce my
candidacy for the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex district state senate
seat to be vacated by Jarrett Barrios on July 5. I am the progressive
democrat in this election and have a track record of strong and
influential advocacy on the critical issues of the day that currently
face our vibrant and diverse district as well as our state.
Our
community’s concerns demand that we strengthen the relationship
between local and state officials. I am a pragmatic consensus
builder, who will build upon the outstanding work of Senator Barrios
toward strengthening our towns, securing our neighborhoods, providing
affordable housing, better access to healthcare, progressive economic
development and commonsense law enforcement. My grandfather dedicated
his life to serving as a firefighter, which caused me to develop an
immense respect for the work of our public safety officials. I am a
long-time supporter of the Fraternal Order of Police. I advocate a
commonsense approach to law enforcement.
In order for law enforcement to be most
effective, I believe there must be strong ties between local police
and the communities they protect. I supported the “Banned in “Boston
program, a public and private partnership to create an improv forum
for dialogue between local police and young people. In response to
community complaints in Brockton, I organized and co-founded the
Brockton Task Force on Civil Rights and Public Safety with Bishop
Teixeira. The task force has been established to bring a diverse
community of state and national leaders together with community
advocates from Brockton to create a forum for a safe and progressive
dialog with the police force on issues that will build understanding
and promote progressive justice.
In
2003, I drafted a senate bill and sent it to Governor Romney to
strengthen notary regulation and assist the attorney general’s office
in prosecuting fraud. The Boston Globe carried the story on July 3,
2003. Instead of submitting the bill to the legislature, Romney
enacted a weak version of the bill as an Executive Order. Senator Sue
Tucker took a more commonsense approach to creating criminal penalties
for those who use the state office of “public notary” to commit
fraud. I have been a strong and influential advocate on Senator
Tucker’s more sensible legislation. When elected, I will work hard to
build consensus and strengthen relationships between the towns and the
State House that were broken during the previous gubernatorial
administration. Because we need safer streets, I support Mayor Menino’s proposal to halt
firearm trafficking. My experience makes me the best candidate to
replace senator Barrios on Beacon Hill. Only by working together can
we achieve this goal.
I ask you to go to the polls and ask for your vote in the special
democratic primary election on Sept. 11.
Very truly yours,
Jeff Ross,
State Senate
candidate,
Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex
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