http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion en-us Copyright CNHI All Rights Reserved. 5 http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_310220922.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:59:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_310220922.html "Sit down," I said, "I just got here."
"I can see that," Freddy said, "and what kept you? Oversleep?"
"You missed it," I said. "An army psychiatrist killed a bunch of soldiers down in Texas."]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_310225323.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:58:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_310225323.html It was the late U.S. Sen. Russell Long of Louisiana who reportedly explained why tax reform was so difficult with a pithy line illustrating that everybody is a special interest: "Don't tax me. Don't tax thee. Tax that man behind the tree."]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_310221454.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:57:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_310221454.html http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_309233946.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:59:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_309233946.html Perhaps they shouldn't look too closely.
Massachusetts has had universal health care since 2006, thanks to former Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy and the Legislature. At one level, it looks like a smashing success — according to state officials, nearly 98 percent of the state's residents have coverage of some kind.]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_309234509.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:59:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_309234509.html http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_309234014.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:58:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_309234014.html Tuesday night, Oct. 27, at the Newbury Round School was one of those moments that define a community. People from all corners of Newbury came together to take swift action to help save Plum Island. It would be impossible to thank all of the people who contributed so much to make this happen. ]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_309234022.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:56:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_309234022.html It is the season for political epiphanies in Newburyport. The latest submission is the abolition of the Civil Service process for police and fire positions. The reasons: According to The Daily News account of Councilor Cameron's proposal, "We have a much stricter accountability around ethics and corruption. I think for these two positions (police and fire chief), it would be worth taking a look at pulling these out of Civil Service." ]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_309234538.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:54:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_309234538.html I wish to take this opportunity to thank the voters for 1. voting to review the charter and 2. for electing me as one of their nine representatives on the Charter Review Commission. I thank you for the opportunity, and I will do the best job I can. ]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223809.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:59:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223809.html http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223817.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:58:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223817.html The other day I was talking with a person who lives In Ontario, Canada, about the health care reform package that President Obama and his comrades in the U.S. Congress are trying to get passed. This person in Canada was trying to tell me how inexpensive it is to live in Canada.]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223832.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:57:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223832.html The Amesbury Rotary Club would like to thank everyone who took part in our First Scavenger Hunt on Friday, Oct. 16. The event attracted over 40 people who had a wonderful time. Even with the cold weather, everyone managed to navigate Amesbury with the clues offered, and picked up several food items for Our Neighbors' Table. Long-time residents even discovered new sites and locations!]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223840.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:56:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223840.html Commuter rail is not just a Newburyport issue, it is a Merrimack Valley issue. It is a Salisbury, Newbury, Amesbury, Seabrook and, for that matter, a southern New Hampshire and southern Maine issue. ]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223851.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:55:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223851.html Money, while important, is not all that matters (Taylor Armerding: "State can fill its coffers by treating pot like gambling," Oct. 24). What also matters is that our laws comply with the federal and state constitutions; both suppose the consent of the governed. The vote on Question 2 annihilated the notion prohibition of possession backed by criminal sanction had such consent. The vote on Question 2 and the rampant civil disobedience to the law — over 10 percent of Massachusetts voters consumed it last month — establish there is not consent here for the prohibition of its commerce.]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223946.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:54:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308223946.html Elizabeth Della Piana, Jack Garvey and others have uttered the usual refrain from the left, i.e., "I want someone else to pay my bills." We now have a single-payer health care system; that is, I am the single payer for my family's health care. What others want, of course, is for me to be the single payer for their health care also. For those who want Canadian- or European-style health care, it is readily available — in Canada or Europe.]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308224044.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:53:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308224044.html We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everybody who gave food or money to Community Service of Newburyport, Inc. at the Newbury Town Meeting on Oct. 27.
Your support will help us to assist needy families in our area. Thank you for your concern and your generosity.]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308224058.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:52:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_308224058.html The Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center would like to thank our spirited supporters who showed up despite the heavy downpours during its 18th Annual Walk Against Violence & Dorothy's Run 5K on Sunday, Oct. 18. Without your support we would be unable to provide the critical services for victims of family violence. Honorary chairs were Mayor John Moak of Newburyport; Mayor Thatcher W. Kezer III of Amesbury; Selectman Donald Beaulieu of Salisbury; and Selectman Glenn Kemper of West Newbury. ]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_307235243.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:59:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_307235243.html The two candidates for mayor — Holaday and James Shanley — shared the same positions on many issues that face the city. But the key differences may well set the stage for how the city can finally resolve some of these long-standing, nagging problems.]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_307212253.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:58:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_307212253.html Mr. King, if you didn't know, is a political fixture in Boston, who makes his living as an "educator" and community activist. The gist of his support for Menino's opponent in the mayoral race in Boston, Mr. Flaherty, is that Menino is somehow responsible for the high minority drop-out rate in the city's schools. He was promoting Flaherty as an agent of "change," who will make it the government's responsibility to keep kids in school. ]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_307212354.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:57:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_307212354.html A few Sundays ago I attended a meeting at the Friends Meeting House in Amesbury. I listened to a talk by Zoya, an Afghani woman who is touring America as a representative of Revolutionary Association of Afghanistan Women (RAWA).]]> http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_307212321.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:56:00 EST http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_307212321.html It is that time again when the Newburyport Lions Club will be holding their annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner. "We serve" is our motto. The Lions organization began more than 90 years ago now with over 1 million members, when Helen Keller asked the Lions to be the Knights of the Blind, to help those in need. ]]>