Ty sings to Golden Center Living [VIDEO]

On the Campaign Trail, 2/26/18

Today we reached 100 signs with a couple of new signs on North Avenue. But what strikes me the most is the enthusiasm I am seeing now on a daily basis. I’ve been getting some phone calls from Attleboro residents whom I haven’t met yet, telling me how excited they are and want to help our campaign out. They like the idea of a social worker actually running for state representative instead of a politician.

I got positive feedback at several homes about the campaign postcard which I had mailed to 12,500 homes today. People seem to appreciate the slogan, “WE NEED A KINDER, GENTLER GOVERNMENT!”

I can’t wait to go out on the trail again Tuesday morning. A lot of faces have been lighting up when I arrive at their doorstep and ring their bell. All I am trying to do is give people HOPE that their lives matter and their state government cares about them.

You know what most voters like to hear the most? When I receive a phone call asking for help, it doesn’t matter who they voted for. That person will quickly become my highest priority. I will try my darndest to answer your question and offer hope dealing with their problem.

Time to get my batteries recharged and go to bed. Good night!         Peace, Ty

Appearance: Public Policy with Paul [VIDEO]

Please visit DoubleACS at http://aacs15.com/?q=node%2F9078 or watch the embedded file below to watch an episode of Public Policy with Paul (Mayor Paul Heroux) as he gives the public the opportunity to get to know the Democratic candidates for State Representative of Attleboro.

Thanks to Mayor Paul and DoubleACS for this program.

Don’t Forget! The primary is March 6th. We have made a Facebook event to help remind you: https://www.facebook.com/events/971351763041753/

On the Campaign Trail, 2/18/18

I had a bizarre experience today in South Attleboro. Near sunset, my last visit was with a woman that I presumed was a Democrat. She had put up a sign for Paul last fall. She appeared in the yard, dignified, a senior who looked like she was out of the 1960’s (Dress, demeanor, very bright). She didn’t look 74 years old.

She welcomed me to her property and told me she had put up a sign for Paul last fall. Whereupon, she asked how I felt about Donald Trump. Sensing she voted for Trump, I carefully said, “I support the office of the presidency.”

‘”Yes”, she responded, “‘But how do you feel about President Trump? Don’t you think he’s the best thing our country has experienced in our entire lifetime?”

I was dumbstruck, searching for one positive thing I could say about Trump. Nothing came to my mind. Nothing! So finally I quietly murmured, “I don’t think you’re going to vote for me.”

She broke out with a big smile and told me she’s an intelligent person, a psychiatrist. She added that Paul Heroux was the only Democrat she had voted for in her entire life and she was also going to vote for me. Then she asked me to put up a sign in her yard. Two Columbian men and she were the only people in the entire neighborhood with the guts to put up a Paul for Mayor sign last fall.

I never said anything positive about Donald Trump.

AMAZING!

-Ty for State Representative of Attleboro

Don’t forget! Vote March 6th and Signs, car magnets, buttons and more are available to support Ty. Use this form:  https://goo.gl/forms/2981l0Xdhm8JdgGz1

After the DEBATE last night…

Thank you to DoubleACS for providing the debate live and afterwards for us to view.

Hi team: Wow! My first debate on live television tonight. I prepped hard for the debate, anticipating lots of tough questions on taxes, immigration, jobs, small business, gun control, the $15 proposed minimum wage, definitely the Attleboro schools, sanctuary cities, the environment, marijuana, and Mass Health.

Ellen, Bill, Zach and I met for three hours Sunday afternoon prepping for tonite. We watched Paul Heroux’s 2014 debate in front of the Chamber of Commerce leaders. Afterwards, I spent many hours writing out my answers to all the questions I thought would be asked.

Jan and Jax suggested that I lead with my HEART tonite. So I did. I spoke about being a social worker, not a career politician. I used George Bush Senior’s old phrase “WE NEED A KINDER, GENTLER GOVERNMENT”. described my past as a social worker and that constituent services as my highest priority.

1. No questions asked about small businesses. That really surprised me, coming from the Chamber of Commerce.

2. The big question tonite was about guns, following the horror in Florida. It probably involved mental illness. No sane person would do such a thank as kill 17 innocent students. I was asked what can we do in Massachusetts to prevent this tragedy from occurring?

3.  Improved mental health, better DCF foster care, more mandated reporters, better treatment for addicts, tougher gun registration laws all went through my head while I tried to answer what I would advocate.

I found myself talking about locked schools in Boston, school police screening anyone who entered the schools, the need for legislation that insured regular lockdown drills in Massachusetts schools.

    No one suggested repealing the 2nd amendment. Guns are the biggest issue I have run into on my campaign trail. A number of Attleboro voters have asked me if I would support the right to bear arms. I assured them that I was supportive of the second amendment, strong registrations, banning assault weapons for citizens, but allowing guns to be used in hunting and target practice.

    I don’t want to take away the right to own a gun, but I do want to elevate the quality of our mental illness treatment. I want to elevate the precautions that schools must live with during the school day. I want to prevent anyone outside of the student body from entering without being checked by either a security officer or policeman. I want gun registration to include the owner’s social security number, I want background checks similar to CORI’s for new residents at the YMCA I work at.

    We have a lot of violence in our American society. There are no simple answer.s… but mental illness is a clue for some of these problems.

4. The rest of the debate was mild in comparison to the discussion about guns. I told the crowd that I support the $15 minimum wage. No one challenged me. I told the crowd that the struggling parents on minimum wage needed this kind of boost.

5. I  announced that I support the Millionaire Tax, also a ballot question. No one challenged me. This will provide new money for our public schools.

6. I told the crowd I wanted to be on the state commission overseeing the elderly, mentally ill, DCF children, DDS intellectually disabled people. I tried to say it in a caring way…. and I emphasized that DCF only has 5 nurses in the agency, covering 6 or 7 offices apiece. We can’t allow that to happen.

WE NEED A KINDER, GENTLER GOVERNMENT ….. words we need to take seriously.

7. I applauded Massachusetts for providing one of the best, if not the best, Medicaid systems in the United States. Mass Health/Mass Connector is about 40% of our state budget. 1.8 million children are now covered by Mass Health and other forms of health insurance… only 12,000 children in Mass. live without health insurance. But if we know who those 12,000 children are… we must find a way to get them covered too.

    I fully expect Mass Health to be attacked by the federal government this year. Massachusetts might be running a better health care system than our federal government runs! Wow!

    Our evening was saddened by the terrible slaughter in Florida. America must protect our innocent children. And we need to offer an improved mental health system here in Massachusetts. We need to widen the net of mandated reporters. We need to have very tight Massachusetts and USA gun registration rules. We need background checks, ban the assault rifle bans, and mandate social security numbers of gun owners. President Trump canceled the rule to provide social security numbers that might have prevented gun violence.

8. We were complimented tonight by the moderator of the debate for our civility with one another. It was a positive debate, sharing of issues, but our national leaders have not succeeded in preventing gun violence.

To sum my position up: I am for common sense gun laws. I am for expanded mental health programs. I am for more protection for schools and children, I want to ban the ownership of assault rifles.. We can have crossing guards… shouldn’t we have security guards inside of schools who can prevent strangers from entering? We hate to think that our schools need police to protect them… but this could prevent future tragedies.

We must do something about gun violence in America.

-Ty for State Representative of Attleboro