Please note this post was held back until we had the interview to share.
Today’s highlight was my radio interview on WARA . It was really fun. We probably talked too long about baseball and my book, The Year the Red Sox Won the Series. It was published 19 years ago about the 1918 world champion Red Sox. The host also raved about my social media page, which is primarily due to the skill of Jax Adele. I praised Jax at the end of today’s interview. Lots of fun!
I surprised myself when I shared my views on marijuana. To sum it up: I don’t trust alcohol, pot, LSD, or anything which alters our mind. I grew up with an alcoholic father and was exposed to many a drunken episode by him and his friends. I spent countless weekends with my Dad in bar rooms from 10 to 14 years old. It took me a long time to get over that experience and led to my career as a social worker. I realize pot is not alcohol but it does affect a person’s view of reality. It also affects how we drive.
I voted against legalizing pot but will abide by the vote of Attleboro. I support the use of medical marijuana because it helps people in pain. However, I’m uneasy about our city making money off of recreational pot. That is the direction we have chosen to go. I just don’t want to see anyone life destroyed due to substance abuse.
As a city councilor, I will abide by the will of our voters.
I tried hashish in tea once when I was 20 years old. My cousin and I went out to a Washington D.C. all night eatery. I remember floating right up to the top of the ceiling and watching everyone eating below me. It was the weirdest feeling I have ever had in my life. I never did it again. Once was enough.
I have been trying to figure out what Julie Hall believes and stands for. Not an easy task.
1. JULIE REFUSED TO DEBATE JEFF BAILEY ON TV IN FEBRUARY. THE MODERATOR, MAYOR PAUL HEROUX, DOES NOT KNOW WHY SHE REFUSED.
2. AT A RECENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, JULIE ABSTAINED FROM VOTING FOR AN APRIL 3rd SPECIAL ELECTION TO ELECT A NEW STATE REP.
3. JULIE ALSO ABSTAINED FROM PLACING THE DEBT EXCLUSION ON THE APRIL 3rd BALLOT TO FUND A NEW HIGH SCHOOL.
4. JULIE CITED A CONFLICT OF INTEREST LED HER TO ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTES. THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED 8-0 FOR THE APRIL 3rd ELECTION. AND THE 2 1/2 PROPOSITION OVERRIDE. I DON’T SEE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
5. JULIE HAS DECIDED NOT TO LEAVE THE CITY COUNCIL IF SHE IS ELECTED AS STATE REPRESENTATIVE. SHE DOES NOT SEE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN WORKING FOR BOTH THE STATE AND THE CITY AT THE SAME TIME. I DO SEE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON THIS ISSUE.
6. JULIE VOTED TO GRANT A PERMIT TO A NEW MEDICAL MARIJUANA FACILITY IN ATTLEBORO.
7. JULIE ACCEPTED A PAIR OF $1000 CAMPAIGN DONATIONS FROM AN EXECUTIVE OF THE SAME MARIJUANA COMPANY. SHE SEES NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN ACCEPTING THIS MONEY. I DO SEE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
8. WHEN CRITICIZED BY STATE REP. CANDIDATE JIM HAWKINS FOR ACCEPTING THE PAIR OF $1,000 CAMPAIGN DONATIONS, JULIE SAID, “I DON’T THINK ANY OF MY SUPPORTERS DO IT TO REWARD ME. WHAT WOULD THEY BE REWARDING FOR?”. (I can’t imagine why they might give her that money!)
9. JULIE DOES NOT BELIEVE PRIMARIES ARE NEEDED IN MASSACHUSETTS. SHE BELIEVES THERE SHOULD BE ONLY ONE VOTE AND THE HIGHEST VOTE-GETTER IS ELECTED. SHE STATED THIS MARCH 4th ON WARA RADIO. JULIE DOESN’T THINK MANY PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE PRIMARIES.
10. JULIE STATED SHE WOULD NOT SUPPORT A MILLIONAIRE TAX IN MASSACHUSETTS. IF APPROVED ON A STATEWIDE BALLOT QUESTION, THE TAX WOULD SUPPORT TRANSPORTATION AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS. JULIE SAID WE SHOULD FIND WASTE INSTEAD. (I support finding wasted money but still believe we need additional funding for schools).
MY CONCLUSION:
IN MY BRIEF ENCOUNTERS WITH JULIE HALL SHE SEEMS TO BE A NICE PERSON. SHE EVEN SUGGESTED TO ME RECENTLY THAT I OUGHT TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL.
BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SHE WOULD STAND FOR AS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SHE SUPPORTS.
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.
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.
Tonight DoubleACS will stream the Debate from City Hall live. They can be found on channel 15 in Attleboro, YouTube and Facebook. The debate is sponsored by the United Regional Chamber of Commerce and will have all of the candidates for State Representative of Attleboro present. Ty is ready and excited to be a part of this event.
Ty Waterman 