Statement from Rep. Denise Andrews

Statement from Rep. Denise Andrews
 

PRESS RELEASE 

September 14, 2014

For Immediate Release: Representative Denise Andrews Address Inaccurate Mass Fiscal

Contact: Greg Hager at 978. 503.2561  or Denise Andrews at 513.780.0538

Rep. Andrews Corrects MassFiscal.org on her Record, Again

Another week, another misleading attack mailing is sent on behalf of the Republican party. It appears that after the accuracy of claims presented in their first mailing was quickly discredited, MassFiscal.org is now back at it, with seemingly unlimited financial resources to spend on their partisan political agenda.

I believe the voters of this district deserve better, more constructive politics and campaigns. That is what voters want, not a gutter campaign that allows well-heeled special interests to tear down one candidate in favor of another. Smearing a candidate with misrepresentations serves no one.

I would ask my opponent in this race to reach out and let her party leadership know that this type of campaigning is not acceptable to do in this district. I, in my previous two campaigns, was repeatedly asked to consider allowing the publication of attack mailings and letters to the editor. I have always and will continue to be clear that I am adamantly opposed to this type of campaigning and I require that I and my team and supporters share information on me and my record directly and respectfully with the voters. We will stay focused on giving voters information on my results, guiding principles, and plans for future improvements.  We as individuals do set the tone and engagement standards for our district, party and democracy. I hope that my opponent in this and other races will lead in a way to make this our new campaign reality.

MassFiscal.orgis a well-funded partisan political group which is pretending to be a non-profit social welfare organization while it is blanketing our region with misleading ads. I have had many people ask about these mailers and I feel the need to respond directly to these intentional distortions of my legislative record. Moreover, it’s important for constituents to know Mass Fiscal has sent these mailings to voters across the Commonwealth in more than twenty other districts targeting Democrats in races this year. Of the legislators targeted by their “non-partisan” mailings, all were Democrats.

So, here are the facts about my record:

LOCAL AID

I did not vote against local aid. I voted to increase local aid by $25 million this year! (Roll Call #327, H3999). In fact, every sitting Republican voted against that budget, meaning they voted against sending additional local aid back to towns and schools.

THE GAS TAX

The truth is I voted against indexing the gas tax to inflation (Roll Call #57, Amendment #35 to H. 3382); I also voted against the entire transportation bill (Roll Call #69, H3415). And yes, I signed a petition to let this decision be made by the voters on the November ballot. MassFiscal.org is not telling the truth about my record on the gas tax! Roll Call #113 was a vote to approve the FY14 budget! It was not a vote for or against raising the gas tax increase or indexing the tax to inflation. Here is another example of MassFiscal.org getting the facts wrong.

THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

You bet I voted to implement the Affordable Care Act in Massachusetts. I didn’t vote this way because I thought the reforms enacted eight years ago were bad, reforms that helped us to achieve near universal health coverage. I voted to implement the ACA in Massachusetts, because doing so means thousands more working adults, college students, and children previously excluded under the prior law would finally have access to affordable health insurance. Implementing the ACA or Obamacare means more people don’t need to struggle to obtain care for their family. Implementing the ACA means more help for seniors with high out-of-pocket costs for medications. I am proud to support advancing quality, affordable, accessible health care for all in one of the richest countries in this world.

VETERANS & IMMIGRANTS

I did not vote in favor of giving preference to illegal immigrants over veterans in public housing. The idea alone is preposterous. In Roll Call #421 I voted that an amendment filed by the Tea Party was a political stunt and beyond the scope of the veterans’ bill under consideration. Veterans are given preference in public housing in most communities across the Commonwealth. That is the way it should be, and that is how it will remain. Massachusetts leads the nation in the benefits and services provided to our veterans. I’m opposed to the Tea Party faction in the State House trying to politicize services for veterans, and I hope you will join me in asking MassFiscal.org to stop disrespecting veterans and our democracy by using veterans as a political football.

In closing, my campaign remains a grassroots effort, funded by small donations and the hard work of individuals. We don’t have unlimited resources or the wealthy donors necessary to blanket the region with glossy mailers every time a shady partisan group like MassFiscal.org tries to distort my record. I look forward to the day when we repeal the Citizens United decision and meaningful campaign finance reform returns to our elections. We can have respectful elections. We can demand respectful engagement from candidates for office, from the media, and on social media. It is by our actions alone that we set an example for coming generations.

As I have said repeatedly, if you need information on me and my actions as your State Representative, call me at (617) 722-2460 and let your voice be heard. I’m always willing speak to constituents about my votes and actions and to listen and learn from different perspectives. If you want to spend a day as the State House to see how things happen there, reach out and my office will make it happen.

Denise Andrews of Orange is the State Representative for the Second Franklin District.

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