Now that we are almost done the first week of 2013, I have decided to post my top five wishes for the upcoming year. Before you go all crazy and complain to me about them, keep in mind, these are my own personal wishes. I have hundreds more but these are my top five, as of today, and not listed in importance either:
1. By Christmas next year there are at least two passenger carriers operating out of Worcester Airport. Like it or not, it is going to remain an airport and any modern city needs to have one. Let's get our Democrat Leadership to take $39 mil from the $250 Billion still not spent from the 2009 Federal Stimulus funds, and get the upgrades done. If they did that, Jet Blue would come. While an access road would be nice, there wasn't one in 1989 when 354,000 people used the airport so that is a bogus argument against using it. By the way, to all of those homeowners I met while on the campaign trail who live near the airport, please stop blocking progress. If you don't like airplane noise, move. After all, you knew there was an airport there when you bought your house.
2. Worcester is still the second largest city and metro area in all of New England, yet we get treated by the government, both State and Federal, as if we are some small town tucked away in the western wilderness. With that in mind, would it be too much to ask for the VA to have at least one full service hospital for Central MA Veterans, of which there are a huge number? Currently our area Vets are served by 1 outpatient clinic and VA hospitals in either Boston or Northampton. So if you are an area veteran and in need of specialized care, you have to travel quite a bit to get care. Our Veterans deserve better than this. Again, the aforementioned stimulus money could be tapped to get that done! I am so sick of all our politicians claiming to be supportive of Veterans while delivering very little in the way of real help.
3. Keeping with this theme, wouldn't it be nice to see some cranes working on skyscrapers in our city, and not just downtown? What about Webster Square? While knocking on doors in that area, I was tripping over the same run down sidewalks as I was when I was delivering newspapers there as a kid. I know we can do better. Where are the visionaries who see the city for what it could be? Where are the business folks who would get things done in spite of inept politicians? Worcester has so much to offer but if you've been to Hartford, Providence, Manchester or even New Haven, you would see how far we are falling behind!
4. By the end of this year, all public safety departments in our area up to full strength. There are no excuses for police and fire departments to be understaffed. It is a short term solution which has long term consequences. When those folks are worked harder, they get hurt more and burn out quicker. Please make all of our pols recognize this and make public safety a priority! No money is no excuse!
5. A new fire station for Leicester! Currently the Station 1 trucks have to be pulled into a neighbors driveway to turn around and the building is too small for a modern ladder truck. Years of empty promises need to come to an end. It is time to find the roughly $5 million necessary to replace the building. Towns across Massachusetts benefit from call departments. They all have a responsibility to provide the best resources and equipment to the brave men and women who provide those services while sacrificing so much of their time and energy. In my recent race, this was an issue. Hopefully Congressman McGovern, State Senator Moore and Representative Binienda will follow through and get it done, this year!
Well, those are my top 5, how about yours?
