Bill filed to allow appointment for Senator Kennedy's seat

Blue Mass Group has a post on a bill to allow Governor Patrick to appoint an interim US Senator prior to the special election to fill Senator Kennedy's seat.
I think that this bill ...

...will move quickly through the legislature and be passed. What do you think?
The Commonwealth will hold a special election to fill Senator Kennedy's seat within 160 days. There has been some speculation as to who will run. I have heard Attorney General Coakley, former Congressmen Joe Kennedy and Meehan, Congressmen Markey, Capuano, and Lynch. Do you have a favoriate among those or is there someone else who you would like to see run?
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I'm a grandfather

Carson Joseph Trimble, born at 9:05PM, Aug 30, 2009 to Andrew and Gretchen Trimble in Minnesota.
9 lbs, 2 oz.

Mom and baby are well and Dad is ecstatic.

A big boy and what a head of hair.

If world leaders had to hold a baby for 15 minutes every day, there would be no wars, I think.

Kenyan birth certificate to follow.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself with the quip.
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WWIII Blues-Dylan on Friday

Half of the people can be part right all of the time,
Some of the people can be all right part of the time.
But all the people can't be all right all the time
I think Abraham Lincoln said that.
"I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours,"
I said that.

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Health Care Reform or Bust!

A point that seems to be missing in the debate over health care reform is that the current system is bankrupting our citizens, our companies and our government. Our country spends much more per person on health care than any other country. We spend twice as much per person as France, 35% more than the Swiss. Is our care twice as good? Health statistics say no. The cost of health care is growing at a much faster rate than wages, most corporate profits, and tax receipts. The result is that we have to spend more and more of our personal earnings, company earnings, and tax dollars (see chart on page 13 of linked Congressional Budget Office document) to provide health care for the country. And we have millions who are uninsured to boot.
A Harvard study found that medical expenses were the leading cause of personal bankruptcy filings. The study also found that most bankruptcy filers had health insurance! But that is only half the story. As health care costs skyrocket, companies are pushing more of the cost of health insurance onto employees, either by increasing employee contributions or increasing co-pays and deductibles. If some sort of reform is NOT passed, you will pay more and more of your income for health care.
Companies, large and small, are being forced to reduce or eliminate health benefits or absorb costs which make them less competitive. Most industrial nations do not have for profit health care insurance. Their governments control the cost of care and ...

...that provides foreign companies an advantage over ours. If health care reform is NOT accomplished, we will be less competitive in world markets.
If the nation does not come up with a reform plan that reins in the explosive growth of health care costs, Medicare taxes will have to increase or benefits will have to be cut.
Please notice what I said just now. If reform is NOT done, Medicare will be cut, US companies will be less competitive in world markets, and you will pay more of your income for health care. The reality of our unsustainable health care system is that it must be reformed, not only for our physical health needs, but also for the economic health of the country. Other countries provide high quality, universal health care to their citizens (scroll down to middle of the page for Canadian example) at fraction of the cost of our system. This country must find the necessary reforms to do likewise. It is either health care reform or bust.
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Health Care for everyone rally Sept 7 11AM

According to Charley on the MTA at Blue Mass Group, advocates for health care reform will hold a rally on the Boston Common on September 7th at 11AM. This is one of 1000 events planned over the next 10 days to show support for health care reform.
This site lists events within 220 miles of Boston. If health care reform is important to you, ...

... see if you can get out to one of these events to show your support.
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Bridge Construction on Mon 8/31/09 from 7a-330p

Dartmouth Police reminds you that the Apponagansett Bridge will be closed at Gulf Rd. on Monday, August 31, 2009 from 7:00AM-3:30PM due to Bridge Construction.

Local detours will be posted but please seek alternative routes during this time.

For full details, go to http://local.nixle.com/alert/219259/
Contact Information:
DARTMOUTH POLICE DEPT.
508-910-1735

You can sign up to get these updates fromm Nixle at this website, http://local.nixle.com/dartmouth-police-department/
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T.R. Reid actually reports on health care abroad

T.R. Reid has an article on the Washington Post in which he actually went around the world and looked at the systems employed by other countries for health care insurance and delivery of care. Not surprisingly, he found out that the rest of the world enjoys high quality, universal coverage at a fraction of the cost of the US system. He also explodes several myths ...

... about the care given in other countries.
Such as,
1> Other countries use a socialized model (Some do, some don't)
2> Overseas, care is rationed through limited choices or long lines (It's not)
3> Foreign health-care systems are inefficient, bloated bureaucracies (Nope, more efficient)
4> Cost controls stifle innovation (Not true)
5> Health insurance has to be cruel (In fact, coverage is guaranteed abroad)

How come Rush Limbaugh never mentions this stuff?
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Alternative Energy Committee meets tonight on wind turbines

The Alternative Energy Committee will meet tonight at 7PM in room 301 of the Town Hall.
The Alternative Energy Committee will discuss and vote on options for the height of the proposed wind turbines, either 80 or 100 meters at the hub.
The plans and studies needed to prepare a Special Permit for submission to the Technical Resource Group (TRG) are moving apace and should be ready soon. The wind turbine bylaw requires the permit to be submitted ...
... to the TRG for approval before being presented to the Select Board for their approval. The bylaw makes the Select Board the Special Permit Granting Authority for wind turbines.
I have posted about the proposed wind turbines to be erected on town lands in the Paskamansett valley here, here and here.
You can find more comprehensive information about the turbines at the town website here
And here is the rest.
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Special Town Meeting adopts local option taxes

A brief Town Meeting approved the three articles on the warrant last night. I posted on the warrant here.
The Town Counsel had prepared the contract for the new Executive Administrator and the Select Board signed it last night. The contract will now go to Mr. Cressman for his signature.

Senator Edward Kennedy passed away today. He was 77 and one of the longest serving US Senators in history.
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Special Town Meeting tonight 7PM

A Special Town Meeting will be convened tonight at 7PM at the new Dartmouth High auditorium to consider acquisition of a small parcel of land at the end of Rogers Street and the adoption of a local .75% tax on restaurant meals and a local 2% increase on the room tax.

See you there!
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