Just the Facts

By: John MacDonald – February, 2018

Since I have announced my candidacy against incumbent Eileen Donoghue for State Senate of the 1st Middlesex, it’s fair to say that I haven’t launched a traditional approach to campaigning. I rely on facts. Unlike many campaigns that I’ve seen, all the facts on Eileen are clear and verifiable with a few clicks on Google.

However, unlike myself, everything about Eileen Donoghue is traditional. Eileen is a career politician that follows the path of least resistance, abides by tradition at the State House of voting as she’s told and doing what’s she’s told to do. Eileen proposes low-hanging fruit legislation that’s safe. It’s so safe that it usually does nothing to improve the lives of the working women and men in her district. She’s a perfect career politician. She’s loved by Progressives like Stan Rosenburg (she voted with Stan 98% of the time) and the entrenched who feed off having access to her State House office. She’s almost always a solid yes to anyone, who will owe her, or that she owes. She’s been this solid vote for Progressives and her political allies for 10 years.

What she hasn’t been…. She’s never bold, just insatiable about keeping herself… safe. Any position that isn’t gift wrapped, she’d rather just wait for what’s next. She hasn’t been concerned with the 1st Middlesex, that’s for certain. Just knock on a few of the working-class doors in Lowell, Pepperell, Tyngsboro, Groton, Westford and Dunstable that I have knocked on. She’s never been there or stood on their front steps.

Never!

She votes for what’s best for Boston and certainly not what’s best for the working lower and middle class. She hasn’t been fighting for legal citizens that go through the process of becoming naturalized citizens, she fights for people that come to Massachusetts illegally, rarely pay taxes, receive state benefits like free healthcare, free state college tuition…oh and willfully dismiss the law. She hasn’t fought against fraud in Mass Health either, she’s voted for it. She’s voted against helping businesses by imposing a “1 size fit’s all” minimum wage, which has proven to downsize job opportunities for young people and puts unneeded stress on border-town (NH) small businesses in the 1st Middlesex that struggle to survive. Who cares in her mind? Prior to my campaign, she’s rarely had a challenger.

Eileen has not been a friend to Governor Baker, although she pretends to be. Governor Baker is popular in the 1st Middlesex. Eileen pretends to support the Governor when she’s attending swanky dinners or high profile local events, but in reality, she votes with Stan Rosenburg 98% of the time and voted 100% against the 179 Budget vetoes that Governor Baker proposed. She voted herself an 87% pay raise (Her bi-weekly pay went from $2682.62 to $5,028.08. From 70K per year to over $130K) in midnight emergency session. She voted against you having a tax-free weekend (While approving $18 million in pay-raises for her pals). A weekend that would benefit moms and dads, elderly, businesses and struggling college students.

The proof is in very voting… she can’t run or hide from the facts… although she tries. She asks that you ignore the facts and keep her in her cushy elected position, because she’s doing so much for you? Or herself?

Eileen is even more dangerous for votes that are heading to the State Senate soon. A millionaire’s tax that has been a proven failure in states like Connecticut, she wants it (good luck to the rest of us who aren’t millionaires, when they leave). She’s only voted to increase taxes. Ask yourself how will she vote if the ballot question that reduces the state sales tax from 6.25% to 5% is passed by the voters? Will she ignore the will of the people or vote for the reduction? I think you know. How will she vote when Stan Rosenburg wants to put new tolls on Route’s 93 or 495? Will she vote for you or vote with Stan? Will she vote to place Stanley Rosenburg back as Senate President or will she vote for herself? Good question, but neither choice is good option.

Very simply my candidacy offers a clear rebellion against the status quo. I will fight to control state spending and taxes (We don’t have an income problem in Massachusetts, we have a spending problem). I will work to reform state government and work with Governor Baker. I will fight for veterans and citizens in need. I will refuse the legislative pay raise and will fight for your pay check and not my own.

I will support the working class. I will fight for you! So, there you have it. What’s it? A choice. You have a choice between a career politician fighting for herself… or you can vote for a businessman, father and veteran fighting for you. The only way to fight against politics as usual… is to vote against the usual politicians.