Name Transportation Center for Fallen Firefighter

VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL

August, 2004

A brand new, multi-million dollar transportation center has broken ground in the City of Lawrence near the North Andover line.

 That’s the good news. The bad news, however, is that the new facility has been named in “honor” of former Lawrence State Senator, Patricia McGovern. She was not only a State Senator but the chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee (they control all the money on Beacon Hill) during the laughable “Massachusetts Miracle” in the Dukakis era. She was a very large part of why we were called “Taxachusetts” all over the country.

 Putting aside her abysmal record of public service (though it should not be overlooked), we object to the naming of the new transportation center for Patricia McGovern for other reasons.

 First: no public building should ever be named for a living politician.

 Second: McGovern moved out of Lawrence several years ago because of what she called “cultural changes” in her neighborhood. Her neighborhood at the time was located on Saunders Street, which had recently experienced a huge influx of Spanish-speaking residents.

 Now, she has a multi-million dollar transportation center in Lawrence bearing her name? We find this unacceptable. We believe the transportation center, instead of being named for a well connected but failed politician, should be named after a hero – a valley patriot – someone who has made a real difference in people’s lives.

 Consider the sacrifice of deceased Lawrence Firefighter William McGuire.

 McGuire lost his life in the line of duty protecting the people of Lawrence when a wall collapsed on him. He had risked his life for years, rushing into burning buildings while others were fleeing. Surely, he is more deserving of an honor such as this than Patricia McGovern.

 After the tragic events of 911 you might think our state officials would take steps to honor the supreme sacrifice of our brave public safety officials and start naming public buildings after them, instead of elite politicians who barter away our future for their misguided ideals.

 Naming a transportation center for hero Lawrence Firefighter William McGuire would have been a perfect way to thank those public safety officials for the danger they endure to keep us free and safe every day.

 We hope that at least one state legislator will have the courage to do the right thing and start a campaign to rename the center for William McGuire.