VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL June, 2005 Teachers Union 10, Children and North Andover Taxpayers 0 Get ready for the hand wringing! Next spring you will hear about the massive cuts in services and the need to layoff approximately two-dozen of North Andover’s teaching staff. Intense pressure will be brought to bear on fire, police and public […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL May, 2005 It is time for a reality check as our Town and City leaders wring their hands over budgets that don’t stretch to meet everyone’s expressed needs, and citizens grind their teeth because some service is slightly diminished. But, we are not living in a time of deprivation. Quite the contrary, […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL April, 2005 Last month North Andover voters rejected another property tax override for a new police station. This means town officials will have to get creative if they want to find revenue for a new police station or any other capital project in the near future. The voters of North Andover […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL March, 2005 Little more than a year ago, The Valley Patriot was just an idea. That idea was to provide an alternative voice for Merrimack Valley newsmakers and community leaders who were frustrated by the lack of adequate local coverage in other media outlets. We wanted to publish a newspaper that was different. […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL February, 2005 Why do we hire public employees? Is it to have them perform an important service that the public requires, or is it to provide the employees a guaranteed paycheck and great benefits? All too often, it seems that we are more concerned with providing employment than we are with ensuring […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL FEBRUARY, 2005 Arabs don’t value freedom. Western civilization shouldn’t try to impose itself on Arab societies. The Arab street prefers dictatorships and can’t be trusted to vote. The Iraqi people are not ready for Democracy. It’s all about oil. And on and on, ad nauseam, the Democrats, once supporters of human rights, […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL FEBRUARY 2005 The 2003 Youth Risk Survey found that 1 in 6 Haverhill High School students (17%) are using hard drugs. In response, Haverhill School Committee member Scott Wood, Jr. has proposed drug testing students. As a 2001 Haverhill High graduate himself, Wood has been close enough to see the seriousness of the problem. He believes […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL January, 2005 The attitude is pervasive. When North Andover was considering a $4 million override several years ago, a Finance Committee member publicly stated, “Our number one objective is to NOT cut any jobs.” Really? We thought that public safety and education might come in first? While that story is now old, […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL December, 2004 State Representative Barbara L’Italien has consistently supported two public policies that violate the teachings and core doctrine of the Catholic Church, abortion and gay marriage. Last month, while staunchly defending her right to espouse these anti-Catholic positions, she publicly attacked pro-life activists who were holding a sign that read […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL November, 2004 The voters have spoken. Republicans have been entrusted with the power to establish and direct government policy. President Bush won a clear victory in both the popular vote and the Electoral College. The Senate is now 55% Republican and the House of Representatives has a 53-54% Republican majority. Republican Governors […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL October, 2004 LAWRENCE – In the towns of Andover and North Andover, candidates running for office are not allowed into the senior centers to campaign. These are public facilities, paid for and operated with public funds. Seniors (usually the most active voters) go there to congregate, have fun, and get important information […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL September, 2004 John Kerry and the democrats have long touted the myth that the presidents’ education initiative “No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLB) isn’t funded and “leaves kids behind”. In fact, it was a mantra at the Democrat National Convention and the media has consistently reported the charge as fact. But, a […]
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 […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL July, 2004 Let’s start out with where we agree: We would all like everyone’s wages (in real terms) and standard of living to be higher. The question is not the objective, but how to achieve it. John Kerry thanks you can just pass a law and … Shazam!! – $7/hour minimum […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL June, 2004 Too often we get immersed in details and lose sight of the big picture. The case for going to war in Iraq was (and continues to be) overwhelming. The bottom line is that Iraq was the best target for keeping terrorism away from our homes and our families. You constantly hear […]