The Valley Patriot Print Edition (#162) April, 2017 – Incompetent MassHealth
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Tom Duggan is a Guest on WMEX with State Rep. Geoff Diehl
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan appeared on WMEX with State Rep. Geoff Diehl who recently attended The Valley Patriot’s 13th Anniversary BASH and wanted to talk about the event as well as the Valley Patriot’s new book Heroes in Our Midst. Tom and Geoff also discussed media bias and pathetic nature […]
Common Sense Updates to State Zoning Laws – IN YOUR CORNER WITH SENATOR IVES
By: State Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives – Feb. 2017 Last session, as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses, I was tasked with reviewing proposals for a major overhaul of the state’s zoning laws which have become strained under modern housing pressures. The goal of the comprehensive bill passed by the […]
Mass. Medical Society Publicly Supports Foreign Muslims But Not Mass. Doctors
By: Dr. Bahrani Padmanabhan – Feb. 17 Recently in response to an Executive Order from President Trump which sought to delay by 3 months the entry of citizens from 7 countries singled out by President Obama, the Massachusetts Medical Society issued an opposing press release and all but joined with Mass. Attorney General Maura Healey […]
40R Zoning and Methuen’s Downtown
By: Linda Dean Campbell – Feb. 2017 Methuen has made some significant strides in recent years leveraging State investment in projects to renovate the High School, build the Methuen Rail Trail, and improve infrastructure as with the replacement project for the Rotary. It is very gratifying and exciting to be working with our city leaders […]
$193 Million in Illegal Payments by MassHealth
Deficiencies Similar to Previous MassHealth Audit Findings BOSTON, MA — State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump today issued an audit of the behavioral health program at MassHealth, which found that MassHealth paid doctors directly for providing mental health services that should have been paid for by the Massachusetts Behavior Health Partnership (MBHP). MBHP is paid by […]
Court Upholds Conviction of Former Lantigua Chief of Staff, Lenny Degnan
By: Tom Duggan – 3/30/17 Former Lawrence Mayor Willie Lantigua’s Chief of Staff Lenny Degnan, was denied an appeal of his conviction for his role in soliciting a bribe from Allied Waste, the company that contracts with the City of Lawrence for trash removal. Degnan was sentenced to pay a fine of $10,000 and serve 18 months in […]
Methuen School Committee Ambush is Unacceptable
Last month, the Methuen School Committee went into executive session (a private meeting excluding the public) for the purpose of ambushing School Committee Member Jana DiNatale. Her offense? She dared to ask for public input on an internet survey about Methuen residency, and she did so without their permission or input. (SEE STORY HERE) First, […]
Business owner, company, paid $150K for Covering Up Illegal Campaign Contributions
J. Derenzo Companies, a Brockton-based construction business, and its owner, David Howe, made a $125,000 payment to the state’s general fund to resolve campaign finance issues, according to a disposition agreement between the Massachusetts Office if Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) and Howe. Howe also made a $25,000 contribution to a charity of his choice […]
MA Auditor Finds More Than $17.6M in MassHealth Fraud
Bump Says Findings Pointing to Persistent Deficiencies in Payment System BOSTON, MA — Auditor Suzanne M. Bump today announced that during a one year period, her office’s Medicaid Audit Unit identified more than $17.6 million in unallowable, questionable, duplicative, unauthorized, or potentially fraudulent billings at MassHealth. She estimates that corrective actions would save $8.6 million […]
Auditor Bump Touts Her Office’s Work to Modernize Government Services
BOSTON, MA — State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump today testified before the Joint Committee on Ways and Means in support of her budget request, where she highlighted the work her office is doing to assist state agencies and departments to modernize government services and improve the effective management of government resources. “One of my priorities […]
Methuen School Committee Holds Illegal Meeting, Ambushes DiNatale
By Tom Duggan – March, 2017 On January 23rd, the Methuen School Committee went into an executive session, (a meeting where the public is excluded) claiming they were going to discuss a “litigation” matter. The actual matter of litigation to be discussed was not revealed to the public, as required by law. An email was […]
Merrimack College Honors Navy Veteran of Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa
Merrimack College honored a veteran of the Global War on Terror, and father of a Merrimack student, at the Jan. 7th home hockey game against Cornell. Navy Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Robert Dunne of Peabody, Mass., was recognized in a brief ceremony at center ice Jan. 7 in the Lawler Rink, before he dropped a […]
Methuen High: Best Part of the Gay Community ~ YE GAY OL’ VALLEY
By: Dani Langevin – Feb. 2017 When I came out 23 years ago, I was incredibly insecure, nervous almost to the point of paralysis, and petrified to enter into a community I knew little to nothing about. How would I define myself as a lesbian? Will I fit in? Will I find someone? Who will […]
Senators Ask Justice Dept. to Uphold Existing Policy on State Marijuana Laws
Letter Expresses Concern Regarding Recent Remarks by Sean Spicer on Federal Enforcement Full text of the letter available here (PDF) Washington, D.C. – A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators, including Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Catherine Cortez […]