Kerry's MA tour - continued

[Mass]

http://www.eagletribune.com/punewshh/local_story_016093916?keyword=topstory
HAVERHILL - It's not often that a U.S. senator stops by Haverhill - especially one who has run for president.

But Sen. John Kerry did yesterday when he quietly slipped through a side door at City Hall and sat down with Mayor James Fiorentini for about an hour.

They talked about the city's money problems - the first issue to come out of any local politician's mouth when asked about Haverhill's biggest challenge.

The city is trying to balance keeping services in place for residents and businesses while making progress with projects like dredging the Merrimack River to allow large boats to travel into downtown.

After the private meeting, Kerry said he is visiting Massachusetts communities while the Senate is not in session and was in Haverhill to learn about the city's priorities and how the federal government might help by providing money.
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http://www.gloucestertimes.com/punews/local_story_016094023?keyword=topstory

Kirk presses Kerry for help on US mandates
By Richard Gaines , Staff writer
Gloucester Daily Times

(page 1 of 2)View as a single page
U.S. Sen. John Kerry spent an hour with Mayor Carolyn Kirk yesterday in her City Hall office and promised to return in early spring for a full tour of facilities she said Gloucester needs federal help in maintaining.

Kerry also agreed to arrange for Kirk to go to Washington, D.C, to testify in hearings on the making of the federal budget.

Kirk said she pressed Kerry for help in financing the more than $100 million in mandated water and sewer improvements facing the city in coming years.

She also expressed concern that Congress has made a habit of imposing costly mandates on municipalities without concern for different state taxation systems that create dramatic differences in their capacity to raise money to pay.

She noted that Massachusetts' Proposition 21/2 severely limits the ability of municipalities to increase taxation to meet general federal mandates.
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Kirk said Kerry called and sought the meeting. She said she caught his attention by asking questions at a working meeting of mayors with Kerry last weekend organized by the Massachusetts Municipal Association.
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[beachmom]

1. Thanks for posting. I am really glad Kerry is touring through Mass.

He should do it not just before an election year but throughout his term. I think it's good for him, and good for his constituents. And, you know, Mass. is a small state geographically, so it doesn't take that much time, relatively speaking, to create good will.