Devin Romanul for State Representative

At the end of last week, the Congress in Washington passed a tremendous housing assistance bill. This was in response to the extraordinary problems with adjustable rate mortgages. I am writing about this issue because in the last few months going door to door, I have seen an alarmingly high number of houses in this area that have been foreclosed or are for sale, and spoken with many who are quite worried about the situation.

Some say that voting for this housing assistance bill is a slap in the face to those who have lived within their means and did not try to bite off more than they could chew with regards to their house finances. The fact is that the vast majority of people who have houses that have been foreclosed were lured into predatory adjustable rates loans, where the companies knew full well that these families would have no prayer of ever making the payments.

Right now, every day 8,000-9,000 families receive foreclosure papers in this country, and 16,000 families have houses next door foreclosed. That reduces property values in the area a great deal, so it is in everybody’s best interest to find a solution. Even President Bush finally set aside partisan barbs to join Senate Democrats on this bill.

At this point it is important to make sure that the assistance is going directly to people that are in need and not predatory loaners. With that in mind, I applaud the moment of bipartisan work and hope soon to see the effects on these communities.

Last Tuesday the town of Mansfield held an election to determine whether or not it would sanction spending on a handful of items that were approved at town meeting this spring. This included police equipment, two new fire engines to replace the frequently failing two that we have now, a school addition and the much-needed repair of the Kingman Pond dam. I supported the measure, citing public safety concerns with the necessary police gear and fire trucks. Also, if the town does not start repairing the dam, the state is going to start fining the town $1,000 per day. The vote narrowly passed 1,202 - 1,181.

The voting took place at MHS from 7 am to 8 pm, and I took the opportunity to get out and meet dedicated voters for the entirety of that 13 hours period. Despite the bad sunburns and having to drink copious amounts of water, it was a terrific visibility and I had a great time speaking with voters about their concerns. I was struck by the sheer number of people who are looking for a breath of fresh air in government, particuarly to have somebody address growing anxiety about energy in this country.

I hope everybody had a festive and restful Fourth of July weekend.  Aside from some mild campaigning, I managed to spend a great deal of time with friends and family.  This included obligatory fireworks, cookouts, a couple of rounds of frisbee golf and even involvement in a rib off!  That particular event consisted of four different flavors of ribs, all prepared via different cooking methods.  Suffice it to say I won’t be eating ribs any time soon.

In the spirit of the holiday, I did a bit of family history research.  I know that one side of my family has been in Massachusetts since the 1620s, and it turns out that we had at least 12 ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War.  A letter from my great uncle stated, “My great, great grandfather, Samuel Philips Savage, was the moderator of the Committee of Safety the night of the Boston Tea Party.”    His pottery bottle shaped like a codfish head held the ink “from which he wrote the resolutions to throw the tea into the harbor.  His son, Major Joseph Savage of General Washington’s Staff, was the artillery commander during the Siege of Boston, and his fop glass with which he sometimes fired the cannon by the sun rays, is now in the DAR museum in Washington DC.”

Title: Mansfield Street Fair
Location: Mansfield Mass
Description: I will be with the Mansfield Democratic Town Committee at the Mansfield Street Fair. Come on down and say hello.
Start Time: 6:00 PM
Date: 2008-07-08

Thank you so much to everybody who attended my kickoff! We had a few speeches, a vibrant crowd, and tasty food. Below is the press release for the local papers covering the event. Thanks again to everybody who came and donated!

MANSFIELD - Devin Romanul kicked off his campaign for State Representative, First Bristol District at the Foxboro VFW on Friday, June 27th in front of a crowd of over 80 people. Romanul is a life-long resident of Mansfield with a degree in Political Science from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. He is a member of the Mansfield Democratic Town Committee and is running against incumbent, Jay Barrows. In the political realm, Romanul has worked and volunteered for many campaigns on the State Senate, Gubernatorial and Presidential levels, and worked for the Labour Party in London while studying abroad. He also served as a legislative aide for State Senator Jim Timilty.

“2008 is an unbelievably important election year. Our country and our community face vast challenges that desperately need to be addressed by every elected official. These are not issues just for Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservatives. We are truly at a crossroads that is far beyond partisanship. That is why I am asking to serve as your full time representative in the Massachusetts House,” Romanul said in his speech on Friday.

Romanul is focusing his campaign on innovation and cost savings in energy and health care. “I have been carefully watching Mr. Barrows’ record, and strongly disagree with many votes that are critical for our community.” While commenting on Romanul’s recent endorsements by the AFL-CIO and National Association of Government Employees, Mansfield DTC Chairman Kevin Doyle said, “He is going to be a great state representative. Nobody has impressed me like this young man.”

Romanul continued, “I will stand up for you when it comes to health care. There are many steps we can take to effectively lower costs in the present system. I would like to enact preventative health measures in order to do so, because never should a senior have to cut pills in half. Never should a child have to forgo regular testing and checkups at that crucial period in their life. Never should a parent have to choose between necessary medications and feeding their family. I do not want to see a generation of Americans forced to use the emergency room for regular care, a process that costs the average taxpayer more to begin with.”

We are seeing staggering and suffocating gas and energy prices. It is high time we declare energy independence. Massachusetts must be a national leader, and I would relish the opportunity to serve as the state leader on this issue. Alternative energy is the next big industry, one that directly affects us all. I stand here this evening as your presumptive Democratic nominee for the Massachusetts House of Representatives because I see a better way. I see a community that fully funds its education programs and gives every student a fair shot to be the next to cure a dreaded disease. I see a state that tests the bounds of science to unleash the wonders of discovery in both the medical and technological fields. I see a country that doesn’t meander through successive foreign and energy debacles. What made President Kennedy so inspiring was that he asked us to come together and give something back. So tonight in that spirit, I ask you to join me in this journey where we can bring a new energy to Massachusetts.”

For more information about Devin Romanul and his campaign, please visit www.VoteDevin.com.

Please join me, elected officials, Democratic activists and citizens of Mansfield, Foxboro and Norton as we kickoff our campaign for the Massachusetts House of Representatives! The journey to share our vision for a Massachusetts with smarter energy, a new economy and more sensible health care begins this night.

June 27, 2008 @ 7 PM-9 PM
Foxboro VFW, 337 Cocasset Street, Foxboro, MA

Recently my opponent voted against a bill to ban trans fats from being used in restaurants in Massachusetts. He followed it up with an column in the local papers defending his vote, saying that the government should not be involved in consumer protection and if we are in the business of banning trans fats, we should get rid of cigarettes and alcohol as well. My editorial response was published in the papers this weekend:

I am writing to express my deep disappointment in Jay Barrows’ vote against the trans fat ban in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Consumer protection is at the very heart of what government is here to do, and not realizing that shows a clear lack of judgment and understanding of the job description. From the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906 to the operations of the FDA today, our government has a long history and vested interest in looking out for the safety of its citizens.

Trans fats are unnecessary fat additives in fried food and extend the shelf life of some baked goods and other food products. They offer no nutritional value, in a similar fashion to MSG. The health benefits of banning these additives are tremendous. Mr. Barrows readily admits that “a diet rich in trans fat is a leading contributor to heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes.” So I ask him: how on earth is this not a no-brainer? Why would you want these substances in the bodies of your constituents?

In the current system, the most effective way to cut down on health care costs is by taking preventative measures. Banning trans fat is a step in the right direction. By removing a chemical that causes these awful diseases, bit-by-bit we can begin to reduce the cost of health insurance. As your State Representative, I will work tirelessly to do so at every opportunity.

Mr. Barrows also made the point that if we are banning trans fats, we might as well ban cigarettes and alcohol as well. What he fails to recognize is that when smoking and drinking, you are fully aware of doing so. However, when consuming fried food, the fat additive being used is entirely clandestine and there is no way of determining precisely what you are consuming. Does it not make sense to look out for people and protect them against something that is hidden in their food?

Believe me, it is a cherished right to consume fried food when you have a hankering. Nobody is challenging that right. However, by removing trans fats we can dramatically cut health hazards of doing so. This bill is a microcosm of Mr. Barrows’ voting record, showing that he is quite simply out of touch with the best interests of the families in this community

Welcome to my campaign blog. Every few days, I’ll be writing entries sharing my day to day experiences and stories on my campaign to represent Mansfield, Foxboro and Norton in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

On Saturday I had the pleasure of speaking at the Attleboro Democratic City Committee breakfast. This was in conjunction with Congressman Jim McGovern and a number of other Democratic elected officials and candidates. I’m coming to find that as a candidate at these breakfast events, you rarely have the opportunity to eat. However, I was grateful to introduce myself to folks there and share some policy ideas, particuarly in the realm of alternative energy. It was terrific to see close to 100 people come out on a Saturday morning a full 7 months before election day.