Letter: First Berkshire District Needs John BarrettLetters to the Editor,
07:00PM / Tuesday, September 19, 2017 | |
To the Editor:
A recent article in The Boston Globe titled "Tourism booms but locals struggle: Behind the two worlds of the Berkshires" simply confirmed what most of us already knew; while tourism and the second home market are growing substantially in the Berkshires, the poverty rate has risen by almost a third since the year 2000.
Livable wage jobs are few and far between and our population continues to decline. And probably the most frightening statistic was provided by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, which recently conducted a survey to learn more about the pressing issues facing our region. As mentioned in The Boston Globe column, Berkshire Taconic states that more than 40 percent of residents under age 46 surveyed said they are considering moving in the next three years, largely due to a lack of jobs and career advancement.
This is a statistic that every resident in Berkshire County should be concerned with as it will most definitely affect all of us who are proud to call Berkshire County our home. A smaller population combined with what seems like ever increasing municipal budgets will surely result in higher property taxes and fees no matter where you live in the county.
There's an important election coming up on Oct. 10. Democratic and independent voters will go to the polls to elect their choice for the Democratic candidate for state representative of the 1st Berkshire District to replace the late Gail Cariddi.
While many may not be following this race too closely, I would ask that you give strong consideration to John Barrett who has the knowledge and experience to produce effective results for the 1st Berkshire District. As mayor of North Adams for many years, John witnessed first hand what happens when only one industry dominates an area. When Sprague Electric left North Adams, John was faced with growing the economy again and was instrumental in bringing Mass MoCA to fruition.
While tourism in our county seems to be on autopilot, our other economies are struggling. John has stated many times that a one-industry town or county can have negative effects on its residents. John Barrett has a plan to diversify our economy again and help the hard working people in his district but he needs your help. This election is probably the most important we've seen in quite some time as our area is in dire need of a qualified candidate who will work to lower the poverty rate, stem the population losses and increase opportunities for all.
This is a critical time in the history of Berkshire County and I believe John Barrett is the only candidate who possesses the knowledge and skills to re energize our local economy. When you go to the polls on October 10th, I ask that you strongly consider the best candidate for the job. Please vote John Barrett for your state representative for 1st Berkshire District.
Dan Peters
North Adams, Mass.
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