By Emman Okuns.
United States of America Congressman representing the Massachusetts 6th Congressional District, Mr. John F. Tierney recently told members of the Lynn community in Massachusetts that if they gave him another opportunity to serve he would continue to work towards ensuring a better life for all.
Mr. Tierney who is seeking re-election for his tenth term made the declaration while addressing members of the Lynn minority group, comprising mostly of Spanish and Africans Americans at the Community Minority Cultural Center in Lynn, Massachusetts.
Mr. Tierney appealed for help to secure nomination in the September 9, 2014 primary election, preparatory to the general elections in November this year.
He acknowledged and thanked members of the community for their support in the last keenly contested election in which he won only by 371 votes after his opponent, according to him, had spent six million dollars in a desperate move to defeat him at the poll.
He also acknowledged the support of his African American colleague and Congressman representing South Carolina 6th Congressional District in the House of Representatives, Mr. James Clyburn, saying, “we did not have it (money), but we had Clyburn.”
The Congressman told the audience about his commitment to education for all children/adults and job opportunities for everyone, saying, “every child in Lynn is going to be a success; wherever they live or were born, as long as they live here we will take care of them,” he promised.
He referred to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act recently signed into law by President Barack Obama – a legislation he helped to craft which seeks to reform the workforce for more efficiency and accountability, upgrade workers’ skills, fill existing jobs and create new ones.
Mr. Tierney promised to make sure that all children are able to go to college with low interest rates and easy to repay loans.
He also talked about his commitment to sustain social security and Medicare to ensure people’s financial security for retirement with dignity.
“That is what Democrats stand for, that is what we represent, and I will keep working as long as you let me.”
Mr. Tierney said that he would continue to work towards ensuring an enabling environment for business in the state of Massachusetts to make it easier for people to start and run their own business enterprises.
He sued for unity among democrats as a critical component of ensuring victory at the poll.
“If we are going to win, we cannot be divided, I need your help to win the primary on September 9 so we can go ahead and win in November.”
He told the people that Democrats needed to have control of congress “to prevent republicans from obstructing the president” in his masses-oriented programs.
In his solidarity speech, democratic Congressman, James Clyburn appealed to voters in the district to make sure that they support Tierney in the primary and November elections, saying that Republicans would double interest rates on student loans if allowed to win the elections.
He also expressed the fear that Republicans would privatize social security if they win the elections. “We will protect social security so that people will retire well,” he said.
“They want to cut Medicare and put it on vouchers so that somebody else will be setting the price; we must fight to keep Tierney to preserve Medicare.”
On Medicaid, he said “only 21 percent of recipients are low income people in my state. In my state 59% of recipients are children, 10% disabled, 10% seniors in nursing homes.
Mr. Clyburn feared that messing with these programs would put “our children and senior citizens and the disabled at risk,” adding that John Tierney has been fighting to protect these programs for the people.
“Republicans who oppose minimum wage increase, paycheck equity and who feel that they are the only ones to make decisions about women’s issues should not be allowed to be in majority; I ask you to double your efforts to hold on to this seat. We need this seat and 17 more to get the country back on the right track,” he appealed.
John Tierney is being challenged by his ambitious fellow Democrats at the primary, including Immigration Lawyer, Marisa DeFranco, businessman and U.S. Marine veteran Seth Moulton and businessman John Devine.
Whoever wins the primary will square up with Republican Hopeful, Richard Tisei in the November 2014 general election.
