To the Editor:

The race for state representative in the 1st Berkshire District is a critical one for the residents of this area. When it comes right down to it, who do you envision being the best candidate to stand up at the State House and do all they can for our district? There is no better choice than Dave Bissaillon. He has a passion for this area that is unparalleled. He is a community leader, a business leader, a strong supporter of many local causes and a volunteer of countless nonprofits. Because of these and many other reasons, I know he will succeed in Boston.

I have known Dave for a number of years including attending Bryant College together. He was extremely involved with the college, just as he is involved with this community. This position represents a perfect opportunity for him to apply all of the experiences, accomplishments and relationships he has towards the betterment of our area.

We live in challenging times locally, and at the state level. It is critical that we elect someone who understands this community and is best able to go to Boston on our behalf, and be effective. Dave spent five years as the president and CEO of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, a position that demanded a regional perspective and the ability to work well with many different stakeholders to get things done. In that time, Dave was very effective in bringing various people together from all over Berkshire County to solve problems and increase collaborative efforts. He understands the importance of education, was involved with the creation of an online county wide building inventory and the advent of the Berkshire Economic Development Corporation among other specific efforts to help the county.

In the end, Dave has a clear track record of community involvement that should be considered strongly when we all vote on Sept. 14. Please join me in supporting Dave Bissaillon for state representative in the 1st Berkshire District on Sept. 14. You will be making the right choice.

Becky Cellana            
North Adams               

SHELBURNE FALLS, Mass. — State Sen. Stan Rosenberg has endorsed Paul Mark, candidate for state representative in Tuesday's Democratic primary for the 2nd Berkshire district.

"Paul is a hard-working, intelligent person from a working-class background who would make a fine state representative," said Rosenberg. He said Mark has the energy to represent his sprawling district — the largest in the state. Rosenberg also commended Mark for
his understanding of the issues that face his rural district, from regional school district funding to innovation in agriculture and energy.

"As a fellow graduate of UMass-Amherst, Paul shares my dedication for supporting higher education," Rosenberg said, "and it's reflected in his endorsements from various educator groups."

Mark received his master's in labor studies from the university, along with a doctorate in law and policy from Northeastern University. "He's clearly got the right qualifications for the job," Rosenberg added.

"I'm excited to have the support of Senator Rosenberg, and I believe we would be natural allies in crafting policy that will benefit our shared districts," said Mark upon receiving the endorsement. "I especially aspire to mirror his advocacy on behalf of farmers in the State House."

Current Rep. Denis Guyer is vacating the seat for the 2nd Berkshire District, which shares many towns with Rosenberg's Franklin-Hampshire Senate district.
 

ADAMS, Mass. — Dan Valenti, a local columnist and commentator, recently endorsed Ed MacDonald for state representative from the 1st Berkshire District in "Planet Valenti," a column he writes for The Pittsfield Gazette.

In his column, Valenti writes:

... Ed MacDonald, David Bissaillon and Gail Cariddi. There are no Republican candidates. The victor moves unopposed to November, so this is the de facto finale. The winner will have Dan Bosley's large muck boots to fill. MacDonald, it seems, won't shy away from the inevitable tough votes ahead. His decisions to cut the budget in Adams cost him a post on the select board. You have to admire that kind of political spine. Cariddi, a 20-year veteran of the North Adams City Council, talks about the tough cuts needed to address the state's massive debt. The Planet asked her how this squares with her recent kissy vote for Mayor Dick Alcombright's budget, which places a whopping 10 percent increase on the backs of already bedraggled taxpayers. 'How can the taxpayers trust you?' we asked. She had no answer. Cariddi, carumba. Bissaillon made lots of friends in his years at the Chamber of Commerce, and The Planet likes his private-sector instincts. However, he's a go-along-to-get-along guy, everybody's friend, and analyzes things to death. It's hard to see him making the right kind of noise in Boston. The Planet endorses MacDonald to overturn benches on Beacon Hill.

ADAMS, Mass. — Ed MacDonald, candidate for state representative, has released the following information regarding small businesses in the commonwealth.

The 600,000 Massachusetts small businesses are vital to the financial well-being of the state's economy. Their contribution is essential for economic growth since they make up almost all employer firms in the state. As entrepreneurs and innovators, small-business owners represent a diverse group that continues to keep the state's economy productive. In these difficult times as much as we need to cut spending, we also need to invest in creating jobs.
The commonwealth has invested hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, of capital dollars into technology development initiatives over the past decade. Our state continues to be a leader in innovation and technology, outpacing competitor states in research and development, new patents, and federal innovation grants, according to Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. We need to build upon this success.

The bottom line is creating jobs. Massachusetts should establish a wage credit for each new job that is created. This credit should be for jobs created in the commonwealth and that stay here.

I propose the establishment of a wage credit for new jobs created by small companies of fewer than 100 employees in Massachusetts. This credit should be for up to 20 percent of the wages paid to any new hire or up to a maximum of $15,000. If the job is created in a high technology company in a field of projected growth such as biotechnology or nanotechnology, this credit should be increased to $25,000. Change the tax code for Massachusetts to be equal to the federal statute that allows businesses to claim losses for more than one year. This will help small businesses retain lost revenue and make them equal with federal regulations.

The credit should also increased to the higher level if the employer hires a dislocated worker, a lower income individual or a veteran. I recognize that small startup companies often do not have any real income in their formative years when they most need to hire new staff, so this tax credit should be refundable. To protect our taxpayers, these jobs must be retained for two years in the commonwealth, if not the value of the credit must be repaid to the state.

We received a letter and link from Bill Densmore of Williamstown with his interview of state representative candidate Gail Cariddi.

Yesterday I taped a half-hour interview with Gailanne Cariddi, one of three Democratic primary candidates for the First Berkshire District set being vacated by Daniel Bosley. As could any citizen of Williamstown, I took the opportunity to request free airtime on WilliNet, our community access cable television resource.

Densmore is a former editor of The Advocate and now a consultant and leader in shaping Web journalism. However, Densmore said he interviewed Cariddi "as a partisan, not as a reporter" for broadcast on WilliNet so don't expect any sharp questioning but he does go into how she's campaigning and what she's hearing on the trail. If anyone knows of any other candidates using YouTube or other online service, let us know and we'll post the links for everyone.