We Are All Americans First

Sen. Scott Brown told me at a larger gathering of his supporters recently a heart warming story, as explained to him by Mrs. Nancy Reagan: 

69 days into his presidency, after Ronald Reagan was shot, on March 30, 1981 – Speaker of the House Tip O’Neil (D-MA) raced to the Washington D.C. hospital to see the gravely wounded President.  At the President’s bedside, here the leaders of the Democrat Party and Republican Party were joined quietly in prayer.

O’Neill took Reagan’s hands in his, reciting the Psalms. The Speaker then rose, kissed Reagan on the forehead, and said that he didn’t want to keep him from his rest.  

Reflecting on that story, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, once a senior aide to O’Neill— wrote in a column:

“These political giants recognized their shared humanity, despite their stark differences of philosophy.”

Sen. Brown reminded me in re-telling Reagan and O’Neill’s poignant story that we are all AMERICANS first, before any political party. 

Sen. Brown visits downtown Maynard (and MetroWest) on Sunday, 12/4 to march in their annual holiday parade. He reminds us that these are unprecedented fiscal and economic times, and it is necessary to reach for the leadership Reagan and Tip O’Neill displayed in the 1980s. 

We are in trouble:

• According to a leading member of the Maynard Business Alliance, in September of 2009 there were 4700 people working in Clocktower Place. Today, that number is down to 1500.

• On the I-495 Corridor, the commercial vacancy rate stands at 40-50%.

• In the last 3 years, Boston Scientific, Fidelity, Monster.com, Evergreen Solar and more smaller, but no less important small businesses have either closed their doors, or shed workers in communities spanning from the old Ft. Devens and Ayer to Hudson, Marlborough and Westborough.

Without broadening our tax base, and making MA more competitive for new jobs  local municipal and school budgets in Middlesex and Worcester counties bear the brunt of this economic exodus, and the resulting 'ghost towns' of our main streets and villages.

Scott Brown and I both plan to be on the ballot in 2012: One is running for U.S. Senator and the other for State Senator. These are different offices, but we have the same mission. To make MetroWest more competitive for Free Enterprise, and do it with a common sense approach that makes a sincere attempt to work with both sides. 

Just like Reagan and Tip O'Neill did it some 30 years ago.

In a crisis, it is simply unacceptable not to at least try. Our goal must be to look at every issue on the merits, and vote based on what is in the best interest of the people we seek to represent.

Debt, deficits and downgrades require us not to do anything less.

Welcome to our area Scott Brown. Like you, I plan to run as an independent voice; on MY own strengths in teaching, state transportation and small business.

Dean Cavaretta of Stow and native of Acton is a MA certified public school teacher and former ABRHS Football and Lacrosse Coach. Currently, he is an Associate Member of the Stow Finance Committtee, and a planned Brown-Cellucci (R) Candidate for the MA State Senate. His small business, Gen X Consulting is based in Acton.