Rep still has work to complete

After six and a half terms in the House o f Representatives, Rep. Cory Atkins, D-Concord, says she still has work to complete.

That, according to the 32-year resident, is what keeps her coming back. The Concord Democrat is running for her seventh term in the 14^th Middlesex district—her sixth full term, as she was elected in 1999 in a special election.

"Politics is like college. There's always work to be done," she said in a recent interview, adding she is always bringing "stacks of work" home at night.

One of her biggest unfinished jobs is transparency in government.

"We need to try to make the government more accountable to its constituents," said Atkins, who twice voted against former Speaker of the House of Representatives.

She said it's important to note that in the House, it's not always Democrats versus Republicans.

 "It's really urban versus suburban Democrats," said Atkins, adding, "We have different interests."

She labeled herself as suburban which means, according to her, socially liberal yet fiscally conservative.

"Our towns don't receive as much [in state aid] as we give in taxes so it's important to hold [government] to transparency and accountability," she said, noting Concord receives roughly 6 percent of its budget from the state. "Our town residents are generous and we need to take care of the urban areas with bigger needs than ours. But it's my responsibility to see that it's all well-managed."

It's not just within her own party that the representative seeks out all sides. Atkins said she never has trouble going to the other side of the aisle for support or challenges either.

"I always go to the other side to … see where we are. A lot of times, I agree with them," she said, noting that she joined her sometimes opponents in the House on a recent issue in Lawrence. She said the 6-mile-long city has a $35-million-dollar budget with only a one-person oversight, not a board.

Another reason she said she is not ready to leave her post is future issues. Atkins, who has lived in Concord since 1978 and whose children went through the town schools, said jobs and the economy are going to continue to be first and foremost.

"Without federal stimulus money, next year we'll be facing the cliff. The layoffs are going to be awful," she said, adding she would prefer to see furloughs instead of pink slips. "I don't want to leave in the middle of a war. I don't want to jump ship."

She said her years of experience sets her apart from her opponent, fellow Concord resident and Independent K.C. Winslow.

"I have a lifetime of commitment to public service," she said, citing her years working at various levels of government including with world leaders such as former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev. She also spent years working in refugee camps reuniting families.

"I've had the opportunity to work in government at every level from local to international," she said. "At 63 years old, I've hit the 10,000-miler mark and I know what I'm doing."