Fast Facts About Paul's Positions
Paul would like:
- to work to impose term limits (8 years max/4 terms) for the office of Mayor, and Paul won't run for mayor past 6 years/3 terms
- to put the city checkbook online so citizens can see how their tax dollars are being spent
- make it easier for businesses and contractors to pull permits in Attleboro
- to work with the 1) Chamber of Commerce, 2) the Attleboro Redevelopment Authority, and 3) hire an Economic Development director as a three pronged approach to revitalize business downtown and throughout Attleboro
- work to bring internet service competition to Attleboro
- stabilize the education budget
Trust & Communication
Trusting your government is perhaps the single most important issue!
As mayor, I would run YOUR government for YOU. For over four years as a State Representative, I have developed a reputation as someone who cares, someone who gets it, someone who understands the plight of average people, and someone who responds to every phone call and email. Trust is the single most important factor in public service.
As your State Representative, I have earned the trust of the people by
There is NO trust when a Mayor
As mayor, I would run YOUR government for YOU. For over four years as a State Representative, I have developed a reputation as someone who cares, someone who gets it, someone who understands the plight of average people, and someone who responds to every phone call and email. Trust is the single most important factor in public service.
As your State Representative, I have earned the trust of the people by
- posting the work I do for our community on my unrestricted and easy to access public Facebook page every day.
- posting on the homepage of my State Rep website my salary, my complete voting record, bills I sponsored and cosponsored, my home phone number, state house documents I penned.
- meeting with constituents whenever they requested, and returned phone calls and emails.
There is NO trust when a Mayor
- undermines the safety of school children by trying to trade 8 school crossing guards for a staffer in his office.
- doesn't give enough education funding to allow the schools to spend the minimum state requirement in 7 out of 14 years at the city level, and then tries to blame a lack of education funds on the state.
- increases funding to the schools because of pressure, not priority.
- plays politics with the budget and raises taxes or water rates or trash removal rates when it is not a competitive election year, not does not raise rates when it is an election year.
Education
Properly funding education is a top priority.
Public education is the great equalizer and what will keep Massachusetts competitive. Today's children are tomorrow's adults. Education is the foundation of good citizenship. Yet, many teachers are forced to use their own money to buy classroom supplies. The student to teacher ratio of often too high. Special education and IEPs are important and they strains local budgets. We are in need of new high school and the sooner we get one the better off our students will be, and we also need more teachers to fill the classrooms of the existing or new school and bring down the large class sizes we currently have.
Some of my education related accomplishments include:
In my elections for State Representative, I was recommended by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers.
Public education is the great equalizer and what will keep Massachusetts competitive. Today's children are tomorrow's adults. Education is the foundation of good citizenship. Yet, many teachers are forced to use their own money to buy classroom supplies. The student to teacher ratio of often too high. Special education and IEPs are important and they strains local budgets. We are in need of new high school and the sooner we get one the better off our students will be, and we also need more teachers to fill the classrooms of the existing or new school and bring down the large class sizes we currently have.
- I support the proposal for the new high school, and if funding is approved by the voters will take all measures as mayor to make sure it is built.
- I will end the pattern of education appropriations that centered around the minimum state requirement, unless a crisis occurs, and replace it with a consistent amount of funding, significantly above NSS that the school system can depend on to improve education.
Some of my education related accomplishments include:
- successfully advocating in 2016 (for FY17) that the state education budget use the Senate's $125 million of additional education money added the state budget education line item (instead of the House's $100 million). This resulted in an additional $200,000 coming to Attleboro schools in 2016.
- cosponsoring legislation in 2014 to revive the Foundation Budget Review Commission
- pushing through the legislature a $38 million bond bill for internet infrastructure upgrades at 600 schools in Massachusetts between 2013-2014
- bringing the Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to Attleboro for a discussion of PARCC in 2013, a first for Attleboro.
- writing a 1172 word column in the Sun Chronicle explaining the issues surrounding state education funding in 2016
- visiting the various schools to talk about prisons, North Korea, animals or any other topics I am invited to speak about.
In my elections for State Representative, I was recommended by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers.
Economic Development
If nothing changes, nothing will improve.
I was raised by small business owners and for years, I worked in these small businesses as a youth and I still help my mother at her small business in Plainville.
It is not the role of the government to create jobs. The role of the government is to set the atmosphere and provide services, and as a result jobs are created and businesses thrive.
As Mayor, there will be several things I would do to grow our business base in Attleboro.
Some of my work As a State Representative has included:
I was raised by small business owners and for years, I worked in these small businesses as a youth and I still help my mother at her small business in Plainville.
It is not the role of the government to create jobs. The role of the government is to set the atmosphere and provide services, and as a result jobs are created and businesses thrive.
As Mayor, there will be several things I would do to grow our business base in Attleboro.
- Attleboro has a reputation for not welcoming businesses. My priority would be to make Attleboro a more business friendly environment. If this was a priority, we would see see a different more vibrant downtown.
- Attleboro is not working with the United Regional Chamber of Commerce. How are we going to maximize Attleboro's potential when Attleboro has not had a relationship with the Chamber of Commerce? We can't! That will change when I am Mayor.
- We don't have an Economic Development Director. Economic development is a craft, a trade. We need to hire someone who has experience in economic development.
Some of my work As a State Representative has included:
- connecting constituents with either the DTA, the DUA or the Attleboro Career Center.
- working with the Attleboro Chamber of Commerce and Jonathan's Cafe to find out the source of the Fats, Oils, and Grease mandate, and supporting their efforts to go before the city council.
- filing a bill to support the investment of funds by fraternal benefit societies
- filing a bill concerning the procurement of products or services by state agencies or authorities (my "Buy Massachusetts goods first" bill)
- filing a bill to include licensed rehabilitation counselors in the definition of licensed mental health professionals
- advancing my $38 million bond amendment out of the House; this bill has funded dozens of jobs across the state
- voting against the Tech Tax
- including one of my budget priorities that the House recapitalize the Brownfield Redevelopment project.
Government Waste
Your tax dollars belong to you.
As a State Representative my number one policy issue is finding out if our taxpayer funded programs work or not.
As your Mayor, I will establish a 'CitiStat' program. CitiStat is a progressive way to use data and statistics to run city government departments in a transparent public forum. Taxpayers will finally know how and where their tax dollars are being spent.
I don't take anything on faith and I don't assume anything. I read reports and see if the research methods were done correctly. Many times they are, many times they are not. I don't go along with a report just because there are numbers on a page. I ask penetrating questions that get to the core of public service - is the public being served or are we just going through the motions?
As a State Representative my number one policy issue is finding out if our taxpayer funded programs work or not.
As your Mayor, I will establish a 'CitiStat' program. CitiStat is a progressive way to use data and statistics to run city government departments in a transparent public forum. Taxpayers will finally know how and where their tax dollars are being spent.
I don't take anything on faith and I don't assume anything. I read reports and see if the research methods were done correctly. Many times they are, many times they are not. I don't go along with a report just because there are numbers on a page. I ask penetrating questions that get to the core of public service - is the public being served or are we just going through the motions?
Mental illness & Addiction Issues
This is touching everyone in Attleboro.
I come from a medical family. I grew up working in a family owned small business pharmacy. I have been witness to and worked with people who have substance abuse addictions and mental illnesses.
Since as much as 26% of citizens are afflicted with mental illness over the past year (and 45% over their lifetime), either chronic or temporary, we need someone who understands their needs and the needless and insensitive stigma they may face. Mental Health services are an important staple in Attleboro or any community. I am a strong advocate for mental health services and mental health awareness. This is an issue I am very passionate about.
Some of my work has included:
I come from a medical family. I grew up working in a family owned small business pharmacy. I have been witness to and worked with people who have substance abuse addictions and mental illnesses.
Since as much as 26% of citizens are afflicted with mental illness over the past year (and 45% over their lifetime), either chronic or temporary, we need someone who understands their needs and the needless and insensitive stigma they may face. Mental Health services are an important staple in Attleboro or any community. I am a strong advocate for mental health services and mental health awareness. This is an issue I am very passionate about.
Some of my work has included:
- Successfully advocating for full funding of the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee.
- I was a member on the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse
- I make myself available to constituents who need help in obtaining mental health services.
- I am working on increasing access to mental health services through different bills I have co-sponsored.
- I write about mental health stigma in a national media outlet (Huffington Post) as a way to raise awareness.
The People of Attleboro
As a State Representative, I have worked with every type of person. Being Mayor is about running a city for all the PEOPLE. In alphabetical order some of these populations include:
- Children - Children are our future and we will invest in children as we would invest in our own personal retirement.
- City Employee Retirees - It is critical that city employee retirees get a modest COLA on a regular basis. I have worked with too many seniors and retirees to know that if they don't get a COLA, their living conditions become untenable; too many face eviction because they can't afford their most basic bills.
- Gun Owners - We do not have a problem with gun violence in Attleboro. If we had a gun problem my approach would be to go after who is abusing guns and where they are abusing guns. Think about it like this... we don't go after all welfare users just because a few are abusing. We don't go after all drug users just because there are some abusers. Same thing with guns.
- Homelessness - We have a year-round animal shelter, but not a year-round homeless shelter. Homelessness is a problem in Attleboro that has been denied and ignored. Anyone can become homeless with a twist of fate. I am going to seek to build a homeless shelter in Attleboro for residents.
- Minorities & People of Color - Diversity and inclusion will be encouraged in Attleboro.
- LGBT Community - Attleboro will be a place to welcome people from the LGBT community.
- Persons With Disabilities - I am going to create a Citizens' Commission on Disabilities. North Attleboro has one. Attleboro does not. That will change under me.
- Senior Citizens - I am going to work closely with the Council on Aging to make sure that they have the staffing levels they need and the support they deserve.
- Taxpayers - Your residential tax rates, water and sewer rates, and trash removal rates are not something to be adjusted just to survive an election. You will get more transparency and predictability with me as your mayor.
- Veterans - Veterans are a critical part of our community and they will continue to get the respect and support they deserve under my administration.
- Women - In city government, women will be treated as equals in every imaginable way including equal pay for equal work.
As you read about my perspectives, no one will agree with everything I say.
That is to be expected; I have never found myself to be in 100% agreement with anyone 100% of the time. The important thing to consider is whether or not I am looking out for the average person, the person who needs help, and people who can't get help when they need it.
That is to be expected; I have never found myself to be in 100% agreement with anyone 100% of the time. The important thing to consider is whether or not I am looking out for the average person, the person who needs help, and people who can't get help when they need it.
