January 2003 Print Edition Sightings:   

Rep. Fagan Screams at Sally Pawlick in State House
When Sally Pawlick walks around the State House, she's greeted cordially with a smile by most people that she meets, even those opposed to the Protection of Marriage Amendment.

That's why she and onlookers were startled by a screaming tirade she was subjected to for well over a minute last month by Rep. James Fagan (D) of Taunton in the reception area of the suite he shares with many colleagues.

"I'm a lawyer! There's going to be a lawsuit about this! You're Nazis! You're full of hate!" he yelled. The diatribe followed for what seemed an eternity to the attractive, pleasant grandmother.

Apparently Fagan is hearing from his constituents about his vote to violate the Constitution and not take a vote on the Marriage Amendment.

One of the sad things that Pawlick encounters is that many at the State House are not impressed to hear that the Legislature broke the law. "Oh, that happens all the time," they say, as they summarily dismiss that news. But Pawlick believes that it is an obvious sign of a decaying culture. She doesn't agree that it's too late to change ours. She says she also sees a lot of good people who do care.

She had heard from many of Fagan's constituents last summer that he is a good man and they couldn't believe he voted the way he did on the Amendment. She understands why Fagan lost his cool when Mass. Citizens for Marriage sent a factual mailing throughout his district telling the truth about his vote. She hopes that he calms down soon and apologizes for his intemperate behavior.

Can Romney Tame $9.5 Billion 'Health and Human Services' Dept.?
Charles Baker has a plan for taming the state's $9.5 Billion Health and Human Services Department. Currently the President of Harvard Pilgrim Health, he's a member of Gov. Romney's transition team. He wants to take advantage of new technology and data management techniques.

Although it sounds boring to most people, there was seating for 300 when he presented his plan at the Pioneer Institute on Dec. 12. But that wasn't enough chairs. They had to add 50 more to hold the crowd at the Parker House in Boston.

Most of those present appeared to be members of the fifteen agencies that Baker is talking about. Not only is it the largest secretariat in state government, it has been growing faster than all other secretariats combined.

Baker was head of Health and Human Services under Gov. Weld and later served as his Secretary of Administration and Finance. So he is familiar with the department and with state government in general.

He calls for a radical restructuring of the fifteen agencies that manage the delivery of health care, rehabilitation, social, juvenile justice and family services to the citizens of the Commonwealth.

This is not a new concept to people in the private sector. Many businesses and, in fact, entire industries, have undergone similar reorganizations over the past two decades.

Whether everyone gets on board for this effort remains to be seen. Many of those in attendance were skeptical. Some were concerned about job security - and rightly so. This promises to be one of the major battlegrounds in the next budget and a key test of Romney's ability to rein in the state bureaucracy. Stay tuned!

The white paper report is entitled "Rationalizing Health and Human Services" and was prepared under the sponsorship of the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research. It is available on-line at www.pioneerinstitute.org.

Globe Continues to Advocate Violation of Constitution
The Boston Globe advocates that our Governor continue to violate the state Constitution on the Protection of Marriage Amendment.

They published a letter last month with the headline, Stand your ground, governor.

It came from a woman in Cambridge who said, "Under the rules, she [the Governor] is not obligated to recall the Legislature." Whose "rules" is the writer referring to? To those of the Boston Globe? Most of us are not following the "rules" of the Boston Globe, but the rules of our state Constitution.

Maybe some day, someone at the New York-based headquarters of the Globe will stop urging people to defy our Constitution up here in Massachusetts.

Sen. Harriette Chandler Is Laughable
A statement from Sen. Harriette Chandler to the Associated Press was "laughable," says Sarah Ann Pawlick, President of Mass. Citizens for Marriage.

A.P. wrote, "Sen. Harriett L. Chandler, D-Worcester, an opponent of the amendment, argues that the Legislature did take action on the amendment by voting to adjourn. 'I think that the Legislature voted and it's pretty clear what the vote was,' Chandler said. 'It wasn't even close.'"

But Pawlick responds, "Chandler graduated two years after me from Wellesley College, but I don't know how she made it if she believes they had a vote on the Amendment. She 'thinks' that the Legislature 'voted?' Everyone except her 'knows' that they never voted.

"What an embarrassment she is to Wellesley College and to women in general, to be making such foolish, untrue statements. We all thought that getting women into politics was going to improve things, but she is making it worse, not better."

Associated Press Gives Credit to MCM for Swift's Action
The Associated Press gave credit to Mass. Citizens for Marriage in its story on Dec. 3 about Gov. Jane Swift seeking advice from the Supreme Judicial Court.

It said she was finally thinking about calling the Legislature for a vote on the Protection of Marriage Amendment because she was "under pressure" from Mass. Citizens for Marriage.

According to A.P., MCM had "fiercely campaigned for legislative action [and] had been actively lobbying Swift to step in."

The story continued with a quote from an MCM spokesman: "In our humble opinion, the Constitution is very clear. She is required to call them in until they do what their oath and constitutional responsibility is."

MassNews had Polled the Voters
MCM said that one of the reasons they know that a large majority of the citizens want Jane Swift to call the Legislature back for a vote is because MassNews conducted a poll of 500 likely voters, which was done for them by The Tarrance Group on October 6-8, 2002.

Some 64% of the voters favor a recall with only 14% opposing and 22% unsure.

Only a small number of voters at the time of the poll, 23%, had seen, read or heard about the conduct of Senate President Tom Birmingham, who ended the Constitutional Convention without allowing a vote on the Amendment as he was required to do under the state Constitution.

But due to their efforts, more and more people are hearing about this. They say that the number of people who are outraged is increasing dramatically.

The surprising part about the support for a special session is that it reaches across the entire spectrum with even a majority of Democrats (65%) and self-described liberals (60%) supporting a special session. Some 61% of men favored the recall, while 67% of women did.

In fact, a majority of likely voters in every major demographic group supports a special session to vote on the Protection of Marriage Amendment.

Those who knew about Birmingham's illegal actions favored a recall by 69% while those who had to be told were only at 63%, which means that as more and more people learn what happened, it is likely that even more voters are going to favor a recall by the Governor.

Only 19% agreed with Birmingham's decision not to hold a vote.

Alan Keyes To Headline Pro-Life Event In Boston
Alan Keyes will be the keynote speaker at the 30th Annual Interfaith Assembly for Life to be held at Boston's Faneuil Hall on Sunday, January 19, from 2 to 4 PM.

The last memorable visit by Keyes to Boston was two years ago when the State House reverberated with his voice of moral authority in condemnation of the Fistgate scandal and his unabashed expression of solidarity with the Parents Rights Coalition, who exposed it.

As a former Reagan administration official and Presidential candidate who consistently wins presidential debates, Keyes' reputation for eloquence and steadfast adherence to principal is legendary among social conservatives and a thorn in the side of moderates in the Republican Party.

The Interfaith Assembly for Life is held annually on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade as a way for pro-lifers of different creeds to come together in solidarity with the unborn.

Sponsored by Mass. Citizens for Life, this year's Assembly will emphasize the connection between patriotism and the pro-life movement - freedom and virtue. The Assembly will be enlivened by patriotic music and a speech by MCFL's Don Feder, on "Why Should God Bless America?"

The gathering will also include comments by leaders of MCFL's college chapters and perhaps a surprise speaker or two of note.

'Choice' on Earth, Says Planned Parenthood Holiday Card
Planned Parenthood has raised more than one eyebrow this year by issuing a holiday card that proclaims, "Choice on Earth."

Their advertising says, "Spread the holiday spirit with these fun and festive cards." Some, however, find the card, which reads: "Warmest wishes for a peaceful holiday season," anything but fun, festive, warm or peaceful.

"Planned Parenthood likes to portray itself as a tolerant organization constantly searching for diversity," says Jim Sedlak of American Life League. "But this blatant attack on Christian values - and Christ Himself - is just another demonstration of the truly bigoted nature of Planned Parenthood."

Rachel Russell of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts tells MassNews, "Who owns the phrase 'Peace on Earth' is a question. We [League of Massachusetts] are not technically selling those cards. This card is not funded with any federal money. We don't even receive any federal money."

However, the national director of Stop Planned Parenthood, Edward Szymkowiak, disputes this. "Look at the GuideStar 2002 Nonprofit Compensation Report," he suggests, referring to a document issued by the National Database of Nonprofit Organizations. "It is very clear that the federal government is giving Planned Parenthood money."

He tells MassNews that line 1C of the document would seem to back Russell's claim because the reference is only to government grants. "But look at line 93G, which refers to fees and contracts, and you will see that between July 1, 2000 and June 30, 2001, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts received $477,593 from government grants and contracts."

A spokesperson for Rachel's Vineyard, Clarissa Cincotta, tells MassNews: "The reason for the season is the birth of a baby. How desperate Planned Parenthood must be to change it to a season of death! When will Planned Parenthood wake up and really start caring about women?" The reason for Cincotta's passion is because they hold weekend programs, "dedicated to the healing of those suffering from the pain of abortion," at retreat centers around the nation.

Currently, there is no Massachusetts representative for Rachel's Vineyard, so Cincotta, who lives in Bridgeport, Connecticut, deals with applicants from Massachusetts. "Women have an innate maternal instinct and because of this, thousands of women are attending Rachel's Vineyard Retreats to heal from the emotional scars of their abortions," Cincotta says.

"Thousands of women are connecting symptoms like depression, alcohol and drug dependency, bouts of crying, nightmares, etc. to their abortions," reports Cincotta. "Post-Abortion Syndrome is now being associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because many women experience the trauma of their abortions years later. Where is Planned Parenthood when these women are wishing they had never done this? Where is Planned Parenthood when women are sitting in therapists' offices trying to figure out what is wrong with their life? Wishing everyone 'choice' on earth?

"The only way we will have 'peace' on earth is when all killing stops. When Planned Parenthood starts caring about women instead of caring about making money, is when our world will be a better place to live. Peace on earth, peace in women's hearts. . A new babe is born!"

For more information about Rachel's Vineyard, call (866) 272-2435.