Lori Ehrlich

If you held a sign, made a contribution, sent a dear friend card, attended a rally, made phone calls, hosted a lawn sign, folded, stuffed, stamped, lent expertise, spoke to friends, or just enjoyed the energy of the campaign, it's all appreciated and a great affirmation that deep community involvement and grassroots politics are a winning combination.Thank you!

It should be noted that after twice filing "static delist" bids, Dominion has recently received more than $30 million in payments from ratepayers (us) to merely standby. This adds insult to injury after we've endured over a half century of assault on our air, drinking water, land, harbor, and health. We, the ratepayers, are now being forced to bear the cost of maintaining an obsolete and unsafe coal plant well beyond its useful life. Unfortunately, if ISO refuses this "permanent delist" request, it could potentially open the door to a full cost-of-service stream of revenue for the owners courtesy of the ratepayers. Much remains to be seen.

With many other tireless volunteers, I have been involved in this rather epic struggle for clean air, clean water, and improved public health for the North Shore. This is by far the most significant signal we've seen to date that the owners are no longer interested in continuing to operate the plant so I wanted to be sure to keep you informed.

This writing on the wall gives our region and the City of Salem an unparalleled opportunity and urgency to redevelop the site. Underway is a $200,000 state-funded study to look at maximizing the uses of this property with a federally designated deep water port in the heart of historic Salem. I will continue to keep you updated as this complex process with great potential goes forward.

For now, below is a collection of links on both topics above. Find me on Facebook for more frequent updates. Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Column: Marblehead and Swampscott Working and Succeeding for the 8th Essex District

Every election year newspapers and television are filled with slogans and sound bites from candidates for office. Far too often lately, rhetoric has become angry, misleading, and divisive — leading many of us to say, “Enough!”

I urge everyone to look beyond the sound bites you hear from my opponent’s campaign and the promises that sound too good to be true. A campaign that intentionally embraces distortion and lies in an attempt to deceive voters is neither constructive nor useful. Neither progress nor solutions will come from tearing each other down.

Having grown up and lived in each of the three communities that comprise the 8th Essex District, I know the people I represent. I am a concerned citizen just like you. I think about issues, ponder various positions, and make educated and informed decisions. I don’t have all the answers. But I am willing to try to foster cooperation and community to turn things around and make things better.

I ran for this seat two-and-a-half years ago because I thought I could help my friends and neighbors. I am running this year because I know I can continue to help. The hours are long and the requirements demanding but in addition to my 100 percent legislative attendance record, I have been available nearly round the clock for my constituents.

I’m proud of my work this session addressing the toll crisis on the North Shore, insurance coverage for medical therapies and early intervention for autistic children, the new law addressing bullying in our schools, budget transparency and accountability, and making law the start of containment of sky-rocketing health insurance costs for small businesses.

But there’s even something more tangible for Marblehead residents. Just recently, before the school year began, I toured the Village School to see the results of the renovation and repair project. The highlight of the tour, believe it or not, was the boiler room, which is now running smoothly and efficiently. But the whole school looked bright and renovated — a place of learning that respects 600 of the town’s middle-school students who pass through the Village School each year.

Many volunteers worked on this project behind the scenes, and those are the people who deserve most of the credit for the school’s transformation. But I remember when I first ran for office, the state reimbursement for that project was all but lost. After hours of heated discussions and negotiations, I’ll never forget showing up for Town Meeting in 2008 with a fax from the Massachusetts School Building Authority in my hand that the state reimbursement portion of a $20 million project was rescued.

Since being elected, I have listened to and agreed with Swampscott officials and people in the town who passionately advocate for fairness and equity in our education funding formula, known as Chapter 70. We are not the only community given a broken promise of a five-year catch up to the funding foundation floor.

To address this, I organized legislators from each of the communities, met with outside advocates, and was the lead sponsor on an amendment to An Act Relative to the Achievement Gap. When my amendment was deemed budgetary in a non-budgetary bill, I refilled a similar amendment in the budget. While we don’t have nearly anywhere near a majority of communities in the same situation, we do have a bi-partisan coalition that made great progress when something close to our amendment was passed in the House.

In addition to work on that issue, it’s been a personal pleasure to successfully assist and advocate for state grants. Swampscott just won the second largest single state grant to the town of $475,000 to dredge the harbor (the largest state grant was for the new high school). I’ve also worked with town officials to secure an $85,000 grant for a wind feasibility study and know that hard work is underway for more.

So please, let’s talk about the issues facing our district and the record I have built in a very short period of time. Let’s have constructive civil discourse that addresses the concerns on the minds of citizens and truly offers ideas to make our lives here in the 8th Essex District better. We may not always agree, but I’m always happy to discuss what is important to you. The only way we can move our district forward is by working together.

With great respect and humility for the constituents I serve, I ask for your vote on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Lori Ehrlich is the Democratic incumbent state representative of the 8th Essex District, which includes Swampscott, Marblehead and two precincts in Lynn.

ENDORSEMENTS FROM MARBLEHEAD AND SWAMPSCOTT REPORTERS AND THE LYNN ITEM!

MARBLEHEAD REPORTER Dedication. Persistence. Thoughtfulness. Open-mindedness. Independence. Marblehead has all of these on Beacon Hill in state Rep. Lori Ehrlich.

Of all the letters that passed through these pages and our website this campaign season, we took special note of one from former Swampscott School Committee member David Whelan, a Republican. Whelan highlighted Ehrlich’s bipartisan efforts to rectify inequities in Chapter 70 education funding, efforts he called “focused” and “relentless.” Similar words were used to describe Ehrlich’s efforts to secure 40-percent reimbursement that was thought lost for Marblehead’s Village School renovation project.

These two examples are hardly the exception. We find that Ehrlich takes a similar approach to all matters of concern to her constituents — whether the issue is bullying (for which her efforts won her well-deserved honors from the Anti-Defamation League), assistance for families of autistic children or the environmental causes on which she honed her now considerable skills navigating political waters.

Having been on the receiving end of some of the 2 a.m. e-mails Ehrlich referenced at Monday night’s League of Women Voters debate, we can vouch for the fact that Ehrlich’s claims of being a full-time legislator — and then some — are anything but campaign “puffery.”

There may well be a case for “change” in the Legislature, but in this case, it is imperative voters resist taking a mindless “throw the bums out” mentality straight down the ticket. Unseating Ehrlich would degrade the quality of representation from which Marblehead currently enjoys on Beacon Hill, and we urge voters not to let it happen.

SWAMPSCOTT REPORTER | State Rep. Lori Ehrlich deserves to be reelected. Ehrlich has done a tireless job for her district and Swampscott has benefited by having a representative who knows the town by virtue of having grown up here and graduated from Swampscott High School.

She has often been an independent voice, sometimes voting against the Democratic Party leadership in the House of Representatives and advocating for needed legislation, from the anti-bullying law through environmental measures and Swampscott Harbor dredging.

Ehrlich has also paid attention to Swampscott's needs more than any 8th Essex District representative in decades, getting money for the town's wind power feasibility study and listening to the unfairness of the way the town is treated in Chapter 70 aid to education.

We hope she continues to grasp the issues important to 40 percent of her district--that's Swampscott--and have confidence Ehrlich will do so.

Lynn Item Editorial: Ehrlich an asset to her district and Commonwealth

State Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead, is completing only her first full-term of office — she was first elected in 2008 to fill the unexpired term of former Rep. Doug Petersen — but her experience and expertise on environmental issues and number crunching may be unparalleled on Beacon Hill.

The only CPA serving in the Legislature, the leadership quickly took advantage of her skills, assigning her to the Transportation Committee to work on averting a looming fiscal calamity due to risky transactions called “swaptions” concerning interest on transportation bonds. The refinancing of those former Turnpike Authority bonds saved the commonwealth tens of millions.

The self-described “policy wonk” also immersed herself in the corporate tax code and is working to eliminate the corporate excise tax on small business.

She is also pushing for changes to the state’s Chapter 70 school aid formula, something dear to many in Swampscott who say the town has been undercut for years in school aid.

“I formed a coalition of legislators to look at this,” she told the Item earlier this month. “It is a very complicated funding formula but not impossible. We need to bring communities up to the 17.5 percent (of the foundation budget).”

Ehrlich also wasted no time delivering for her district, as she successfully battled her first week at the State House in 2008 for $20 million for the renovation of Marblehead Village School. On education she was also in the forefront of the fight for the commonwealth’s new anti-bullying law.

The learning curve was minimal for Ehrlich, who had long been a leading environmental advocate on the North Shore prior to becoming state representative. She is a co-founder of the Salem-based HealthLink and co-founder of the Wenham Lake Watershed Association. She has continued as a leader on the environment at the State House, sponsoring a bill requiring swift repairs to leaks in natural gas lines.

Ehrlich is an asset to her district and to the commonwealth. We urge 8th Essex District voters to re-elect Rep. Ehrlich on Tuesday.

“The most important political office is that of the private citizen.”— Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis

The past two years as your state representative have gone by very quickly and have been marked by hard work and significant accomplishments. A global economic downturn that far too many feel is uncomfortably close to another Great Depression provided a challenging context. But on your behalf, I went to Beacon Hill to serve as your voice for change and have already made huge strides on your behalf in these areas:

Tackling the debt crisis: As the only CPA in the Legislature, I conducted a forensic accounting on the debt-strapped (former) Mass. Turnpike Authority to assist in successful negotiations that saved the Commonwealth $400 million in risky derivative termination penalties.
Sunlight in the budget: I sponsored and helped pass legislation that will join 23 other states in making the state budgetary process more transparent and searchable.
Halting proposed toll increases: I successfully fought back a proposal that would have doubled tolls from the already recently increased $3.50 to a whopping $7 on the North Shore.
Bullying prevention: I helped to draft the anti-bullying law and received the Anti-Defamation League’s Good Citizenship Award for my work.
Watchdog on local pollution: I continued in my 15 years of advocacy to clean up the Salem Power Plant where an explosion in 2007 killed three workers. The plant continues to blanket our community, still operating without scrubbers.
Funding public education: I organized a coalition of legislators, filed two amendments, and passed legislation that established a commission to reevaluate the state’s education funding formula.
Medical coverage for autistic children: I co-sponsored and advocated for insurance coverage for early intervention medical treatments for autistic children.
Holding ‘Big Coal’ accountable: I testified before the federal government for long-overdue tough standards on coal waste, which if in place would have prevented the disaster and necessary cleanup of Wenham Lake, which provides drinking water for 80,000 people in Beverly, Salem and parts of Wenham.
Funding school renovations: I restored once-considered-lost partial state reimbursement for the $20 million Village School renovation.
Additional efforts: I worked on many more policy areas, including hazardous gas leaks, economic development, a bill for the elimination of the minimum corporate excise tax and a successful effort to reduce health-insurance rates for small business.

These efforts are extremely important and, through the power of public policy, improve the lives of thousands of real people.

There is another not-often-reported aspect of this office, though, that is just as important. Over the past two years, I’ve heard from so many residents of the 8th Essex District. Our interactions are personal, not public. Some just need help dealing with state government while others need advocacy. In these difficult times, many need crucial assistance.

Sometimes I’m invited to participate in joyful events in your lives, from Girl Scouts’ Gold Awards and Boy Scouts’ Eagle Scout ceremonies, academic awards, retirements and dedications. I’ve been welcomed into places of worship and soup kitchens and even gladly cut some ribbons along the way. I have a particular soft spot for when school field trips bring your children and grandchildren to the State House. The district is alive with activity.

I am seeking a second full term as your state representative so I can continue to look out for what’s important to you. Paying careful attention to the many policy challenges we face and being there for you when you share your viewpoints, joy, pain and humor is a full-time job and a pleasure. To represent the district in which I have spent my entire life is a distinct honor for which I thank you.

State Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead, is a candidate for reelection to represent the 8th Essex District, comprising Marblehead, Swampscott and two precincts in Lynn.

Maybe I am old-fashioned, but to me a state representative is the first line of contact with our state government. In my capacity as an elected official serving all of the communities in Essex County, I interact with state representatives from both the Democratic and Republican Parties. Although I am a Democrat, my definition of a good state representative does not necessarily depend on the individual’s underlying political philosophies and beliefs.

To me a good state representative is a person who is connected with their constituents, understands the issues of their districts and serves as a reliable and direct link between the citizens and our state government. Every effective state representative I have ever met has been someone who has been driven to the position based on past involvement within their community.

My wife Tara and I maintain firmly connected within our community of Swampscott. We try to include as much community involvement in our lives that is possible while raising three children. Selectmen, Town Meeting members, superintendent search committees, Contributory Retirement Board, community fundraisers, local political action events and committees, as well as school events and organizations, neighborhood groups and youth sports.

Lori Ehrlich’s opponent in the Nov. 2 election has to me appeared out of nowhere. In the hundreds of hours we spend each year in the aforementioned community activities I have never seen Lori’s opponent, nor ever heard her name prior to her seeking office.

Does having done absolutely nothing in the community preclude her from running? Of course not, but it makes me wonder if her candidacy is based more on the opportunity to be on the ballot with a local Republican gubernatorial candidate rather than a burning desire to enhance the district in which she resides.

Ehrlich is a full-time state representative. People get hung up on that statement because they want to equate it with the time spent within the walls of the State House. I know that I have called Lori several times in the evening and spoken to her in person on the weekend. Not once did she tell me she was off duty and to get back to her during regular business hours. A state representative is on duty and at our beck and call 24/7. It is why they do it. They are there for us and to hear our issues.

Do I agree with every position Lori has taken, or will take on Beacon Hill? I think anyone who agrees with someone else 100 percent of the time on their interests, issues and concerns is not being honest. Our society is too complicated to expect that everything is so black and white.

Ehrlich is a passionate and connected state representative. She knows the day-to-day issues facing families in our district. She knows what is to raise a family and understands the effort it takes. She has always built in time for community involvement and passionate commitment to causes affecting us all.

She is there for us and responds to our inquiries in a timely fashion. She articulates her positions and stays true to her core values. She is, however, always willing to listen, learn and understand all points of view and dedicate herself to the position that is ultimately in the best interest of her district.

I am proud to support Lori Ehrlich because of her efforts to protect the air my children breathe, her support for public education and her respect for her constituents’ pocketbooks.

Lori has been a watchdog on the Salem Power Plant and an advocate of holding big coal accountable. She organized a coalition of legislators, filed two amendments, and passed legislation that established a commission to re-evaluate the state’s broken education funding formula, and she helped to restore once-considered-lost partial state reimbursement for the $20 million Village School renovation. Lori successfully fought back a proposal that would double the tolls on the North Shore.

It is not only Lori’s positions on the issues which make me proud to support her, but also the way she conducts herself and her campaign. At a rally a couple weeks ago at the VFW in front of hundreds of supporters, Lori said, “When we met in my living room after kicking off this campaign, I promised you that we would run a campaign that will make you proud. It's risky to take the high road but I have faith in the intelligence and temperament of the voters in the district and know they have little patience for gutter politics."

Lori has stayed true to this in an era when the temptation to do and say anything to win is great.

I am voting for Ehrlich because I think that she will best represent our district and because her behavior is exemplary of how I believe our public servants and candidates should conduct themselves. The lack of civility in public discourse these days is distasteful and counter to what our founding fathers envisioned.

We, the voters, are the ones who need to send a message. We should choose candidates whose views are reflective of our own and whose behavior during the campaign is one that we can be proud. Lori Ehrlich fits the bill.

For the past two-and-a-half years, we have been proud to call Lori Ehrlich our state representative. For longer than that, we have been even prouder to call her a friend.

The dedication to her neighbors and community that Lori has shown throughout her life is what drew her to running for this seat. Her passion to make our communities a better place to live drove her to commit her time and energy to local organizations and nonprofits well before her days as an elected official. The work ethic that everyone can see is nothing new — this is just Lori.

When she says that this job is a full-time gig for her, it is not because she has built a career as a politician; it is because she truly cares for all of us. This is why her schedule is not limited to Monday through Friday — her hours are whenever she is needed. We can personally attest to this. And while this has led to fewer dinners between friends, it has also led to a stronger district because Lori Ehrlich is our representative.

In her time as state representative, we have not seen Lori change; she is still the humble and dedicated public servant we have long called a friend. We need the expertise, commitment and positive attitude that she embodies representing us at the State House.

And while we wish we could see more of our friend, we are happy to share her passion and relentless work ethic with the rest of her constituents. Please join us in supporting Lori Ehrlich for state representative on Nov. 2.

I know in my son's case alone, this will save our schools over $1,000 a month. Just for one child in the state, that's over $10,000 a year. As parents try to get medical therapies that will help their children live more independent lives in the long run, they face financial ruin. This is a win for families and schools but mostly for the children who are able to get the early intervention that can literally change the course of their lives.

Lori has personally touched the lives of those around her, whether you know her directly or not. She works tirelessly to keep your water clean, your children healthy, your schools funded, and as the Legislature's only Certified Public Accountant, state government accountable. The state and the district are lucky to have someone with her skill set and devotion to her community step up to represent us.

I want to be represented by someone who puts this position first. I want to be represented by someone who is on the job day and night. I want to be represented by someone who will put in the hours necessary to effectively advocate for our district. With Lori Ehrlich, we have that representative.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a CPA and a fiscal conservative. My lawn never hosted signs for a Democratic candidate. This year, I am proud to host a lawn sign for someone I have known for her entire professional career and someone as a fellow CPA, I am proud to promote; Lori Ehrlich.

As part of a family firm, I have been associated with Lori, her father, brother and mother in their Salem CPA firm for decades. Her father, Harvey Litman, was a friend of mine until his untimely passing in 2001. He was honest, hard-working, and a great communicator, all things I see in his daughter.

She speaks with knowledge and clarity and I look forward to her returning this year to address Salem State University’s Institute for Continuing Education for Accountants.

I write to you today because I encourage you to support her candidacy for as long as she is willing to represent you. As the only CPA in the legislature, her voice is desperately needed. In the last session she introduced three bills that would abolish the regressive minimum corporate excise tax paid disproportionately by small business.

Her work was crucial on the derivative mess that befell our transportation system. The worst possible economic conditions caused risky debt instruments used in the early 2000s to "terminate." This perfect storm nearly dragged down the bond rating of the entire state and strapped North Shore commuters with a $7 toll. She not only helped to identify and solve the problem, she took us all along through a fascinating and sophisticated series of "Swaption" columns in the local paper.

As a member of the Transportation Committee, her work on abolishing the Turnpike Authority, the same one that had already voted to double our tolls, gave voice to the concern of North Shore residents. By putting the full faith and credit of the Commonwealth behind these risky deals gone bad, we all were able to avoid paying hundreds of millions in penalties from Big Dig debt in risky derivatives.

Don't pass up the opportunity to support Lori for her second full term by voting Nov. 2.

Primary results are a little tricky to interpret but in Marblehead and Swampscott Lori had the highest number of votes of anyone on the ballot for either party for any office. In Lynn's precincts 3-4 and 4-4 her number of votes were higher than either gubernatorial candidate (Senator McGee & Congressman Tierney were higher). Thank you amazing volunteers and voters! We had a great showing, enthusiasm is high, now onward to the general!!

Nov 2, 2010

Lori Ehrlich wins 65% of the vote and every precinct in the district!

Thank you voters!!

State Rep Ehrlich easily reelected Marblehead and Swampscott Reporter report:

Ehrlich breezes to reelection as state rep Boston Globe