Letter: Harrington Deserves Another Term

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To the Editor:

I'm writing to express my wholehearted endorsement of Andrea Harrington — we have been friends for many years, through thick and thin. I look at the criminal justice system through the lens of our community's most marginalized neighbors. Andrea walks the walk on showing up to make change.

She understands the value of harm reduction better than any other politician I’ve worked with. She has been a champion for keeping drug use in the realm of public health where it belongs. She has focused the arm of justice on where it belongs — domestic violence and murder.

She has faced extremely biased reporting by our local paper of record. It has been very disappointing to see the repeated smears. It has made people afraid to support her publicly, even though in private they think she is doing a good job.

It is also worth noting that the courts were fully closed during a significant portion of her tenure. Now that they are open, violent crimes are being successfully prosecuted.

Andrea has earned your vote for another four years.

Stephen Murray
North Adams, Mass.

 

 


Tags: election 2022,   


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Deep Dive: Why Do We Vote on Ballot Initiatives?

By John TownesSpecial to iBerkshires
This is the first of two articles that cover the ballot questions in this year's upcoming election. This article is an overview of the process. It will be followed by a summary of this year's ballot measures.
 
In addition to the contests between candidates and the battle for control among political parties, Massachusetts voters will also be deciding on nine ballot questions in November, the highest number since 1994.
 
While ballot questions may not have the personal drama of candidate races or ideological ramifications of partisan wars, they often have an impact on laws and other government policies and actions.
 
This year's Massachusetts ballot measures include questions that will significantly affect the state's gun-control laws, the legal status of recreational cannabis products, and the basic structure of the state's future elections, among others.
 
Before summarizing the specific questions on this year's ballot, it is useful to look at the larger context and role of ballot measures.
 
In a broad sense, ballot measures are a form of direct democracy within our system.
 
The Massachusetts official Guide to Statewide Ballot Question Petitions defines the three basic types of ballot questions.
 
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