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Amesbury, MA—Congressman John Tierney last week visited with small business owners, elected officials, and local residents in Amesbury to discuss efforts to revive our economy, create and save jobs, and support our community.

“It is extremely important to me to hear from local residents, elected officials, and business owners who live and work in our area,” Congressman Tierney said. “It is essential that Democrats in Congress continue to respond to the needs of middle-class Americans and small business owners and focus on strengthening our economy and getting people back to work. We need to ensure that our local families, seniors, and businesses can continue to ‘make it in America’.”

In an ongoing effort to hear from local business owners and residents, Congressman Tierney visited numerous small businesses in Amesbury including, Zac & Annie’s, Old Newbury Crafters, Bertram & Oliver Booksellers, and Maggie Sundae.

In addition, Congressman Tierney recently hosted a Green Jobs Workshop for small businesses, an Exporting Seminar for business owners interested in growing their organizations, a series of Grants Workshops to connect business owners, non-profits, and municipalities with state and federal agencies. He also visited various businesses benefitting from federal Recovery Act funding and met with seniors across the region.

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By Lynne Hendricks/ The Newburyport Daily News

AMESBURY — In town for the groundbreaking of the new Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority transportation center, Congressman John Tierney took time out yesterday to meet with business owners throughout town, embarking on a listening tour of sorts to find out firsthand how local business owners are faring in this sluggish economy.

Beginning with stops in the morning at Munters Cargocaire on Monroe Street and Shea Concrete, Route 110 and Eastern Lumber on Haverhill Road, Tierney and several staffers capped off the groundbreaking ceremony with a visit to Zac and Ani's Bakery on Main Street, where they picked up some of Brian Bienvenue's signature handmade cinnamon rolls.

They went on from there to visit with the owners of Maggie Sundae on Friend Street, Bertram and Oliver's Booksellers on Main Street, and several other downtown businesses with hopes of finding out whether economic stimulus bills passed by Congress have trickled down to offer relief.

Tierney said he was pleased to hear, in many cases, how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has made a difference for the businesses' bottom lines.

"We talked to a lot of businesses that have benefited from ARRA," Tierney said. "Some have benefited directly, and some have benefited by a ricochet effect. I've been finding that throughout the district."

At Munters and Shea's, as well as Eastern Lumber, business owners have hired up to five new employees either because of orders for services received as a result of an ARRA-funded project in Massachusetts or another state, or because they see signs in their industry that the economy is bouncing back from the brink, Tierney said.

Tierney inquired of business owners whether they've taken advantage, or plan to take advantage, of tax incentives passed by Congress in the past two years that offer credits aimed at easing the sting of earnings losses and attacking unemployment rolls, as in the case of an incentive that relieves employers of Social Security contributions if they hire someone who is currently unemployed.

"If they keep them on for a year, then they get another $1,000 credit," said Tierney, who said he also talked with business owners about some of the new lenient loans for small businesses that have acquired a lot of debt, available through the Small Business Administration.

"I was glad to discover how people understand where we would be without the ARRA," Tierney added.

Aside from being pleased that so many from the transportation center ground-breaking ceremony followed Tierney into the shop to enjoy a pastry, Bienvenue said he was pleased with the effort Tierney and others made to get the transportation center project off the ground.

"I think what they're doing to revitalize the downtown is the biggest thing they can do for me," said Bienvenue, who stands to benefit greatly should the Lower Millyard facing the windows of his downtown storefront be developed as planned. "The more traffic downtown, the better for me."

If he and Chamber of Commerce President Curtis Wollitz could ask for one thing from government and from Tierney as their representative in Washington, it's to keep doing what he's doing to advocate for funds toward that end.

"He's a fantastic asset for us," Wollitz said.

Taking a moment to talk with town officials following the morning's activities, mayoral Chief of Staff Kendra Amaral expressed appreciation for Tierney's taking time to visit with the people of Amesbury.

"It's so wonderful for us to be able to showcase Amesbury and all the things we have happening," she said.

By Lynne Hendricks Staff Writer

AMESBURY — In town for the groundbreaking of the new Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority transportation center, Congressman John Tierney took time out yesterday to meet with business owners throughout town, embarking on a listening tour of sorts to find out firsthand how local business owners are faring in this sluggish economy.

Beginning with stops in the morning at Munters Cargocaire on Monroe Street and Shea Concrete, Route 110 and Eastern Lumber on Haverhill Road, Tierney and several staffers capped off the groundbreaking ceremony with a visit to Zac and Ani's Bakery on Main Street, where they picked up some of Brian Bienvenue's signature handmade cinnamon rolls.

They went on from there to visit with the owners of Maggie Sundae on Friend Street, Bertram and Oliver's Booksellers on Main Street, and several other downtown businesses with hopes of finding out whether economic stimulus bills passed by Congress have trickled down to offer relief.

Tierney said he was pleased to hear, in many cases, how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has made a difference for the businesses' bottom lines.

"We talked to a lot of businesses that have benefited from ARRA," Tierney said. "Some have benefited directly, and some have benefited by a ricochet effect. I've been finding that throughout the district."

At Munters and Shea's, as well as Eastern Lumber, business owners have hired up to five new employees either because of orders for services received as a result of an ARRA-funded project in Massachusetts or another state, or because they see signs in their industry that the economy is bouncing back from the brink, Tierney said.

Tierney inquired of business owners whether they've taken advantage, or plan to take advantage, of tax incentives passed by Congress in the past two years that offer credits aimed at easing the sting of earnings losses and attacking unemployment rolls, as in the case of an incentive that relieves employers of Social Security contributions if they hire someone who is currently unemployed.

"If they keep them on for a year, then they get another $1,000 credit," said Tierney, who said he also talked with business owners about some of the new lenient loans for small businesses that have acquired a lot of debt, available through the Small Business Administration.

"I was glad to discover how people understand where we would be without the ARRA," Tierney added.

Aside from being pleased that so many from the transportation center ground-breaking ceremony followed Tierney into the shop to enjoy a pastry, Bienvenue said he was pleased with the effort Tierney and others made to get the transportation center project off the ground.

"I think what they're doing to revitalize the downtown is the biggest thing they can do for me," said Bienvenue, who stands to benefit greatly should the Lower Millyard facing the windows of his downtown storefront be developed as planned. "The more traffic downtown, the better for me."

If he and Chamber of Commerce President Curtis Wollitz could ask for one thing from government and from Tierney as their representative in Washington, it's to keep doing what he's doing to advocate for funds toward that end.

"He's a fantastic asset for us," Wollitz said.

Taking a moment to talk with town officials following the morning's activities, mayoral Chief of Staff Kendra Amaral expressed appreciation for Tierney's taking time to visit with the people of Amesbury.

"It's so wonderful for us to be able to showcase Amesbury and all the things we have happening," she said.

This article was originally published in the August 27th edition of the Newburyport Daily News.

By Sean Leonard/The Lynn Daily Item

LYNN - U.S. Rep. John Tierney, D-Salem, addressed the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce at the Volunteer Yacht Club Friday morning, saying it’s essential to the economic recovery for Congress to remain focused on helping small businesses and encouraging entrepreneurs to take the risk on launching new business.

“We’ve all heard the caveat that small businesses are creating the jobs. But in truth, within small businesses it’s new businesses that do most of the hiring,” Tierney said, adding some positive steps have been taken but there is much more to do. “There are way too many people out of work right now.”

Bills including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Hire Act and National Health Care, he said, are helping to level off — and in some areas have begun to reverse — unemployment, with measures including tax incentives for those who make capital investments in their businesses, subsidies lasting several months for businesses that employ people who have been jobless for eight or more weeks and allowing those who are self-employed to write off their own health care costs.

And the ARRA makes vital investment in our roads, bridges and seaports, he said, as well as science, research and development, and clean energy technology, which Tierney said is the way of the future.

Tierney spoke for 20 minutes defending Congress and the Obama Administration’s move to inject billions of federal money to jump start the economy.

“President Obama came into office on January 20 of 2009,” he said, “and some of my friends in Congress, including (House Minority Leader) John Bohner (R-Ohio) and (Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), believe that’s when all the problems started; that no sooner did we swear him (Obama) in that we headed off the cliff.”

Tierney said the crisis the nation continues to grapple with was borne of the “Trickle Down” economic policy implemented by President George W. Bush.

“The last three years of the Clinton Administration we had surpluses; we were working on paying down the debt and there was a $5.7 trillion surplus when the keys were handed over to George W. Bush. But (President Bush) didn’t like surpluses. He was afraid of them.”

As a result, Tierney said, the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 were targeted toward the 2 percent of our population in the top income brackets.

“The Trickle Down theory is that the richest will invest (in businesses and job creation), and the rest of us will be taken care of, but that’s not what happens,” Tierney said.

Instead, he said, the Bush tax cuts cost $1.7 trillion a year, which was never offset by budget cuts or new revenue sources.

Add the trillions of dollars in borrowed money to fund the war in Iraq, he said, “and it’s no mistake or accident that we are where we are today.

“The ones in Washington screaming the loudest today about the deficit are the ones who didn’t say a word from 2001 through 2008,” he said.

Tierney said he agrees with the president that the Bush tax cuts for those earning more than $250,000 should expire.

The Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Tierney said, was the only way to try and pull the nation out of recession; the only way to help get the 10 million who are jobless back to work and back to paying taxes and mortgages and spending to support businesses.

He said Democrats, meanwhile, are dedicated to bringing the $12 trillion federal deficit down.

Difficult cuts will need to be made, he said, including billions in cuts from Defense.

Tierney said according to the General Accountability Office, “Just 93 of our (defense) programs have a total of $296 billion in cost overruns and are anywhere from three months to 30 years behind schedule. We can do better,” he said, noting some projects will have to be sped up and other eliminated.

“We can cut $1 trillion from Defense over the next 10 years and at the end have even stronger National Security.”

However, Tierney said he is confident the secondary engine for the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35, produced by GE and Rolls Royce, will be preserved.

“Some (in Washington) say you just want to keep jobs in your district. Yes, jobs are great, but this is about National Security. The F-35 will be used by the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. If we have only one engine (Pratt Whitney is the primary engine manufacturer for the F-35) and then there is a problem with that, our entire fleet will be grounded. We need a backup engine, and we’ve swayed some who were opposed (to the secondary engine) on that point alone, without ever mentioning jobs.”

Overall, Tierney said he is optimistic about the future.

“We have seen difficult times before, and we relied on ingenuity and hard work to get us out of it. I’m convinced we can do it again.”

This article was originally published in the August 24th edition of the Lynn Daily Item.

Peabody, MA – As parents across the area prepare to send their children back to school, Congressman Tierney visited with local families, students, and education programs to discuss the importance of providing the necessary resources to students of all ages. During the last week, Congressman Tierney spoke with students in Salem and Saugus participating in the F1rst Jobs program at our national parks, broke ground for the Head Start facility in Lynn that will provide services to mothers and to children between infancy and age 3, and joined other lawmakers for the ribbon cutting ceremony at Salem State that marked opening of Salem State’s new dorm, Marsh Hall.

“As I speak to parents, students, and educators across our community, I am continuously impressed by their efforts to provide all of our children with the resources they need to succeed in this world,” Congressman Tierney said. “I am dedicated to working with them, and on their behalf, to ensure that all students in our community have the opportunity to achieve their educational goals, thrive in school, and find good jobs after graduation. Massachusetts’ education system stands out as one of the best in our country, but there is still more work to be done.”

Congressman Tierney consistently advocates in Washington to improve educational opportunities for Massachusetts families. As a product of public primary and secondary schools, and a graduate of Salem State, he is committed to ensuring our children receive a first-rate education and that they are prepared to compete in emerging industries and the new global economy.

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Salem, MA- Working to address the spiraling cost of college tuition, John continues to fight for policies which make a quality, affordable higher education a reality for all students.  As back-to-school season begins, below are some of the ways which student aid reform is helping families and students.

Reforming Student Aid:

• John played a key role in the passage of Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), landmark legislation which will make college dramatically more affordable in an effort to produce the largest number of college graduates in 2020.

• Since Democrats have been in the Majority in the House of Representatives, the maximum Pell Grant award has increased 37%. SAFRA increases the maximum annual Pell Grant scholarship to $5,550 in 2010 and to $5,975 by 2017.

• The Democratic-led Congress has enacted changes that redirect $61 Billion away from special interest student lenders into direct loans helping increase the Pell Grant scholarship amounts closer to their original portion of tuition and costs, create "income Based Repayment" easing the loan repayment burden, and reducing some loan interest rates by half...and $10 Billion was used to pay down some of the Bush debt!

• John led the fight in Congress to include a provision that requires states to maintain state funding levels for public higher education by preventing states from cutting higher education funding and backfilling those cuts with federal funding. The so-called “State Maintenance of Effort” provision was included in the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA).

• John strongly supported including a new Community College and Career Training Grant Program in the Recovery Act. This program will provide $500 million per year for the next 4 years to invest in our community colleges, so that courses can be developed in partnership with industry, labor and others that will provide students and unemployed workers seeking new work with the right skills and education making them qualified for jobs that actually exist, pay well, and have benefits.

• Students who commit to teaching in a high-need subject area or school upon graduation can now qualify to receive up to $4000 in up-front tuition assistance.

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Salem, MA- Building upon his work in Congress to create jobs and promote American competitiveness and innovation, Congressman Tierney hosted a series of green job events across the region last week. He began the series with a group of local business, education, and workforce development leaders to discuss ways to boost the creation of “green jobs” in our area, joined a local business Advanced Electron Beams in announcing a federal grant to support green technology, and hosted a Green Jobs Seminar to bring together local businesses, federal and state agencies, and grant writing organizations.

“Growing clean energy jobs in America is an important step to keep our country competitive in an increasingly global economy.  As we seek to get Americans back to work, we must invest in innovative technologies and jobs of the future,” said Congressman Tierney. “I will continue to focus on efforts to create and save jobs in Massachusetts, support our green economy, and ensure that families and businesses can make it in America."

Lynn, MA – During a meeting with Lynn seniors today, Congressman John Tierney discussed the importance of strengthening and protecting Social Security and Medicare, and answered questions about the new health care law. Throughout the week, Congressman Tierney is marking the 75^th anniversary of Social Security by meeting with local seniors across the district including visits in Burlington, Danvers, Lynn, Merrimac, Beverly, and Wakefield.

“It is critical that we ensure our seniors have the support and resources they need to make ends meet,” said Congressman Tierney. “Too often I hear from older residents in our communities who are struggling to cover the cost of housing, food, and medicine. I am committed to working in Congress to strengthen Social Security and Medicare, protect the interests of seniors, and make sure our seniors are receiving top notch care under the new health care law.”   

Burlington – Congressman John Tierney, D, MA - Sixth Congressional District, joined with Mitch Tyson, CEO and Director, Advanced Electron Beams (AEB), Patrick Cloney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, as well as other business leaders, innovators and representatives from non-profit organizations associated with Massachusetts’ clean technology industry to announce $294,880 in federal funding for AEB for which Tierney advocated. 

“To keep America competitive in an increasingly global economy, we must invest in the jobs of the future, by enabling American manufacturers’ competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and energy efficiency,” said Tierney. “Advanced Electron Beams was one of only 48 projects in the country to be awarded this funding and is a good example of an innovative technology, which will help create green jobs and revolutionize America's manufacturing industry.”

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This article was published by the Wilmington Advocate.  You can find the original article here.

Peabody, MA – Congressman John Tierney announced today his strong support for theEducation Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act, a bill that will create or save more than 310,000 jobs for educators, police, and firefighters nationwide, while also extending critical Medicaid funding to the states. Massachusetts will receive more than $204 million to save an estimated 2,900 jobs for teachers and other education professionals.

“I commend the House of Representatives for passing a bill to help create and save critical jobs in our communities and end tax loopholes that make it easier to move American jobs offshore,” Congressman Tierney said. “As our economy continues to recover, we cannot abandon our neighborhoods and families by allowing thousands of teachers, police officers, and firefighters to lose their jobs. We need to continue our efforts to ensure that local families and small businesses can make it in America by investing in our communities in a smart and responsible manner. This bill is completely paid for, and takes important steps to grow jobs and reduce our deficit.”

The legislation includes a $10 billon Education Jobs Fund and extends a temporary increase in federal Medicaid funding, under Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), to help states cover the costs of their Medicaid programs. The jobs fund and FMAP extension are paid for, in part by closing tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas.  According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) H.R. 1586 will reduce the budget deficit by $1.4 billion over the next 10 years. This is the third time Congressman Tierney has helped pass this effort in the House of Representatives. Following the Senate’s passage last week, the bill will now go to President Obama to be signed into law.

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MARBLEHEAD - U.S. Rep. John Tierney, D-Salem, will be the featured speaker at the Marblehead Democratic Town Committee’s annual picnic Monday at 6 p.m. at the VFW Post 2005, 321 West Shore Drive, Marblehead.

Local and state office-holders and Democratic candidates have also been invited. The menu will consist of clam chowder, steak tips, grilled chicken, corn on the cob, salads and strawberry shortcake. The event is open to the general public.

Tickets are $20. They can be purchased at the door, by calling Phil or Marcia Sweeney at 781-631-3570 or sending a check to them at 26 South St., Marblehead, MA 01945. Additional information or reservations are also available at philsweeney@comcast.net or marciasweeney@comcast.net.

The Marblehead Democratic Town Committee includes 35 registered Democrats, elected to regular membership by Marblehead voters at presidential primary elections. The committee also has “life members,” which consists of those people who have served as regular members for 20 years, and associate members elected by the committee’s regular and life members.

Meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month at the Marblehead Community Center at 7:30 p.m. and are open to the public.

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This article was published by the Daily Item of Lynn.  You can find the original article here.