GateHouse News Service - Eldridge Makes His Case

News Article

By Betsy Levinson
http://www.townonline.com/littleton/news/x284109158

A larger than anticipated crowd greeted Rep. Jamie Eldridge this week as his campaign continued its "meet and greet" effort leading up to the Sept. 4 primary. Eldridge is running for the U.S. Congress to replace Rep. Marty Meehan in the 5th district. He has several other Democratic rivals before the general election.

"A lot of people don't know who Jamie is," said Jane Chrisfield, chairman of the Littleton town Democrats and head of Eldridge's campaign in town. "But since this is a grassroots campaign, we need your help."

"He is almost a homeboy," said Chrisfield. Eldridge went to Acton-Boxborough High School, Johns Hopkins University and Boston College Law School before working in Lowell and Lawrence, eventually becoming the only state representative elected within the limits of the Clean Elections Law. He was elected five years ago.

"I understand grassroots support," said Eldridge. "I was elected with public financing. I was able to spend my time doing door to door, rather than fundraising."

After his 2002 win, he said the legislature repealed the law.
Eldridge said he went door to door in Littleton for Gov. Deval Patrick last fall.

He said he worked to bring Bristol Myers Squibb to Devens, a move that he said would create jobs. He also said he worked to transfer some 80 acres from the Department of Capital Asset Management to the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife to preserve it as open space.

Eldridge said he is running to work for progressive issues. He was inspired by holding office hours in each of the six towns he represents on Beacon Hill.

"Constituents seemed to be concerned about 40B, cuts in education, increases in property taxes," said Eldridge. "They are all connected. After 25 years, the federal government has walked away from cities and towns. The government has walked away from its responsibilities for protecting our quality of life."

Eldridge is fervently anti-Bush, especially in his desire to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home. He favors the Rep. Conyers plan that would begin withdrawal within 90 days and complete it in 270 days.

"People are ahead of the politicians on Iraq," said Eldridge.
Regarding health care, he favors a single payer federal system, "an expansion of Medicare to all Americans," he said. He is anti-NAFTA, believing that the U.S. should pursue "fair trade" policies that would life the standard of living in Mexico and other developing nations, and thereby protect American jobs.

"I am a fierce critic of NAFTA," he said.
Another prong of his campaign is to "clean up the corruption in Washington, D.C."

"It's about leadership, and taking tough stands," said Eldridge.
Marjorie Harvey said she was stunned to hear Eldridge say he wanted to raise the standards of living in developing countries.

"Are people ready to hear that?" she wondered.Eldridge said "it is resonating."

He said Democrats in Congress "don't stand up to their beliefs in the face of Republican criticism."

Jack Apfelbaum asked about global warming. Eldridge said "people are ahead of politicians" on the issue as well.

"We need to take dramatic action," he said.
He wants stricter standards on auto mileage and he would require utility companies to spend 30 percent of their budgets on clean, renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and hydro-electric. He is against expansion of nuclear power plants.

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