Bousquet challenges Hargraves for state representative seat
By Caitlyn Kelleher Journal Staff Reporter

Twelve-year incumbent Robert Hargraves is facing a Democratic challenger for his state representative seat in the 1st Middlesex District.

Challenger Carol Bousquet believes more attention needs to be paid to public safety and infrastructure on a district level, and to affordable housing, the environment and transportation on a state level.

"I don't see the values and priorities of the district being represented in the State House," Bousquet said. "I am blessed with leadership skills that I want to put to work for our district."

She believes she brings knowledge of the district, and the issues facing it, from her time as a realtor.

"We need fair funding for our schools to relieve the burden on the property taxes that effects everyone," she said.

Hargraves said his service to the district is something he is proud of. He wants to continue helping individual constituents.

"I love serving the people," he said. "I am not ready to retire and I basically love the work."

Hargraves has served as the principal of North Middlesex Regional High School, as a selectman and as town moderator in Groton. He said his experience at all levels of public service makes him a better state representative.

"We are here to navigate the system for you," he said. "People know that I can get it done."

The district covers Townsend, Ayer, Dunstable, Groton and Pepperell.

"The big goal is going to be health care finances," Hargraves said of the upcoming term.

The new health care reform bill, passed during the last legislative session, will require all residents to have health insurance or a waiver by 2007. The difficulty is going to be helping people make sure they are in compliance, Hargraves said.

"This may not be perfect but we haven't found anything better than this and this is the first in the nation," he said. "It should bring health insurance cost down."

Hargraves was a supporter of the bill and worked on the conference committee to get it passed.

Hargraves also said work needs to be done to increase education funding and Chapter 70 aid in his three school districts.

"Those things we have to be more generous with," he said. "The governor was generous this year but the House and Senate drop those numbers."

Hargraves believes there should be fewer earmarks but that local projects should be built into various areas of the state budget.

"There are so many earmarks in this budget, and pork projects. If we stopped those, then we'd be bring so much more money to the cities and towns," he said.

He wants fellow legislators to build projects into the correct areas of the state budget, such as the money he had built into the MassHighway budget for the South Street Bridge reconstruction in Townsend, and the money budgeted for the wooden bridge in Pepperell.

Bousquet said available money simply isn't coming to the towns in the district. "We need more of our portion of the pie from state funding," she said.

She said more money needs to come into the district for schools, so that town officials will be able to stop raising property taxes. More money should come into the district for senior services, especially transportation, she said.

"I think there is option of better operating shuttle programs. I have heard some pretty sad stories from the seniors," Bosquet said.

Increased senior services are a positive for some of the proposed smart-growth plans, but she advocates implementing them in a manner conducive to the towns. Diverse commercial development would ease the residential property tax burden and aid in job creation, she said.

Both candidates said they'd work with their colleagues on Beacon Hill if elected.

"I find that I work very well across the aisle," Hargraves said.

He doesn't think a Democrat state representative would be more effective in bringing money to the district.

"We had a Democrat in there from 1974 to 1984 and he didn't bring squat home," Hargraves said. "I have been able to bring home projects that need to be done."

He added that as a member of the majority party, a state representative would be pressured to vote with the leadership; as a Republican, he does not have that issue. He said Democratic leadership has not shut out the Republicans because "that's not good politics."

Bousquet said the only people she would represent on Beacon Hill would be the residents of the district.

"I think the district will be served very well by me. Being part of the team can only be in our favor," she said. "I won't be beholding to anybody. I am representing our district and I will do whatever it takes to make sure our district is wellrepresented."

Bousquet said she is an innate network builder and a citizen activist who has worked to build coalitions. A lack of experience as an elected official will not be a problem, she said.

"Two-year terms were designed so the basic citizen could serve their community," she said.