President Obama and his wife, Michelle, flew to New Orleans on Sunday, August 29, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the hurricane that devastated New Orleans and showed the disconnect between the U.S. government -- at that time -- and the common people of the country.  The president, joined by members of the Cabinet, spoke at Xavier University in New Orleans. Here is the full transcript of his remarks.

"The storm and its tragic aftermath took more than a thousand lives, displaced more than a million residents, inflicted major damage to nearly 300,000 homes, and wiped out hundreds of square miles of coastal land.... President Obama has ... worked to improve disaster preparedness, response, and recovery nationwide, so that the Gulf Coast and all other regions of the country will be more resilient and better prepared in the face of future disasters." (from the White House Blog)

Massachusetts Wins Race to the Top Federal Education Funding

As you have undoubtedly read in the newspapers and heard on nightly news broadcasts, our state was the top winner of Race to the Top Federal Education Grant. This is, of course, a testament to all the educators in our Commonwealth who have done an incredible job in educating all of our children despite cut-backs, etc.

As a result, the state will receive $250 million in federal funds for education. In July, Governor Patrick testified for the funds in Washington, underscoring his commitment to excellence in education in Massachusetts. (For more, please visit Governor Patrick's Webpage.

Election 2010 Timeline

Massachusetts
     September 14 -- Primary Election
     November 2 -- General Election

New Hampshire
     September 3 -- last day to register by mail
     September 14 -- Primary Election
     November 2 -- General Election

What comes next? BP CEO steps down and goes to Russia. Tropical Storm Bonnie fizzles out (fortunately). The cap holds. The "static kill" is successful.

Of course, there are still unanswered questions. What went wrong? What will the long-term affect be on the shrimp and other sea-life population? Many people have lost their jobs and/or livelyhood, eleven men lost their lives, and animals (both wild and domesticated) have become casualties. And no one yet knows what the lasting affect of Hurricane Katrina and this latest disaster will have on the children of the region.

So although everyone is breathing a sigh of relief as the well is sealed and things return to "normal," there are still issued to be dealt with. It is for this reason that President Obama paid another visit to the region. He wanted to reassure the people of the Gulf Coast that they will not be forgotten by the Government. (see below).

Here is a chronological rundown of events from the beginning until it's resolved (updated daily).

Haverhill Throws a River Ruckus
August 14, 2010

Haverhill celebrated the rebirth of our downtown with the First Annual River Ruckus.

© Team Haverhill

For full coverage and description of events, please join our friend, Dan Speers, at The Poetry Blog: Raising a Ruckus. For video showcasing some of the music, please click here. Videos of the laser light show and pictures coming soon.

First Family Vacations in Florida

President Obama, accompanied by Michelle and daughter Sasha, visited Panama City, FL over the weekend. Without much fanfare, he and Sasha took a dip in the ocean on Saturday (8-14) indicating to one-and-all that the Gulf Coast is back and ready for tourists.

©Flickr, 8-14-10

Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act
August 10, 2010

President Obama signed into law the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act in order to make sure that thousands of teachers can return to their schools and classrooms in the coming months. The legislation marks an investment in our economic prosperity and in our children’s future. Without it, the loss of thousands of jobs by teachers and other education personnel would have rippled through the larger economy and undercut the nation’s recovery.

Please go to the White House Blog to read more and to see how this will impact your state.

Kagan Confirmed and Sworn-in as Supreme Court Justice
August 7, 2010

Elena Kagan, formerly the Solicitor General, became the fourth female justice in the history of the Supreme Court. It is also the first time in history that three women are on the Court at the same time. She won Senate confirmation in a 63-37 vote.

Kagan fills the vacancy created by the retirement of liberal Justice John Paul Stevens. Here is the video of the President honoring Ms. Kagan on August 6th after her confirmation.

Congresswoman Niki Tsongas came to Haverhill to speak to and with supporters as she kicked off her campaign in the Greater Haverhill area. After the organizational meeting, she joined a number of supporters in canvassing a nearby neighborhood. For more, please go to our Tsongas elections page.

20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
July 27, 2010

Twenty years ago today, President George H. Bush signed the ADA into law. This event was celebrated throughout the country today, including the White House where President Obama signed an Executive Order that will make the government a model employer for people with disabilities. He also announced an addition of two new rules to the ADA, saying that the rules will cover "more than 80,000 state and local government entities, and 7 million private businesses." For more, please go visit the White House Web.

The conversation between Congressional leaders of both parties and the President focused around two topics: help for small businesses and the need for energy reform. To read about the meeting and to listen to the President's statement after the meeting, please go to the White House Blog.

Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010
July 22, 2010

President Obama finally had the opportunity to sign into law the bill that will extend unemployment benefits to thousands of unemployed Americans through November 30th. This was a hard-fought battle in which the Republicans prevented putting the legislation to vote through the use of the filibuster. With the help of Maine Senators Collins and Snowe and Carte Goodwin (D-West Virginia), who is filling in for the late Senator Robert Byrd, the Democrats had the 60 votes needed to bring the bill to vote and to the President's desk. For more, please click here. For state-specific information, please go to the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

Add Your Name/Pledge Your Support!

Join OFA in demanding that Wall Street give our money back. Just click here to let Wall Street hear how you feel.

Additionally, here is our opportunity to support those candidates for Congress who are fighting for us. OFA is sponsoring You Fight, We Fight campaign. "OFA supporters have already committed more than 3 million hours of their time to help candidates who fight for health reform." more....

Now that Health Care Reform is a fete accomplis, our attention should be turned to other topics of great importance. In a blog we created quite a while ago, we all have the opportunity to express our feelings on any and all topics that are of importance to us.

Please use this platform for your thoughts especially if you have other commitments (such as family, jobs, etc.) that prevent you from attending meetings. Using our blog can let the rest of us know what is important to you and how you feel about certain issues. So, go to our blog and let your thoughts, opinions, and feelings be known.

Weekly Address: The End of Combat Operations in Iraq (August 28, 2010)

Here are articles/information you may be interested reading:

• AARP's User's Guide to Health Care Reform
• Recovery Act Tax Relief
• President Signs Health Care Reform into Law
• Yes We Can and We Did
• Reaction to the Passage of the Health-Care Reform Bill
• US Supreme Court Abolishes Restrictions on Big Business Political Spending
• Haverhill Is Recognized as one of 7 Cities with Great Real Estate Deals

Have you ever wondered about what Republicans receive in their mailboxes from the RNC? Here are a couple of examples: 2010 OBAMA AGENDA SURVEY and NATIONAL REFERENDUM ON AMERICA'S LEADERSHIP.

In contrast, here is a copy of the 2010 PRESIDENTIAL SURVEY sent to Democrats earlier this year by the DNC.

10 Things Every American Should Know about Health Care Reform

For more detailed information about Health Care Reform, please go to

and check out our Issues section.

"MAKE NO SMALL PLANS. THEY HAVE NO MAGIC TO STIR MEN'S BLOOD." -- Daniel Burnham

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