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Marie J. Parente gave her farewell speech on December 6, 2006.
January 2, 2007
(State House, Boston) – Marie J. Parente left her State House office for the final time following the last day of the 184th Session of the Legislature. Her term of office as State Representative for the 10th Worcester District ended at midnight on January 2. Attorney John V. Fernandes took the oath of office as State Representative on January 3.
On her last day as State Representative for the towns of Milford, Mendon and Hopedale, Marie Parente spent her time packing, meeting with colleagues, and working to pass legislation. She was successful in passing a local bill for the Town of Milford allowing the state to convey a small parcel of unused state highway land, and she was instrumental in securing the votes required to place a proposed amendment to the State Constitution on the ballot.
A reporter from the local newspaper took notes and photographs documenting Marie's last day on the job, as she worked to resolve last-minute issues affecting constituents and the district.
Over the past two months, Mrs. Parente had packed many boxes of material along with various plaques and photographs collected over the years. In fact, a total of 33 boxes of papers have been donated to the State Library archives. Most of the papers consist of correspondence, memoranda and related material concerning various issues, the budget, and legislation. Any remaining constituent case material was either destroyed or returned to the person in order to protect their privacy.
As the final day ended, Marie packed two remaining boxes containing papers from her office desk. After saying farewell to her staff, she was given a ride home by Representative Paul Loscocco (R-Holliston). She plans to do volunteer work, play with her great-grandchildren and spend time with her husband of almost 62 years, Francis "Babe" Parente.
Mrs. Parente's Farewell Speech
December 6, 2006
Thank you Mr. Speaker and through you to the Members. I’m not known for my brevity in public speaking, so I would ask you for your patience – it’s hard to sum up 26 years in only 5 minutes.
Andrea Bocelli sings it better than I can say it, “It’s time to say good-bye.” Thirty five years of local and state public service. Twenty six on Beacon Hill. Just think - my friend Carl Scortino was two years old when I won my seat in 1980. That’s a whole generation.
My first state job was in 1950 as a medical record transcriber. I re-entered the private sector in 1956 as a file clerk, and eventually became the Administrative Bookkeeper and Secretary to the President of the former Seaver’s Express for 25 years.
In 1972, two Milford housing developments financed by state and federal dollars, precursors to today’s Chapter 40B, resulted in 600 apartments built on undersized lots that severely impacted municipal services. I joined an activist land preservation group and after encountering Town Hall stone-walling, became n elected Town Meeting member. Subsequently, I ran for and won election as the town’s first female member of the Milford Board of Selectmen and remained on the board for three three-year terms.
Six years after my first election,, when a seat in the House of Representatives became vacant, I ran in the 1978 primary election and lost. Amazingly, more than 6,700 voters went to the polls and wrote my name in the general election. Political pundits were stunned at the outpouring of support and predicted future success. Two years later I ran as an independent and won. Somewhere along the way I earned an undergraduate and master’s degree but the lesson that I should have remembered this time around was that my support has always been broad-based.
During the last 26 years, I have had the privilege of filing and co-sponsoring over 215 legislative proposals that became laws. One hundred and fourteen of them pertained to my district. Speaker Thomas McGee gave me my first vice-chairmanship in 1982; Speaker George Keverian allowed me to keep it. Speaker Charles Flaherty elevated me to my first chair at the Committee on Federal Financial Assistance. Speaker Thomas Finneran appointed me chair of the Committee on Local Affairs. Some of my constituents did not understand the mission of that committee; one woman called to report an extra-marital affair taking place in Milford.
After five years as Chair of Local Affairs, Speaker Finneran appointed me Chair of the Committee on Long Term Debt and Capital Expenditures. Two years ago, Speaker DiMasi appointed me paid Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Rules, chaired by my good and loyal friend Rep. Angelo Scaccia.
I also had the privilege of serving on the State Library Board of Trustees, and served as Chair for 17 years. They had to do it, since I was one of their most frequent patrons. Don’t overlook this state house jewel, the real fountain of knowledge.
In 1988, Speaker Keverian gave former Rep. Stan Rosenberg, Rep. Gloria Fox, former Rep. Larry Giordano and me the opportunity to establish the first Foster Kid Caucus in the country. Speaker Flaherty and Speaker Finneran supported the effort, re-organizing the Caucus into the Special Legislative Committee on Foster Care, also the first one in the country. We conducted statewide hearings, sponsored legislation and passed laws that changed the lives of foster children, and encouraged safe and stable environments for children. There is much more to do, and I ask you to continue supporting the work of the committee in the coming years.
Over these 26 years, the economy has see-sawed up and down, and so has the Big-Dig, from the original $3 billion to $15 billion today. The closure of our hospitals resulted in 60,000 contracted workers under the management of 10,000 contracted private providers. I saw the large mental institutions closed and the population dispersed to group homes, streets and jails. Over 40,000 providers were approved to bill Medicaid. That account grew from $3 billion to $7 billion. And when the economy slid down hill in the early nineties, so did Local Aid.
I remember the fiery debates on privatization of state services, mismanagement of the Big Dig, illegal immigration, same-sex marriage, seatbelts and the death penalty. We also accomplished a lot for the citizens of Massachusetts.
Under the leadership of Speaker Finneran and now Speaker DiMasi, working together with Treasurer Tim Cahill I was part of the team that designed and established a new method of funding school construction which reimburses towns almost instantly and saves taxpayers money. The House was first to enact a dramatic new local aid formula to address the distribution formula dictated by the courts.
I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in many positive changes in the way the state conducts business. With the help of the Women’s Caucus, for example, we were able to mandate health care coverage for patients who have advanced breast cancer.
However, there is some unfinished business.
Most recently, the effort by 170,000 registered voters to place a question on the ballot was stone-walled. If we truly believe in a government of the people, by the people and for the people, we will allow those people the opportunity to be heard on public policy issues.
Twenty-six years ago, a fetus was described as a blob and abortion was supported by and large. Then ultrasound technology changed the argument and proved that it was a baby, not a blob. Many of us voted against abortion except in cases of rape or incest or to save the mother’s life. Today we no longer talk about early abortion, but permit late-term abortions. We need to continue that discussion because technology is changing faster than our laws. I am encouraged that the Living Will evolved into a Health Care Proxy Act to protect your “final good-bye” from the experts on when life and death should occur.
Finally, I leave office still very concerned about the continuing problem of illegal immigration that has impacted our educational and health care systems, and the two-tiered system that excludes illegals from being held accountable, to the detriment of legal immigrants and citizens.
I had a great 26 years in this hallowed building. As I am sure the Speaker is thinking right now, there is no way and not enough time to tell you about all that happened. Actually I am saving the best material for my book – unless the Enquirer makes me an offer I can’t refuse.
I cannot leave without thanking Speakers McGee, Keverian, Flaherty, Finneran and DiMasi for placing their confidence in me as Chair and Vice-Chair of key committees. I had the privilege of working with six Governors, King, Dukakis, Weld, Cellucci, Swift and Governor Romney.
None of my bills would have made it through the legislative maze without the help of the Speaker’s staff, the House Clerk and his staff, Chief Court Officer Ray Amaru and his staff, including Michael and Chip, the State Library, House Counsel Lou Rizoli, Assistant House Counsel Dave Namet and the entire staff of the House Counsel’s Office, including the best State House joke teller, Charlie Martel, the switchboard operators, the Business Office staff, House Personnel, House Information Services, Senate Clerk Bill Welch and dozens of other staff who keep the House and Senate running. My thank you list would be incomplete without mentioning Rep. Paul Loscocco, who would drive me home after late-night sessions. Poor Paul had to listen to me talk, or snore, all the way to Milford. And my team-mate on the Senate side, Richard Moore and Congressman Richard Neal. There are so many other good people I have served with over the years, including mates in Division 1 such as Reps. James Miceli, Rachel Kaprelian, and Philip Travis, to name a few. I will miss my friends Majority Whip Lida Harkins, Rep. Joyce Spiliotis and Susan Pope who joined me in gossip sessions. I will also miss Rep. Brad Jones and his leadership team on the Republican side who have remained loyal and true to their beliefs in the face of overwhelming odds.
And there are many colleagues who passed on while I have been here, like Anthony Scibelli, Bill Reinstein, Augusta Hornblower, Mike Ruane, Robert McNeil, Henry Grenier, Bob Vigneau, Ed Connolly, Al Thompson, Mary Jane Simmons, Janet O’Brien and Debby Blumer, to name a few. I’m sorry if I forgot some names but they will always be in my heart.
No farewell would be complete with mentioning some of the special employees who have graced my office or served on committee staff over the years, including Ed Barry, Buzz Milani, Roberta Lee Rogers, Marion McCarthy, Geoff Richelew, Roselyne Lariviere, Katie Quinn, Lisa Zagami, Chris Ryder, Karen Ceurvels, E.B. Brown, Jay Newsome and many interns as well.
Not to be left out is the ever-watchful Press Corps, sometimes abrasive and frustrating, yet always necessary as part of our Democracy. Frank Phillips, Andrea Estes, Michelle Caruso, David Wedge, Marjorie Egan, Jim Braude, Howie Carr, the State House News and my own Milford Daily News have all kept our feet to the fire over the years.
I saved the best for last, because I would not have made the trip to Boston, kept official and social appointments, traveled overseas and across the country, met President and Mrs. Clinton, Prince Charles, or had my umbrella borrowed by Jackie Onassis Kennedy without the constant support and devotion of my husband of 61 years, Francis, our children Angela and Christopher, our son-in-law and campaign manager Attorney Charles Brucato, my grandchildren: Mary Ellen Getz, along with C.J. Brucato and Lisa Burns, their spouses Jennifer and Chris, and the great-grandchildren they have blessed us with: Mattie Burns, Georgia and Grace Brucato.
It was a great privilege to serve as a member of the House of Representatives with the greatest colleagues, in the greatest state in the nation. My parting advice: Make few bloopers, stay out of the bleep, because life here… is just a short blip. Thank you, God Bless you, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and Happy Kwanzaa.