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Edwards challenges Welch for Senate seat

Date: 1/23/2012

Jan. 23, 2012

By G. Michael Dobbs

news@thereminder.com

SPRINGFIELD — City Councilor Melvin Edwards said he decided to run for state Senate now because of his own personal aspiration to serve the people of Springfield and the moment created by the Legislature when it designed a new senatorial district.

Edwards, who has just started his second term at the Ward Three Councilor, explained to Reminder Publications that the new district is dominated by Springfield, his hometown. Those voters may not be familiar with current State Sen. James Welch, a long-time elected official, a condition that Edwards believes helps level the playing field between him and Welch.

The new senatorial district doesn’t include Agawam any longer, but has portions of West Springfield, Chicopee and Springfield, Edwards said.

“That was the big shift,” he added.

Edwards formally launched his campaign at an event at the Basketball Hall of Fame on Jan. 19.

Edwards said that as a child in Springfield typically there was one person of color serving in the Legislature – the position of state representative currently held by Benjamin Swan. There were no state senators of color, he said, but the election of Deval Patrick as governor and Barack Obama as president had signaled to him that times have changed.

Edwards retired from his 21-year career as a direct care supervisor at the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services. He said he and his wife made a conscious decision to live more frugally so they could devote the rest of their life to other activities.

“I wanted to have the freedom to serve my community,” Edwards said.

Edwards is president of the Maple High Six Corners Neighborhood Council and of Keep Springfield Beautiful. He is also a member of the board of directors of HAP Housing, Springfield Partners for Community Action, and the Board of Incorporators at Mason Wright Retirement Home. He is also a member of the Springfield Rotary Club.

He said he and his wife live on a fixed income.

“We don’t live in a fancy house. We don’t live in the best neighborhood in Springfield,” he said. “It’s not how much money that you have, but how you spend it.”

Edwards said one of his priorities in Boston would be to support “good responsible fiscal budgets.” As a city councilor, he did not approve of the furloughs that were used to help balance the municipal budget.

He has also been disappointed about what he called “mis-management” of the city’s revenue streams.

Edwards acknowledged Welch’s experience as a state representative and state senator and said, “It’s an obstacle [to my election], but not an overwhelming obstacle.”

He called Welch, “an honorable man,” but qualified that description by adding that he is “a good company man who has ridden the coat tails of Mr. Buoniconti.”

Welch was former State Sen. Stephen Buoniconti’s aide when Buoniconti was a state representative. Welch ran for that seat when Buoniconti secured the position in the Senate and then ran for the state Senate seat when Buoniconti decided to run for Hampden County District Attorney.

Edwards said that Welch “slid into his seat,” but that “he’s going have to earn his new district.”

Edwards said, “I’m not expecting the traditional party machine to stand with me.”

Among his legislative priorities would be reforming the state’s bail system and supporting additional local aid.

He believes too many people in Boston are unaware of Springfield and its positive qualities. He noted that if a person draws a 100-mile circle with Boston at its center, one-half of that circle would be water. The same exercise with New Haven, Conn., would yield a circle with one-third water.

Springfield’s circle, however, would include three state capitols, an attribute that Edwards shows one of the city’s advantages: a central location. He added that an affordable housing stock and a lower cost of living should make it desirable as a distribution hub, something he would support.

Admitting that he has much campaigning to do in West Springfield and Chicopee, Edwards said, “I will not need a GPS to get around Springfield.”

He added, “I intend to work. This is not political theater.”

His website is www.votemelvin.com.



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