The official website of the Governor of Massachusetts

Office of the Governor

Email & Bookmark


Daily Update 9/8:Successful Surgery; Resources for Unemployment

Get the Daily Update and other notifications by following us:

Twitter icon on Twitter 
 via RSS | What is RSS?

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

 

Today: Tuesday, September 8, 2009

 

  • The Patrick Administration today announced the creation of the Foster Child Bill of Rights to ensure that foster children across Massachusetts are treated with respect and actively included in the decisions that affect their lives. “We want the young people who come into the care of the Commonwealth to be treated with dignity and respect,” said Governor Patrick. “I commend the young people who helped put the Bill of Rights together and the Department of Children and Families for their focus on improving the policies and practices that affect foster children.” Learn more.

 

  • Governor Patrick is urging United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to issue a disaster declaration in Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Worcester counties for agricultural production losses suffered due to this summer’s abnormally cool and rainy weather. Farms across the Commonwealth have seen losses ranging from 30 percent to 100 percent because of persistent inclement weather or disease. Learn more.

In the Press:

  • Successful Surgery – On his way to a speedy recovery, Governor Patrick continues to work from his home in the Berkshires, where he will spend about two weeks recuperating.  Read related articles in Fox News, the Boston Globe, and the Boston Herald.

 

Governor Patrick leaves Massachusetts General Hospital on Sunday after undergoing hip surgery last week. (Photo Credit: Pat Greenhouse)

 

  • Resources for Unemployment – The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce (EOLWD) has launched an effort to notify long-term unemployed residents who have exhausted their unemployment benefits about state resources and safety net services that can assist them during these challenging economic times. In July, Governor Patrick and the Legislature successfully moved to prevent approximately 85,000 claimants from losing their unemployment benefits. Many of these individuals will continue to receive additional payments. In some cases, individuals who are cycling off their benefits made claims for a maximum of 79 weeks. Learn more here.
  • Read more here in the Boston Globe.
  • Commitment to Economic Recovery – The Patrick Administration has issued new identity theft regulations that protect consumers without being overly burdensome to small businesses: “this case demonstrates that state government can produce strong economic benefits simply by being attentive to the way its rules and regulations hit small businesses and by being thoughtful in their design.”
    • Read more here in the Boston Business Journal.
  • Protecting Public Health - In an effort to address increased risk of the H1N1 virus, Governor Patrick continues to monitor the situation and work closely with state health officials and others to prevent the spread of H1N1. Health officials may turn to mass inoculation in order to contain the spread of the virus among school-age children. Learn more here.
  • Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus – In order to raise awareness of growing concerns for EEE and the West Nile Virus, state and health officials have raised warning levels for the mosquito-born viruses. Mosquito populations have multiplied this summer as a result of heavy rains, which prompted the Department of Public Health to raise warning levels from low to moderate in eastern Massachusetts. Health officials are urging the residents to take precautions such as limiting outdoor activity during the evening and early morning, draining pools of water and applying insect repellent.


  • Economic Development – Westfield is now being viewed as an ideal location for private development, thanks, in part, to tax incentives and expedited permitting for new businesses and business facilities made available through the Patrick Administration. Such benefits help leverage critical funds that move forward business development projects and Massachusetts as a whole. The city’s large areas of industrially zoned land and its proximity to both the Massachusetts Turnpike and I-91 has helped attract  businesses, like Target and Home Depot, that are now in the process of opening new distribution centers that will generate revenue and put hundreds of Massachusetts residents back to work.

  • Technological Advances for the MBTA – Following recent technological advances on the Commonwealth’s public transportation system, the MBTA has made its scheduling information available to the public, affording commuters with iPhones and other products a handheld convenience. Now commuters can access the quickest routes with applications that make navigating the Mass Transit system even easier: “This approach is a smart 21st-century alternative to hiring some consultant who develops inelegant software at exorbitant costs.”

  • Shark Sightings – Five Great White Sharks have been sighted and tagged off the coast of Monomoy Island. The tagging marked a significant high-tech accomplishment for state marine biologists. The tags are programmed to transmit data via satellite to state biologists, who will track the animals’ movements.

This Week: