With Primary Behind Him, Toohey Identifies His Campaign Issues

Shaun P. Toohey before a joint City Council and School Committee meeting in 2016. (WHAV News photograph.)

Republican Shaun P. Toohey (File photograph.)

School Committeeman Shaun P. Toohey, who ran unopposed in yesterday’s Republican primary for state representative, thanked his supporters last night and kicked off his final election campaign

Toohey also took time to define what he believes will be the issues in the race against the Democratic nominee, Andy Vargas.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me and my campaign so far, and I appreciate their votes in today’s primary election. Now, I’m excited for the opportunity to speak with even more people and deliver our campaign message to them as we head into the general election campaign,” he said.

He said the issues are “fiscal responsibility, public safety and education.”

“I believe there is a clear contrast between me and my opponent, and when voters examine our experience and different visions for the city, I believe I will be their clear choice on election day,” Toohey said in a statement.

“As I talk to people across our city, I find that the message of our campaign has broad resonance. When we’re talking about issues like how to make Haverhill a safer and more affordable place to live, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat. Everyone wants our city to succeed, and I want to work with everyone in Haverhill to make sure that happens. I’ll bring that same bipartisan spirit and approach to my work on Beacon Hill after the election. I’ll work hard to deliver safety, success and prosperity for all people in our city.”

14 thoughts on “With Primary Behind Him, Toohey Identifies His Campaign Issues

  1. Toohey looks like he’d respond well to squeaky dog toys and shiny objects. Not a bright guy. Cats and dogs laugh at this guy behind his back. But seriously, vote for him. Because Vargas is the worst possible candidate and very bad news for Haverhill. Hold your nose and vote for Sean Ryan. 🙂

  2. Sean Toohey is part of the Ryan clan, anti-solar (one of 3 school committee members) that said no to the High School. Being fiscally responsible is not in his vocabulary. If he was so concerned, he would find other ways that we would not have to pay for a new roof on the high school. I will never vote for this man, he does not care about Haverhill, only for personal, political gain. He tried to run for school committee, failed and still got on, failed to listen to the citizens of Haverhill and voted no for the solar project.

  3. The NUMBER ONE issue facing Haverhill is criminal trespassers from other countries living in the city illegally. The mayor has rolled out the welcome mat making the city a sanctuary city. Crime, rapes, overcrowded classrooms, tax increases, demands for more police, a generation of young kids dying from drugs brought to the city illegals, gang shootings, stealing jobs, the Merrimack River becoming “River of Needles”, and on and on.

    Shaun…I hope you’re willing to point out the truth about Andy Vargas wanting to make Haverhill an official sanctuary city. Almost 1,800 people voted for someone who promotes public policy that has turned this city into a cesspool and made it a VERY dangerous place to live.

    • Don’t get your hopes up, Jack. You are correct that crime is the absolute first thing that should be addressed. But Shaun Ryan won’t do a thing about it and Vargas is poised to make things far worse. No matter who wins, Haverhill loses. I have no hope for the future of this city with fools like this in office. Ryan is an extension of failed leadership from our past. And if Vargas wins, just gift wrap the city and hand it over to the gangs, slumlords and drug dealers. Incredible to me that Mayor Low-rent-tini has the nerve to celebrate a Vargas victory or anything for that matter while the city he governs is going down the drain.

      • Gil, did you just move to town? [Serious question]
        It would be hard by any measure to say that Haverhill was going downhill.
        15 years ago there were many many abandoned/empty buildings in the downtown.
        A year from now there should be no abandoned/empty buildings in the downtown.
        Two years from today Haverhill should have 800 new condos/apartments available in the greater downtown area.
        Although there is much more that could be written, a few words to the wise are sufficient.
        If that is going down the drain we should go with the flow.

        • Anything is possible when you live in a state that is runs hundreds-of-millions in the red every year with a $60 BILLION dollar net deficit, The City of Haverhill is a microcosm of that paradigm. When demand is pulled forward via debt and deficit spending, the production to make up the shortfall in the future becomes harder (see GDP). This leads to other unintended consequences: growth in income disparity, wealth concentration, and of course higher costs for entitlement and government funding.

          This is happening right here in this state, and this city, and it is in-part of the very “progressive” policies in place here. This isn’t to say Republicans have an answer, they don’t, they’re just as crony capitalistic as Democrats and Progressives, but in a different way. The one line item that is destroying the city, state, and this country is in fact healthcare costs (i.e. Medicare/Medicaid), but both majority Party’s are responsible for that and they aren’t giving up money from that industry easily.

          Finally, might want to look at foreclosure trends in MA, especially Haverhill (more-so in Bradford), not including banks not willing to take hits on their books. Home ownership is hovering a decades lows, while incomes continue to stagnate. Might want to look what’s underneath, especially the underwriting, of all that “development” going on in the area. Governments and corporations can use financial engineering to mask the rot, HOUSEHOLDS can’t, and it’s starting to show.

          • By law neither the city nor the state can run a continuing deficit.
            The stagnation of wages – better yet – take home pay could be easily assuaged from gradually changing our tax system from one that taxes income to one that taxes wealth.
            A mere 1% tax on estates over $3m (for families) would easily allow for the first 40k every single family makes not to be taxed. There is roughly 8-10k for every family. An increase of just 1/4% in the wealth tax could allow for lifting $10k of income every year. In 8 years your up to a 3% tax on wealth and the first $100k everyone makes is income tax free.

          • Realtytrac sees a different trend: There are currently 143 properties in Haverhill, MA that are in some stage of foreclosure (default, auction or bank owned) while the number of homes listed for sale on RealtyTrac is 65.

            In August, the number of properties that received a foreclosure filing in Haverhill, MA was 30% lower than the previous month and 47% lower than the same time last year.

            Home sales for July 2017 were down 4% compared with the previous month, and up 19% compared with a year ago. The median sales price of a non-distressed home was $279,900. The median sales price of a foreclosure home was $0, or 0% higher than non-distressed home sales.

    • You are delusional. Please enlighten us with facts and sources to back up your claims here. You sound like a racist, xenophobic jerk, but by all means, cite your sources. Fake news…

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