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| October 20, 2006 Barnstable Patriot |  |
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
people'sinterest and needs above profes-
sional politics."
The people are not served, according to
Barros, by the overwhelming Democratic
majority in both houses on Beacon Hill.
"We need more Republicans in the Sen-
ate," he said. "We have six, and we need
eight for a roll call vote. We need 16 for
debate and to sustain a veto."
Barros warned of an "irontriangle"of in-
terest groups,legislators, and bureaucrats
who passed abillthat removed a rate hike
cap of 6.1 percent on the FAIR insurance
plan. He blasted Sen. Rob O'Leary, the
Deomcratic incumbent, for votingagainst
the interests of his coastal community.
"Youshould go on the Statehouse steps
and say,'Red alert!They're gettingreadyto
take you to the cleaners.'" Barros said.
The candidate said O'Learyleanstoward
the interests of the Democratic leadership
at the expense of hisownconstituents, and
he criticized the senator for taking contri-
butions from the insurance industry.
If he's elected, Barros said, he could
makeup for what he wouldlackininfluence
with the leadership by using his office as a
bully pulpit to call for reform. Harkening
back to hismilitary service, he said voters
can count on him to stay the course.
"You drop me in my position with my
men," he said, "and come back the next
day. We're dead or we're still there."
For more information, go to www.BarroslorSenate.com
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CONTINUEDFROM PAGE 2
rul in bringingback money to the district,
for community policing, Main Street, the
Silent Spring cancer research project and
others.
He counts his successful bill to extend
the reporting period for elder abuse from
three months to three years among his
most important accomplishments.
On the hot-button issues, Atsalis said
he's come around to support not just civil
unionsbut full gay marriage.That wasnot
the case two years ago, but after a lot of
talk with his family and some soul search-
ing, he reached a comfortable place with
that position. He's opposed to the wind
farm, and has signed onto a homeowner's
insurance bill offered by fellow Cape
Democrat Matt Patrick of Falmouth to
end the cherry picking of areas insurance
companies will cover.
On the issue of rolling back the state
income tax to 5 percent, something over-
whelmingly supported by voters six years
ago, he said that he's voted to return it to
that each time the opportunity presented
itself. He also said that the time may soon
come where he will sponsor a bill to roll it
back. He's maintained that if after eight
consecutive quarters of growth there is
no bill, he'll sponsor one. He said that the
state is now im its fifth straight growth
quarter.
Atsalis said that he remains accessible
to his constituents through district office
hours and through his office.
While people may not like or agree with
his answer, Atsalis said that he is always
willingto talk with people and keep those
lines of communication open.
The 42-year-old Hyannis native, now
living in West Hyannisport, is married
and has three children in the Barnstable
school system.
ATSALIS...
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
that level would see the excess move to
those below the 25 percent level.
Crocker,who said this would be the first
billhe files if elected,hasdone the political
math. He said his plan would benefit the
communities of 89 representatives, more
than a majority in the House.
Crocker said that he understands it will
take consensus building among the other
representatives, but as a member of the
minority party, he also knows he would
have to do that on all initiatives.
For homeowners insurance, Crocker
supportsthe notionof acatastrophicwind
pool,separate and distinct from the state-
sponsored FAIR plan, which has become
an increasinglyexpensiveinsurance of last
resort for many Cape homeowners. With
a separate wind-only policy, insurance
companiesthat have left the Cape could be
enticed back, as their exposure would be
lessened, and, for homeowners, the rates,
he believes, would go down.
He also believes that the deregulation
of auto insurance will bring companies
back.
"I'm 100 percent in favor of competi-
tion," Crocker said. "We're the last state
to [deregulate]."
He is supported by Citizens for Limited
Taxation, the tax watchdog and protector
of Proposition 2 1/2, and said he would not
support any new taxes.
He supports rolling the income tax back
to 5 percent, as voters wanted, and would
use the same consensus building he sees
necessary for education funding reform
and everything else to impress that upon
other representatives.
Beingpart of the minority party, Crocker
sees a world of opportunity in front of him.
With 20 or so Republicans in the House,
Crocker believes he will have a good shot
at getting on committees that can make
a difference for the district , including
education.
On the hot-button issues, he opposes gay
marriage, civil unions ("at this time") and
would support putting the question to the
voters and opposes the wind farm ("It's
the wrong project , in the wrong place, at
the wrong time").
Crocker, 49, lives in Centerville with his
wife Judy.
CROCKER...
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
had to decide where to make long-term
investments. He's settled on health and
education as the building blocks that will
restore the economy and provide the best
quality of fife.
Legislation passed in the last term will
makehealthinsurancecoverage available
to most in the state, O'Leary said, and
although the upfront costs will pinch, the
money included for preventative care will
carry the day eventually with lower costs
as the state's population gets and stays
healthier.
If he'selected again,the senator said,his
big legislativepush for next year would be
malpractice reform. He said doctors have
been forced to practice defensive medicine
and driving up costs.
A Democrat knocking lawyers?
"Republicans are right about the issue,"
O'Learysaid,"but they're wrongabout the
solution."He wantsto take compensation
cases out of the courts, where he says the
current system awardsthe winnersof huge
settlementsbut leavesmost litigantsinthe
dust as attorneys collect large fees.
O'Leary was in the heart of the discus-
sion on homeowner insurance two years
ago and expected he would get to chair
the insurance committee. Instead, the
leadership merged the bankingand insur-
ance committees and he lost out to the
chairman of banking. Still, he's happy to
helm higher education.
The senator objects to statements that
he voted to lift the cap on rates for the
FAIRplan, which stepped into insure Cape
homeowners when their companies bailed
after an industry report predicted heavy
storm damage in coastal regions.
O'Leary said he did not vote to remove
the cap during avoice vote, and in fact said
that Sen. Terry Murray and he, the only
senators who opposed the action, fought a
months-long delaying action that allowed
Cape ratepayers to avoid an immediate
increase in costs.
His bill that would have the state and
insurance companies contribute to a cata-
strophic risk pool made it out of Ways and
Means this session, O'Leary said, and he
intends to refile it. "It'snot a wind pool,"he
said,indicating that non-coastal legislators
whose regions suffer from tornadoes, for
example, should be willing to sign on.
O'Leary is still trying to convince his
colleagues that just because the Cape has
a lot of expensive homes doesn't mean it
has a lot of rich people. "I don't know if
I've been successful in changing people 's
attitudes ," he said. "I make the case, and
someone builds a $2 1/2 million house in
Nantucket and three years of work goes
out the window in three minutes."
O'LEARY..