A little about myself? I have been on the Lowell City Council since 1996 and on January 5, 1998 I became the second woman ever elected Mayor in the city of Lowell. I served as Mayor of the city of Lowell for four years, from 1998 through 2001, during which time I also chaired the Lowell School Committee. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts, where I studied both law and Spanish. I also studied for a period of time at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras. I then went on to receive my Juris Doctor at Suffolk University Law School in 1979. I have run a private law practice since 1979. In 1991, I opened my own law practice in the city of Lowell. I am a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Greater Lowell Bar Association, and the Criminal Justice Act Board of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. I also serve on the board of directors of numerous area organizations, including the Whistler House Museum of Art, Girls Incorporated of Greater Lowell, Saints Medical Center, Lowell Association for the Blind, and Merrimack River Valley House, a respite home for elderly women.
I have spent the last twelve years in public service, working for the people of the greater Lowell region to get real results that make a meaningful difference. I believe it is critically important that whoever speaks next on behalf of our district in Congress have a record of proven leadership. The residents of the 5th Congressional district deserve a representative who has already stood with them and fought for them on the issues they care deeply about. Whether it is on economic development, public safety, jobs creation, public education, or a host of other issues, I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish in the last twelve years in Lowell. Over the next several months I plan on posting – both here and on my website, www.EileenDonoghue.com – more in-depth explanations of my vision on specific issues, as well as more about my strong qualifications and experience.
You may have also read on Richard Howe’s blog, Left in Lowell, or in the Lowell Sun recently about our strong fundraising showing for the 1st quarter. We’re leading the pack right now with about $400,000. Some of it was my own investment in my campaign, because I feel strongly that a personal financial investment demonstrates my commitment to this race and to being as competitive as possible. We’ve just recently started our fundraising efforts. $400,000 is a great start, but it is just that – a start.
Finally, I hope to see you all at the New England News Forum conference at Wannalancit Mill in Lowell tomorrow. I look forward to learning more about how my campaign can effectively reach out to and communicate with bloggers and other citizen journalists over the next several months!
~Eileen Donoghue
Lowell City Councilor and Democratic candidate for Congress
Do you have to be such a jerk about everything all the time? Good lord. I have never seen you ask a question nicely.
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Yeah, I know, this comment isn’t “productive” except to point out to Eileen what your comment history is. And I’m bloody tired and sick and commentary like yours is not helping.
” How much have you lent your campaign?” not a “nice comment”.
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No seriously, how is it not?
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Would, “Ms. Donoghue, I’m really excited about this race to replace Congressman Meehan, and your resume looks impressive. I have one lingering doubt about the strength of your fundraising however, it has been widely reported that of the $400,000 you are reporting you’ve put in $350,000 yourself. Is that true, if not how much have you put in? Good luck Ms. Donoghue!”?
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Is that what you were thinking?
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I mean “How much have you lent your campaign?” is pretty neutrally worded, and got to the point a heck of a lot faster than the paragaph above.
How about prefacing it,
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“I’m curious – since you said you were putting some of your own money – how much of your fundraising was your own money?”
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But it’s sort of a rude question to ask generally. Go find out yourself if it’s so important to you, it’s public info once the campaign files its report.
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And finally, is it really that important at this stage of the game? The horserace? Do we really care, aren’t there ISSUES to discuss? If this is the most burning question in someone’s pocket, I wonder if really they care about the race at all.
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And that’s why I saw the question as not only blunt, but rather rude and obnoxious. Your mileage may vary. Frankly, I’m not surprised to see you defend his comment.
As soon as I saw the comment, I laughed at both the bluntness and how he managed to get it in as the first question.
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I didn’t think it was rude at all. It was not a softball by any means. But following such a long, thoughtful, detailed posting, I thought it was a very funny contrast.
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Frankly, I think your instruction for him to go look it up was a bit rude and contrary to the spirit of this post. She came to this forum where EBIII is a very regular contributor and wanted to use it to–let’s be honest–further her political career. So why should he hunt around the internet for information when she’s made herself available here?
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And if she’s not willing to answer some questions here and engage in a back and forth, maybe it would be more fitting for her campaign to buy and ad on the site.
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I know this is a campaign for Congress and the future of the entire world–starting in the Merrimack Valley–is at stake. But can’t we still have a little sense of humor? He didn’t spit on the Queen, for crying out loud. I imagine many here would be more blunt and more rude if given the chance to question W. on this site and he holds the office of President of the United States.
Only because he’s consistently being equally rude to every congressional candidate. I think it’s sometimes funny, sometimes obnoxious and usually both but it’s a valid role and I’m glad someone’s taking it.
To those of us in the Lowell Area, Eileen has a solid record of standing up to hackocracy. In the last couple years, she spearheaded the drive for more professional and less political management in Lowell. The new manager has been running around and turning over rocks that needed a little daylight under them like nobody’s business, exposing numerous scandals that had been ongoing for decades. Just thought that BMG would appreciate that.
I would agree with your comments re:Ms. Donoghue. I have voted for her, every chance I’ve had. Even when I’ve wanted to bullet other candidates, she was always one I filled in the oval for. She’s a great lady. I just don’t agree with some of her politics on the federal level.
This candidate devotes one of five paragraphs (the others are resume oriented plus intro) to the fact that she has raised $400,000.00. Clearly she believes it is important to her campaign otherwise she would not raised it. She also stated she gave the campaign some $$$ of her own.
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Have you heard the cry ‘Only rich people can run for office”?
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If this was a republican candidate, or more specifically not your candidate you would be hysterical.
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This woman is running for United States Congress. And this is your response to my reasonable question is
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“But it’s sort of a rude question to ask generally. Go find out yourself if it’s so important to you, it’s public info once the campaign files its report.”
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I am not sure if you are a suppoter of hers but if you are your response of ‘go find it yourself’ and ‘don’t talk to her that way’ is akin to being photographed stealing oppo’s lawn signs. you ain’t doin’ her no favors.
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man, where can I get some of that Lowell window box. (anyone know that reference?
Acapulco Gold, Jamacan Red. Me, I prefer Lowell Window Box…
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Carlin. Right?
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lynne/ what is it exactly you left in lowell?
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You know what is funnny?
the 6s lynn is getting from the usual suspects for her ‘don’t talk to her like that’ and ‘go look it up yourself’ defense.
EBIII made “The Column” in this weeks Sunday Sun, unfortunately the management of the Sun seems to not want “The Column” to be available online(note to Jim Campinini, I’d pay $0.25/week for access).
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So now the Sun will be quoting EBIII on issues pertaining to this race as if we did not have any uninformed, partisan, sarcastic, gadflies in Lowell, we had to import one.
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Interestingly enough, it failed to quote Lynne, Jay Booth and I. All three of us live in the Congressional district and are known to the Sun. I wonder when was the last time EBIII visited Greater Lowell.
I very well may live in the Fifth.
What do you base your assumtion on?
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P.S. i only drink at the worthen.
I get trashed and look at the ceiling fans.
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I also miss the biggest wang in lowell.
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Have you?
Wow, I haven’t thought of that place in years! I lived in Lowell back in 2000-2001 and used to have an occassional beer there. Used to go to the Bridge Street Pub and the Sports Page too.
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I had to move out of the city, though. Lowell is a shithole with zero redeeming value.
For me, even more important than the Iraq war is the global climate crisis. I feel we are sooooo very far behind now, it’s almost too discouraging. The candidate I vote to send to Congress needs to go on the record with some details on how they would address this.
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How far and how fast should we go in breaking away from a carbon-based economy? Many say “well, practically speaking, we have to go slow and steady.” But scientists are sounding the alarm that this will not be enough.
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What measures (either generally or specifically) would you advocate for?
Ms. Donoghue – Welcome to the BMG community. I have a couple of questions about you and your record as I learn more about the various candidates.
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1) You served as Mayor of Lowell from 1998 through 2001. In ’98, the Lowell population was just under 102,000; and, in ’01, the Lowell population was about 105,700, an increase of under 4%. Between ’98 and ’01, some crime levels stayed fairly constant, going up or down a little bit. But one statistic that struck me was the vast increase in larceny/theft from ’98 to ’01. In 1998, Lowell saw 1,379 larcenies/thefts, according to the FBI. In 2001, Lowell saw 2,052 larcenies/thefts. This is a 49% increase in the incidents of theft in just a four year period during your time as Mayor. This is very substantial and it makes me question your cred on public safety. Are there factors I’m not considering?
**FBI Crime Statistics for 1998
**FBI Crime Statistics for 2001
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2) I am a partisan Democrat. I want to see the Democratic agenda of better education, accessible and affordable health care, protected civil liberties, adequate public safety and national defense, supported veterans, a healthier economy, and increased opportunity for all implemented on the national and state level. One of the most significant challenges to that agenda in Massachusetts was in 2004, with Mitt Romney’s unsuccessful Team Reform effort to get more Republicans elected to the State Legislature. One of the stars of Team Reform was Republican Chelmsford businessman John Thibault, who challenged incumbent Democratic State Senator Susan Fargo. According to the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance, you contributed to the Republican candidate. Is this accurate? And, if so, why, when the potential result would be helping Mitt Romney’s agenda over the Democratic agenda? While I certainly respect personal relationships, I would hope it wouldn’t interfere with a progressive agenda.
**Details on candidate giving
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Good luck to you in your campaign, Ms. Donoghue, and I look forward to feedback on these questions.
That is a question better suited to John Cox who was the City Manager at that time.
When it is said that she wasn’t a strong mayor, I assume you mean that the position of mayor, under the form of government Lowell operated, is not strong by definition.
I guess one would need to know the difference between strong and weak mayoral forms of governments. Sorry for thinking that people that take the time to post on political blogs would know that.
she needs to do less cardio and more work with light weights.
and Eileen Donoghue are personal friends who serve on many boards together. Sometimes friendship trumps ideology.
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Oh and sometimes you can take the boy out of Lowell, but you can’t take the Lowell out of the boy. That would explain my two posts defending of all things a Democrat. 😉
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Eileen has also been very generous to a Community Theater I belong to in Lowell.
“Sometimes friendship trumps ideology”
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it should 99.99%
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IMO
…as someone with no horse in this race, I gotta say that “brush back” question reeks of you being an insider to another camp and you dropping some oppo. Care to tell us if you have a horse in the race?
I welcome all of you who live outside the 5th district to get involved in the conversation, but please do not try to tell those of us who live(d) in Greater Lowell about Eileen Donoghue.
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As for the money she has contributed/loaned to her campaign, please read Richard Howe’s blog, http://richardhowe.c… and his comments on this issue: “I’m told that she feels that to ask others, she must first demonstrate her seriousness about the race by putting her personal resources behind her candidacy. After all, if the candidate won’t contribute to the campaign, why should anyone else?”
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And those of you who want to merely repeat the views of our local reactionary newspaper without determining their motivation, that is fine, but at least make the attribution.
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I have watched her on the Lowell City Council for the past 12 years, she is an intelligent, strong, determined and committed public servant.
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And I agree with Lynne: Ernie, you are so predictable.
just wonderin’. Is that a legitamate question?
If people see where Eileen stands on the issues and people really care about the 5th district you will see that Eileen is the right candidate for this position.
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TR