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Webster keeps House seat
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Daniel K. Webster |
Webster, a Republican from Hanson, is running for a third term as state representative in the 6th Plymouth District, which encompasses Hanson, Pembroke and parts of Duxbury and Halifax.
The postcard mailer, sent to residents in the district last week, has photographs of a Duxbury police cruiser, ambulance and fire engine under the heading “When we needed a public safety leader ... Daniel Webster was there!” It goes on to tout Webster’s track record on public safety.
Reardon said two of the pictures are his. They are posted on the Duxbury Fire Department Web site with the following disclaimer:
“All photos and content on this website are copyrighted and the sole property of the individual photographers or The Duxbury Fire Department. Please contact us for permission to use any of our photos.”
Webster’s campaign never contacted him or the department, Reardon said. Reardon, who talked briefly with Webster, said he wants to get paid a fair price for use of his photographs, which the town originally hired him to take.
“When I worked freelance years ago, I used to take pictures for campaigns,” Reardon said. “Whether you’re hired to shoot for a campaign or a wedding, it’s a job.”
“Those pictures were stolen,” he said.
Webster, a lawyer, said his campaign hired a company to design the mailer. He said he did not know how the company got the photos.
“I will look into the matter,” Webster said. “Any impropriety certainly was done unintentionally.”
The printing company, which Webster would not name, believes the online pictures are in the “public domain” and therefore fair game, he said.
Even if Webster’s campaign had asked to use the photos, the town probably would have said no, Fire Chief Kevin Nord said. He suggested that generic photos of ambulances and fire trucks might have been more appropriate.
“In no way, shape or form are we backing his (Weebster’s) campaign,” Nord said.
Reardon, 33, has freelanced for several media outlets, including The Patriot Ledger.
He said this is the third time he has learned that his photographs were being used without permission or pay. Following the other instances, a copyright attorney helped him obtain reimbursement from Aetna Insurance and a company promoting software used by fire dispatchers, he said.
John P. Kelly may be reached at jkelly@ledger.com.
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Webster, Hanley spar over state aid for towns
The Patriot Ledger / Oct. 24, 2006
MARSHFIELD - Democrat Greg Hanley portrayed Republican state Rep. Daniel K. Webster as a “rogue separatist” lawmaker who has written no laws in his two terms.
Webster dismissed his opponent in the 6th Plymouth District House race as an inexperienced politician who has conducted a spin campaign in his bid for victory in the Nov. 7 election.
In their fourth debate, the two candidates last night accused each other of being the wrong man for the job.
Webster, a practicing lawyer from Hanson, said Hanley’s repeated criticism that the district has been shortchanged in state funding since he was first elected in 2002 is groundless.
Webster said he helped free up lottery revenue to give back to towns in his district, mentioning $90,000 in irrigation and pond-cleanup money for Pembroke this year as an example.
Webster said he has brought “millions and millions and millions of dollars” for road construction and other projects to the district, which consists of Hanson, Pembroke and parts of Duxbury and Halifax, while keeping a campaign promise not to vote in favor of raising taxes.
But Hanley, co-owner of Arlex Plumbing and Heating Supply Co. of Arlington, said local fees for school sports programs, busing and other services, instituted in recent years, prove that towns in the district have not received enough in state aid to get by.
Hanley, a former Quincy city councilor and now chairman of the Pembroke Recreation Commission, said he has formed strong ties with South Shore lawmakers that will help him build coalitions on Beacon Hill to muster support for local projects.
In one exchange during the 45-minute debate on WATD radio, Hanley challenged Webster to name one bill he has written.
“I’ve been chasing you for four debates (for an answer),” Hanley said.
Webster did not name any bills he had written and instead mentioned three pieces of “special legislation” he presented on behalf of projects approved by town meeting votes in Duxbury, Hanson and Pembroke. Known as home-rule petitions, locally approved measures like Pembroke’s recent school construction need to be shepherded through the Legislature by lawmakers who represent the particular town.
Most of the more than 5,000 bills proposed each year wind up failing to pass, Webster said.
“Your ability as a legislator should not be judged by the number of bills you write; obviously, Mr. Hanley doesn’t understand that,” Webster said.
Webster also defended his April vote against a health-care reform bill designed to extend coverage to the vast majority of the state’s 500,000 uninsured residents. Webster, a fiscal conservative, was one of only two lawmakers to oppose the bill, a decision he said last night was based on opposition to taxing small businesses. The bill called for a $295-per-employee charge for companies that do not provide health insurance for their workers.
On four issues, the candidates agreed. Both oppose a question on the Nov. 7 ballot that would allow wine to be sold at grocery stores. Both favor expanding the amount of information available to the public about registered sex offenders. Both favor more charter schools. And both said the state should conduct aerial pesticide spraying to lessen the danger of mosquito-borne viruses.
John P. Kelly may be reached at jkelly@ledger.com.
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Democrats set sights on GOP stronghold
Hanley bids for seat that has always been held by a Republican
The Patriot Ledger / Oct. 13, 2006
In the chambers of the State House, long the stronghold of Democrats, there is nothing more Republican than Daniel K. Webster’s seat.
The 6th Plymouth District seat, to which Webster, a Hanson Republican, has been elected twice, has never been held by a Democrat.
Greg Hanley, a Pembroke Democrat vying to unseat Webster in next month’s election, believes he will bring an end to Republican dominance.
A former Quincy city councilor and now chairman of the Pembroke Recreation Commission, Hanley has been campaigning door-to-door since April, spreading his message that he would give constituents a greater voice on Beacon Hill than Webster has.
Hanley, who co-owns Arlex Plumbing and Heating Supply Co. in Arlington, said his goal as a legislator would be to empower residents in the district - it includes Hanson, Pembroke and parts of Duxbury and Halifax - and help them “shepherd through legislation” and find state money to fund their projects. He accuses Webster of too often voting with his party - not his constituents - in mind.
Hanley criticized Webster’s vote in April against a major health-care reform bill - one of only two ‘‘no’’ votes - shows his priorities to be “way off the reservation.”
“When you see votes like 152-2, who’s he serving?” Hanley said, referring to a historic bill touted as ensuring health care coverage for everyone in the state.
Webster, a fiscal conservative, called it a good bill but said he voted against it because it unfairly taxes businesses.
The bill called for a $295-per-employee charge for companies that don’t provide health insurance for their workers.
Webster defended his performance as a legislator since being elected in 2002 and said he has been instrumental in securing more than $10 million for local road construction.
Webster said Hanley’s campaign has distorted his voting record, in some cases making claims that border on fabrication.
Hanley’s campaign Web site claims Webster “voted against Melanie’s Bill, which aimed to toughen drunk driving laws, while he is also a practicing lawyer defending (operating under the influence) OUI and DUI offenders.”
Webster, a staunch supporter of the bill, said he voted against a watered-down version of the bill.
“That’s absolutely untrue and an utter misrepresentation of my stance,” he said.
Webster, a practicing lawyer, said he is confident that his four years of experience in state office will help him defeat Hanley on Nov. 7.
“He hasn’t even lived in the district as long as I’ve been in office,” Webster said.
The two will meet in a series of debates this month.
John P. Kelly may be reached at jkelly@ledger.com.
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