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IN THEIR OWN WORDS: STATE REP. PETER J. KOUTOUJIAN
Posted by Katrina Ballard
Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/newton/2010/10/candidate_profile_peter_j_kout.html
Oct 28 2010
MA
State Rep. Peter Koutoujian is being challenged in the Nov. 2
election by Republican James Dixon in the 10th Middlesex District,
which includes Waltham, Newton and Watertown. GlobeWest ask both
Koutoujian and Dixon to provide biographical information and answer
some questions about campaign issues. Here are Koutoujian's responses:
Name: Peter J. Koutoujian Age: 49 Town: Waltham Family status:
Married, 3 Children Occupation: Full time Legislator, Attorney,
Adjunct Professor at Bentley University in Waltham
What is your political/civic experience?
I was first elected to the State Legislature in 1997. Since then I
have held several leadership positions including House Chair of the
Join Committee on Health Care, House Chair of the Joint Committee
on Public Health, and I am currently the House Chair of the Joint
Committee on Financial Services.
For years I have served on the boards of several local organizations,
including the West Suburban Samaritans, the Waltham Boys & Girls Club,
the Newton Boys & Girls Club, REACH Beyond Domestic Violence and the
Newton Community Service Center.
Before serving in State Legislature I was an Assistant District
Attorney in the Middlesex County District Attorney's office.
Explain what qualifies you for the office you seek.
Born and raised in the neighborhood I now represent, I have a deep
understanding and sense of commitment to the people who live here. My
Irish great-grandparents settled in Waltham when they came to America,
as did my Armenian grandparents. I chose to raise my children here,
making them the fifth generation of my family to do so. I understand
the needs and concerns of the people in my community and will fight
for them every day as their State Representative.
What are the two most important issues in the Commonwealth and how
would you address them?
1. The Economy The recession served as a huge constraint on the growth
of business in Massachusetts and left thousands without work. With
unemployment rates rising, I worked to provide aid to individuals
and families affected by the economic downturn. My colleagues and
I successfully enacted several measures to address unemployment,
our diminishing budget, increasing health care costs and mitigate the
impact of the recession on Massachusetts. Those important initiatives
include:
~U Consolidating a number of the state's agencies to improve
efficiencies and reduce bureaucracy, including the elimination of the
MA Turnpike Authority; ~U Establishing a sales tax holiday to help
consumers and businesses; ~U Passing a municipal relief package to
assist local governments address reduced revenues; ~U Establishing new
protections for tenants in foreclosed properties; and ~U Extending the
time frame for lenders and at-risk homeowners to work out alternatives
to foreclosure without incurring additional fees.
2. Rising Health Care Costs Another issue of vital importance has
been the rising costs of health care, particularly as it relates to
small businesses' ability to provide affordable coverage for their
employees. Since the passage of our historic Health Care Reform Act,
I have worked to control the cost of health care coverage while
preserving accessibility and quality of care. We recently enacted
a law to reduce the burden of costly health insurance that small
businesses in Massachusetts provide by stabilizing insurance rates
and requiring insurers to make a variety of affordable health plans
available to small businesses. While our work in this area is ongoing,
this legislation is a solid foundation for future discussions about
long-term reform.
From: A. Papazian
Posted by Katrina Ballard
Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/newton/2010/10/candidate_profile_peter_j_kout.html
Oct 28 2010
MA
State Rep. Peter Koutoujian is being challenged in the Nov. 2
election by Republican James Dixon in the 10th Middlesex District,
which includes Waltham, Newton and Watertown. GlobeWest ask both
Koutoujian and Dixon to provide biographical information and answer
some questions about campaign issues. Here are Koutoujian's responses:
Name: Peter J. Koutoujian Age: 49 Town: Waltham Family status:
Married, 3 Children Occupation: Full time Legislator, Attorney,
Adjunct Professor at Bentley University in Waltham
What is your political/civic experience?
I was first elected to the State Legislature in 1997. Since then I
have held several leadership positions including House Chair of the
Join Committee on Health Care, House Chair of the Joint Committee
on Public Health, and I am currently the House Chair of the Joint
Committee on Financial Services.
For years I have served on the boards of several local organizations,
including the West Suburban Samaritans, the Waltham Boys & Girls Club,
the Newton Boys & Girls Club, REACH Beyond Domestic Violence and the
Newton Community Service Center.
Before serving in State Legislature I was an Assistant District
Attorney in the Middlesex County District Attorney's office.
Explain what qualifies you for the office you seek.
Born and raised in the neighborhood I now represent, I have a deep
understanding and sense of commitment to the people who live here. My
Irish great-grandparents settled in Waltham when they came to America,
as did my Armenian grandparents. I chose to raise my children here,
making them the fifth generation of my family to do so. I understand
the needs and concerns of the people in my community and will fight
for them every day as their State Representative.
What are the two most important issues in the Commonwealth and how
would you address them?
1. The Economy The recession served as a huge constraint on the growth
of business in Massachusetts and left thousands without work. With
unemployment rates rising, I worked to provide aid to individuals
and families affected by the economic downturn. My colleagues and
I successfully enacted several measures to address unemployment,
our diminishing budget, increasing health care costs and mitigate the
impact of the recession on Massachusetts. Those important initiatives
include:
~U Consolidating a number of the state's agencies to improve
efficiencies and reduce bureaucracy, including the elimination of the
MA Turnpike Authority; ~U Establishing a sales tax holiday to help
consumers and businesses; ~U Passing a municipal relief package to
assist local governments address reduced revenues; ~U Establishing new
protections for tenants in foreclosed properties; and ~U Extending the
time frame for lenders and at-risk homeowners to work out alternatives
to foreclosure without incurring additional fees.
2. Rising Health Care Costs Another issue of vital importance has
been the rising costs of health care, particularly as it relates to
small businesses' ability to provide affordable coverage for their
employees. Since the passage of our historic Health Care Reform Act,
I have worked to control the cost of health care coverage while
preserving accessibility and quality of care. We recently enacted
a law to reduce the burden of costly health insurance that small
businesses in Massachusetts provide by stabilizing insurance rates
and requiring insurers to make a variety of affordable health plans
available to small businesses. While our work in this area is ongoing,
this legislation is a solid foundation for future discussions about
long-term reform.
From: A. Papazian