The Citizen has received a pair of interesting stories from Mike Barrett: Constituent contacts received during Barrett’s first months in office, and a filing a bill to make Rex Trailer the official Massachusetts cowboy.
Rex Trailer as Massachusetts’ Official Cowboy?
In the 1950s, amid the Dark Ages for people with disabilities, Rex Trailer was a pioneering advocate, says State Sen. Mike Barrett, who last week testified in favor of a bill he’s filed to designate Trailer the Official Cowboy of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Trailer, who passed away at age 84 in January, starred in the local Children’s TV show Boomtown during the 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s.
While cereal-eating kids of that era recall Trailer singing, roping and riding his horse Gold Rush, he’s also remembered for his efforts on behalf of people with disabilities. “Rex pioneered the concept of full inclusion on local children’s TV,” says Barrett, Senate Chair of the Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. “Boomtown featured a broad range of youthful humanity, kids with physical and developmental challenges included.”
“Not only was he an honest-to-goodness cowboy from Texas,” Barrett continues, “but he was literally a pioneer for people with disabilities. In 1961 he led a wagon train across Massachusetts to raise awareness of the challenges they face.” That trail ended at the State House, where Barrett is now pushing the legislation to recognize his efforts.
Trailer was a fixture in Barrett’s state senate district. He lived in Sudbury and owned a television studio in downtown Waltham. Barrett filed the legislation at the initiative of CC Carole, a Chelmsford constituent and longtime friend of Rex.
“As fun and entertaining as the show was,” says Carole, “I didn’t realize at the time I was being taught a life lesson.” The lesson: “inclusion of all individuals with disabilities.” Carole adds that when she grew up it was rare to see children who had disabilities, but Rex’s Boomtown “changed all that for me and thousands of others.”
Testifying alongside Barrett at the Tourism Committee hearing, Carole said, “I stand before you today giving back to a wonderful man who gave so much to all of us.” In a serendipitous twist, Carole is the constituent of the House Chair of the committee, State Rep. Cory Atkins (D-Concord).
The bill has received support from The Arc of Massachusetts, an advocacy group for the disabilities community, which partnered with Trailer during his cross-state campaign, as well as Emerson College where Trailer taught broadcasting for more than thirty years.
In his first 8 months, Barrett gets 2600 “Heads up! messages”
In his first eight months on the job, State Sen. Mike Barrett has received 2598 phone calls, emails, letters and Facebook posts from constituents. “The area is full of engaged voters,” Barrett says. “They know what they want their legislators doing. You might say I’ve gotten a Heads up! almost 2600 times.”
The data highlight a number of issues and document various trends.
“Online privacy is an issue that started off hot and has only gotten hotter,” Barrett reports. He says 194 constituents have written in favor of increased protection of online privacy, compared to three against. “All year we’ve seen a steady stream of mail,” Barrett says, “but lately there’s been a spike.” One focus is a proposed Electronic Privacy Act for the state. Among other things, the bill would require that law enforcement officials obtain a warrant before accessing personal electronic information. “After hearing from so many constituents and studying the bill, I signed on,” Barrett says.
District mail favors an updated bottle bill, too. Pending legislation to apply deposit fees to plastic water and sports drink bottles have drawn 279 supportive communications, compared to three letters in opposition. Barrett endorsed the idea in his successful campaign last year.
With students headed back to school this month, Barrett reports that 55 constituents have written so far this year in favor of increased funding for early education and related programs. Barrett gets the message, he says, and is co-sponsoring two bills to expand access to infant, toddler and childhood support services.
The always-sensitive issue of taxes surfaced most prominently in the debate over the state’s new transportation finance package. Barrett heard from 353 people favoring increased funding, as opposed to 47 voters who asked him to oppose new taxes regardless of the circumstances. More recently, 34 constituents have written or called Barrett to ask him to vote to rescind the software customization tax that funds part of the transportation package. Of the 34, only a handful went on to endorse an alternative way of raising money and keeping the transportation improvements on track.
With the Senate slated to take up a host of new issues this fall, Barrett says he’ll continue to consult his own conscience and the general tenor of the district. But he’ll also pay close attention to incoming mail, both to inform his positions and to spot issues he might otherwise have downplayed.
The overall count of 2598, Barrett says, is of all communications received, beginning January 2, the day he was sworn in, and continuing through the end of the August recess.
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