LYNN — Seth Moulton, the 6th district representative from Massachusetts, may have chosen the eve of one of the most politically significant days of this year’s election cycle to visit the Item, but it didn’t stop him from going over accomplishments central to the city and its surroundings.
And one of his biggest, he said, involves the work he and his team have done at General Electric, including a $5 million ITEP (Improve Turbine Engine Program) contract, and an additional 200 million in the defense bill that will come the company’s way.
“For the first time in a generation,” he said, “GE is hiring. There are good jobs over there. It’s not like driving for Uber.
“In fact,” he said, “GE is having trouble finding workers.”
Moulton said that fact causes him to “raise my voice” for one of the few times in his congressional career.
“I don’t (raise my voice) often,” he said. “But I yelled at someone at GE when they tried to back out of job training. I said that GE had made that commitment and that it was going to happen.”
Moulton aide Rick Jakious said an extra benefit of the job-training program is that “it’s going to end up with a lot of people of color, and a lot of women, getting jobs.
“It’ll be a very diverse group of workers.”
Moulton also said that Lynn has received a $9.3 million grant to delead homes.
“That means 600 homes are going to deleaded, and there’s no single public investment more important than to take the lead out of houses, where it affects so many kids.”
He also touted a $35.8 million grant to fight opioid addiction in Lynn, especially the importation of fentanyl.
“In 2015 and 2016, 1,200 shipments of fentanyl were intercepted and stopped by U.S. officials,” Moulton said. By comparison, he said, China, the country of origin for the drug, stopped only four.
Moulton has put a lot of energy into fighting for better mental health care, not only among veterans, but among teenage students as well. There’s currently a proposal before the House for a dedicated “988” national line for those who might need someone to talk to.
“We’re making tremendous progress on this,” he said. “I really think this is something we can get done.”
He said transportation is critical to cities like Lynn, and he commissioned a Harvard Kennedy School study on traffic as part of tackling the issue.
“Every year, the state spends $64 billion to subsidize driving,” he said. “Can you imagine that? That’s $6,000 per family to pay for driving, even if you don’t have a car.”
Moulton said that while he likes Gov. Charlie Baker basically, “sometimes I wonder what he’s thinking if he’s looking for more traffic lanes in Boston.”
It would be better, said Jakious, to study regional rails as at least one solution to alleviate the problem.
Two other issues near and dear to Moulton are climate change and immigration.
“Climate change is important,” he said. “But we have to be smart about it. We have to base whatever we do on science.
On immigration, he said, “we get thousands of immigration cases here. I’ve intervened with ICE many times.”
Moulton said that while he strenuously objects to some of what ICE does, it’s important to have a good relationship with them so that when the time comes, “we can join forces and help people.”
As for sanctuary cities, “I support them,” he said. “They’re safer. The facts are clear. Sanctuary cities are safer.
“Of course,” he said, “the punishments (President Donald Trump) has given them are crazy.”