~Photos by Andrew Firestone Andrew Firestone Carl Sciortino, Representative of the 34th Middlesex District has taken a somewhat unorthodox approach to constituent relations. Rather than waiting for you to come to him, he's actually willing to sit down for a few hours at one of the local coffee shops, the Teele Square Café, and hear your concerns from across the table. It's said that the clearest demonstration of a healthy society is a politically active base of concerned citizens, and a government that is required to listen. It's very easy nowadays to discount all politics, even the most local, as being out of touch, especially with all of the recent rumblings on Beacon Hill of corruption and stagnation. But Carl cares, and that's why every month, he's going to be out there in his districts talking to the people he represents. This past Saturday, the 20th of March, Sciortino sat across the table from several residents who took him up on his offer to listen and brought their concerns to him. One thing was for certain: the duties and responsibilities of an elected legislator are vast indeed and Sciortino handled all questions and concerns with deft determination and commensurate compassion. "He loves office hours," said aide Kathleen Keating, "so he will be there until the very last person is done speaking." The afternoon began with a few local issues. One constituent was concerned about the parties going on in her neighborhood, and claimed that both Tufts and Somerville Police had been too lax, but also admitted that her grandson was among them, and she had been embarrassed to get him in trouble. Another resident was concerned about nurse staffing ratios, and asked about the progress of certain bills requiring appropriate maintenance. Sciortino informed him of the history of this issue, and said a vote might take place during this session.

Aside from just the usual concerns, however, there were a number of outlying issues which breached the light of day. One of the issues which came up during the meeting was a question regarding zoning laws within the City of Medford, parts of which are in Sciortino's district, specifically laws involving livestock. "Let's just say that there were six chickens in my living room," said a constituent who wanted to remain anonymous, presenting Sciortino with a decorated egg and also recommending her blog to him, concerning the chickens "which I don't have." "I'm afraid to raise too much fuss on the front end in case I get a flat-out no," the person said. "This is why I love my job," exclaimed Sciortino with a smile. "The range of issues that people have." Sciortino, who was sympathetic with the chicken enthusiast's determination, said he would look into the regulations.

Another issue involved Elizabeth Corea, whose status as a full-time "temp" at a state college was beginning to cause her worry about her retirement plan, which she feared she might be in fear of losing after working for fourteen years. Supporting an elderly mother and caught in the middle of union negotiations, Corea came to Sciortino hoping to gain clarity. Sciortino put her in contact with his office, recognizing the difficulties many state employees of varying status face and vowed to get to the bottom of the complex issue. As far as her health insurance premiums were concerned, however, Sciortino informed her that the Governor would be freezing premiums at 4.5% later this year.

Next up, Grace Kessenich of Somerville asked for help on a statewide issue. "There's this law I want changed, I don't know how to do it." The law, it turned out, involved the marriage and birth records of people born out of wedlock. Apparently upon receiving a marriage license, Kessenich, who took her mother's name, had all of her public records sealed as part of an archaic law, which is designed to protect the integrity of the family. "This is something we can address," replied Sciortino, chalking to problem up to "one of the oddities of having a state constitution that's been operating for a few hundred years." He recalled an overturning of a law in 2004, which prohibited Native Americans from stepping within the limits of the City of Boston.

Sciortino also answered questions regarding the Green Line Extension with constituents, a project he hopes will break ground this coming fall.

Reaction was overwhelmingly positive and those who were there were impressed with the sincerity and tenacity of the Representative. Said one constituent in attendance, "I'm glad that government is responsive, and that we have Representatives who are reaching out to the community to get our opinions."