Independent, Libertarian launch campaigns against Neal

Aug. 18, 2016 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

GREATER SPRINGFIELD – Congressman Richard Neal has two opponents challenging him for his seat in this year’s election.

Libertarian Thomas Simmons of Shelburne Falls and Independent Fritz Mayock of Springfield are both first time candidates and both support a revised tax code. Both men said they would welcome the opportunity to debate Neal.

Simmons is an economics teacher at Greenfield Community College who told Reminder Publications that he doesn’t believe in career politicians.

“It’s wrong to get a free ride for 27 years,” he said of Neal’s tenure.

He believes that now is the “right time to offer voters a choice.”

He described himself as “fiscally conservative and socially liberal.”

His choice of the Libertarian Party came out of his “disgust” with both the Republican and Democratic parties.

Simmons also strongly criticized the level of constituent service maintained by Neal’s staff. He said in his effort to gather the signatures needed to be on the ballot, people in the 80 towns he visited had a “constant reaction” about how Neal’s office doesn’t answer their inquiries.

He said, if elected he would have a satellite office in the Berkshires and another in Palmer.

Simmons supports a flat personal income tax that would be “simple and easy to do.” He would revise the corporate tax so that a company could receive a tax credit of $1.15 for every $1.15 it gives its employees in profit sharing. He said this plan would lower taxes for corporations and increase wages.

He believes if everyone were making more money, the need of government support services would decrease.

He would eliminate Common Core, and said that is the “catalyst that drove me into the race.” He would also work to stop federal standardized testing of students.

He is pro-choice, supports the legalization of marijuana, as well as full LGBT quality.

His website is www.simmons4congress.com.

Mayock works two jobs as a math teacher at the Children’s Study Home and as a direct care provider for the Center of Human Development. He said his work with people in poverty convinced him many of the policies in place today are not helping them.

On his Facebook page (www.facebook.com/fritz.mayock) the candidate has a graph showing his hot button issues. He is against casino gaming, the Affordable Care Act, an increase in the minimum wage, high-speed rail connections between Springfield and Worcester, the carbon tax and new market tax credits. He supports terms limits and the returns of the Glass-Steagall Act that would prevent the mergers of different parts of the financial industry.

He said of the minimum wage, “When I talk to the working poor they tell me it’s no big deal.” He added they believe it would make it “more attractive” to employers to hire an illegal immigrant.

On the rail issue, Mayock said the money to establish such a service would be better spent somewhere else.

“In Europe, they’re great. Here everyone has a car,” he said.

A carbon tax to encourage measures that would slow climate change is “hitting the working poor,” he asserted.

He would restructure the income tax rates, so there would be no taxes on the first $40,000. He would also do away all deductions, including those allowed for charitable donations.

Mayock doesn’t have plans for any fundraisers and is working on a website for his campaign.

“My vision is to make capitalism work for the middle class and working poor,” he said.    

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