Tom Finneran

What Massachusetts should be thankful for this year--

* The gift of life, always the most precious of gifts;

* the blessings of health care right here in Massachusetts, where phenomenal doctors do miraculous things every day;

* the return of veterans from overseas, coming home to their families;

* the service of past and present public leaders in keeping Massachusetts at the forefront of all states in education, environmental protection, and natural beauty from Cape Cod to the Berkshires;

* the sparkling eyes and beautiful smiles of little children, so eager to listen, so eager to learn, so eager to love.

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Leonardo Angiulo

This year, I'm thankful for the way state and local leaders have worked together. I think there has been a real groundswell of people interested in things that effect their communities from casinos to medical marijuana and budget issues. The way these public concerns have been considered, debated and addressed has been excellent in my opinion.

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Susan Wagner

For those of us who live in Massachusetts, we can be thankful for a creative holiday season filled with the magic of art, theater and music from small hamlets to large cities

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Jennifer Roy

This year Massachusetts should be thankful for the brave men and women who rescued the wounded in the marathon bombing. Images of destruction were quickly replaced with stories of ordinary citizens acting extraordinarily. Boston strong is a phrase the entire world can embrace and be inspired by. The lives lost will always be our city's angels, and the heroes who survived have set an incredible standard of how to overcome adversity.

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Bill Randell

I'm thankful that JetBlue put the Fly back in ORH.

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Leonard Moorehead

I give thanks for bales of hay, a mountain of leaves and a dump truck load of manure at the end of the driveway. Gardener's live for the simple majesty of it all.

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Paul Giorgio

Worcester has a great many things to be thankful for this year. The reopening of Front Street signaled a banner year of good economic news, culminating in Tuesday's City Sq, announcement. We should also be thankful that we had Mike O'Brien as City Manager for 10 years and that we have Mayor Joe Petty's steady hand as we move on as a city.

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John Monfredo

Massachusetts should be thankful that we as a state continue to lead the nation in our NEPA test scores. Thus, showing the nation that education is a high priority in this state.

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Amy Gallagher

We should be thankful that most large employers meet the requirements of providing suitable health insurance coverage – and that most in RI and MA are continuing to provide this coverage.

Read Amy Gallagher's Smart Benefits

John T. Longo

The Pope recently praised capitalism but said we have to make sure it does not lead to the powerful feeding off the powerless. We should be thankful we have elected nationally recognized consumer rights advocates - like Senators Reed, Whitehouse and Warren - who understand that. They pass up media attention and lobbyist’ money to work on issues that really affect hardworking people. That’s true public service.

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Michael Graham

As Massachusetts residents pay a higher gas tax to fill their cars to go to malls that were closed on Thanksgiving Day by government edict--or as they sit home shopping on Amazon.com AND paying sales taxes—Bay Staters should be thankful that New Hampshire has such a small southern border.

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Grace Ross

I think we still have our physically beautiful state to be thankful for. And for all those, our neighbors and even strangers who stand in our historic tradition of community. Those who as a normal course of their day, reach out and don't let others go without or be bullied or treated unfairly. We were the first to outlaw slavery and approve equal marriage because our constitution really reflects our values that we are in fact all equals.

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Arthur C. Schaper

I think that MA should be thankful for a Republican Party that demands an end to never-ending gas taxes.

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