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Fall, 2003
  Articles on this page: • Peter J. Larkin: 'Our opportunities are in front of us’
Peter J. Larkin: 'Our opportunities are in front of us’ Many Berkshire County inhabitants regard the natural beauty of their surroundings as a resource well worth preserving. They have an ally in Peter J. Larkin, Pittsfield's primary representative in the Massachusetts State Legislature. He authored the so-called "Brownfields Law," which gives companies financial incentives to clean up contaminated industrial sites. The law is often cited as the impetus behind General Electric Co.'s agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency and the city of Pittsfield to undertake a $500 million cleanup of its Pittsfield site. "We were able to restore these areas to fruitful use," he says. For his work on the law, Larkin received the Legislative Public Service Award from the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and the Associated Industries of Massachusetts. He also authored the Junior Operator's License Law, which uses curfews and passengers restrictions to decrease the incidence of accidents among inexperienced drivers. "We wanted to create a system that would ease young drivers into night and highway driving," Larkin says. Both AAA and the National Commission Against Drunk Driving have honored him for his work on the graduated licensing law. The electricity restructuring bill promoted by Larkin was an effort, he says, to give citizens in Pittsfield and throughout Western Massachusetts a fair deal on energy. "People in the Northeast face the especially high cost of heating their homes in the winter," he observes. "We need to make sure that people are getting a good deal from electric companies." One of the most important things Berkshire County must do, Larkin feels, is position itself as a talent producing, high wage economy. "By integrating our school systems, so that we take advantage of the technical and liberal arts training available in the area, we can build a strong workforce that will pull in business," he says. Larkin wants to see sustainable economic growth in the county. "We have many resources here," he says, "and much should be expected of us." A Pittsfield native, Larkin attended St. Joseph's Central High School and St. Bonaventure University. After graduation, Larkin became the vice president and director of sales for Fahey Beverage Company, a family-owned business. Working there, he says, gives him a unique perspective on the role of business in the Berkshire County economy. In 1988, Larkin served as a delegate to the Massachusetts State Democratic Convention. Two years later, he ran successfully for a seat in the State House of Representatives. "I became frustrated," he says of the political climate in the late '80s. "Politicians were talking about a ‘Massachusetts Miracle,' but it wasn’t extending to the western part of the state.” Presently the assistant vice-chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Larkin has also chaired the Commerce and Labor, Taxation, and Criminal Justice Committees, among others. He is a member of the Massachusetts Democratic Leadership Council, the Workforce Investment Act Advisory Council, and the St. Bonaventure Alumni Association. In addition to his duties in the State House, Larkin serves as a member and treasurer of the Pittsfield Democratic City Committee. He has worked with the Boys and Girls Club, the United Way, and the Chamber of Commerce. He lives in Pittsfield and Boston with his wife Anne and their daughter, Aliya. In his free time, Larkin reads a "nearly endless stream" of policy papers and economic briefings, and catches an occasional Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Larkin's major goal is to see the state’s prosperity extend past the metro Boston area to the Berkshires. "Our greatest opportunities are in front of us." He has high hopes for the future of education in the community. "We have a great school system in Berkshire County," he says. "And we can, I believe, have the best one in the world."  RETURN TO TOP |
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