Remembering Tom Cahir: The 'epitome' of a what a public servant should be
A dedicated public servant. A good listener. A dogged advocate. A consummate professional. A transformative leader. A true champion of Cape Cod.
Those are the words people are using to describe Thomas Cahir, longtime administrator of the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, after his sudden death on March 12.
The cause of his death has not been released.
'He was one of a kind and the epitome of what a public servant should strive to be,' wrote Bourne's Assistant Fire Chief Joseph Carrara Jr. in a March 13 email.
Carrara saw Cahir's work ethic in action during his time as state representative for Barnstable 3rd District. Carrara worked for Cahir during and after college, and the two developed a strong friendship.
'I truly consider him to be family,' Carrara wrote.
Cahir was one of Peter Meier's mentors when he was a young man just getting started in politics. Meier joined the Bourne Democratic Town Committee when he got out of college. He's been on the select board and other town committees ever since he first ran for office in 1996. Much of what he's learned about serving constituents came from Cahir.
'He taught me the value of constituent service and to listen to the people,' Meier said in a telephone call March 13. 'He made sure every Friday he had office hours in his district. He'd say 'I can't fix everything but at least they know we listened, we'll do our research and get back to them. You don't want to ignore the people that you work for.''
Cahir was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1985, following in the footsteps of his father, Jeremiah. The Democratic representative served the 3rd Barnstable District for 14 years until 1999. During that time, he served on and chaired the Joint Committee on Transportation.
In 1999 Cahir became the Deputy Secretary for Transportation Programs at the Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works. His office was responsible for the operation of the 15 Regional Transit Authorities in Massachusetts and a $140 million budget. In 2009 he was named administrator of the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority.
In a March 13 telephone interview, Barnstable County Commissioner Mark Forest recalled his long working relationship with Cahir. The men met in 1985 when Forest was working for US Rep. Gerry Studds and Cahir was launching his political career.
'He's known as Mr. Transportation; that's a title that's rightly deserved,' Forest said. But Cahir's impact went well beyond transportation, he added. 'He's had as profound an effect on this region as anybody.'
Cahir played a key legislative role in getting the Cape Cod Land Bank passed, Forest said. The act saved thousands of acres of land on Cape Cod and was the precursor to the Community Preservation Act.
Cahir was instrumental in the passage of legislation regarding the Barnstable County government charter, Forest said. And he was dogged in advocating for his constituents whether it was state, federal or local government issues.
'He came of age politically when if you represented people, you gave it your all on behalf of them,' Forest said. 'The job wasn't about you; it was about serving the community. That's part of Tommy's ethos, his DNA.'
Kathy Jensen, deputy administrator for the Transit Authority, called Cahir's loss — and legacy — immeasurable. In a March 13 email, she called Cahir a leader, mentor, problem solver and true friend.
'He taught me so much,' she wrote, 'not just about work, but about how to truly make an impact and get things done. He led by example, showing what it means to be dedicated, compassionate, and unwavering in the pursuit of solutions.'
'Our hearts go out to the countless people whose lives he made better just by being in them,' she wrote. 'He will be profoundly missed.'
Denise Coffey writes about business, tourism and issues impacting the Cape's residents and visitors. Contact her at dcoffey@capecodonline.com .
Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Tom Cahir remembered by Cape Cod as dedicated public servant, leader
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Mom of Bronx teen killed in 2018 gang slaying backs Cuomo for mayor
The mother of a 15-year-old Bronx boy killed in a vicious 2018 gang slaying said Saturday she's backing ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo for mayor because he's best qualified to clean up Gotham's crime-ridden streets. 'I don't want to see any more parents losing their children,' Leandra Feliz, mother of the late Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz, exclusively told The Post when asked why she supports Cuomo. 'You know, with this crime in the city, we need somebody to make changes. We need it.' Leandra Feliz, mother of the late Lesandro 'Junior' Guzman-Feliz, said she's backing ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo for NYC mayor because he's best qualified to clean up Gotham's crime-ridden streets. Tomas E Gaston Two dozen members of the 'Trinitarios' street gang were busted in the shocking June 20, 2018, caught-on-video attack on the teenager at a Belmont bodega, in what authorities said was a case of mistaken identity. The heartbroken mom appeared with Cuomo at a Bronx news conference to reflect on her son's death seven years later. Cuomo — the frontrunner heading into Tuesday's Democratic mayoral primary — promoted himself as a law-and-order candidate while painting socialist Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who is polling second behind him, as a 'Defund The Police' radical. Cuomo — who's vowed to hire 5,000 more cops if mayor — also claimed he's the best candidate because 'experience matters, qualifications matter.' The event bizarrely included Cuomo unveiling large images of Mamdani social media posts from 2020 demanding the City Council defund cops. Leandra Feliz (right)outside Bronx Supreme Court in 2018 when her son's alleged killers appeared for a hearing. for New York Post 'We need to elect a socialist city council to defund the NYPD,' read a Mamdani tweet in October 2023 Cuomo used as a prop. Leandra Feliz' home is a monument to her lost teen, with his smiling face depicted everywhere, from artwork hung on the walls to a throw pillow. She keeps the jacket Junior wore as an NYPD Explorer framed on the wall, next to shirt in a frame with her son's name and the phrase, 'Gone, but not forgotten.' 'Nobody feels safe in New York. … Everybody's scared. Nobody feels safe,' she said. 'So we need to do something to stop the violence, stop the crimes. We need help. And this is not for me. This is for everybody. 'I don't want to see any more parents losing their children.'
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
New Yorker dresses as ‘washed up scum' Andrew Cuomo in Mermaid Parade
A man dressed as a bizzare depiction of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo showed up to march in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade Saturday — with a special plea for his fellow New Yorkers. 'I'm trying to get reelected on Tuesday and I thought I'd bring my message to the voters,' the man who only called himself 'washed up scum,' sarcastically told The Post. 3 The man dressed as Andrew Cuomo in the Mermaid Parade insisted people call him 'washed up scum.' Samantha Olander The costume was complete with messy green strings to represent algae the former Governor would have encountered as he washed up on the shore, a torn-up dress shirt — and Cuomo's oversized head. On his backside, the man had a sign that read 'don't rank me,' a reference to the Big Apple's ranked choice voting, where electors place up to five mayoral candidates in order of preference. 3 Voters in NYC can rank up to five candidates in order of preference for the mayoral election. Samantha Olander 'I made the state fill up with as much scum as I could when I was governor and I'd like to do that to the city,' the mystery man said, adding it was his first mermaid parade. Cuomo is the frontrunner heading into Tuesday's Democratic mayoral primary, though surging socialist Zohran Mamdani has been making up ground — cutting the ex-lawmaker's lead in half from just a month ago. The Ex-Governor is ahead 55% to 45% against Mamdani in the latest poll released Wednesday. The heated NYC Democratic mayoral primary has lit a fire under Big Apple voters — twice the number of New Yorkers are turning out for early voting compared to four years ago, data from the city Board of Elections shows. 3 Cuomo resigned as New York Governor in disgrace in 2021. Stephen Yang
CNBC
3 hours ago
- CNBC
Republican Party has nearly five times more cash on hand than the Democrats
The Republican National Committee has almost five times the cash on hand as its Democratic counterpart, as Democrats seek to regain their footing following a disappointing 2024 cycle. The RNC reported having $72 million on hand at the end of May, compared to just $15 million for the DNC, according to campaign filings out Friday. While the RNC has for months held a cash advantage over the Democratic National Committee, the $57 million gap is the widest disparity between the two parties since at least July 2020, according to California Target Book's Rob Pyers. It's still early, but the GOP's cash edge could give the party an early boost as it looks to build out campaign infrastructure ahead of next year's midterms. "The single most important thing the DNC can and should be doing right now is raising money," Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod told CNBC. The filings come as the DNC has faced internal tension since President Donald Trump's return to the White House. Earlier this month, leaders of two large labor unions each declined their nominations to continue serving on the committee, dealing a blow to Chair Ken Martin. Martin has also overseen internal divisions over ex-DNC Vice Chair David Hogg's bid to challenge sitting Democratic incumbents. Hogg stepped down from his role earlier this month amid backlash. Some Democrats say that the fundraising gap underscores deeper concerns within the party. "The base of the party and donors alike do not have confidence in the direction of the party," said Cooper Teboe, a Democratic strategist in Silicon Valley. Teboe said that the party has not presented "a positive, inspiring vision." The DNC, however, points to a surge in grassroots support. The party says it raised roughly $40 million in individual donations since Martin became chair in February, a record for that four-month period. The contributions go to a range of areas, according to the DNC, including "building up critical infrastructure from tech to organizing to in-state investments for critical, target races." "This is only the start, but it's a record-setting start that allows Democrats to meaningfully invest in every part of the country," Martin said in a statement. The DNC's war chest is roughly double what it held during the same period in 2017, suggesting there is time for them to catch up. "The goals Chair Martin has set out — investing in all 50 states and building the state of-the-art infrastructure necessary to win back the White House in 2028 — are ambitious and necessary, but they can only be achieved by raising money," Elrod said. Looking ahead, Teboe said that Democrats may be successful in next year's midterms "as a reaction to Trump's overreach but it will take a new generation of voices to get the party out of this mess." "Those voices will emerge in the 2028 primary and we will have the chance to rebuild a stronger Democratic Party outside of the influence of the old guard that seems incapable of understanding what motivates normal Americans," he said. The Republicans' money advantage comes after a 2024 election cycle during which Tesla founder Elon Musk poured nearly $300 million into helping elect Republicans. Musk's surge of donations to help elect Trump certainly took some pressure off the rest of the party's fundraising apparatus. It's unclear what the RNC might have decided to pay for last year's elections, were it not for Musk's millions. Musk last month said that he was going to do "a lot less" political spending in the future. It's also unclear how Trump will use the millions he has raised in a group of PACs since he won the November election. Should Trump choose to donate to Republican candidates and get out the vote efforts next year, the RNC could again find itself under less pressure to shell out cash than the DNC. But Trump's financial support has traditionally not been geared towards helping the party at large. Rather, Trump has contributed relatively small amounts to help elect his closest allies. He has also played a significant role in Republican primary races, endorsing MAGA candidates who, in some cases, have struggled to win the backing of moderate Republicans and independent voters.
