The current economic recession has led some to believe the solutions are simple when they're not.
.Beacon Hill looks like deer in the headlights, immobilized with inaction or the arrogance of one party rule. The Senate President hears only Cha-Ching and not the hard work involved in correcting long standing problems that might actually move the state forward.
.Boston Globe's Scot Lehigh offered --
First up, that lamentable Democratic gift to the public-employee unions known as the Pacheco law, which effectively ended the state's ability to contract with private firms for services they can deliver more efficiently than state workers. Although Senator Pacheco, the measure's proud papa, denies it, I have it on good authority that his signature "accomplishment" was thought up and written by lobbyists, then given to him to file. The Legislature passed it over a gubernatorial veto back in 1993, bringing the portcullis crashing down on Bill Weld's efforts to reap public savings by tapping the private sector.
Ever since, repealing Pacheco has been a reform that dare not speak its name. Not among Democrats, anyway.
But this year, Senate Republicans, who estimate the state could save $150 million to $300 million a year by aggressively contracting out, plan to try.
"If people are really serious about saving taxpayer dollars and making government more efficient, then we have to look at sacred cows like the Pacheco law," says Senate minority leader Richard Tisei.
Amen.
This is the same Senator "But For" Pacheco who experienced an ethical lapse when he attempted to prevent the Regional Casino Task Force from holding its public meeting in Carver.
Middleboro's Town Meeting Warrant contains an article to provide for Town Retirees, not recognized as a "bargaining unit," with health insurance benefits identical to those provided when they retired. Estimated cost? $200,000.
The state also needs to grant cities and towns either the unrestricted authority to join the state's Group Insurance Commission or GIC-like ability to design their own health-insurance offerings. Currently, every change in local health-insurance plans has to be bargained with the local unions.
"There are a lot of communities that can't get the unions to agree even to increase a $5 co-payment for a doctor's visit," reports Geoff Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.
The GIC, by contrast, sets co-pays and deductibles and other insurance plan features without having to bargain the changes. If the ability of municipalities to join the GIC weren't subject to a union veto or if they had similar plan-design power, the savings would be large.
I hope you have an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of spring in your life. We are surrounded by leaves that are growing and creating the annual canopy that I love.
My appreciation to all who are posting and offering ideas and opinions on revenues, Democratic principles, economic and environmental challenges and the current budget.
I continue to support the Governor's Municipal Partnership proposals including closing the telecom tax loopholes immediately. The room and restaurant tax will not impact the small community where I live, but I support the proposal for other communities to have options. Local government is hobbled by state and federal mandates including Prop. 2 1/2. I was informed yesterday that the Ch. 70 cuts proposed by the Governor for the current budget year greatly exceed the town's saving (Free Cash). If stimulus funds are not received in a timely fashion during this quarter to fill the Ch 70 cuts, the town will not be able to meet it's financial obligations. This is very serious.
I support a moderate gas tax increase and a moderate sales tax increase (.5-1.0%).
It is extremely frustrating to me that at this desperate time in our history we see the Legislature and Governor at odds over the process of revenue reconstruction. Surely we need reform before asking people to pay more taxes. The sluggishness of the Legislature is really not about deliberation, it is about decades of denial and protection of cronyism and abuse. I have been an observer for some time, the Liege has failed to make necessary decisions.
I live in a rural community abutting a potential casino site. I am a Health Educator, Domestic Violence activist and concerned citizen regarding air, water, food/agriculture and open space. I could care less is someone wants to spend their money at a casino, dog track or lottery ticket. However, as a concerned citizen and taxpayer, I have conducted countless hours of research on the above topic. It has been framed as economic development. It is economic development for the owners, investors and some ancillary parties including politicians who benefit from campaign contributions. It is not economic development for the region. It is motor vehicle congestion, air pollution, increased DUI and burdens upon municipal services, including overburdened education and public safety departments. It is severe negative impact on a region's environment. I did not develop my position in a vacuum or simply from a NIMBY framework. I have researched the impacts of expanded gambling on youth long before the current proposals came along. I have buried young people who died in car crashes and counseled young people in very serious trouble with gambling. My position evolved over 18 years of study.
As a former Selectman in a rural moderate income community, I am painfully aware of the need for more revenue to stop the erosion of services in our community and the state. We want to advance, yet I have spent the last decade watching a quickening backward slide emerge. Finding quick solutions that promise revenues but create additional burdens is foolhardy.
We need leadership that will stand with local government and citizens to thoughtfully and strategically match revenue proposals with policy, principles and long term vision. I would like to urge all activists to call upon the Liege and the Administration to swallow their collective pride, sit-down and present budget proposals to the people that are sound and sustainable.
I strongly support Governor Patrick's position to eliminate the current egregious pension abuses as well as blocking future abuse.
Kathleen Norbut
DSC memberMonson
Beacon Hill needs to get its act together, make the difficult decisions and stop following House Speaker "Racino" DeLeo, Senate President "Money" Murray, Treasurer "Slot Parlor" Cahill, and Senator "But For" Pacheco, down the "Yellow Brick Road."
We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto!
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