cross posted at ONE Massachusetts
And if all of that were'nt enough the Governor got a letter that said we were not spending our stimulus money fast enough.
To the defense came
Some congressional Democrats sprang to the governor’s defense yesterday. Senator John F. Kerry released a statement calling Patrick’s approach “strategic and wise.’’ “The governor is being responsible with tax dollars and looking for investments that give our economy the biggest bang for the buck,’’ Kerry said.
Aides to Patrick questioned the fairness of the congressional report, saying it ignores the administration’s effort to concentrate funds on larger projects that generate spinoff work and stimulate the creation of permanent jobs.
“It’s regrettable that folks, including the congressman, are looking at statistics and raw data as opposed to taking a look at what states are doing to make the stimulus work for them,’’ said Massachusetts Transportation Secretary James Aloisi.
are going to croak these cities and towns. I do not know how much more financial stress they can take. There will be more layoffs…and property tax increases. Meanwhile…the Administration is sitting on some serious stimulus cash…waiting for the “right” deals to come along. This guy could screw up a free lunch by asking for change.
If you search firefighters in the Globe archives or check out the News Roundup at ONE Massachusetts you’ll find story after story about towns and cities cutting their fire departments.
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p>Yesterday’s Globe article about the state fire bureau cutting back should make every conservationist and homeowner close to a State forest nervous.
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Sorry about that. I bought a T Shirt.
The budget was packed with additional personnel that essentially have little to do for seven months out of the year. Meanwhile pay a visit to the fire towers around the state which are becoming death traps and several have been closed because they are in imminent danger—-yet pols have their PALS hired so they can drive around in red trucks and burn gas. The states only fire plane is in disrepair and could use a complete upgrade—but surprise—no money. Why, you ask? Because we have to pay for new forestry employees and forestry pick up trucks to drive around aimlessly and burn gas and oil and all kinds of hydrocarbons. (incidentally these state forestry employees take these trucks home—even during the winter with three foot of snow on the ground) All for a paltry 82 million. Meanwhile we have county jails full of inmates sitting on their backsides doing —-nothing—like they were on the state payroll—when they should be working in the forests like the state prisoners do at Myles Standish Forest.
It’s “packed” with personnel it doesn’t need? Any proof, or just blind faith?
At least Gov Patrick realizes that there is an impending catastrophe and is planning to go into “suvival” mode. Thank god he has enough sense to do that. Cities and towns don’t seem to “get it.”
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p>My small community has been ” window dressing” belt tightening. Yet the board of selectman have secreted a sentence into a DPW bill giving the administrative assistant to the town manager a new title of Assistant Town Manager with a yearly kiss of an additional 20 K per annum. Did I mention this woman is “CONNECTED”? Seems this womans husband (who is also connected) and Mr. Finneran were big pals. When does the incest end? This is what makes this state absolutely sickening. The selectmen are threatening layoffs in fire protection and they attempt to screw the taxpayers with this kiss for their “PAL”.
I think the Gov’s right with the way he’s spending the stimulus money. I’d much rather the money going toward projects that will have a long term net gain in jobs and make a meaningful difference within the time frame the government is giving us. Furthermore, it’s not like we’re not getting to necessary and important projects at a fast rate — that’s where our own bond bill before the economic free fall came in. Anyone who’s driving on any of the state’s major highways from Boston to Springfield must be blatantly aware of all the construction work going on.
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p>As for all the cuts that our state has had to make on top of the bone we’ve already begin to slice, ouch. There’s really nothing else to say. I wish our state would be willing to raise taxes until we’re even at the national median.
Me too. In the short term I wish there was something we could do to forestall the 9C cuts in a couple of weeks, never mind forestall the cuts to the Governor’s FY 11 budget scheduled for release in late January. Of course we could close a couple of loopholes, but we’ll have to be brave enough to gore few oxen along the way.
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p>In the long term to build the public will for additional revenues,we all have to begin to persuade our neighbors and friends about the only alternative to cuts. Namely taxes.
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p>The Governor’s House 1 last year did propose a solution to fixing our transportation system by proposing a gas tax. I never did figure out whether that was rejected because the public didn’t like the tax or the Governor for proposing it.
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p>And, to his credit, the governor proposed closing the sales tax loophole on candy, sweetened beverages and booze and directing some of the revenues to public health prevention programs. Never did figure out whether those loophole closings were rejected because the public didn’t like the taxes or the Governor for proposing them.
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p>Be interesting to see what the Governor proposes in his House 2 on the third Wed in January.
3 cents — not enough to warrant driving to the next town.
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p>1 cent locally, used for transit
1 cent to regional mass transit (MBTA or otherwise)
1 cent to regional planning agency to be used for multi-town grants of any kind
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p>The first cent can be used for local transit infrastructure. Since DPW-road budgets are far larger than the revenue this will generate, it effectively lands in the general revenue, much like local options meals and hotel. This is important to pass state constitutional muster.
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p>The second cent goes for mass transit. The big picture is that if we’re going to tax gas, we’ve got to work toward allowing people to use less of it. This helps. If there is no regional mass transit agency, then the town can use this money for non-motorized upgrades — anything from building curb cuts in sidewalks to bike paths/lanes to implementing a carpool program. Whatevs.
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p>The third cent goes to regional planning. Oftentimes there’s friction “at the borders” and the regional planning agency can help to address these frictions — be it a dysfunctional intersection at a town line, a regional HOV plan, etc.
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p>It’s not a tremendous amount of revenue to be sure, but it enables MA to have a responsible conversation about raising the gas tax to overhaul our transportation infrastructure for the better. Since the DOR already knows how to collect these taxes, it’s a low-cost low-impact change from the state’s perspective and from the gas stations’ perspective. If many cities and towns adopt these programs, it signals to the lege that there is indeed an appetite to increase the gas tax, so long as the results benefit the local community. If no local governments pass the increase, it also sends the message that folks don’t want the tax. Either way, why not send it out to the peoples?!
At the pump I assume. Talk to me about ease of administration — meaning who would direct the pennies.
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p>I’m also not sure what kind of increase would trigger someone to use up to a 10th of a gallon to drive to another town to save 3 cents a gallon on a 16 gallon tank. I’ll ask my regular driver. Who never complains about the high cost of the very special gas for his boat.
To my memory in all past comparable situations the two budget categories that will be hit the hardest (measured as a percentage reduction) will be local aid and the budgets for state and community colleges. Cutting local aid is unfortunate given the relative inability of communities to independently increase taxes due to the nature of the state constitution, essentially placing the cities and towns in thrall to state government and the strictures of Proposition 2 1/2.
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p>What is unfortunate is that the services most universal and most appreciated by the public are the ones that get hit the hardest and it is local officials who take the heat. The public does not understand that the financial interrelationship between the state and localities and local officials are generally unable to explain it in a convincing manner. [Which, of course, is why the state disproportionately reduces local aid. State leaders also know that it is very difficult for cities and towns to politically work together and it is very easy to play some communities off against other communities.]
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p>A modest proposal: why not extend the sales tax to include the sale of gasoline and diesel?
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Jim O’Sullivan’s colorful prose in the State House News Service Roundup repeats a common speculation that the Legislature might be open to approving the Governor’s request that his 9C powers be expanded to the judiciary, other constitutional officers and (gasp) local aid. More on 9C.
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p>Finally Jim reports the standard response of Legislative Leadership, excuse me Mandarins, to all of this ……….
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p>Pardon me, I’m distracted by the image of the current Legislative Leaders gliding around in long multi layered silk gowns, with white socks over black slippers and of course a sword tucked into a red sash. And a single pigtail signifying loyalty to the current ruler. (Stop it!!)