Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

THE CRUMBLING STATE HOUSE

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REPAIR THE STATE HOUSE NOW!

One of the first places visited by Japanese, Russian, South Korean, or any business executives from other countries when they come to Massachusetts to discuss business or attend conventions is the State House.  If we cannot even take care of the State House, and have huge hunks of peeling paint, falling plaster, and missing frescoes, why would business executives decide to put their factories and offices here?  A full repair and renovation of the State House is not only a matter of self respect for this state – it is good business, too.

Deborah Sirotkin Butler

AmberPaw@aol.com

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  1. And when they have to use the “General Hooker” entrance, what are they to think goes on in there? 

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    Seriously, why not open the main gates again?  Is there really such a threat that can’t be met by less depressing measures?  The tourists and businessmen probably think everything is in lockdown in this country, and why would they want to open a factory here where terrorists are likely to blow it up?

    • Uh, huh huh huh huh!

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      He said “General Hooker Entrance”

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      … all Beavis jokes aside, this is a good point.  Surely some other figure from Massachusetts’ history could be honored and replace the name on that door.  Let’s face it, if he was that great general, he’d be famous for something besides the sex workers who his army supported.  Name it the Antietam Entrance–while a costly victory, it was a victory achieved by the general whose name is now so infamous.

      • Hooker was a subordinate at Antietam.  That was McLellan you’re thinking of.

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        Hooker was more notable, as commander, for talking what, 144 years later, is referred to as “smack,” and then proving timid, fearful, and indecisive while being absolutely schooled by Lee at the disasterous Battle of Chancellorsville.

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        But, he is from Hadley.

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        I have no idea why they decided to put him on a horse at the state house.

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        I hesitate to remove him, though, as any new memorial, even of a personage of that era –Robert Gould Shaw?– would be PC-ified to tell a “story” thus rendering it a crappy monument.  See, e.g., the newer memorials in DC, such as the FDR and WWII memorials.

        • Just open up the main entrance.  The state of seige look can’t be good for business.  Didn’t it used to be possible to walk up the front steps?  Hmm, according to Wikipedia, the main doors are only opened when the PResident visits or the outgoing governor leaves. 

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          But can’t we open the gates at the bottom?  And improve the entrance, so you don’t have to go through that hall past the bathroom, find a tiny elevator, never to find your back?

          • The only times it is used is for a US President, a visiting head of state, and a departing Governor.

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            At least for the last 200 years of so…when did YOU walk in? :~)

    • Isn’t there a large stairway where the main gates are? It would seem to me that the “General Hooker” entrance would be the most handicapped accessible public entrance.

    • the Hooker one, but no one gets to see it because of the lockdown.  Granted, there is no real space for security there, but do we really need all the security?  The capitol building in Hawai’i is completely open air with no security at all and they do just fine.  In fact, its not uncommon to see homeless people hanging out in the central square of the building.

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      Let people go through the main gates, across the lawn, and then past the President.  It would be a much more welcome experience.

      • We have achieved consensus!  Romney said he wanted to do this, but it wasn’t done.  It is so dingy and musty to enter in the basement like we’re sneaking in with the general hookers.

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        The state police are nice, but that entrance and the hallway are like what I’d expect to see in some depression era small town.

  2. The State House is holding pretty good compared to UMass Boston, especially since The State House was built in 1787 and UMB was built in 1974!

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    From The Boston Globe May 1, 2005:

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    At a public forum Wednesday afternoon, [candidate for then vacant UMB chancellor’s post Marvin] Krislov?was asked by a staff member if he had seen the decaying garage that doubles as a foundation for much of the campus. (A recent Globe story about the garage quoted a professor who said job candidates are kept away from the crumbling structure.) ”I’ve seen it, I’m aware of it, and it would be a high priority,” Krislov answered. Within minutes of the exchange, a retired professor at the meeting was quietly taken aside by UMass officials and told that a large piece of concrete had just fallen on her car in the garage, cracking the windshield and denting the roof.

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    Read More:
    http://www.universal…
    http://www.universal…

    • We do not need to raise taxes.  Just rescind the arrogant cuts of the 1990s and repair the infrastructure we all depend on, and which is absolutely critical to both job growth and stemming the flight from this state of young adults.

      • If decreasing the rate of budget increase for a pet program is a “budget cut” then how is rescinding a tax cut not a tax hike?

        • A “tax hike” is a new tax, or creating a level of taxation which has not previously existed.

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          Rescinding a tax cut is a return to a sensible, sustainable level of taxation which previously existed and supported the needs of the “body politic”.

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          Remember when we had dams that werere not crumbling, roads largely without pot holes, sufficient treatment beds for addicts so that prison costs of $45,000 a year for addicts who steal are not driving the cost of prisons to where we spend more on prisons then higher education [500 of the 1000 treatment beds were cut – an especially stupid, short sighted, mean, and dangerous choice]court houses are not literally falling down, the State House is not a moldy travesty of its historic self…shall I go on?  How about not doubling the real estate taxes every couple of years!  Remember when real estate taxes were basically static?  I do.

  3. …we just DID a massive renovation of the State House!  From around 1998 to 2002!  All the exterior walls were powerwashed, the roof slates were replaced (and I have some of the 100 yr. old ones that were removed!), the importatn public areas were redone, the marble was cleaned, the brickwork was repointed.  It cost a FORTUNE.

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    I think there WAS a plan to continue the interior repairs and replastering, but it was cut for budget considerations.  Besides, they just keep Republicans, freshman and out-of-favor Dems and the Boston Herald up on the fifth floor…

    • “The state spent $50 million just a few years ago to repair the building’s walls and part of the roof. Since water has clearly leaked since, lawmakers say it may be time to investigate whether the contractors on that last job failed to meet standards.”

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      From: “Time taking its toll on the Statehouse”, By Rebecca Fater for the Sentinel & Enterprise
      Article Launched:11/19/2006

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      The article is no longer available at their website.  But may be read in this forum. http://www.yabbers.c…

      • It has to be fixed.  Period.  Mold is dangerous stuff, water damage unrepaired grows [pun intended} exponentially, as does the cost of repair.

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