Echoing MassLib: Things I don’t have a lot to say about except good job, keep it up:
We’re going to take steps to save energy. With the New England grid under stress, how about trying conservation first? Fluorescent bulbs, energy-efficient appliances … and how about a major campaign to turn things off? Duh.
And by the way, we don’t need the government to tell us this, right? Look right —>
- We’re going to do research on wind turbines. It’s just $2 million, but it’s better than a kick in the pants from the feds. Neato.
- Prospects are good for the state taking over underperforming municipal pension funds. That means 1. more stable pensions, and 2. more stable municipal budgets. (It’s good that the folks at the state level seem to know what they’re doing with their investments: 10.51% annualized return over the last 10 years. Pretty damn good.)
- A bill to get some unions into the state’s insurance system passed the House. As I’ve said, it’s not as strong or coercive as I’d like, but it’s a slam-dunk to pass. I suspect that more and more, we’ll see unions and cities opting into the GIC, using it as a release valve for high stakes confrontations like the Quincy teachers’ strike.
Again, this is a good option because of indispensably capable people working at the state level: Here it’s the elves at the Group Insurance Commission, bargaining down prices for decent health care for state employees. Hug a faceless bureaucrat today.
Again, this stuff may or may not be super-exciting, or even difficult, but it’s June of 2007. Project forward a solid, steady beat of accomplishment into 2010 — or 2014, if you’re optimistic — and I think this administration will have indeed accomplished a transformation of the state. The low-hanging fruit is just as tasty as the stuff farther up.
I’ve been talking to towns down my way, and their BC/BS buying collaborative is CHEAPER than GIC.
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What happens when those locals are told by boston they have to change?
It’s optional all ’round. Lowell has the same problem, as well. But I don’t think they’re forced into this new situation, only if they find that their rates at GIC are lower and would save the town/city money.
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I do think that those towns with lower-than-GIC rates are probably the exception, not the rule, so this could benefit vast numbers of property tax payers.
The GIC plan and the Pension money shift are straight out of the Pioneer Institute playbook, though a pity that (i) the GIC legislation has that requirement that public union sectors must give their ok for the town to save money and (ii) the pension money shift legislation is getting watered down by the Legislature, so that some underperformers still continue to run their little local pension fiefdomes.
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Seems the significant ideas have their source in the right (and not left) ideology. Attaboy.
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Also, the Governor’s bully pulpit message that Property taxes are out of control has hit home. People believe him and are voting down the 2 1/2 overrides at record pace. Untended consequence or his message or Governor’s secret plan to reduce property taxes?