We have some serious work ahead in the next few months for the state legislature and the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts to grapple with and it’s called budgets.
The real work of government is centered around this grueling phenomenon. Priorities, decisions, realities present and hopes for the future all get thrown in the crucible with special interests pressing for their causes.
Here’s an extensive list of what the Administration has presented along with House 2 to the Legislature.
Should more dip into the rainy day fund be used instead of non-existent casino revenues? Should current education be fully funded, including transportation, before expanding early childhood/pre-K and community college tuition? Can the Adminstration find more efficiencies in re-aligning departments and find allies in the legislature to do the same? Will state employees pay more of their share of health insurance to align somewhere nearer the private sector?
What should the process and priorities be?
Will towns and cities ever be given a completed state budget before town meetings in the spring?
Can it be thoughfully and thoroughly done with an extremely critical presidential race and casino barons swirling around?
Excellent post.
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p>Been wondering the same thing.
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p>Join other people who want to influence the budget process at Insider Budget Briefings convened by ThePublic Policy Institute. Join other advocates on Feb 27 to hear Lew Finfer tell his story of building an amazing coalition of untraditional partners who succeeded in strengthening the Commonwealths Violence Prevention Initiative.