Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Influence how the House spends sales tax revenues?

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The sales tax amendment offered by Rep Sciortino earmarks only .385 of the revenues to transportation (estimate:$250 million) out of an estimated $8 or 9 hundred million.

For the next 3 or 4 days (and nights) the House will debate which of the 700 or so amendments restoring cuts to local aid accounts and a wide range of public health, human services, youth programs, workforce training programs, enviornmental protection programs, public safety programs, etc etc etc will get restored at least in part. 

A month or so on this site we recommended that the House, in the interests of transparency and accountability go back to open public debate. I think they will at least have the discussions around consolidated amendments, category by category,on the floor of the House instead of back in room 348. So at least we can watch on tv and see who is huddling around the podium, and  and paricipating even if you can't hear what they are saying. 

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Comments

  1. Most of the floor statements are for constituents back home.

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    p>Sometimes the “consolidated amendments” made available to members in Room 348 are hundreds of pages thick – with maybe 15 minutes to “read” them.

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    p>If a member bucks a “consolidated amendment” their bit of meat doesn’t become part of the salami.  I sure remember this process from 2004-2005, and its establishment.  I do remember, prior to that time, actual amendments proposed on the floor, fought  over, and occassionally passed.

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    p>I haven’t seen a real amendment, proposed on the floor, and actually fought for — for years.

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    p>I haven’t even heard of a good solid “revolt” in room 348 for years.  

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    p>So, yeah, there are webcasts of the “Kibuki Theater” around the prepackaged salami that comes out of Room 348 – but no one is going to “save the whales” – to cite to Lobbying on a Shoe String – these days.  

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    p>Give me one real example of legislative debate and actual enactment after 2004-2005!

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    p>I tried watching a bit last night – and could not stand most of what seemed to me to be canned, scripted, empty of passion or conviction, staged stuff at the mike.

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    p>I don’t have any answers either.

    • Amber is spot on.  There ARE some fascinating debates back in 350, as Reps. with different points of view are consigned to Celebrity Death Matches with audience of fellow solons – but what comes onto the floor is theatre (as Amber says).

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      p>DeLeo helped INVENT the consolidated amendment process as W&M chair.  He LIKES it.  so the ball to keep the eye on is what gets consolidated.  And if a single consolidated amendment fails…I’ll contribute money to Deval’s re-election!

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