The evening started with a presentation by Noah Burger from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center
www.massbudget.org
Noah offers both a look back history on what we have done in the past and how we arrived at this place and time. In the discussion he presented facts on where revenues come from and how we stand as a state in the broader look at our country. He touches on areas of what revenues are spent on. As usual his presentations are clear and on point and with out a doubt the easiest to follow, providing a clear understanding of the forces at work that form our governments response to requests and needs from the state.
Following Noah was Matt Gorzkowicz Assistant Secretary for Budget. Matt walked us through the budget process and how the Governor stayed true to his commitment on all programs even where cuts were made they did not effect the commitments he made. This was an presented and compelling argument that this occurred. Finally the Secretary pointed out the budget process and documents were now online and he invited everyone to look them over
Here is the web site
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=mg…
The Url is for the start you will find that the 400 page document is spread out allong with the dialogue about various issues and line items well worth a review if your really interested.
Next up was David Sullivan from Admin and Finance and I would like to refer to David as the one thrown under the bus at these events and unfortunately he usually provides the bad news. I saw a wave of relief pass over him when Matt walked into the room and certainly he was much happy having more officials to divide the bad news with. For the first time in 3 years I have seen David at these events he survived rather well and seemed extremely happy with the out come but to get back to the facts he did surmise the tasks at hand and the legal requirement for a balanced budget and the tough choices that needed to be made. David also added the overview of the Stimulus effects and the need for the Municipal Partnership II and the other revenue issues currently before the legislature. Unfortunately he did have to suggest that the slide is continuing and some in the house and Senate and the Administration now feel that the decline could be as much as $5 Billion Dollars. this in a 28 Billion dollar budget is truly catastrophic.
Last up was Judy Meredith of the Public Policy Center and One Massachusetts project. Judy as usual full of good news and energy had everyone on their feet waving their hands in the air in what appeared to be an attempt to make sure we were all awake after an hour and half of bad news but actually was a very nice exercise in how what we see as going one way others can see as going in the opposite way. She presented the discussion that we need to change the dialogue to the shared values we all have and that all are important to each of us and that government plays a critical role that when we look at the values we all hold as important to us it is a result of all of us joining together to get it done. Which ultimately is what government is. If you have not seen Judy or her staff’s presentation or you are looking for a new speaker for your group, she is well worth putting on your short list.
Link:
http://onemassachusetts.org/
All in all I know some who arrived hoping this was all a bad dream left with a clear understanding that their are challenges ahead but they also felt that their was a real effort and a clear understanding of the need to continue to work together to solve these challenges. For those In Somerville the event was taped by Cable and I know some in Medford have requested a copy as well I strongly suggest that if you have not had a discussion in your city or town and want to see a grass roots event that was loaded with 2 hours or facts and really cut through the fiction, think about contacting Senator Jehlen’s office and see if you can get a copy of the tape and show it in your community it will be well worth it.
As Usual Manny many thanks to Senator Pat Jehlen for hosting this event there were over 150 crowded intot he room and this provides a truely great forum to stay informed and to be able to talk logicly about how we move our district and our State forward and providing wonderful tools for local officials when they are preparing local budgets.
Again Thank you Senator Jehlen!
As Usual Just my Opinion
I took a number of things away from this forum. First, I’d never fully understood the sizes involved. State income is about $300B per year of which approximately 10.6% becomes state revenue.
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p>Due to state referendum, the state income tax was scaled back from 5.9% to 5.3%. Comparing 1998 to 2008, state expenses have not grown as a proportion of state income, but the decreases in state revenue have never been made up. So the state has been in a state of almost permanent fiscal crisis even during the (mildly) better years of the Bush Administration.
Thanks for the write up. Went the previous 3 years but couldn’t make it this year.
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p>Proud to have Senator Jehlen representing me.
This was a Jehlen event? Who knew?
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p>Here’s what I found in my email, from Representative Garballey. I thought this was a Garballey event that Sen. Jehlen showed up for.
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If you had attended and I did not see you lurking in the shadows you may have realized this was co hosted by a list of area reps Donato,Dwyer,Garballey,Lewis,Provost,Sciortino,and Twoomey but if you had attended int he past years this has been a regular event by the Senator and before that Representative Jehlen. Which is why I thanked the Senator for hosting it once again! Come on Maul your back in state lets get caught up on history and Facts.
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p>All of the Reps reached out tho their mailing lists to invite people to the discusson. I got 4 seperate Invitations and 3 repeats of the invitations looking at my email logs.
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p>As Usual just my opinion
That hasn’t been my experience of Burlington Maul.
I didn’t attend. The reason: in my email was an announcement with the subject line:
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p>From that header, and the text of the email, I thought this was some Garballey deal that Jehlen was also showing up for. It made no mention of Reps Donato, Dwyer, Lewis, Provost, Sciortino, or Twomey. It made no mention of “ninth annual.” I had no idea it was going to be good.
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p>If I were an ethical representative, I would have written something like, “I am proud to join all the area representatives as a co-sponsor of Representative Jehlen’s ninth annual forum. This is a really thoughtful presentation on the state budget, and I know you will find it interesting.”
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p>With the kid’s email, it looked like Garballey was giving a forum in the Medford part of the district, and Jehlen would also be there. Nuff said?
I got the same exact email from the Rep. he sent it out to his email list as did others which was my point the one with the flier I got from Senator Jehlen directly. I can not say why the 2 reps sent me the email they did and not the flier. I will assume the flier may not have been available to them. So I get the point!
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p>Yet if you were invited to a budget event by any Rep or Senator why not take them up on it is the question. Certainly it is important for our city and towns to here the news first hand and to have the opportunity to discuss the issue we see and feel on Main Street. If another Sentor or Rep in the area was going to repeat the excercise and invite me I would go again to ask other questions and make other comments that have come up since.
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p>I think all of the members of the State house are all seeking answers and input to try and see our way out of this situation with the least pain possible. I would also suggest that the ideas out there are wide and varied and that no one seems to have a crystal ball on which is the correct solution and this is not just limited to Beacon Hill. In the Private sector and the Quasi private sector if you took 12 Economists who have studied the economy you are likely to get atleast 3 possible routes and depending on who is actually in the room you may get more.
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p>The point was I posted a recap of an event as openly as possible to inform and you jump in instead of taking the info you rain on a Rep for not being clearer or having something and not sharing it that you assume he may or should have had, that’s what I object to this was not that kind of thread nor was it constructive to the discussion it was simply a smear attempt. So your lose.
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p>As Usual Just my Opinion
The email that I got from Rep. Garballey, on first read, sounded like a Garballey event not worth a short two block walk, never mind a drive from Burlington. After the post, it looks like the kid is pushing to the front of someone else’s parade. He is going to need to learn a little humility with his fellow legislators, or he is going to find himself all alone in the front of his own private parade.
You admit you have it in for the Rep well done their old man you should put that feather in your cap and then you point out that if it requires any lifting you would rather sit back int he easy chair in Burlington then to go find out some new info. Sit their and stay ignorant your choice.
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p>All and all it was likely one of the best public Massachusetts Budget events held with a real give and take of info. Not the standard waste of Paper press releases. But maybe you will pick up a few points from my posting it.
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p>So sit back get comfy in Burlington Maul we wouldn’t want you to over extend you might hurt your self you certainly showed your true colors her Thank You!
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p>As Usual just my Opinion
She’s been doing this every year for a long time. Since she moved up to Senate in 2005, she’s always co-hosted with the Representatives whose districts she overlaps with, and she probably isn’t especially interested in taking credit or having her name be at the top, but I have no doubt these annual forums wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for her. Though maybe now that they’re a tradition, they’ll continue even if she goes. We’ll see.