For Massachusetts residents concerned about Governor Baker’s budget cuts, below is my statement on the Governor’s unilateral action yesterday that took legislators and advocates by surprise, and the PDF lists of his budget cuts. My staff and I could not find the spreadsheets listing the budget cuts on Governor Baker’s government website, so we have provided them below.
“I am shocked by Governor Charlie Baker’s decision to cut $98 million from the state budget just before the holidays. During the FY17 budget debate, I was proud to join my colleagues in advocating for funding of crucial programs in the areas of housing and homelessness, healthcare, food assistance, environmental protection, drug treatment, public safety, disability, and social services. Governor Baker’s actions to de-fund these services were premature and short-sighted, especially because House and Senate leaders urged caution on budget cuts until the state’s revenue picture became more clear.
Since Governor Baker’s actions yesterday, I have received dozens of calls and emails from my constituents expressing serious concerns about the impact of these devastating and regressive budget cuts. Many have also asked for a full listing of these cuts, but Governor Baker has not posted such a list anywhere on his website, making it difficult for legislators and the general public to learn what programs and services he has de-funded. I have attached the information below.”
to shamelessly attack the most vulnerable amongst us just before the Holidays.
Joe Biden called out these ‘family values’ Republican cons when he exposed their hypocrisy : ” Don’t tell me what your values are. Show me your budget and I’ll tell you what your values are.”
This fraud should be challenged in 2018 !
Fred Rich LaRiccia
The legislature voted to override the governor’s vetoes of most of these items, often by a unanimous and bipartisan vote. This is more about Charles Duane Baker, Jr. waiting until December to Trump the will of the legislature, and less about any shortfall in revenues. Time for the legislature to revise the rules around 9C cuts so that we don’t find ourselves in this situation again next year.
I also agree. Baker must go.
The narrative has to be clear, concise, heartfelt.
…taking $ from care for seniors, tech innovation and research, environmental protections, food and housing for poor people, medical care for all…classic Charlie, balancing the budget on the backs of the poor by gubernatorial fiat.
From luring GE with $150 million (1.5 times these proposed cuts), to $4.5 million to help political allies like Bob Hedlund keep jobs in their communities while ours endure painful cuts.
You’ll find no bigger critic of Bobby DeLeo on this site than yours truly, but even he is appalled by the draconian nature and last minute arrival of these cuts. Perhaps he is beginning to wake up and realize the rubber stamp strategy won’t cut it anymore. It’s a revenue problem, and we should link these cuts to the passage of the progressive income tax which would force the wealthy to pay their fair share and allow us to invest in our communities again.
is both grotesque and insulting. It is like advising a man who is starving to eat less.” OSCAR WILDE
This. in brief, is the Republican solution to the poor, the sick and the homeless.
As a humanist and a Democrat I will fight these selfish – cruel – bastards to the death with my last breath.
Fred Rich LaRiccia
I know. I work with these vulnerable, fragile, wounded, damaged people. Every year there is less available for me to forage and find, and use to try to help a vulnerable child or parent or thrown away teen. When I first was sworn in to practice law in Massachusetts there was a community mental health system. No more. I remember trying to fight its dismantlement and feeling like a very alone voice in a cold and empty land.
More likely then not the people hurt and those that are “this vulnerable” are not really visible or a target of emphathy for Charlie Baker.
. . .from where he and his donors went immediately after making the cuts.
… In several parts.
First, didn’t we do something similar in October? Buyouts and a hiring freeze, if I’m not mistaken, were undertaken to address a projected $300 million deficit.
Secondly, according to MGL Ch29, sec 9C, the Secretary of Administration and Finance must inform, in writing, the Governor as well as the respective Ways and Means Committees in the House and the Senate of the projected budget shortfall. Was this done? If it was done, why the surprise, at least on the part of legislators? (and in light of the October cutbacks… )
Thirdly, deja vu all over again. And that article references the ‘drastic’ cuts he made shortly after taking office, in January or February of 2015. A pattern emerges in hindsight. Legislators, it seems, were surprised in Jan 2016, too… I’m not sure Baker needs to be Governor Ninja to get by someone who’s not paying much attention in the first place.
Finally (I guess) has anyone done a tally of the total amount of reduction Baker has undertaken since becoming Governor? It seems altogether a lot of little nibbles: 50 million here, 98 million there… as the saying goes, pretty soon it adds up to real money.