pension reform

The debate about the transparency of the legislative process on Beacon Hill continues.  Lack of transparency was noted during this past year while the budget was being debated behind closed doors.  Our legislators said this process was necessary for the Senate and House to decide on a compromise bill.  Did the public really have a choice?  What about other major decisions?  What about public hearings, when the public testifies on the issues before the committee members...who aren't present (many times waiting 3-5 hours to speak in front of 2-3 committee members of perhaps a total of 14-17)? 

A survey by the Boston University State House program of 19 major legislative committees that shape and move legislation found this process increasingly takes place outside the public view.  [The Milford Daily News]

Among the findings:

• The staff for 15 of the committees polled said some voting is done through emails rather than in open executive sessions. The staff of 10 committees said the votes were not available to the public. State law requires that roll-call votes in executive sessions be recorded and made public. But committee rules do not address email voting.

• Minutes and other details of committee meetings were not available from 18 of the committees, according to their staff. State law does not require such documentation of legislative committees, although it is required by other Massachusetts commissions and boards.

• Among the lack of documentation are records of attendance by committee members. Observers say fewer committee members now show up for public hearings as the work of the committees takes place through phone discussion or email polls.

And here's more about legislative debate, in general: ...neutral observers such as [Michael] Widmer note a trend toward more control emanating from the offices of the House speaker and Senate president.

“I wouldn’t say that this session has had less debate than recent years, but part of the trend towards more power in the leadership has been less floor debate, particularly in the House,” said Widmer. “A lot of the debates are taking place in the legislative caucuses behind closed doors.”

The Commonwealth may perhaps do legislation better than some states, but we can clearly be more transparent and accountable to the public than we are currently.

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation issued its latest report on the state of municipal budgets [Full Article: The Boston Globe].  There are no real surprises...that is if you have been paying attention to the economy, discussions in the State House regarding revenues and budget cuts, and watching your own city or town lose employees.  The surprises may be the magnitude of the unfunded pension and health funds that were measurable and promised as part of employment...that's unconscionable.

Our families and our communities need investments in the services, schools, and infrastructure that make Massachusetts a great place to live and work.  How will this happen?  In order to make the necessary investments, we need to raise significant revenues.  Governor Cuomo in New York has taken the lead, as has Governor Brown in California...That revenue should come primarily from the highest income earners.

“The numbers demonstrate just how difficult this recession and fiscal crisis have been for cities and towns,’’ said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. “Their revenues have been virtually flat, while their costs have grown, which has meant cuts in schools, public safety, and other basic services for most cities and towns.’’

“These are challenging times,’’ said Michael V. O’Brien, the Worcester city manager. “The global economy, the national economy, and the regional economy have all suffered in the downturn, so the revenues aren’t there for the state to distribute.’’

Why always the last minute for very important decisions.  Human nature I think. Besides there may be new information coming in at the last minute and what is better: a closed mind already made up or an open mind able to adjust with new information?

with the usual Herald slant of making something out of nothing

Votes on casino gambling and several other high-profile bills are expected to go down to the wire in the final few days before lawmakers break for the year, three state representatives told the Herald yesterday.

Representatives have been told to “plan to stay late” Wednesday, the last day before they leave for the holidays.

The House is expected to take up congressional redistricting Tuesday, and pension reform, human trafficking and gambling Wednesday. Representatives also could call a rare Monday formal session.

Recently elected State Treasurer Steven Grossman is working hard for the Commonwealth.  Here's an example of government looking out for the best interests of its citizens and holding a vendor, in this situation investment manager, accountable to industry standards.

The bank responsible for executing foreign securities trades for the state pension fund overcharged the state by more than $20 million, ...BNY Mellon charged the fund 31 basis points for transactions involving foreign currency exchanges in stock trades at a time when industry fees averaged 4 basis points. State Treasurer Steven Grossman, who oversees the fund, called the fees "excessive profiteering" at the expense of taxpayers and pensioners.  [Full Article: Lowell Sun]

A wealthy West Coast suburb looks to privatization to solve budget problems. How should they - and we - balance short and long term implications of budget priorities and practices?

Increased nationwide focus on pensions encourages taking a closer look at budget priorities and pension reform strategies...

Collectively, the initiatives might help restore public confidence in the Legislature and change the way Massachusetts government does business.

A transportation overhaul, financed by giving the state the highest gas tax in the nation, is the first of several initiatives Patrick and other Beacon Hill leaders will consider.

And Patrick, Murray and DeLeo all want to move next to a sweeping change of the state's transportation system — Murray has already filed legislation in the Senate.In the House, DeLeo started his tenure as speaker by pushing through new rules for his members he hopes lay the foundation for an upcoming debate on ethics reforms. Patrick has already proposed a comprehensive ethics overhaul. 

Besides ethics and transportation reform, the leaders have all said they want to eliminate pension perks that permeate state government and aggravate taxpayers. That sets up the next major legislative initiative: retirement reform. Among the ideas are standardizing the state system around private-sector retirement programs and eliminating such concepts as enhanced pensions for lawmakers who get voted out of office.

Collectively, like the lovely lady in the Thomas Nast cartoon looking over Tammany Hall, we all need to continue to pay attention and make sure our elected and appointed officials know we're watching them do their best to rebuild the public's confidence in their ability to keep doing the right thing.