state government

The MBTA plans to cut services and raise fares.  Does that seem backwards to you?  Usually consumers are willing to pay a higher price if we get more, not less.  Unfortunately the current situation is that our public transportation system doesn't have adequate resources to run as usual...the operating budget is strained.  We also have heard about the capital and maintenance budgets with a backlog for repairs and replacements.

This is not a good situation for riders dependant on lower costing fares, and more frequent service.  We don't want more vehicles on the road; we can't afford more vehicles on the road. Our road systems can't keep up with the current flow of traffic and the environment will surely suffer.  Besides, there's no place to park!

So, here's a couple of things you can do:

• Participate in MBTA meetings.  Follow this link to learn about the proposed changes and the meeting schedule.   [MBTA Fare Change and Service Guide]
• Learn more about the other issues in your community that are important to you.  We need revenues to maintain healthy communities, healthy people, good schools...(you insert what's important to your community)  Check out the Campaign for Our Communities. and then join the campaign!

Remember, the government is us!

MA State Treasurer Steven Grossman has been working hard to make sure we can see how the state spends the money it receives from us (and other sources).  He's going to unveil this website today, December 5th.  This is a good thing!

...Grossman, Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez and state Comptroller Martin Benison will announce the launch of the official Massachusetts Open Checkbook site.  [The Boston Globe]

The public education system in Lawrence is not working for all its children, and that's a big problem.  The solution is also problemmatic because the proposed solution has not been previously tested in MA so we don't know if it will achieve the desired results.  Is it appropriate for our children to be a trial case for the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education proposal of takeover?

"My concern is not the label," Lantigua said after the meeting. "My concern is that we do what needs to be done to get it out of a (chronically underperforming) system."

Many board members were concerned that the state's legislation for allowing the takeover, An Act relative to the Achievement Gap, was passed in 2010 and has not yet been used before for a takeover.

[State Education Commissioner Mitchell] Chester told [school committee member Jennifer Ann] Cooper that there are no guarantees that the takeover will right the system.  [Full Article: Eagle-Tribune]

Some good things happening up at the State House

 Here is just one item

Another good thing happened when Democrats beat back a move by House Republicans that would have forced Bay State officials to check the immigration status of anyone seeking state health, housing, college education or most other publicly funded benefits. Steve Walsh, the Chair of the Health Financing had this to say on the floor of the House.

From the State House News service: Rep. S. Walsh said,

I would've loved to have had a discussion with my friend on issues that are important to him. I think there are a few key questions. My initial question was about the categories of people who are eligible for these benefits. There are three categories. The first category is those who are present in an emergency, a shooting, a knifing, cardiac arrests. What do you we do as a community or as a society if someone appears at an emergency room in our state with a catastrophic event? I'm not sure residency status is the first thing on our mind. Is it a large problem? Of course is it. But the debate here is not the appropriate answer. The second category is young school-age children that are eligible. It is important that we take care of ourselves when we are sick so we don't spread disease to other folks. It isn't a debate when we talk about all of our young people, such as the 15,000 young people in the city of Lynn. The third category is young, pregnant mothers for pre-partum or post-partum care. Who amongst us would suggest that in our urban or suburban areas that that person shouldn't be eligible for health care? It takes up less than 1 percent of our budget. Is it a problem? Sure, it's a serious problem. But it shouldn't be trivialized. It should be aired and talked about in a larger debate about immigration reform. My colleague quickly jumped to the word illegal immigrant. All the information suggests is that there was not documentation. A leap is being made there...

Merchants are already banking on the hope that a new station will bring them more customers and an economic bridge to the rest of the city. ...The MBTA said that adding stations is aimed at providing better transportation to low-income people who are overwhelmingly dependent on public transit.   [Full Article: The Boston Globe]

Secure Communities is the federal immigration criminal database program, that many states have problems with.  Boston so far is the only city in Massachusetts that has enrolled in the program, but Bristol, Worcester, and Plymouth are talking with the feds about joining.

Secure Communities works by tapping into a longstanding relationship between local and state police and the FBI. ..To activate Secure Communities, US officials say they first need enough federal agents, jail space for detainees, and vehicles to transport them to make it work.   [Full Article: The Boston Globe]

This editorial explores the consequences of reducing the funding for free flu vaccines...it's not only about the dollars saved for having less vaccines available; there's an even larger economic cost.  Are we being penny wise and pound foolish?

Investment in free vaccination saves lives and greatly reduces the economic toll of the flu in terms of lost hours of productivity, income, and sales. Tough economic times only make it more important for the state to be sure that its budgetary priorities provide the broadest benefit for the greatest numbers of people .  [Full Editorial: The Boston Globe]

Casinos in Massachusetts - may be a foregone conclusion if leadership in the State House has its way.  But is this the way to achieve fiscal stability for the Commonwealth as some would have us believe?  Is this strategy working to achieve budget surpluses (or balanced  budgets vs. budget deficits ) in New Jersey or Nevada?  Even Connecticut isn't showing great financial rewards from gambling.  What will happen to total revenue when there's more competition in New England?  Then there's the additional cost of the health and safety issues of gambling...

Gambling revenue  ...erodes a fundamental idea of democracy: that we’re all in this together. Instead of all people contributing equitably to the common good, a casino economy fractures the social compact. And it asks the most from those who can afford it least.   [Full Op-Ed:  The Boston Globe]

When natural disasters strike, such as Hurricane Irene,  it's our government that protects families and property, shelters the homeless, and revives communities adversely affected by the subsequent destruction.  It's up to all of us to continue to invest in our government so that it can continue to do this work, and carry out the other programs and services we rely upon every day.

...the National Guard was assisting evacuations in the towns of Charlemont, Ashford and North Adams. 200 National Guard troops were deployed to Greenfield in order to assist with evacuations in Franklin County and the Berkshires.  [Full Article: MassLive.com]

Are you ready for another casino gambling proposal from the Governor and the State House Leadership?  It seems they're ready for prime time with a 133-page bill which would provide for the development of three casinos and a slot parlor, itemizing the respective development fees, and collections of the state's share of the revenues.  Let the betting, I mean vetting, begin...

Anyone applying for a gambling license would have to pay the state a $350,000 non-refundable application fee...The casinos would pay the state 25 percent of their revenues; the slot parlor would pay the state 40 percent of its revenue and another 9 percent to a special fund for the horse-racing industry...A quarter of the state’s casino revenue would be sent to cities and towns... The state would send another 5 percent to a special fund to help compulsive gamblers.  [Full Article: Boston Globe Metro Desk]