| Governor Patrick has recently been quoted as saying that taking up the issue of state police details (and the boondoggle that it is to policemen and unions) is "not at the top of his list." I find it interesting that he was barely in office when he announced that state police would not be allowed to apprehend illegal immigrants as the officers had more important things to do with their time. Would one of these important tasks be getting to the next detail? I take it that Governor Patrick feels that it is perfectly safe for me to be sharing the roads with unlicensed, unregistered, unskilled and uninsured illegal immigrants but it is not safe for me to drive by a roadwork job without a policeman there to tell me slow down; something that in many cases could be done by a bright, orange, plastic cone! I see this as the same reasoning that has the new Governor rescinding Romney's cuts and in the next breath announced a billion dollar deficit. Governor Patrick has said that he may come back to this issue at some time in the future. I know that the potential of saving the taxpayers $50 million may not seem like much but 10 million here and 10 million there and pretty soon you're talking real savings for a working stiff like me. Maybe he'll get to it right after the legislature follows the will of the people and reduces the tax rate as dictated by the 2000 referendum. Linda Fitzgerald East Longmeadow |
