I ask for an answer and I get one
By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
Ask and ye shall receive.
Well, I asked last week what the Legislature planned to do to compensate for the loss of the proposed casino licensing fees in the governor's state budget; I did get an answer from State Rep. Joe Wagner of Chicopee.
Wagner is the chairman of the Transportation Committee and he said the House budget formulated by Speaker Sal DiMasi and the House leadership would close a $1.3 million budget gap through $100 million in budget cuts and $253 million in savings and reforms.
The budget would also use $229 million from the state's stabilization fund, use the $107 million the state would have put into the fund this year and $91 million in interest from the stabilization fund.
The plan would adopt Governor Deval Patrick's proposal to help maintain businesses by lowering the overall corporate tax rate over three years and by immediately freezing the unemployment insurance rate. The plan would also add $1 to the cigarette tax to fund the state's universal health care program.
The changes to help business and to attempt to make Massachusetts a more competitive place to do business are welcomed news. The use of stabilization money, though, signals a need to seriously re-look at the cost of government and to develop new streams of revenue.
We can't keep going to the well. We need new revenues.
Wagner pointed out to me the governor's inclusion of casino licensing fees in the budget was unrealistic as the state could not have put into place the regulatory agency to solicit and administer those fees within the fiscal year covered by the budget.
Wagner strongly disputed the notion that members of the House are forced to march lock step with DiMasi or other speakers. He noted that he was appointed to his chairman position by former Speaker Thomas Finneran despite the fact Wagner did not support Finneran in his election to speaker.
I still wouldn't mind taking Sal to lunch here to acquaint him with some of the perspectives from Western Massachusetts he may not get a chance to hear.
***
East Longmeadow residents have an election coming up and that includes a seat on the Board of Selectmen. They have a true choice between two Republicans, incumbent Jack Villamaino and long-time activist Ron Cutler.
In past years, the East Longmeadow elections have had poor turnouts that have inevitably been followed by complaints and moaning from town pundits.
I hope folks do their civic duty and vote. If they vote, they have the right to moan afterwards.
***
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno has actually given me permission to kick him on his backside his words when I think he's done something wrong. In many years of being a newspaper guy and a talk show host I've never had a public official give me permission to criticize him. Thanks, Dom, that's pretty darn progressive.
Here goes: Mayor, you're wrong to freeze out City Council your budget discussions. The fact that previous mayors had allowed this and you eliminate this opportunity for the councilors to become better informed on budget issues runs counter to your effort to have an inclusive and transparent administration.
It's your call, of course, but I don't see how this can help prepare the City Council in the transition from the Finance Control Board back to full local control.
***
I received three postcards in the mail from Jane Mack of Springfield thank you! who had read about the Springfield postcard book I've assembled it's all at the publishers now.
One of the cards she sent is a photo from the 1950s showing the original location for MacArthur's Ball in Chicopee Falls and the Methodist Church. The ball monument was moved years ago when the traffic patterns were changed in the neighborhood and the church was demolished last year, if I remember correctly.
At the rate of change around here, I wonder what this area will look like when my new granddaughter is my age?
|
|
