In a new bulletin, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation says the fiscal 2005 House and Senate budgets now being negotiated each rely upon about $700 million in one-time revenues that won't be there to support next year's budget.
The foundation suggests earmarking $150 million of the projected fiscal 2004 surplus to shore up reimbursements to health care providers who serve the uninsured and those on government-run insurance programs. The remaining $350 million, MTF says, should be deposited into the state's rainy day fund....
Romney also said the state's finances have brightened enough to warrant the continued implementation of the voter-approved income tax rollback to 5 percent. Romney last week said there are no excuses not to roll the rate back "now that the worst is behind us and revenue collections are once again robust."
But MTF President Michael Widmer said Romney's proposed income tax cut would have a "tiny economic impact" and the $200 million that would accrue to taxpayers would be more effectively assigned to reducing the state's reliance on reserves and restoring a structurally balanced state budget.
State House News Service
Monday, June 7, 2004
MTF: Rebuild reserves,
pay health providers with excess '04 revenue
Chip Ford's CLT
Commentary
Michael Widmer and his so-called
Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation have once again greased up and
wheeled out their Trojan Horse and parked it at the gate of Beacon
Hill. Again leading the charge against tax relief for average
taxpayers, MTF has quickly produced another of its infamous
"bulletins" as usual warning of the folly of returning to
taxpayers any of their hard-earned money.
Again they call for building up the "rainy day
fund" -- and addressing "the structural deficit," a
favorite of theirs when wishing to sound high-minded though nothing
ever comes of it and they never bother pushing for it. This time, a
prime concern for MTF is "reimbursements to health care providers who serve the uninsured and those on government-run insurance
programs."
This is quite understandable when you recognize
just who the so-called Mass. Taxpayers Foundation in part represents.
The below list is derived from its website and is but a partial list
of its officers/fat-cat bankrollers:
|
ABOUT
MTF |
|
MTF Executive Committee
(partial list) |
Sandra L. Fenwick
Chief Operating Officer
Children's Hospital
Boston |
Nancy L. Leaming, Vice Chair
President and CEO
Tufts Health Plan
Waltham |
|
MTF Board of Trustees
(partial list) |
W. Gerald Austen, M.D.
Edward D. Churchill Professor of Surgery
Surgeon-in-Chief, Emeritus
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston |
Bruce M. Bullen
Chief Operating Officer
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
Quincy |
Sandra L. Fenwick
Chief Operating Officer
Children's Hospital
Boston |
Nancy L. Leaming
President and CEO
Tufts Health Plan
Waltham |
Keith C. McLean-Shinaman
Senior V.P., Finance and Treasurer
Baystate Health System, Inc.
Springfield |
Peter Meade
Exec. Vice President - Corp. Affairs
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Boston |
|
MTF Program Committee
(partial list) |
Steven F. Bradley
Vice President, Government Relations
Baystate Health System, Inc.
Springfield |
Kate Barry Maselli
Associate Director, State Government Affairs
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
Boston |
Once you recognize who MTF's deep-pocketed patrons
are, it's easy to appreciate who's pulling Michael Widmer's strings,
giving him his marching orders to roll out that big wooden horse.
That half-billion dollars and growing surplus is
going to go somewhere. It could either go back into the pockets of
average taxpayers or perhaps into the vaults of the fat-cats. It's
Widmer's job to make sure the fat-cats get fatter at our expense,
whatever he has to say or do.
"MTF President Michael Widmer said Romney's proposed income tax cut would have a
'tiny economic impact...'" Nonetheless, we'll take it --
first because it belongs to us; second because the voters mandated it,
and; finally because it may be a "tiny impact" to the
fat-cats, but it's more disposable income to us.
|
|
|
Chip
Ford |
State House News Service
Monday, June 7, 2004
MTF: Rebuild reserves,
pay health providers with excess '04 revenue
By Michael P. Norton
Calling the state's projected budget surplus "more apparent than real," a business-backed group on Monday called on Beacon Hill decision makers to use some of the excess tax revenue to shore up health care reimbursement rates while devoting most of it to replenishing reserve accounts that are being heavily used to maintain spending.
In a new bulletin, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation says the fiscal 2005 House and Senate budgets now being negotiated each rely upon about $700 million in one-time revenues that won't be there to support next year's budget.
The foundation suggests earmarking $150 million of the projected fiscal 2004 surplus to shore up reimbursements to health care providers who serve the uninsured and those on government-run insurance programs. The remaining $350 million, MTF says, should be deposited into the state's rainy day fund.
Gov. Mitt Romney last week proposed legislation spending the fiscal 2004 surplus on one-time capital projects, local aid to cities and towns, and on restoring a host of popular health and human services programs cut in the past two years. Romney proposed depositing $130 million of excess revenue into the state's reserves.
Romney also said the state's finances have brightened enough to warrant the continued implementation of the voter-approved income tax rollback to 5 percent. Romney last week said there are no excuses not to roll the rate back "now that the worst is behind us and revenue collections are once again robust."
But MTF President Michael Widmer said Romney's proposed income tax cut would have a "tiny economic impact" and the $200 million that would accrue to taxpayers would be more effectively assigned to reducing the state's reliance on reserves and restoring a structurally balanced state budget.
Using figures that account for off-budget spending, the MTF bulletin concludes that Romney proposes increasing state spending in fiscal 2005 by 5.9 percent to $24.5 billion, compared to a 6.6 percent spending increase in the House budget and a 7.2 percent increase in the Senate budget.
Senate President Robert Travaglini (D-East Boston) told the News Service Monday morning that budget talks that began formally last Thursday are "going well." Travaglini said negotiators on both sides "feel passionately" about proposals in their respective budgets.
Budget negotiators had originally set a June 21 target date for a compromise budget. House budget chief John Rogers (D-Norwood) recently suggested a June 12 completion date. Travaglini said he's not sure whether Rogers' goal can be achieved and progress will depend on concessions made by negotiators.
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