CLT UPDATE
Friday, March 13, 2009
Mass. fiscal crisis over! -- money found to fund
hacks!
Outrage is sweeping Beacon Hill after
Gov. Deval Patrick quietly slipped a $175,000 plum job to a political
pal while squeezing taxpayers to pay more for less from the debt-ridden
state government.
Asking citizens to fork over 19 cents more per gallon at the gas pump
while bracing for cuts of cops and teachers, Patrick awarded supporter
Marian Walsh the pricey plum as assistant executive director of the
state’s Health and Educational Facilities Authority.
The job has been vacant for 12 years. The appointment of Walsh, 54, a
Democratic state senator from West Roxbury, was revealed amid news of a
$1 billion state deficit while Patrick continued his vacation in
Jamaica.
“We’re facing a fiscal crisis and he’s giving away a $175,000 job,” said
House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “This was vacant for
several years. Why do we need it now?”
“While the state’s in a fiscal calamity and we’re trying to stay afloat,
the governor is basically creating this pricey position,” said Senate
Minority Leader Richard Tisei (R-Wakefield)....
Patrick appointed Walsh’s husband, retired District Court judge Paul
Buckley, to a $113,000-a-year job as director of the state’s industrial
accident board. He’s eligible to take home a $92,000 pension upon
retiring....
The appointment flies in the face of Patrick’s recent rhetoric asking
residents to sacrifice during tough times. It also puts him at odds with
his campaign pledge to shun political patronage....
Barbara Anderson, director of Citizens for Limited Taxation,
said the Walsh appointment means residents are even less likely to
support any of Patrick’s suggested new taxes.
“It’s a nice big ‘Forget about it,’ when he asks for any of the
increases,” Anderson said. “If we didn’t need her last month or last
year, why do we need her now?”
The Boston Herald
Friday, March 13, 2009
$175,000 plum job for governor’s pal
Slot’s been vacant for 12 years
As state lawmakers grapple with shrinking revenue, House
leaders are talking about completely eliminating earmarks from next year's
budget in a move that would cut off the lifeblood of local politicians....
In the past, money has been directed toward pet projects like a gazebo in
Braintree and Victorian light fixtures in downtown Melrose.
"That would be great, particularly since their not going to be able to afford
earmarks," said Barbara Anderson, executive director of Citizens for
Limited Taxation. "In fact, they can't afford earmarks in this year's budget
so this would be a sign that they're facing reality."
The Lowell Sun
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Some lawmakers consider slashing earmarks
Governor Deval Patrick, who campaigned on a platform to fight
business as usual on Beacon Hill, has given one of his earliest political
supporters a $175,000-a-year job as an assistant director at a state bonding
authority, a position that had sat vacant for more than a dozen years....
Two years ago, Patrick appointed Walsh's husband - Paul V. Buckley, a retired
District Court judge - to the state's Industrial Accident Board, a post that
pays $113,000 a year. That job will sharply increase his state pension. Walsh
had applied to Patrick's Judicial Nominating Commission to become a district
court judge, but she withdrew her name a year ago.
The Boston Globe
Friday, March 13, 2009
Early Patrick supporter gets plum job
State senator named to $175,000 position
The little-known Beacon Hill legislation allowed both men to
cobble service credits from their volunteer duties for their towns onto pension
credit for other public-sector jobs, giving them enough service time to collect
greatly enhanced pensions....
Lamere today has a pension of about $63,000 annually, based on the 22 years he
presided over Milton Town Meeting in the 1960s and 1970s combined with the 10
years he worked as a Big Dig lawyer. For his 10 years as moderator in Canton in
the 1970s and 1980s and the 12 years he worked as the Canton town counsel,
Curran now collects about $46,500 a year in pension benefits.
The enhancements were sizable, with Lamere gaining an extra $43,000 a year and
Curran earning an extra $16,500.
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
2 moderators use obscure law to pad pensions
Milton, Canton pair drew on political connections
Reform before revenue is not a wild and crazy idea.
It's exactly what Massachusetts taxpayers deserve....
Leadership does mean standing up for new revenue. But it also means demanding
reform, making it happen, and convincing voters it is not a mirage.
The Boston Globe
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Why we need reform before revenue
By Joan Vennochi
"I may not be able to vent my spleen anymore, since the
surgeon removed it last week, but I've still got plenty of bile to throw out
when it comes to this state's government!" Citizens for Limited Taxation's Chip
Ford of Marblehead wrote members this week.
The guessing here is Ford will indeed have plenty of not-so-nice things to say
about the tax and toll increases that will be a main topic of discussion at the
Statehouse this spring.
The Salem News
Friday, March 13, 2009
Good idea a no-go in Salem
[Excerpt]
Chip Ford's CLT
Commentary
“This is one commonwealth. We
share in the sacrifices. We share in the challenges.”
Jamaica-vacationing Gov. Patrick, Mar. 2009
upon unveiling his plan to hike the gas tax
before departure.
Well isn't it great to know
that -- despite the rest of the nation -- Massachusetts has
dodged the "depression" bullet and can conduct Bacon Hill business as usual!
No more need for us to to think about tax hikes on gas, alcohol, candy,
sales, income, or anything else. Massachusetts is so fat and happy
that we've got money to blow, business as usual -- politics as
usual! My goodness, at this rate pretty soon Gov. Patrick and the
Legislature may finally get around to the voters' 2000 mandate to roll back
the state income tax to five percent -- Hallelujah! It'll be about
time, if 19 years late.
Aw god . . . what more can
I add?
"Weeding the garden"?
"Excising the cancer"? Not in Taxachusetts.
See our
news release of
Tuesday. Until we throw the bums out, obviously
nothing's going to change. It hasn't in decades. How long
can we live under this reign of confiscatory terror? How long can
even the Moon Bats and their trust funds? (See Howie Carr's Boston
Herald column, "Liberals’
voluntary taxes amount to zilch for state.")
The end is near . . .
they'll never surrender. The scams continue . . .
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|
Chip Ford |
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The Boston Herald
Friday, March 13, 2009
$175,000 plum job for governor’s pal
Slot’s been vacant for 12 years
By Hillary Chabot
Outrage is sweeping Beacon Hill after Gov. Deval Patrick quietly slipped
a $175,000 plum job to a political pal while squeezing taxpayers to pay
more for less from the debt-ridden state government.
Asking citizens to fork over 19 cents more per gallon at the gas pump
while bracing for cuts of cops and teachers, Patrick awarded supporter
Marian Walsh the pricey plum as assistant executive director of the
state’s Health and Educational Facilities Authority.
The job has been vacant for 12 years. The appointment of Walsh, 54, a
Democratic state senator from West Roxbury, was revealed amid news of a
$1 billion state deficit while Patrick continued his vacation in
Jamaica.
“We’re facing a fiscal crisis and he’s giving away a $175,000 job,” said
House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “This was vacant for
several years. Why do we need it now?”
“While the state’s in a fiscal calamity and we’re trying to stay afloat,
the governor is basically creating this pricey position,” said Senate
Minority Leader Richard Tisei (R-Wakefield).
The six-digit salary boost won’t affect Walsh’s pension because the
quasi-independent authority isn’t under the state retirement system. She
currently makes $76,000 a year as majority whip and has served in the
Senate since 1993.
Patrick appointed Walsh’s husband, retired District Court judge Paul
Buckley, to a $113,000-a-year job as director of the state’s industrial
accident board. He’s eligible to take home a $92,000 pension upon
retiring.
Health authority spokesman Liam Sullivan said Walsh will help the
quasi-independent agency boost its “government relations expertise.”
The agency works to funnel tax-exempt financing for capital projects to
nonprofit institutions.
The appointment flies in the face of Patrick’s recent rhetoric asking
residents to sacrifice during tough times. It also puts him at odds with
his campaign pledge to shun political patronage.
“This is one commonwealth. We share in the sacrifices. We share in the
challenges,” Patrick said just last month when he unveiled his plan to
hike the gas tax.
Barbara Anderson, director of Citizens for Limited Taxation,
said the Walsh appointment means residents are even less likely to
support any of Patrick’s suggested new taxes.
“It’s a nice big ‘Forget about it,’ when he asks for any of the
increases,” Anderson said. “If we didn’t need her last month or last
year, why do we need her now?”
Patrick spokesman Joe Landolfi sent an e-mailed statement saying Walsh
was qualified for the position.
Walsh, who would not address the controversy, has sought to exit the
Senate for a few years, sources say. She was a finalist for a judgeship
last year, and she previously was considered by the administration for
the executive director’s post at HEFA.
The Lowell Sun
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Some lawmakers consider slashing earmarks
By Matt Murphy
As state lawmakers grapple with shrinking revenue, House leaders are
talking about completely eliminating earmarks from next year's budget in
a move that would cut off the lifeblood of local politicians.
New House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Murphy, D-Burlington, has been
floating the idea privately to individual lawmakers in one-on-one
meetings as he prepares next year's budget, according to several
lawmakers. The move could save from $80 million to $160 million next
year, based on current budget estimates.
Financial experts predict the state could face a deficit as high as $4.3
billion in fiscal 2010, starting July 1.
"I think this body needs to show some restraint. It might be impossible
to totally eliminate earmarks, but we as members have to show it's tough
out there and happy days aren't here again," said Rep. Barry Finegold,
D-Andover, when asked about the possibility of no local earmarks.
Legislators use earmarks in the budget to direct state funding to
projects and agencies in their home districts. The spending items have
been fiercely protected over the years by lawmakers who insist they know
what's best for their cities and towns.
They have also become a symbol of wasteful spending on Beacon Hill as
some lawmakers have used the tool to direct funds to pet projects at
home that carry no great benefit for the state.
In the past, money has been directed toward pet projects like a gazebo
in Braintree and Victorian light fixtures in downtown Melrose.
"That would be great, particularly since their not going to be able to
afford earmarks," said Barbara Anderson, executive director of
Citizens for Limited Taxation. "In fact, they can't afford earmarks
in this year's budget so this would be a sign that they're facing
reality."
President Barack Obama has also been facing criticism on a national
level for allowing $5.5 billion in Congressional pet projects to creep
into the $410 billion omnibus spending bill signed yesterday that
included $428,000 for Lowell General Hospital and $150,000 for the
Lowell Police Department's law-enforcement video information sharing
project.
Locally, legislators have been meeting with Murphy and his staff to
discuss spending priorities for next year's state budget, but all
acknowledge that money will be extremely tight.
Many lawmakers interviewed yesterday said they could go along with the
plan for no earmarks as long as the rule held true for everyone. Some
worried that pet projects for some lawmakers would get sneaked into the
budget last minute.
Murphy could not be reached yesterday for comment.
Last year, House lawmakers tacked on close to $200 million in earmarks
to a $28 billion budget. Gov. Deval Patrick, who talked about reining in
earmark spending during his campaign, vetoed $121 million only to have
$55 million restored by override.
The final budget for fiscal 2009 included more than $163 million in
earmarked spending. Patrick, through emergency budget cuts in October
and January, trimmed that figure to $79 million, according to
legislative budget officials.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, the former Ways and Means
chairman, has defended the earmarking process in the past as helpful to
local economic development, but his team now appears open to curtailing
the practice.
Most lawmakers bristle at the suggestion that earmarks permit wasteful
pork spending.
"My earmarks are not bridges to nowhere," said Rep. Stephen DiNatale,
D-Fitchburg. "They go to legitimate projects and organization in my
district, in Fitchburg."
DiNatale and other said they could agree to a no-earmark rule as long as
no other lawmakers received preferential treatment.
"I'd certainly like to bring it under control. It's fine if everyone
plays by the same rule," DiNatale said.
State Rep. Kevin Murphy said it will be important in the coming months
to recognize that there is not much money to go around for lawmakers
looking to fund projects in their districts. Still, he's skeptical that
a blanket rule will be followed.
"Until I'm convinced that no one will get an earmark, I'm going to fight
for earmarks for the city of Lowell,"
The Boston Globe
Friday, March 13, 2009
Early Patrick supporter gets plum job
State senator named to $175,000 position
By Frank Phillips
Governor Deval Patrick, who campaigned on a platform to fight business
as usual on Beacon Hill, has given one of his earliest political
supporters a $175,000-a-year job as an assistant director at a state
bonding authority, a position that had sat vacant for more than a dozen
years.
State Senator Marian Walsh's appointment was approved yesterday by the
board of the Massachusetts Health and Education Facilities Authority,
which is dominated by Patrick appointees. The new post will give her a
pay raise of nearly $100,000 a year. The agency said Walsh will head its
new effort to reach out to other authorities and state agencies to
create savings by pooling resources.
Republicans sharply criticized Patrick yesterday for appointing Walsh, a
nine-term West Roxbury Democrat, to such a high-paying post as the
nation slides into serious recession and the state government is
slashing its budget and laying people off. The appointment comes as
unemployment in the private sector has risen to 7.4 percent.
"Creating a job for Marian Walsh does not count as one of the thousands
of jobs Governor Patrick promised to create in Massachusetts," said
Barney Keller, the GOP spokesman. "Instead of rewarding supporters with
high-paying jobs, the governor should focus on creating jobs for the
thousands of unemployed taxpayers."
Two years ago, Patrick appointed Walsh's husband - Paul V. Buckley, a
retired District Court judge - to the state's Industrial Accident Board,
a post that pays $113,000 a year. That job will sharply increase his
state pension. Walsh had applied to Patrick's Judicial Nominating
Commission to become a district court judge, but she withdrew her name a
year ago.
Joseph Landolfi, the governor's spokesman, did not respond directly to
the GOP criticism. He issued a statement saying that Walsh was "highly
qualified" for the post and that the governor's office looks forward to
working with her.
Walsh's office said she would not be available to comment on her new
job.
In a joint statement, the Massachusetts Health and Education Facilities
Authority chairman, Allen Larson, and its executive director, Benson
Caswell, said Walsh's 20 years of experience in the Legislature gives
her the credentials for the job. "She is a highly qualified and
well-respected individual," they said in the written statement.
Walsh had originally been slated to take over as executive director of
the facilities authority, but the governor's staff backed down after the
Globe published an e-mail in May 2008 from a Walsh adviser to Patrick's
chief of staff that detailed a plan to push Caswell out of the
$225,000-a-year position, pack the board with Patrick supporters, and
then have the board appoint her to his position.
Walsh, the Senate majority whip, will see a significant boost in her
current $76,440 state salary. But the authority is not part of the state
pension system, and her new salary will not boost her state retirement
benefits. The agency, which secures tax-exempt capital financing for
hospitals, colleges and universities, cultural and research
institutions, and human service providers, has a private savings
retirement system.
The veteran lawmaker had been looking to give up her seat for a state
job for several years. Beacon Hill officials have said her relationship
with Senate President Therese Murray has been strained. She has held the
Senate seat since 1992, after serving two terms in the House.
Murray issued a statement yesterday praising Walsh, saying she has been
a "strong advocate for her constituents and a champion of important
issues."'
Caswell has extensive experience in public bonding and non-profit debt.
Walsh's credentials in public bonding are not as strong. She holds a
theological degree from Harvard Divinity School and a law degree from
Suffolk University. She has worked on state finance and financial
regulation issues, serving as Senate chairwoman of the Joint Committee
on Taxation and the Joint Committee on Banks and Banking. She also led
efforts in the Senate to force private, nonprofit organizations to open
their books to the public.
Walsh was one of the first state political figures to back what was then
considered a long-shot bid by Patrick to win the Democratic nomination
for governor in 2006. Within days after winning the governor's race,
Patrick, having vowed to upend the political culture on Beacon Hill,
told reporters that state legislators should not expect patronage
appointments from him.
Walsh's announcement creates a rare opening in the Senate, prompting
speculation about who may look to succeed her in a special election,
which will probably be held in late summer or fall.
State Representative Michael F. Rush of West Roxbury wasted no time
yesterday jumping into the race. Other potential contenders include
former House majority leader John H. Rogers, who was relegated to the
back benches after his failed bid to become speaker.
Councilor John D. Tobin of West Roxbury said yesterday that he would
hold off on making a decision. When Walsh was rumored to be a candidate
for a judgeship last year, Tobin said, he was ready to run for the seat.
But he faces reelection this year and said he probably would have to
give up his council seat to run in a special election for Walsh's seat.
"A year ago, things lined up politically and professionally," Tobin
said. "There are differing things on the table now that I have to
evaluate."
State Representative Paul McMurtry, of Dedham, also was noncommittal
yesterday. "I'm leaving options open," he said.
Councilor Rob Consalvo of Hyde Park said yesterday he would not run in a
special election.
John Drake of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
2 moderators use obscure law to pad pensions
Milton, Canton pair drew on political connections
By Sean P. Murphy
Robert K. Lamere was an esteemed figure as Milton's volunteer town
moderator, the steady hand on the gavel at the annual Town Meeting. One
town to the south, Michael P. Curran also bore the moderator's title,
leading the familiar rite of small-town government in Canton.
But these local figures came to differ from virtually every other town
moderator in the state. Using their political connections, they
successfully lobbied the Legislature in 2002 to win lucrative pension
enhancements for the brief stints they served at the podium - which
typically amounted to 10 hours a year.
The little-known Beacon Hill legislation allowed both men to cobble
service credits from their volunteer duties for their towns onto pension
credit for other public-sector jobs, giving them enough service time to
collect greatly enhanced pensions.
The law could benefit any town moderator with the right employment
history, but interviews over several weeks failed to turn up any other
unpaid moderators who have taken advantage of it.
Lamere today has a pension of about $63,000 annually, based on the 22
years he presided over Milton Town Meeting in the 1960s and 1970s
combined with the 10 years he worked as a Big Dig lawyer. For his 10
years as moderator in Canton in the 1970s and 1980s and the 12 years he
worked as the Canton town counsel, Curran now collects about $46,500 a
year in pension benefits.
The enhancements were sizable, with Lamere gaining an extra $43,000 a
year and Curran earning an extra $16,500.
Their cases illustrate the Legislature's frequent willingness to reward
the politically connected with lucrative public pensions, in votes that
typically receive scant public attention. Lawmakers have passed bills to
allow library trustees, for example, to win pensions, as well as
authorized certain disability pensions for firefighters and police
officer without requiring any medical reviews.
The moderator cases also raise questions about why the Legislature would
approve tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-supported pensions for
a few local officials who put modest amounts of time into public service
while many other town volunteers - some donating hundreds of hours - go
without.
Lamere, who began collecting his pension in 2004, said he served Milton
well and paid his dues. When he told Town Meeting members in 1982 that
he would no longer be a candidate for reelection, the members responded
with a standing ovation.
"I did a hell of a good job for the town," said the 83-year-old Lamere,
who was reached by telephone recently at his winter home in Key West,
Fla.
And while other town moderators in Massachusetts said they viewed the
opportunity to engage in a rich civic tradition as enough reward for
their work, Curran, 76, said there was nothing inappropriate about using
his political connections to push legislation and cash in.
"If the system exists, you have the right to take advantage of it," he
said. "I was entitled to something and I took it." Curran said he was
unaware of any other moderators who received pensions before the bill
passed and he began collecting his pension in 2002.
Officials in Canton said they were not aware Curran had won the
benefits. "Wow - I did not know that," said James R. Murgia, Canton's
finance director. "That was kind of a generous gesture by the
Legislature."
Avril T. Elkort, a longtime Canton selectwoman, said she would
investigate Curran's pension, which is paid by local property taxes.
"It looks like he was given a gift by someone," she said.
Lamere and Curran made no contributions during their tenures as
moderators because they had no salaries. So the law allowed them to
contribute retroactively, as if they had been paid $2,500 a year. For
Lamere that meant a one-time payment of $13,418; for Curran, a $42,185
payment, records show.
Edward N. Perry, president of the state Moderators Association and the
Concord town moderator, said he would not accept a pension and that the
association does not advocate for such benefits.
"The association has taken no part in developing, drafting, lobbying, or
passing legislation involving pensions," he said.
There are about 300 moderators in the state, and the majority of them,
like Lamere and Curran, are unpaid, Perry said. About two-thirds of them
are lawyers.
"I do it to give back to the community that raised me," said Perry, who
added that he had been unaware of pension eligibility for moderators
until recently contacted by the Globe.
Michael P. Miller, the association treasurer and the Brimfield town
moderator, also said he knew of no moderator who received a pension. He
said he is not interested in a pension. "I consider it an honor to do
it," he said.
The Globe was able to identify only one other moderator - paid or unpaid
- who receives a pension: Thomas N. George, a former state
representative and Republican who served as Yarmouth town moderator for
more than 30 years. His case is different, however, because he was paid
$300 a year (increased to $500 in 1991) and therefore did not need the
special 2002 legislation to apply for a pension. George, a lawyer,
served eight years in the Legislature until 2005.
Had George retired from the Legislature without credit for his years as
moderator, his annual pension would have been about $11,000. But by
including those additional years he was able to boost his annual pension
dramatically - to almost $42,000, according to retirement records.
"I just took what they gave me," George said. "I knew what the rules
were and I was happy to get it."
The 2002 bill that benefited Lamere and Curran was shepherded through
the Legislature by state Representative William C. Galvin of Canton, a
Democrat and longtime friend and political ally of Curran.
Curran and Lamere lobbied him, Galvin said. What convinced him to
support it, he said, was that other moderators - in towns where that
elected official is paid a modest sum - are eligible for pensions.
"It was not done to pad someone's pension," Galvin said in an interview.
"It was not targeted for someone. It was more philosophical. It put
unpaid moderators on the same footing as paid moderators."
Curran has been a staunch political supporter of Galvin - and of
Galvin's father when the elder Galvin held the same legislative seat his
son now occupies. For many years, Curran chaired the Canton Democratic
Town Committee. He has contributed to the younger Galvin's campaign fund
regularly since 1991.
Moreover, Curran and Galvin for many years rubbed shoulders as town hall
colleagues: Curran served as full-time town counsel in the 1990s,
earning about $66,000 a year, while Galvin served as an elected member
of the Board of Assessors (qualifying him for an enhanced pension).
William T. Friel, Canton town administrator, said he knew about the
legislative proposal to enhance Curran's pension, but decided not to
notify the Board of Selectmen, the finance committee, or the finance
director, even though it would affect the town's bottom line.
"It was not done under the cover of darkness," he said. "People knew
about it." But the bill was never publicly discussed in Canton. Unlike
Canton, Milton is not stuck with the bill for its former moderator's
pension.
Lamere served as moderator from 1960 to 1982, during which time he was a
partner in the Boston law firm Sullivan and Worcester. When he retired
after 33 years with the firm, Lamere became a senior counsel to the Big
Dig. While there, he lobbied for pension credit. He retired 18 months
after the bill passed.
Lamere is retired from the Turnpike Authority, which managed the Big
Dig. When the Turnpike Authority demanded the Town of Milton help pay
Lamere's pension, Milton refused. That means turnpike and tunnel
toll-payers are underwriting the $43,000 portion of Lamere's pension
attributable to his town moderator service.
The Boston Globe
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Why we need reform before revenue
By Joan Vennochi
Reform before revenue is not a wild and crazy idea.
It's exactly what Massachusetts taxpayers deserve.
During a recent closed-door session to pitch a gas tax hike to state
lawmakers, State Transportation Secretary James Aloisi was asked, "What
about reform before revenue?" Aloisi shocked his audience by calling the
refrain a "meaningless slogan."
Aloisi did damage control after that meeting, putting out a statement
that said "the Senate has proposed an extensive set of reforms that the
administration fully supports." Yet during a Feb. 25 visit to the Globe,
Aloisi also opined that the Senate is "way out of line to say 'reform
first.' "
Across the nation and in Massachusetts, people are losing their jobs,
retirement savings, and confidence. Bay State residents are also being
told they must pay more in taxes to bail out a transportation system
that was essentially bankrupted by excessive spending and past
mismanagement.
Meanwhile, outrageous cases of state pension abuse continue to make
headlines. Lawmakers have passed bills that allow library trustees to
win pensions. They have authorized disability pensions for firefighters
and police without medical reviews to back them up.
This week, the Globe's Sean Murphy told the story of two town
moderators, Robert K. Lamere of Milton and Michael P. Curran of Canton.
The two men unashamedly used their political connections to lobby the
Legislature for lucrative pension enhancements. State legislators
unashamedly came through for them. Lamere has a $63,000 annual pension,
based on 22 years as a town moderator, plus his work as a Big Dig
lawyer. For his 10 years as a moderator, plus work as town counsel,
Curran gets $46,500 annually.
Despite public outrage over their windfall, Lamere and Curran have no
regrets. "If the system exists, you have the right to take advantage of
it. I was entitled to something and I took it," said Curran.
Against that backdrop, Governor Deval Patrick and Democratic lawmakers
are considering a range of tax increases, from a hike in the gas tax to
increases in the sales or income tax.
They will have a tough time selling any one of those options to an
increasingly angry and cynical public, absent evidence of real reform.
"Clearly, you have to have both. You can't have revenue without
significant reform," acknowledges Doug Rubin, the governor's chief of
staff.
Rubin insists long-delayed reform of the state transportation system is
already underway. The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority reduced the
number of toll collectors and managers and is saving more than $31
million, says Rubin. He projects savings of $3 million to $5 million
once the state switches to more civilian flaggers instead of police
details at certain construction sites.
Every penny of Patrick's proposed 19-cent-per-gallon gas tax hike is
targeted for a specific purpose. So, Rubin argues that taxpayers can be
persuaded it is necessary and should appreciate they have a governor who
is "trying to end the culture of not being straight with them."
The governor is also working with House Speaker Robert DeLeo to achieve
aggressive pension reform, Rubin promises.
But Patrick must still convince voters to trust him, when they have
little reason to trust any Massachusetts politician.
After years of being fleeced by the Big Dig's backers, the average
taxpayer wonders: Exactly what constitutes reform?
Does the Patrick administration's proposed merging and purging of
various state transportation agencies really add up to reform? Is Aloisi,
who was paid huge sums of money to give legal advice to one of those
agencies, the best advocate for the deck-shuffling?
There is also good reason to be skeptical of the "reform before revenue"
slogan adopted by state lawmakers. For years, they helped politically
connected friends manipulate the system. Why should anyone believe these
same lawmakers are now willing to shut down the favor bank that
Massachusetts taxpayers funded for so long?
Massachusetts does face a genuine fiscal crisis. The transportation
system is running on empty.
Leadership does mean standing up for new revenue. But it also means
demanding reform, making it happen, and convincing voters it is not a
mirage.
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