CITIZENS
for
Limited Taxation & Government
Post Office Box 408 Peabody, Massachusetts
01960 (617) 248-0022
E-Mail: cltg@cltg.org Web-page: http://cltg.org
CLT&G
Update
Tuesday, September 1,
1998
This is the "Bacon Hill" action to watch in the days ahead:
Imagine, you're caught red-handed stealing cookies from Mom's cookie jar. She scowls,
tapping her foot. Putting on your most innocent face, you look up and plead, "Mom, if
you don't punish me this time, I promise I'll never do it again, honest."
But when she catches you elbow-deep in the jar a week
later, cookie crumbs all over your chin, you implore: "I know I promised, mom, but
it's different this time."
In December of 1994, in a lame-duck, post-election
session, "The Best Legislature Money Can Buy" took for itself an outrageous 55
percent pay raise.
The next year, threatened by our initiative petition
for "A Law to Encourage a Citizen Legislature Accountable to the People"
(aka, the CLT&G Payraise Repeal), the Legislature took immediate steps in a propaganda
campaign to defuse our plan to cut not only their pay but the legislative session in half
as well, to six months.
Having achieved one of the highest salaries of any
state legislature in the nation, the Legislature is proposing a constitutional amendment
that will forever lock in the ill-gotten pay increase, automatically adjust it to the
economy every two years, and enshrine it in the state Constitution, safeguarding it
forever from being tampered with by the voters.
That proposed constitutional amendment will be Question
1 on the November ballot. If approved by enough foolish voters, it will make
our legislators the only human beings in the history of the world to have a
constitutionally mandated and protected salary and perpetual pay raises. (More on this
later.)
But the other action they took in their attempt to
deflect our criticism was to establish joint legislative rules that ended formal sessions
in election years not later than July 31st, before legislators could get their hands on
election-year goodies or become "lame ducks" immune from voter retribution. We
were all supposed to be impressed.
But we knew then that, as soon as us "stupid
voters" were supposed to forget or looked the other way the hands would be right back
in the cookie jar and the excuse would be, "But mom, things are different now."
Was there any reason whatsoever that we should have
believed them? Any reason at all? These are the same two-faced jackals who
"promised" with such sincerity that the tax rate increase would be only
"temporary."
As the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you;
fool me twice, shame on me."
After the "deep soul-searching," after
"struggling" with their "consciences" over the value of their words
and their credibility with the voters, after deciding on the best
rationalization and spin, the Legislature will do as it always does.
It will do whatever most benefits the politicians.
Even if that again means breaking a promise and faith
with their constituents.
Because that is their nature.
Chip Ford --
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, September 1, 1998
Metro | Region
Finneran is urged to clear way
for overrides of Cellucci's vetoes
By Tina Cassidy
Globe Staff
Lawmakers yesterday attempted to publicly pressure House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran to
skirt legislative rules, call a special session after the Sept. 15 primary, and override
$200 million worth of Acting Governor Paul Cellucci's vetoes.
At a news conference yesterday,
legislators and constituents urged Finneran to call back the House -- Senate President
Thomas F. Birmingham has already indicated he is willing to call back his members - and
vote to restore funding out of the budget surplus for such things as library improvements
and economic development projects.
"The vetoes cut to the heart of our ability to keep the public safe, to
protect the environment, to educate our children and provide services to people in need,"
said Representative James Marzilli, an Arlington Democrat. "This
is not an attempt to subvert the rules of the House."
Finneran, initially opposed to bending
the rules to allow veto overrides after the July 31 end of formal sessions, has softened
his stance recently to say he would consider the idea. He could not be reached for comment
yesterday.
But Cellucci said the Legislature was in
a "feeding frenzy" to spend money.
"I said. 'No.' It's my job as
governor to impose fiscal discipline on the state Legislature and on state government. A
lot of the projects I vetoed might make it through that capital planning process, but they
should be subjected to it," Cellucci said. "We need to make sure these projects
are worthy."
Cellucci's vetoes -- including a $2.25
million Pittsfield Redevelopment Fund, $3 million for Fitchburg's proposed technology
mall, $2.9 million for the Brockton Public Library, $3 million for refitting or closing a
North Andover trash burning plant, and $3 million for an economic development center on
the New Bedford waterfront -- have caused an uproar from constituents across the state.
Some accused Cellucci of being penny
foolish.
"We need money in order to leverage
local donations," said Diane Pacheco, director of the Brockton Public Library, a
facility more than 80 years old in need of updating.
Robert Moroney, director of public works
for Manchester-by-the-Sea, said $3 million in funding cuts for a solid waste facility
could result in North Shore residents spending "four times the state average"
for trash removal.
Those who have spoken with Finneran say
he is gauging the sentiment of the House and may be willing to suspend a three-year-old
rule that prohibits extending controversial business beyond the July 31 deadline for
formal sessions.
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE
Monday, August 31, 1998
LAWMAKERS DEMAND FORMAL SESSION
TO OVERRIDE CELLUCCI VETOES
SHNS ... TH ... AUGUST 31, 1998 ... A dozen legislators led by Rep. James Marzilli today
asked House Speaker Thomas Finneran to support a return to formal legislative sessions to
override acting Gov. Paul Cellucci's vetoes of $200 million worth of local projects.
At a noon press conference, Marzilli
(D-Arlington) said the Legislature unwittingly ceded power to the
governor under rules adopted three years ago that were intended to prevent
lame-duck decisions in which the business of lawmaking was influenced by elections.
The rules prohibit the Legislature from
meeting in formal sessions after July 31st in an election year. That means no roll calls,
which are required for bond authorizations, land takings or veto overrides.
But the Legislature has a constitutional
duty to review gubernatorial vetoes, Marzilli said, arguing the Legislature should return
to exercise its power despite its in-house rules.
"This is not
an attempt to subvert the rules of the House," Marzilli said. "This is an attempt to use the rules of the House to enforce the
constitutional authority that has been vested in us. We're not here today to
suggest we take up any new things."
While Senate President Thomas Birmingham
said his colleagues would return "in a nanosecond" to take up the veto overrides
if the House agreed to do the same, Finneran has expressed opposition to the idea and more
recently, a neutral stance.
Finneran could not be reached for
comment today, although his aides attended the event.
Cellucci vetoed the $200 million capital
supplemental budget on Aug. 10, and said legislators should only blame themselves for not
getting to override the vetoes, since they knew about the July 31st deadline.
The capital budget includes funding for
projects ranging from an ice rink on Nantucket to expanded libraries and community
development efforts across the state.
Cellucci said many of the projects he
vetoed seemed worthy, but should have gone through the capital planning process like
everything else. Instead, he said, the Legislature embarked upon an election-year
"feeding frenzy" by trying to spend surplus revenues instead of returning them
to taxpayers.
Legislators today retorted that Cellucci
staged a "veto frenzy" to appear fiscally conservative against right-wing
challenges from state Treasurer Joseph Malone, his Republican primary opponent.
Rep. Alice Wolf (D-Cambridge) said the
projects had been fully screened. "These were things the leadership considered very
carefully," she said.
"This is
about the quality of life in Massachusetts," Marzilli added. "These vetoes threaten the very stability of life in our
commonwealth."
Marzilli said he has about 30
supporters, but said many legislators are on vacation or on the campaign trails. Asked if
he would try and force Finneran's hand, Marzilli replied: "One step at a time."
In a letter distributed this afternoon,
House Minority Leader David Peters (R-Charlton) said he opposed returning to formal
sessions because he wanted to preserve the integrity of the House. Peters also indicated
Finneran does not intend to call the House back.
"Bringing back the legislature will
open the floodgates to lame-duck election year politics at its worst, and we should avoid
the feeding frenzy that would result," Peters wrote. "Not only is the integrity
of the rules at stake, but the integrity of the House and its members. Following our rules
is crucial to maintaining public confidence in the legislative process."
Other legislators who supported the
return to formal sessions today include Reps. John Businger of Brookline, Paul Demakis of
Boston, Louis Kafka of Sharon, Jay Kaufman of Lexington, Thomas Kennedy of Brockton, Kay
Khan of Newton, John Stasik of Framingham, and Kathleen Teahan of Whitman. Also joining
the lawmakers were Geoffrey Beckwith of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and
Michael Ripple of the Mass. Council of Human Service Providers.
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