Now it's getting Testy... The House, Senate and Deval
Battle lines are now being drawn... the Senate wants to take out a provision for Devals slush fund under the "ethics reform package". Devals ethics reform did not include campaign finance. Any wonder why... he's raised millions and continues to do so... under his 71st Governor Fund where by individuals can donate 5,500 dollars in one check, 500 to Deval and 5,000 for the State Democratic party. The Party can then pay Deval's political expenses, around 700,000. The Senate wants to limit the total amount donated to 500.00. Deval must be pissed at this move.
The Senate is now proposing slashing everything, except their own salaries and perks. Senate President Murray still refuses to take up ethics reform and the House still is avoiding pension reforms that allow termination allowances for pols who quit or fail to be re elected. To continue the practices of yesterday, could cost us millions in coming years. Judges can decide whether changing a contract is legal or not but it will be wild to see who among the legislature will try to keep the practices of pension abuse alive and well.
The Senate is making everyone nervous with their budget proposals, slashing everything. The House has not slashed much, but has proposed hefty sales tax increase to pay for some of their promises. Deval has positioned himself in the middle of this school yard game. None of these groups want to give an inch, none want to do the right thing by us, none can see past the next election and have raised and spent more money last year than since 1990.
Huge outcries will soon be heard from everyone in the State that gets funds, like education, local aid, health care, ect etc. This will make it easier for the elected elite to raise more revenues from taxes. It's a shell game they play, spinning webs of mis information and back door deals. By July, gas will be 3.00 a gallon or more, a budget like no other budget in recent times, will come out and it will rely heavily on tax increases of all kinds. Times will be tough for local Towns and overrides will not happen in an election year. All that's left to know, is what the elected elite are going to tell us and when.
posted by Jim Pillsbury @ 10:12 AM
14 Comments
14 Comments:
Isn't it time the state appointed someone with some knowledge about economics to oversee the budget process? We did not have a balanced budget in MA before the economic crisis hit. If they could not balance their budget then, why do we think they will be able to do it now? A school yard game is right Jim, they are all like kids trying to make sure they get as much as they can instead of going into this thinking about what is best for the state. Not one single person, including the Governor, is looking out for the state overall. They all have their own private agendas.
FYI.. 6th,
Deval has heard from some of this States and this counties top economic advisors and decided not to act on their recommendations way before this. Same holds true for the Senate leadership. They knew... and they ignored the experts.
Don’t know how to tell you this folks, but they can raise the sales tax, and they can raise other taxes. But the truth of the matter is, if people are struglling, they will not be able to pay those increased costs so they are going to cut their spending, and that means the increases are still not going to cover the budget shortfall. They need to cut spending, that is the only thing that will get us out of this hole. But how do we get them to see that?
I cume hear for equal. No workjobs in my country. Now no workjobs here. More money live here not my country. Kids hungry. I become United Sates citezin 1 year. Go back now to feed kids. Spend my money on tax but I get no job and no fix. Why this happen?
When will we as the constituents of these idiots say enough is enough? If we all stood up together and said, hey, you need to balance the budget and you need to do it without taking money out of our pockets, then they would have to listen. But we can never get enough of us to stand up and say that.
Too bad those top advisory would not come out publically and tell us what they are suggesting. Maybe if we knew their recommendations, we would be able to force the issue. Who are these people and why are their recommendations being kept from the public eye? Why is so much of MA politics done in back rooms and secret meetings? My mother always told me if you don’t want everyone to know about something you are doing, then you should not be doing it. These people at the state house ought to think about that. If they can not negotiate the solution to this budget crisis openly for all to hear and see, then maybe they should be doing different negotiations. What do you think Jim?
I agree with most of the previous comments. In CA, they are working long hours to fix their budget shortfalls, and so are many other states. In MA, they show up for an hour a week, and no one is willing to give anything up, so they only suggest tax increases. And they think that is perfectly acceptable behavior. Who the hell raised these morons? None of them have a conscience or a decent sense of right or wrong. All of their parents should be held accountable for being such horrible parents.
I read this and have absolutely nothing to say. Just no idea about how to make this work out for the good of the state. But I did want you to know I did read it, and do appreciate your posting it. But I think many of us are just out of comments on this mess.
We can notjust give up and let them get away with all this stuff. One of the things we can do is make sure everyone knows how bad a job these people are doing, and putting this information on the blog is a great way to do that. I think you have more readers than you realize. Keep up the good work Mr. Pillsbury.
Charlie Pride did a song many years ago... "Behind Closed Doors" and that's what is being done at the State House. The onle way we know anything, is the papers relentless pursuit of information.
Today we learn that the Senate's reform package is no where what it should be, Deval said this morning he will veto any budget that does not include ALL the reforms he has asked for... good thinking Deval. Some in the House suggest gloom and doom if the sales tax is not increased and a public service group suggests raising the sales tax to 7%. Even Pam Wilmont from Common Cause says the reforms don't cut it.
Beacon Hill Institute suggests that any increase in sales tax would cause more damage to our state than would help, in terms of business losses and more unemployment for our border communities.
The papers now report how many social services will be cut and with the decline in local aid, cops, fireman and central services will be almost eliminated.
This while UMass just hired Murrays chief of staff for a newly created position at 106K a year. State Police get 40 bucks a day to drive their own vehicles back and forth to work.
The perfect storm exists here, strong winds of change are ignored, high waves of public distrust batter the ship while the Captain and crew are to drunk to realize the danger.
It's out of hands now, until the Senate reaches a compromise with the House, we can just sit and wait.
Nice analogy Jim, about the druken crew. But you are right, at this point, it is a Perfect Storm and all we can do is wait to see how it plays out. Lets hope the waves don't get so out of control that the ship of state sinks.
let's hope that the Governor actually holds his ground on this one and insists things get done that need to be done. As tough as cutting the budget is, if we don't have money, then we need to cut. If the people chose to then want additional services that there is no money in the budget to pay for, then the people should determine the best way to fund those things. Arbitrarily upping various costs, like the sales tax, only to find out that it won't cover the existing shortfall is a waste of everyones time and money. We need a plan that will give us a balanced budget.
Who needs Desparate Housewives when we have MA politics? No one could write a better soap-opera, who-done-it mystery than we have going on in real life under the gold dome. It would be entertaining if it was not so scary to think all of our futures are in these idiots hands.
You all need to wake up and smell the roses. Don’t tell me you have been surprised by any of this, and if you have, you should be ashamed of yourself. Have you not been reading the Metro West or the Globe, not listening to any news reports? This is not new behavior, this is what has been going on for years and years and years. Now, when the economy has gone south, you all decide to pay attention. You are all a little late. But better late than never, as the saying goes. So know that you know about it and can not go around hiding your head in the sand, what are you going to do now?
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