Local Aid not cut... in the newest of Deval's rescue plans

To close the 600 million dollar gap in the budget, Deval has left local aid alone.. for now, but I can't imagine this will hold for next year.

62 million from the Stimulus money will go to higher education. 27 million less for school building construction. The two hack holidays are on the chopping block as well as 5 million from the Quinn Bill, which I believe would still leave 15 million. Look for this to not be funded at all very soon. Also cut is prescription advantage, the program for seniors to buy drugs, was cut by 5.6 million. There are many more cuts but Deval needs legislative approval for expanded budget cutting powers. And while all this bad news is hitting all of us, the legislature has not taken much of any hit at all. 1000 more state jobs will be cut if unions don't make some concessions. If the legislature is not mandated to take at least 2 days a week furlough for the rest of this year and all of next I'd be very surprised. They have anointed themselves free from worry about their pay checks.

And here in Framingham, some municipal workers are getting raises, and the two biggest unions, cops and fire have yet to be dealt with. All the meals and hotel taxes won't fix our problems.

Some justice for DiMasi

The retirement board has officially suspended Sal's 5k a month pension benefit. Although, the state coughed up 25 k in previously withheld checks to Sal, the Feds had asked the State to hold off on any action until after the criminal case is resolved. Some time next year we will see the end of this best example of the corrupt Beacon Hill politics, just in time for the elections.

a mistake at the unemployment office

If things could get any worse for some, the State Division of Unemployment Assistance mistakenly sent checks totaling $3.4 million to 4,159 out-of-work residents who’d exhausted their benefits, thanks to a glitch in the office’s archaic computer system, the Herald has learned.

Officials have yet to notify the hardluck recipients of the gaffe. Someone's head should roll on this and just exactly how will the State recover money from the un employed?

Meals Tax and Town Meeting

I was surprised to see the process of deciding whether Framingham will adopt the meals tax. Mr. Noonan does what he can to real in the obscure but it does get out of hand quickly. Maintaining the stabilization fund is all well and good, 10 million in is better than the 5 million in now, according to the rating agencies, but at what point does this continual increase in taxes effect businesses here? Clearly, most people who can afford going out to dinner, could care less about any tax increase and will pay the extra. Tonight they decide hotel room tax... I can't see them saying no to this either. How lucky they are to have so many hotels and restaurants to feed off of.

A little push.... Deval gets it now

Deval has released a list of 33 projects for road repair, 165 million worth of road repair. While sounding good for construction workers, this list of 33 still has to be vetted by the States 13 Metropolitan Planning groups. Of coarse, this couldn't have happened this year and I wonder if the planning groups can stop any of these projects? Are these the same agencies that duplicate other agencies work?

Look for a traffic nightmare on Rte 9 next spring from Southboro to Wellesley.

Casino's.. the next step

As most of you have heard, Milford has been targeted by big money players and casino magnets to become home of a casino. The idea of having it in Milford seems foolish, the idea is now being seriously considered next week on the Hill. Karen Spilka, co chair of the Joint Economic Development committee will hear from the voices next Thursday. The economic realities are such that licensed gambling should have already been approved and as far as I know, the Wompanoag's who say they will scale back on their casino, are still going forward in Middleboro.

Lets see how long it will take for those dead beat legislators to make something happen.

some sobering numbers... in bank reform

Not to depress any of our readers, and I do wish I could write about other things, but we are all in this together, no matter how rich or poor, the banking industry who has been bailed out with our tax dollars, is doing all it can, with it's vast wealth, to halt any credible attempt by congress and the President, to reform how the banks deal with us at the bottom.

I've written about this before and don't want to bore anyone, but you should know what is being reported:
Goldman Sachs has set aside 16.7 BILLION for compensation, this after the company has received 10 billion in Federal funds as well as 12.9 BILLION from the bailout of AIG.

224 million has been spent in the first half of this year to lobby congress. This will meet or best last years 460 million spent by real estate, insurance and financial institutes.

27 of the 71 members of the House Financial Services Committee have received more than a quarter of the total campaign contributions from the banking industry.

Political Action committees and employees from the financial institutes have contributed another 53 million to members of congress.

In related news Mike Capuano has donated to charity, 64,500 in funds he collected form a lobbyists group who is now under federal investigation for pay-to-play. Another 47,000 from employee's of PMA has not been given back or to charity.

Only two D's running for Ted's seat have not taken pac or lobbyists monies. Pagliuca doesn't need to (his net worth is around 400 million) and Khazie, City Year founder.

Can any decision made by those who take money from those who are to be regulated, ever be good, fair and just, for the common man and women? I can't see how.

In jeopardy of closing... our friends at CLT

For those of you have lived long enough to appreciate the work Barbra Anderson and Chip Ford from Citizens for Limited Taxation, have done for us over the past decades, let me refresh the Q, CLT was responsible for prop 2 1/2, defeated the steep graduated income tax in 1976 and again in 1994. This group has never shied away from fighting for the tax payers of this State and unless they get some funding, Nov 16th will be the end of this most non partisian group of dedicted people to defend us at the State level.

We'll all be better off if CLT can survive. If you have a few bucks to throw their way, go to http://www.cltg.org/ and make a donation.

Finally a pay cut for bailed out banks

A long time coming, but the US pay czar (Ken Feinberg) will cut the salaries of 175 employees at firms receiving large bail out funds. Ken Lewis for BaofAmercia will receive no salary for 2009. At Citigroup, management is telling their employee's it doesn't matter now as his company will be giving out longer term stock grants. At AIG, the pay czar has said, no employee will make over 200,000.00 for 2009.

It's about time they did this and as much as I think the government should be out of our lives, these institutions that took our tax dollars have flaunted huge pay raises and bonuses, while the country is still in the depths of high unemployment and credit freezes, had to step in.

Brown is against Cape Wind... a GOP moron runs for Spilka's seat

All 4 D's are in favor of Cape Wind, but the unaware Senator Brown thinks opposing Cape Wind will win him votes. Is the GOP party just saying no... for no good reasons? This after I learned last week, Senator Brown has submitted a bill, on behalf of the "Reefer Madness" top cop in Wellesley, to fine people 1,000 dollars if caught in a car where marijuana is present.

And speaking of idiots that give no constructive solutions to any of our problems, Ed McGrath will seek to replace Spilka. Now.... Spilka, one of Metero Wests least influential legislators should be replaced with someone who will work on behalf off all the residents here, not just a few handicap groups, but McGrath has only a weak party line to hold to and only recently has found solace in the eliminating the tolls group who is pushing a ballot initiative.

I hope an independent guts the courage to run against them both. We deserve better representation.

Coakley under investigation... Deval is at it again

From the Herald:

Leave it to the GOP....lets see if anything comes of this. But for the readers of this blog, we posted something about her secret accounts a while ago. Perhaps more info will come out now.

Federal election authorities have launched an official review into claims that Attorney General Martha Coakley improperly used her state campaign funds to ramp up her Senate bid weeks before U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy died.

The Federal Election Commission sent a letter to the Massachusetts Republican Party this week saying it is reviewing the GOP’s complaint that Coakley used state funds on her federal race - a violation of election laws.

“Martha Coakley was scheming a shadow campaign for higher office rather than prosecuting political corruption as Attorney General,” MassGOP spokeswoman Tarah Donoghue said. “Coakley is clearly trying to avoid questions on this matter, but she won’t be able to avoid the FEC.”










Gov. Deval Patrick has issued pink slips to nearly 100 state Department of Conservation and Recreation workers but spared a high-paid trio including the sister of his campaign manager and her two pals, the Herald has learned.

DCR Commissioner Rick Sullivan confirmed 91 workers have been let go, including some who held their jobs for years.

But Patty Vantine - the sister of Gov. Deval Patrick’s campaign manager and state Democratic chairman John Walsh - and two friends she hired are not among those hitting the unemployment line.

Vantine, a former accountant for the state Democratic party, was given a $20,000 raise last year that bumped her pay to $105,000 when she was promoted to a top DCR administrative post.

The Herald reported in May that Vantine hired her friend and Abington neighbor Kathleen Reilly to an $83,000-a-year administrative post. Reilly previously had worked for the state for 18 years but was a stay-at-home mom until Vantine brought her back onto the state payroll earlier this year.

Vantine also hired her Abington neighbor Kevin Whalen, a former analyst for State Street Corp., to a $68,000 “waterfront coordinator” position.

Does Deval think no one will hear of this?

The Feds stop arresting sick people

In a move that will pave the way for more sensible marijuana enforcement, the Obama administration has said it is not a wise use of time and money to prosecute those who use or supply medical marijuana. Fourteen states now allow some form of medicinal use of marijuana and of coarse, Mass is not one of them... yet.

The Bush administration continued the failed war tactics on dispensaries on the west coast, even though, the states had approved medical marijuana use and dispensaries.

This one act, paves the way for the feds to get out of the war on marijuana and will separate hemp from marijuana in the very near future and allow farmers all over the country to grow hemp. We hope to be making hemp pellets for pellet stoves in 2010.

Some justice and campaign donations,

For those who have followed this blog from last year, former Middlesex County Registrar of Probate, pleaded guilty of stealing more than 100,000 dollars from his campaign fund and his work place machines. He could get 302 years for his crimes, but will likely do 10. At 40 k a year to keep someone in prison, we will spend another half a million making sure he's feed and has a roof over his head.

Sal Dimasi has new charges leveld against him... exstortion. Look for him to be convicted of thsi also along with the other charges already leveled.

The ineffective, polarized and politically motivated Mass Pike Board will cease as on Nov. Let history be the judge, Alosi is quoted as saying. It can only help those of us who live west of the city, I say.

Ken Lewis, Bank of America CEO, has been ordered to make available documents relating to the Merril Lynch deal from the NY AG. He (Lewis) has said he will resign as CEO in the coming months, he has also agreed to pay back a million or so in pay and will not take any pay for this year. The rub hear is that he and some high powered administration people made the deal happen with Merrill, which, will implicate Bernacki and others. Look for Lewis to be charged with fraud in the coming months and It's my guess he will be convicted and do some jail time.

We may be in the midst of the worst financial times since the early 70's, but some of the well off eleite and politically connected are contributing heavily to the campaign coffers of the Senate hopeful's. Coakley leads the D's with 2.1 million, Alan Khazei 1.12 million, Capuano with 343,000 and Pagliuce with 203,000. On the R side, Brown has raised 169,000. The majority of the money is coming from Mass..... someone's got enough money to throw away on political races.

600 million shortfall now

More bad news on the home front. Mass is heading towards some seriuos lay offs (maybe 2000) and furloughs, if unions don't take some concessions. The Health Insurance fund for the un employed may be 50 million in the whole by April.

The 212 million dollar shortfall in revenue, unemployment at a record high of 9.3% is making the administration talk about more local aid cuts. All this and the legislature hasn't agreed to give Deval emergency powers to cut across all of the state budget. And nothing infuriates me more than the entitlement attitude of the Legislature. They've taken no hit what so ever in salary, benies or perks.

They are finally looking at consolidation of the quasi public/State agencies that are duplicating services. But notice, no wage freeze, no hiring freeze... nothing that would let us know they are serious about keeping us from further declines.

While I have railed on the lack of stimulus money going to shovel ready projects, that alone will not get us over the hump, but WHY Deval has not pulled out all the stops on this money is criminal and may be his undoing next year.

Hang on to your employment, take whatever job you can find, stay as healthy as you can and wait for the recession to be over.

A tax deal, left us 535 million short

Last year Beacon Hill approved incentives for business in our State, which will cost us 535 million dollars over the next 8 years. This gimme was to entice businesses, which turns out, let some businesses to sidestep certain tax liabilities.

This happened under Deval's watch and it turns out that 128 corporations that will claim deductions of 178.1 billion, which will cost us 535 million. Three of the largest corporations in the state will benefit the most.

While I do believe small business will lead us out of trouble in the future, tax breaks for the biggest of companies may only serve to keep things the way they are, the rich get richer.

Tax and Regulate cannabis Hearing

There will be a hearing by the Mass. legislature's Revenue Committee on H 2929*, " An Act to regulate and tax the cannabis industry" on Wed. Oct. 14 at 10:00 AM in Room B2 of the State House.

This bill allows those over 21 without fear of prosecution to cultivate cannabis for personal use and to give cannabis to others over 21 years of age.

Not that this bill will make any progress, look for this to be a small part of the finacial solutions and cost savings measures that will be inacted next year, after the Fed's lift the ban on mcannabis to allow industrial hemp.

As many have said for years and years, taxing and controlling this innocuous plant would create untold revenue for the Sate and country and help cut the incredibly expensive enforcement of draconian laws, all designed to keep hemp from competing with the chemical industry.

House Bill 2929 can be seen at http://www.cantaxreg.com/

Stimulus Spending here in Mass.

If you haven't heard, Deval has been called out for his lack of spending stimulus money here in Mass, for shovel ready projects. Some say it's about a quarter of what could be spent. No one knows for sure what his motivation is and I for one can not figure out why he is not spending the money that has already been appropriated.

The stimulus czar, Mr. Simmons, who we already know, is suspect in shady dealings and is double dipping his pension has explained to the media, that they are looking at projects that will have lasting and financial impacts down the road.

While not the total answer to our underemployment here in Mass, it's certain that many projects would employ tradespeople for at least some time, which would help some get through some tough times.

My guess... Deval is using the money to win political favor with groups that have shown that they are willing to support another candidate for Gov.

Deval has used 8 million to re hire 127 fire fighters, out of the 20 million in stimulus discretionary funds, while 45 million is ready to go to police departments across the state.

Another State Senator gets caught

Avoiding what could be more seriuos charges in connection to a hit and run in Cambridge last week, State Senator Tony Galluccio has turned himself in to police for leaving the scene of an accident. He has taken responsibility for the accident, primarily because of witness's who took down his license plate number and reported it to police. His driving while under the influence goes back years and while any of us would have been arrested and jailed, he seems to have once again shown that if you are a political elitists, you can do just about anything and not pay a price for your irresponsible behavior.

Autism Prevalence Now At 1 in 91 Children, 1 in 58 Boys

This news may not effect all of our readers... but it is just another in a long list of things for us to be concerned about when deciding to immunize our children.

SafeMinds Calls For A Ban on Thimerosal from Seasonal and H1N1 Flu Vaccines In Pregnant Women and Young Children


Monday, October 5, 2009, Reston, VA - Today the Maternal & Child Health Bureau of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), US Department of Health and Human Services released a study evaluating the number of children in the U.S. who currently have a Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, The Prevalence of Parent-Reported Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder among Children in the United States, 2007. The Study evaluated data from a national Survey of Children's Health andfound that 1 in 91 children between the ages of 3 and 17 currently carry an ASD diagnosis -1 in 58 boys.

Even more alarming, for the subset of children between ages 6 and 14 immunized during the 1990's the prevalence is actually 1 in 71 children with an autism diagnosis. This age group represents children in the U.S. with the highest exposure to thimerosal, the mercury preservative routinely used until CDC, AAP and industry recommended its removal "as soon as possible" from all childhood vaccines. Despite this recommendation, mercury, one of the most neurotoxic substances on the planet, is still used in most seasonal and H1N1 vaccines.

SafeMinds continues to call for a ban on mercury-containing seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines, for pregnant women and young children. Theresa Wrangham, President of SafeMinds stated, "We are especially alarmed by these findings because the seasonal influenza and H1N1 vaccines contain mercury well in excess of EPA safe exposure guidelines. Pregnant women and young children should not be given mercury-containing medicines risking such significant side effects. The precautionary principal demands the removal of thimerosal from all vaccines pursuant to the now decade-old recommendation. How long must we wait to get a known neurotoxin out of all vaccines?"

All flu vaccines are categorized by the FDA as Class C drugs, meaning either studies in animals have revealed adverse effects on the fetus and there are no controlled studies in women, or studies in women and animals are not available. In addition, a 2005 study funded by the NIH found that ethyl-mercury used in vaccines crosses into the brain of infant primates, resulting in appreciable levels of mercury being trapped in the brain.

Concern over vaccine safety and the use of thimerosal is well established. In fact the Institute of Medicine, HHS' National Vaccine Advisory Committee, Congress, Health & Human Service's National Vaccine Advisory Committee, the American Academy of Pediatrics former President Dr. Lou Cooper, and former Director of the National Institutes of Health Dr. Bernadine Healy all agree that current research is inadequate to demonstrate vaccine safety, as required by law, especially in terms of risk for neurological damage, including autism, in a genetically susceptible subset of the population. Most have made statements in support of a study evaluating health outcomes in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated subjects.

SafeMinds is a charitable non-profit and leader in funding and advancing the science regarding mercury exposure as it relates to autism. Our expertise extends beyond mercury-related exposures to broader vaccine safety issues, due to many Board Members holding government agency committee positions such as the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, various CDC Vaccine Committees, the Department of Defense Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Program and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee's Vaccine Safety Working Group.

Say no to Immigration Enforcement here in Framingham

In a stunning revelation here in Framingham, home to as many as 15 k human beings that are here illegally, our own Chief Carl has said, It doesn't benefit the Police Department to engage in deportation and immigration enforcement", we're done. I told them to come pick up their computers".

The reasoning behind the chiefs decision is that it costs the Town to much money to dedicate two officers to the program called 287g and that it creates more victims of unreported crimes.

While I'm not a fan of the drug laws, police coruption, police details, the Quinn Bill, etc, etc, I am in favor of public safety and those who honestly want to make our environment a better place to live. Chief Carl has a tuff row to hoe and while not aalways agreeing with him, nor would he even care, I do think the man is a good leader and takes his job very seriousley, I even admire him for his work.

That being said.... I can't imagine why he's chosen to opt out of a program that would help US live in more peaceful surroundings. When I look at many of the police logs and headline news, it is a fact that many of the minor and major crimes committed by human beings here in Framingham that are here illegally. AND... if you notice, many have extensive criminal backgrounds.. AND .. when busted for the 2nd, 3rd and 10th time... they continue, even after court proceedings, get out on bail, never show up for court and continue on their merry ways of criminal behavior. AND.. I'm not talking about getting caught with a joint... so many have criminal histories, mental health problems and some have left their countries to avoid prosecution.

Does anyone else have trouble with his deception? Did he run this by the BOS? Is it really the costs? And if so... how much money do they spend on investigating, arresting and prosecuting a drug dealer or bank robber?