Mass Budget Checks in

From the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center:

The Commonwealth is facing a severe fiscal crisis, caused both by the deep national recession and by policy choices made over the past decade in Massachusetts.
One option to close the state's $3.5 billion budget gap would be to develop a plan that resembles a stable four-legged stool: budget cuts; federal stimulus money; new tax revenue; and reserves.
The House Ways and Means (HWM) proposal seeks instead to balance the budget on only two of these legs, suggesting no withdrawal from the Stabilization Fund and no new tax revenue. As a result, the committee proposes deep cuts in local aid, human services, education, and virtually every other area of state government.
This Budget Monitor provides an overview of the House Ways and Means proposals for each category of state government, comparing spending levels to the FY 2009 budget and to the Governor's proposals.
The Budget Monitor can be found at www.massbudget.org

Budget Kabuki, part 2

Let's see: announcement in the Globe that 81 reps have signed on to restoring funding for the Quinn Bill (HW&M didn't eliminate the Quinn Bill, just the state match which could leave towns liable for the entire cost). DeLeo is open to a sales tax increase. Peter Kocot steps up with amendments to raise the meals tax (an option) and to expand sales tax to services.

Katherine Clark would end the sales tax exemption on alcohol. Karyn Polito would increase hours of eligibility for insurance benefits from 20 to 30 hours (but not touch insurance for elected officials). Bill Bowles would up the occupancy tax by 1% over current rates (including B&B's) and the meals tax to 6% (mandatory).

Angelo Scaccia plays it safe by offering optional 1% and 2% increases in the meals tax. Dennis Guyer and a number of co-sponsors restore regional school transportation funding.

Most of the 978 amendments filed to the HW&M budget bill look like earmarks, at least from the short description on House amendments list.

Fairwell to Pelham?

There's an op-ed piece in the Amherst Bulletin that suggests Pelham should give it up and go out of existence. The article doesn't really break new ground, since Pelham already tried (and failed) to disestablish itself as a town. That was awhile ago - try 1854 - according to a Massachusetts Historical Commission Reconnaissance Survey Town Report .

According to the survey, Pelham reported supporting more paupers than any other town in Hampshire County. Believing that taxes and expenses would be less if they were part of an adjacent town the good Pelhamites petitioned the legislature to be divided up between Amherst and Belchertown. Apparently Amherst and B'town were not thrilled at the prospect of absorbing a low rent district so the legislation failed. The petition was repeated from time to time into the 1870's. No takers, so at some point Pelham simply decided to continue to work things out on its own.

Pelham's potential merger with Amherst popped up during budget discussions last April but the override provided at least temporary relief and things sort of trailed off. The issues of sustainability and regionalization are real ones and need to be looked at carefully and not just for Pelham.

What took so long?

Beanie Bo is now available for sale.

The Numbers

House Ways and Means Budget is posted. Local aid numbers are here. Cherry sheets for towns and regional schools are here. I expect that DOR will issue revised cherry sheets in the near future.

Budget toll?

MassPike numbers: 167 toll takers scheduled for Easter Sunday this year versus 213 last year. 17 workers called in sick, so staffing levels were about 30% less than last year. The Pike maintains that it's essentially out of money, the OT budget is slashed, and this is what happens. Another dose of reality Charlie Murphy style, mismanagement, or “in your face” acting out?

We report, you decide. (Numbers are from an SNS report – no link).

Tea'd off

The “tea party” as seen from Mudflats:

An Anti-Bush rally? That’s really how I had to look at this. The last eight years have seen the national debt soar to heights we could not have imagined when Bush took office. The taxes we pay on this April 15 reflect Bush tax policies. The hardships we feel reflect Bush philosophies. Bank bailouts? Bush administration. We privatize profits, socialize losses, give tax cuts to the rich, and pay for two unnecessary wars, and this is what we get. And yes, it’s all Obama’s fault.

Reality as we know it.

Blagojevich cast in NBC reality series.

Have you no shame, Peacock?

Budet Kabuki

Apropos for the day that taxes are due, the Massachusetts House is will release its version of the state budget, which promises cuts and more cuts. Shortly after 5:00 PM yesterday, municipal officials got a one page press release from the Lt. Governor outlining the administrations intended actions to meet the latest revenue shortfall. A reduction in local aid wasn't in the package but its certainly been hinted at with the House budget.

The Statehouse News Service (SNS) reports a contentious meeting of the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) yesterday. The LGAC is made up of a variety of municipal officials, including selectmen and town administrators (not the usual Patrick administration mayoral tilt) and its members were not happy with the budget situation and the unwillingness of the power that be to give towns other revenue options and some flexibility to manage. Melrose mayor Robert Dolan voiced the opinion that “reluctance to pass the local-option taxes stemmed from a 'self-preservationist attitude' and describing the sentiment among local governments as having 'almost a revolutionary feel.' He said, 'The insulation of Beacon Hill has never been worse.'” (no link)

SNS also notes the planned release, next week, of the Municipal Relief Commission which is co-chaired by Stan Rosenberg. Knowing the care that Stan brings to his work, I'm certain the commission has worked things through carefully. But this thing has to pass which inevitably means compromises will be made and promising ideas will be left on the table. The report is overdue, in part because of the complexity of the situation and in part because of leadership changes in the House as the budget process was gearing up. Details of the package aren't available but it appears to be a combination of local option taxes, health insurance changes, regulatory reforms and a push toward regionalization.

May you live in interesting times is a curse, indeed.

Second cup of coffee

Paraguay, those Palins, and Pottygate -- oh my! No more mayoral bar fights tho'.

They are among us!

Rep. Spencer Bachus (R - Fantasyland; not to be confused with Max of Montana) says there are 17 of his colleagues in the congress who are practicing socialists.

He has a list but named only Bernie Sanders (D - Free People's Republic of Vermont).

Joe McCarthy is stirring.

Ethical Corporations

Ethisphere, a think tank that studies business ethics, published its list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies - 99 in all. Something that McDonald's and Ten Thousand Villages share.