Governor Patrick has announced that the state must take wide ranging action to reduce spending due to lower than expected tax receipts. The State House News Service reports,
Patrick formally announced that in response to a softening economy, a broad spectrum of state entities will cut spending at his request. In addition, Patrick plans in mid-October to unilaterally cut state spending accounts.The Governor issued a press release detailing ...
...his 5 point plan to cut spending and provide more permanent reforms.
This announcement is bad news for cities and towns as some of the promised state aid which has already been budgeted may not materialize.
Part of the Governor's plan is to reform pension and health care costs. Those costs are also burdensome at the municipal level. Let's hope that the reforms are extended to provide relief on pensions and health care to the cities and towns as well.
Posts
6 comments:
I just saw on the evening news that teachers and other public employees in California may have to take I.O.U.'s for pay because of the credit crunch. Maybe now they will start to understand what it is like to have your livelyhood depend on the actual economy. Welcome to the plight of the average American.
Yeah those damn teachers - they want it all. Imagine that, expect to actually get paid for their work. The nerve!
Here is the point. The majority of people depend on the economy for their pay while public employees have job, pay, & benefit security regardless of a failing economy. Private employees are losing retirement funds but not public employees. They are guaranteed their money. It is very easy to ask for pay raises and more funding when you don't have to worry about your job, your salary or your retirement. Those people who some would call cheap for not supporting overrides don't have that luxury. Maybe if public employees were in the same boat, they wouldn't be so quick to demand increases and would be a little more sympathetic to the taxpayers.
I wonder when we will know the impact this (Governor's cuts) will have on our town. This could make a difference in how one votes at Fall town meeting. Looks like times could be tough for a while until the economy turns around.
At this time, local aid to cities and towns is not included in the cuts for the state budget. However the state revenues may fall enough that the need to cut local aid may be considered. I don't think anyone can predict right now what the final impact is going to be. These are uncertain times.
in addition go to votenoquestion1.com to see how much state aid will be cut if question 1 passes. 65% of state aid to the town and 34% cut from the schools. these figures are estimated of course but the town recieves 4790255 and will now receive 1,689,880. schools receive 12,305,515 will recieve 8,135,767. these figures should be taken with a grain of salt as should the claimed 3700 refund the "average" taxpayer will recieve.
Post a Comment