As a believer in the ability of government to improve people’s lives, Deval Patrick didn’t run for the state’s top job to preside over a long period of budget austerity. That role was thrust upon him, not just by a global economic crisis but also by the debilitating debts run up by the Big Dig political culture that he decried during his first campaign. During his State of the State address Wednesday night, though, the earlier, more expansive version of Patrick re-emerged — with a far-reaching transportation, education, and tax proposal. After six difficult years, during which Massachusetts made some key reforms and outperformed the national economy, it’s time to have a discussion about a long-term plan.
As matters stand, payments for Big Dig-related debts and maintenance costs for existing roads, rails, and bridges far exceed the money available. Patrick proposes to address that problem — and then some; he also described the outlines of a package of transportation improvements across the state that range from later weekend hours for the MBTA to the long-delayed South Coast rail to train service between the Berkshires and New York.
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"The governor has to be ready to address taxpayers’ skepticism. They will need hard evidence that the profligacy of the Big Dig era is over [it's not; we're still paying and will be for years to come],
that state agencies are demonstrably doing their jobs well (they're not: state drug lab which will cost millions in legal fees; housing authorities with lavish salaries; EBT cards wasting money; phantom Medicaid recipients wasting still more money; hiring and nominating people for top-leve jobs who aren't qualified - Marian Walsh, Transportation secretary; las public health ovesight boards resulting in multiple deaths],
and that new revenues for transportation and education will be devoted to achievable goals in only those areas [yeah, sure; look what happened to the tobacco settlement money]."
The track record is there for all to see. What more do you need to know? And you expect us to believe anything they say now?!?!?
Globe wants us to think that anything Deval does has merit. We don't need a hearing. Why doesn't Globe be HONEST for a change and tell us what the plan REALLY is. It's a rape of MA taxpayers.
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Raising taxes in Massachusetts is like giving more booze to an alcoholic. Corruption is everywhere and state government could care less about saving the taxpayers any money. What they're interested in is getting re-elected and continuing to play in the fertile sandbox of Massachusetts politics. And to do this, they need more money.
CAn a democrat actually propose a spending cut?
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Governor Patrick is going for the Kennedy Profile in Courage award (aka raise taxes award).
Agree with your overall point. That said, your paper continually shows how money is squandered in this state and the nonsense (corruption, patronage, etc.) that goes on in our state government and its agencies. The MBTA is an incredibly dysfunctional organization that can't just have money thrown at it. Prove to us that what we're paying taxes on currently is worthwhile before we're asked to dig deeper into our pockets. This could and should have been done during this current period of "austerity". The unwillingness to do this would lead cynical people like me to believe they don't want us to see where our taxes go.
Leave the money to the people who make it. Stop suffocating them!
Reminds me of the student cramming the night before final exams.