Thought of the Day - 01/29/2010

I began my day yesterday at a Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce breakfast to discuss the status of current political issues on Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill.

One of the things I focused on is the state budget. Basically, I think the budget plan that Governor Patrick released the other day is unsustainable because it relies too much on a risky hope that tax revenues will pick up this year and that additional stimulus money will be received. It also adds about three percent to the bottom line of last year’s budget using one-time money from the federal government and the Rainy Day Fund, money that won’t be there for us when we try to balance the budget next year.

I also talked about health care. To be sure, health care is one of the biggest issues facing America right now given the debate in Washington, D.C. It was interesting to hear Congressman McGovern’s thoughts in that regard. But health care also remains an important policy issue for state government. There’s more our state could do independently to help drive down health care costs. For example, Governor Patrick should be doing more to require insurers, providers and hospitals to be accountable and explain why their costs are going up at regular public hearings. We passed such a law in 2008, but it remains virtually unenforced.

By mid-day, I was sitting in the House Chamber in Boston listening to Speaker Robert DeLeo tell legislators his visions for the upcoming year. He sees the House passing a budget that’s free of new taxes, and possibly a gaming bill that creates jobs. He promised to pass additional cost-saving reforms. Meanwhile, there is lots of talk about the possibility of passing legislation to cut municipal budget costs and to ban texting while driving. It will be interesting to see how these visions play out over the coming months and how many of them turn into reality.

What’s your vision of how things are going on Beacon Hill and where things might go over the next few months? I’d like to know. Please post a comment below.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY - 01/28/2010

Yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick announced his budget plan for Fiscal Year 2011. Here’s how I think the Governor’s Budget adds up:

Patrick’s recommendation for an overall three percent increase in spending, based on a risky bet that state tax collections in this poor economy will actually increase by about the same amount;

PLUS, Patrick’s plan to base long-term spending commitments on $800 million of one-time federal economic stimulus payments that have been promised to our state this year;

PLUS, Patrick’s proposal to base spending on the uncertain receipt of another $600 million of federal economic stimulus funds that have not even been committed by Congress yet;

PLUS, Patrick’s withdrawal of another $175 million from our state’s already-depleted Rainy Day Fund to cover spending;

PLUS, Patrick’s request for new tax hikes on tobacco, candy, and soft drinks;

PLUS, Patrick’s empty promise not to cut local aid, which does not account for local aid cuts last year, and which overlooks his request for additional “9C powers” that would allow him to cut local aid after the budget is passed;

PLUS, Patrick’s blueprint for state government that includes 66,575 full-time equivalent positions, up from about 62,000 workers needed to run state government just five years ago;

PLUS, Patrick’s plan to cut spending on some vulnerable populations as a way to cover spending increases in other areas;

EQUALS, a spending plan that is: not fiscally responsible; unsustainable; contrary to the best interests of Massachusetts residents; and, something I can’t support.

What’s your calculus? How do you think the Governor’s budget adds up? I’d love to hear from you. Please let me know your thoughts.

Thought of the Day - 01/27/2010

Jeff Jacoby has a great column in today’s Boston Globe that points out one of the glaring problems with government today.

He notes that, at a time when unemployment has hit the ten percent mark, the federal government has been adding more than 10,000 jobs a month, and the number of federal employees making more than $100,000 has jumped 14 percent. He also says that public employee pension costs are starting to skyrocket and to take a real bite out of state budgets.

Massachusetts is no exception to this trend. A recent study by the Pioneer Institute showed that our state government added 7,500 positions to its payroll from 2004 to 2009. According to their analysis, about 6,400 of these positions are unsustainable because they don’t provide direct assistance to vulnerable populations in our state.

Meanwhile, there have been several recent stories pointing to growth of public employee salaries here. Take, for example, this story that “consolidation” of state transportation agencies actually led to the creation of 11 new public relations positions for a total of more than $800,000 a year. And our public pension system costs us millions of dollars a year to run.

Jacoby points out in his column that this trend is testing taxpayer patience nationwide. I think he’s right, and it’s time for something to change. We simply can’t afford the sort of government that spends money like this on itself.

What do you think?

Thought of the Day - 01/26/2010

Governor Patrick is filing is budget plan for Fiscal Year 2011 tomorrow, and today's morning papers are providing our first glance into what his plans might include.

According to the Boston Globe, Governor Patrick is proposing to change several laws related to state pension benefits as a way of cutting down on pension costs and closing loopholes that allow unfair benefits. In a separate story, the paper reports that the Governor is proposing to consolidate energy costs within the executive branch.

Together, these proposals could save millions of dollars a year.

I give credit to the Governor for taking these steps to help balance our budget and keep costs down. But, I wonder if they are mostly symbolic, or if they are actually indicative of a budget that starts making more responsible choices than we’ve been accustomed to.

Yesterday, the Beacon Hill Institute put out a press release advocating for a Tax and Expenditure Limitation (TEL) on state spending. That sort of plan would limit line item expenditure growth to the rate of inflation, adjusted for population growth. There are lots of details that would have to be worked out, but overall, I think this is the sort of bold reform we need to bring our budget back under control.

We need to get our state fiscal priorities back in order, and there’s no better time than right now.

I hope Governor Patrick’s budget will include solid ideas to save our state money, and that it will place a priority on local aid, health and human services spending, education, job creation and housing. These are the things Massachusetts residents need the most in this current economy.

I also call upon the Governor to submit a budget that’s free of new taxes, and which includes bold reforms that will streamline state government and improve our delivery of core services while eliminating waste, duplication and inefficiency, and stripping out spending on unnecessary programs or programs that could wait until a better day to be funded.

We will see tomorrow what Governor Patrick ends up proposing in his budget, what his priorities are and how they would affect the quality of life of citizens across our state during the coming year.

And, if I’m not satisfied by the Governor’s solutions, I will start working immediately to make sure the budget that comes out of the Legislature this summer is one we can be proud of, and one that will protect people and communities the right way.

Thought of the Day - 01/25/2010

The opening line of this story in today’s Boston Globe says it all:

“Massachusetts marked a sobering milestone last month: For the first time since World War II, the state ended a decade with fewer jobs than it had at the beginning.”

According to the article, Massachusetts has failed to replace many of the high-tech jobs that were lost when the dot-com bubble burst several years ago. At the same time, we’ve also lost a full one-third of our manufacturing jobs. The net job loss since 1999 is about 55,000 jobs.

The sad reality is that many Massachusetts families don’t need a newspaper story to tell them what’s wrong with our economy. Thousands of families are dealing with job loss as part of their daily lives, and as unemployment checks, bank accounts and retirement savings begin to run out, people are struggling to find ways to pay the bills.

When you hold up today’s Globe story against another recent article in the MetroWest Daily News, you begin to understand the real effects of this problem. According to numbers cited in the MetroWest Daily News, about 277,000 people have moved out of Massachusetts since 2000.

As far as I’m concerned, the inescapable conclusion is that, for every job Massachusetts lost, a family was forced to move out of this state to search for better opportunities elsewhere. And they took with them the job skills they sought to apply here, and the kids they sought to educate here, and the talents they sought to enrich our state with.

This trend is more than just unsustainable. It’s a recipe for economic disaster. And it’s time for our state to do something to grow jobs here.

Governor Patrick promised to do something about creating jobs in his State of the Commonwealth Address last week. But he needs to realize that Massachusetts residents need more than just another year of promises and false hope. They need jobs. Now.

How has the recession been affecting you? Do you know someone who was forced to move out of Massachusetts due to job loss? What do you think we should do about these problems? Please post a comment below. I’d love to hear from you.

Thought of the Day - 01/21/2010

On Tuesday, more than two million Massachusetts voters went to the polls in search of someone and something to believe in. They found it in the form of Scott Brown and his promise of bold new leadership in Washington.

Last night, those same voters will be disappointed by what Deval Patrick failed to offer them in his State of the Commonwealth address.

Governor Patrick had an opportunity to prove to Massachusetts residents that he has a way to lead us through the next year with plans and strategies to make Massachusetts a better place. He had a chance to rise to the occasion and to match the energy in the electorate with an energetic vision for progress for our state. But he didn’t.

I am disappointed because the Governor did not offer a vision that adequately addresses ways to fix our state’s economy. He needed to demonstrate that he can bring jobs back to Massachusetts and trigger investment here. But he didn’t.

He also needed to confidently show that he will balance the budget this year and control state spending, while holding the line on new taxes and fees. But he didn’t.

Governor Patrick had an opportunity to roll out new ideas to make government less costly, more efficient, increasingly transparent, and completely accountable to those it serves. But he didn’t.

And, he could have shown leadership by getting back to basics and putting emphasis on the right priorities this year, things like supporting cities and towns with local aid, improving our schools and making our streets safer. But he didn’t.

In short, Deval Patrick had an opportunity to prove to Massachusetts voters last night why he is the right man to lead Massachusetts and to fix the problems our residents are facing in their daily lives. He needed to convince voters that he deserves another chance. But he didn’t.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY – 01/21/2010

Now that the US Senate race is over, some political attention is shifting back to Beacon Hill.

People are asking how Massachusetts political leaders intend to address some of the biggest problems facing our state.

Tonight, we might get a glimpse into some of those proposals when Governor Deval Patrick delivers his annual State of the Commonwealth Address.

I will be listening intently to what the Governor says in his remarks, and specifically what he envisions for the upcoming year. And, I’ll be looking for him to make specific proposals to move our state forward in several ways, including:

• FIXING THE ECONOMY – In order to be successful tonight, I think Governor Patrick needs to prove that he has a plan to fix our state’s economy. He needs to demonstrate that he can bring jobs back to Massachusetts and trigger investment here.
 
• FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY – I want Governor Patrick to show me that he will balance the budget this year and control state spending, while holding the line on new taxes and fees.
 
• GOOD GOVERNMENT – I will be watching to see if Governor Patrick has any new ideas to make government less costly, more efficient, increasingly transparent, and completely accountable to those it serves.
 
• RIGHT PRIORITIES – In addition to the above, I hope Governor Patrick will convince me that he is getting back to basics and putting emphasis on the right priorities this year, things like supporting cities and towns with local aid, improving our schools and making our streets safer.
 
• LEADERSHIP – Most of all, I think Governor Patrick needs to lay out a vision for how to make Massachusetts a better place and how he intends to take the lead in making that vision a reality.

It sounds like a tall order, but that’s what I think our state needs in order to succeed. Interestingly, it looks like the editors over at The Boston Globe will be looking for more or less the same thing. There’s an editorial in today’s Globe that calls on the Governor to show “what else he will do to promote government that is both responsive and frugal.”

We’ll see what happens when the speech starts at 7 p.m. tonight. I’ll be sure to let you know what I think. Until then, I’d love it if you’d let me know what you think. What should Governor Patrick talk about tonight? Please post a comment below and let me know.

Thought of the Day - 01/20/2010

Yesterday was an historic day in Massachusetts as Scott Brown won the special election for the United States Senate.

I think what makes the day so significant is that the residents of Massachusetts have restored this seat in the Senate as the people’s seat. Over two million people voted yesterday, and their votes actually counted.

I’ve talked to many friends and constituents about what happened yesterday, and in general, I’m finding that people feel empowered in that they did something to take back their government. People from all over the state united around Scott Brown, notwithstanding their different circumstances or differing political views. That’s something very special in politics these days.

The fact that Scott Brown was able to win yesterday means that we once again have a level playing field for candidates here in Massachusetts. It sends a message to elite political leaders in this state who have ignored the people for too long. These people are upset with how things are going, but they also believe in the strength of our country and they feel that America’s best days are ahead of her, not over.

What do you think about yesterday’s results? Please post a comment below.

Thought of the Day - 01/19/2010 - PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE TODAY

Today is Election Day in Massachusetts.

Today is the day when Massachusetts voters will choose someone to represent them in the United States Senate, in the first open contest for the seat in almost half a century.

Today is the day when people will decide how they want to be represented in Washington on issues as important as health care, the war on terror, and the economy, just to name a few.

Today is the day when we get to tell the nation what sort of future we want for our state.

Today is the day when the din of television ads, “robo-calls” and stump speeches gives way to the only sound that really matters: the voice of the electorate.

Today is the day when one person living within our democracy can exert more political influence than millions of oppressed people across the world combined.

Today is the day when ordinary citizens are called upon to make extraordinary decisions.

Today is the day.

Whatever your choice, whatever your opinions, whatever your schedule today, please get out and cast your vote.

Martin Luther King Day

May we all pause today to remember the life and legacy of
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thought of the Day - 01/15/2010

There is news in the Boston Globe today that the state’s Health Connector is taking over administering health insurance plans for about 17,000 small businesses. These businesses typically employ fewer than 5 people, and they formerly looked to a private agency, the Small Business Service Bureau, to help them administer health care costs.

It’s reported that the move could save these private employers about $300 a year in health care costs for each employee. And in this economy, those are welcome savings.

But the fact is that there are many costs that are straining small businesses these days, and our state simply isn’t doing enough to make life easier for them. And that’s unfortunate, because small businesses form the backbone of our economy.

Massachusetts needs a pro-business mentality if we hope to keep people from leaving this state, much less if we hope to attract economic activity. The number one problem facing Massachusetts residents these days is a lack of quality jobs, and our state needs to be taking the lead in creating opportunities for job growth here. And that’s true whether you’re talking about a Fortune 500 company or a budding entrepreneur starting their own business.

What do you think? What do you think our state should be doing to grow jobs? Please post a comment below and join the discussion.

Thought of the Day - 01/14/2010

Later today, the House and Senate are poised to take a vote on a plan to reform education in under-performing school districts across our state, and to position Massachusetts to access federal “Race to the Top” funding by expanding charter schools.

Sadly, it’s difficult to say whether or not passage of this bill today is good news.

Even though state officials have known for months that reforming our education laws would be necessary in order to tap into Race to the Top funds, they have waited until the very last minute to pass those reforms into law. In fact, applications for states to access Race to the Top funds are due next Tuesday.

To make matters worse, the final bill has been worked out behind closed doors by a legislative conference committee. Its final decisions were not made until late last night under the cover of darkness.

This means that a two-thirds vote of both branches is needed to even discuss the bill today, much less to pass it into law. Most legislators won’t have had enough time to read the bill completely and to accurately decide whether to vote for it or not based on its details. These details matter a lot, and I believe the importance of the issue at stake merits more than today’s last-minute rush job.

One of the most important parts of this bill for me is what it means to traditional public school districts. An early look at the final product indicates that the bill extends the reimbursement schedule from three years to six years, and it increases the total reimbursement amount from 200 to 225 percent. To me, this means that the bill overall might improve opportunities for students in under-performing school, but it does little to address financial concerns of school districts that are working hard and performing well. Over time, the issue of fair reimbursement to districts that send students to charter schools may become more pronounced as more charter schools are established, and we will have to wait and see how this turns out.

Unfortunately, because it’s a conference committee report that’s up for debate, there is no opportunity under legislative rules to amend its provisions to make it better today, even if legislators find problems with it.

I’ll keep you posted on the process in the House today. Until then, what do you think about this bill? Please post a comment below to let me know your thoughts.

Thought of the Day - 01/13/2010

According to the Boston Globe, cities and towns across Massachusetts are growing increasingly concerned about the state’s bleak financial picture and what it will mean for local aid, fearing deep cuts in school assistance from the state later this year.

I don’t need a newspaper to tell me how important local aid is to cities and towns, and how debilitating a further cut in local aid would be this year, particularly when it comes to supporting our schools.

Cities and towns should not be made to suffer for the state’s poor fiscal management and unwillingness to make tough decisions to balance our budget. We should not be talking about laying off teachers when we have waste in our state budget, like millions of dollars of unnecessary legislative expenses, and when our state transportation agency is still bloated with administrative positions. Teachers are on the front line of helping kids in our state, and we should make it our priority to fund them before we pay for wasteful state programs.

Governor Patrick has been restoring money to several important programs lately because of better-than-expected revenue numbers. I’m hoping that local aid will continue to be a priority. I’m also hoping that local aid will be a priority when Governor Patrick files his budget in a few weeks. I’ll be checking his budget closely for state aid numbers, and I will be looking for ways to make sure cities and towns have the support they need if it’s not already in the budget.

Thought of the Day - 01/12/2010

Yesterday, local employer Charles River Labs announced that it plans to cease operations in Shrewsbury due to a slowdown in the biopharmaceutical industry, laying off approximately 300 employees in the process. This is the latest of a series of job reductions announced by Massachusetts employers in recent months. For my district, it’s especially bad news because it hits home.

Our state can’t afford to keep seeing bad headlines like this in the papers. Massachusetts residents need jobs. The strength of our economy depends on jobs, as does the strength of every household across the commonwealth. Whenever we hear of an employer like Charles River Labs cutting back its operations, it’s evidence that we still have a lot to do to fix our economy and to put Massachusetts back to work again.

On the surface, this decision and others like it are business judgments being made by companies across Massachusetts. It’s perfectly understandable that private sector employers would make difficult decisions to trim their budgets at a time like this, much like I’ve been urging the public sector to do. But it’s also safe to assume that the unfriendly business climate we have created for ourselves in Massachusetts is playing into such decisions, if only indirectly. Public policies like high tax rates translate into added costs for struggling businesses, and when these inescapable costs are factored in to the bottom line, they sometimes lead to other unfortunate results like job loss and factory closures.

There’s only so much we can do to help fix the global economy, and there’s no doubt that the best remedy for our job market here in Massachusetts would be a general economic turnaround. That will come, in time. But there is a lot that we can do to make Massachusetts a friendlier place for businesses to operate, like keeping taxes and fees low, maintaining a robust education system to train workers, and creating affordable housing to keep residents’ cost of living low. We’re not doing enough on that front, and if we want to avoid seeing more stories like the one involving Charles River Labs, we need to start acting now.

You can read more about Charles River Labs in this story in the Boston Business Journal. What do you think? Are you being affected by the Charles River Labs decision? What do you think the state should do to prevent stories like this in the future? Please post your thoughts below.

Thought of the Day - 01/11/2010

For the second year in a row, I’ve notified the state treasurer that I will not be accepting the 5.5 percent legislative pay raise the governor certified in 2009.

The reason is very simple: with the Massachusetts economy still in bad shape and with our poor state fiscal situation, now is not the time for state legislators to be accepting a pay raise.

Our state needs leadership from its elected officials in order to get us out of this economic situation we’re facing. Leadership can take many forms, and in this case, I think it’s important for elected officials to lead by example. This is a time for frugality and for shared sacrifice, not a time for pay raises.

You can read about my decision and similar ones by other legislators in this story in today’s Worcester Telegram.

What do you think about legislative pay raises? Should more legislators be following suit and refusing the pay raise? Or, do you think it’s OK for legislators to accept the raise? Please post a comment below and get a conversation started.

Thought of the Day - 01/08/2010

When you think about it, there have been a lot of disappointing failures on Beacon Hill recently. We've seen politicians behaving badly. Property tax relief was promised, but instead other taxes went up. Reforms take too long to get debated, and when they are, they get watered down to the point of being ineffective... or actually costing us money to implement.

My list goes on and on. But if you're interested in lists like this, check out Howie Carr's column in the Boston Herald today. He's got a great list of things that are frustrating about Massachusetts politics these days. He says they add up to reasons to support Scott Brown in his bid for the US Senate. But you don't even have to talk about the Senate race to know that Carr's list is a bunch of good reasons why Massachusetts voters should be frustrated with their political leaders, and why they should start demanding change.

What do you think? What's on your list of things that frustrate you about politics these days? Please post a comment below and let's get a conversation started.

Thought of the Day - 01/07/2010

Last night, Massachusetts took steps to improve under-performing school districts by bolstering our support for charter schools. I support giving parents additional education options through the cultivation of charter schools, but I believe those opportunities should not come at the expense of students who remain within the traditional public school system.

I proposed an amendment to the education reform bill that would have helped to resolve this problem by creating a funding formula that would more fairly reimburse school districts when students who live there attend charter schools. It would have helped to level the playing field between public school districts and charter schools, which I believe is an important priority for our cities and towns. The amendment also had the support of the Massachusetts Superintendents Association, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and Stand For Children.

I am disappointed that this amendment was not adopted as a way to improve upon the changes being made in the education reform package. Instead, the amendment was recommended for further study, as members refused to even discuss a way to ease the plight facing cities and towns. Unfortunately, last night, members preferred procedural tactics and politics to good policy.

The debate over the bill lasted late into the night, with a flurry of changes being made at the last minute, decisions happening behind closed doors, and numerous amendments being consolidated together into one. In the end, it was impossible to tell what was actually in the final legislation and because of this, I could not vote in favor of the bill.

Going forward, I will continue to try to find ways to improve our education system here in Massachusetts while holding cities and towns harmless for any changes.

TEXT OF THE AMENDMENT

AMENDMENT #49  Ms. Polito of Shrewsbury, Mr. Kaufman of Lexington, Ms. Garry of Dracut, Ms. Ehrlich of Marblehead, Ms. Benson of Lunenberg, Mr. Guyer of Dalton, Ms. Peake of Provincetown, Mr. DiNatale of Fitchburg, Ms. Callahan of Sutton, Ms. Provost of Somerville, Mr. Stanley of Waltham, and Mr. Miceli of Wilmington move that House Bill 4410 be amended by striking lines 909 to 915 of subsection gg of Section 2 and adding in the following new section:-


(gg). In a year during which a sending district‘s total district-sponsored charter school tuition amount is greater than the sending district‘s total district-sponsored charter tuition amount for the previous year, the sending district shall be reimbursed by the Commonwealth in accordance with this paragraph and subject to appropriation; provided, however, that no funds for the reimbursements shall be deducted from funds distributed under Chapter 70. The reimbursement amount shall be equal to 100 per cent of the increase in the year in which the increase occurs, 60 per cent in the second year, 40 per cent in the third year, and 35 per cent in the fourth, fifth, and sixth years following.

Thought of the Day - 01/06/2010

Massachusetts residents have always taken great pride in the quality of the public school education we offer to our sons and daughters. Our public schools are some of the best in the world, and they do a great job providing skills that our young people need to compete for jobs in the complex workforce of the future.

But there are always ways we can improve our education system, particularly in certain chronically-underperforming school districts.

Massachusetts took decisive action to reform its public schools with passage of the Education Reform Act of 1993, which changed the way we support public schools with state aid, opened the door for charter schools, and established the MCAS exam for accountability. Changes soon followed on the federal level with passage of the No Child Left Behind Act during the Bush administration.

Now, President Obama is proposing a new federal education reform package aimed at tracking student performance, establishing nationwide standards and recruiting teachers. Part of this “Race to the Top” initiative involves dedication of $4.3 billion of federal economic stimulus funds to state grants for innovative programs to improve schools.

Massachusetts could potentially tap into about $250 million in Race to the Top funds over the next four years. But in order to do so, we need to comply with certain federal mandates, including a requirement that we lift a cap on charter school spending that exists under current state law. And we need to act quickly, since the deadline to apply for Race to the Top funding is January 19.

A bill that would do just that is the first order of business for the House of Representatives today as we commence formal legislative sessions for 2010.

I support the bill’s swift passage. Race to the Top funding is too important for us to forfeit.

But there’s also more at stake with this legislation, and I think that certain adjustments could be made. In particular, we need to be sure that this next step in education reform continues to safeguard municipal finance systems that form the backbone of our public schools.

Under current law, per-pupil tuition payments for charter school students are deducted from local aid payments to the cities and towns where charter school students live. However, the state phases-in those deductions with three years of graduated reimbursements totaling 200 percent.

The pending legislation would increase the overall amount of reimbursement cities and towns would receive, but it would reduce the payments municipalities see each year, making them wait almost twice as long to recoup the same amount of money. This would have a serious impact on the ability of cities and towns to meet local school budgets, especially in these difficult fiscal times, and it would thereby defeat the purpose of charter schools as a way to improve the overall quality of public education by offering competitive alternatives that inspire public schools to do better.

I have filed an amendment that would change the funding mechanism for charter school reimbursement, and I hope my colleagues will consider including it as part of the final bill. Under my plan, total reimbursement would be increased to a total of 305 percent over six years. This would give cities and towns better reimbursement, while at the same time preserving attributes of the current funding formula meant to provide initial assistance to sending districts for their loss of Chapter 70 dollars to charter schools and their inability to immediately realize savings as a result of the loss of those students.

We need to level the playing field so we don’t pit charter schools against traditional public schools, and so that we don’t diminish the dollars necessary for students within the traditional public school system. I also want to make sure that suburban communities like those I represent are not adversely impacted by changes in the funding formula.

Our state has no more noble or important mission than to educate our young people. I hope the Education Reform Act pending before the legislation will help us meet our obligations more successfully and make our schools something that we can be even more proud of in future years.

What do you think? I’d love to know your thoughts. Please post a comment below.

Thought of the Day - 01/05/2010

Yesterday, I sent a letter to Governor Patrick and legislative leaders urging passage of a bill I filed to require a dangerousness hearing prior to granting bail to defendants charged with a sexual offense.

You can read about the letter in this story in today's MetroWest Daily News, and you can see the letter itself here.

The bill, House Docket 4772, remains pending and awaits referral to a legislative committee for a hearing.

Please check out this Call to Action on my Web site for more information about the bill and to see what you can do to help make sure it passes.

Thought of the Day - 01/04/2010

There’s a story in today’s Boston Globe that state officials are focusing lots of attention on this year’s state census to make sure we get an accurate count of people who live here.

The census count, which is required by the Constitution every 10 years, means a lot for our state.

According to the Globe article, Massachusetts could stand to lose billions of dollars in federal funding and perhaps even a congressional seat if the numbers fall far below the tallies from the last time the census was taken.

In fact, state officials and nonprofits are so concerned, they are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on outreach efforts to make sure the count is right, particularly among inner-city and immigrant communities, which are typically difficult to count.

Of course, I support efforts to make sure we get an accurate census count this year. It’s important to know not just how many people are here but also what our demographics look like, because that information helps us run our state effectively.

But what’s ironic is that state officials are paying such close attention to the counting process itself after having paid scant attention to the factors driving the numbers in the first place. Our state wouldn’t have to be so worried about ferreting out every possible census response so as to bolster our numbers if we had better policies in place to grow jobs here.

Managing our census effectively is good. But making sure our state offers high-paying jobs, quality education, affordable housing, low taxes and exceptional education opportunities is the best way to make sure people want to call Massachusetts home, not just in 2010 but for years to come.

What do you think? Please post a comment below.