Changes in Latitudes; Changes in Attitudes

Well, the House members have finally received committee assignments for the new biennium. For the first time since 1992, I am not a chair of a major committee. I have been reassigned as the vice chair of the Standing Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets. It is disappointing, but this is still a paid position and the committee will be active in the capital projects from around the state as well as the federal stimulus bill.

One of the problems with government on all levels is that it is reactive rather than proactive in nature. It reacts rather than plans for the future. Since we live yearly budget to yearly budget, and are elected in two year traunches, I guess that this is normal. However, we neglect our long term planning and need to think through the long term effects of short term policy decisions. Take, for example, the issue of gambling. Recent statements by pro-gambling interests have said that we should consider this as it would bring money in very quickly. However, we need to take a look at the long term effects of such a huge policy decision. We can’t look at a short term money grab when the long term effects may include dramatic increases in addiction, bankruptcies, and crime. All of these cost money. We can’t look at short term additions to our budget if there are long term ramifications that lead to state dependency on a few large tax payers at the expense of many smaller diverse businesses making up a more recession resistant stable tax base. Our well being has to include long term as well as short term thoughtfulness over the issues we face.

For many years, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has neglected our physical infrastructure preferring to spend money on our social service systems. We can’t neglect this any longer. Our ability to compete economically relies on our work force and creative, critical, innovative thinking. That means investing in our public higher education system. It means investing in infrastructure such as site preparation. It means new science buildings to educate people in new sciences. We need to address this need.

Recent reports indicate that we will need to spend upwards of $19 billion over the next twenty years just to run in place with our transportation needs. We need to fix our roads and bridges state wide. We need to get a decent passenger rail system in place state wide. We need to address this need.

Our position as a preeminent life science state means that we need to find ways to dispose of waste and more importantly, have a plentiful source of water. I have raised this issue over the past several years as we have had indications that we are running low on supplies south of Boston and in Boston itself. That doesn’t mean we are running out of water, but it does mean that we need to plan carefully for the future. As the national chair of the Council of State Governments in 2003, I saw the difficulties that western and southwestern states have had as they are running low on water supply. States are suing each other over water rights and rivers such as the mighty Rio Grande are merely trickles as upstream states dam the rivers and take all of the water. We need to address this need.

The federal stimulus bill is a big boost for states. We need to spend it wisely. The reaction of some is to substitute this wherever possible for state funding in our budget while revenues are down. This merely expands the base of the budget in an unsustainable way. We need to look at short term spending priorities that lead to economic projects that continue to give us a return on our investment. (Although taking $60 million off the top for a right handed power hitter for our beloved Red Sox is a pretty good investment too.) We have needs around the state and this gives us a chance to address capital needs in order to advance an economy that will mirror the evolving technology economy of America. With investment, we can maintain our edge in the creative economy. We need to address this need.

All of these should involve a lot of hard work for the bonding committee. I look forward to working on these issues and many others.

I will miss my economic development and emerging technolgies committee. It was designed by our former Speaker for me. And for the first time in 17 years, I will not chair an economic development position. But I have found that any position is what you make of it and starting Tuesday, I will be back in the State House working on the issues I care deeply about.