Four years ago, the Legislature in Massachusetts voted to change our state system from a gubernatorial appointment of the next US Senator in the case of a vacancy,to an elected position. I was not at the State House the day the vote was taken and didn't vote on this. I would have voted with the majority at the time. Since then, obviously this issue has come back with the death of Senator Kennedy. I have received a lot of email on both sides of this. After much deliberation, we are voting on this today.Here is my response to that email and my decision on this matter. I appreciate everyone's comments on both sides.
Thank you for your email. After consideration, I am going to vote for an interim senator for Massachusetts. While many will cry politics on this, I believe that if you strip away the politics from the current debate over replacement of Ted Kennedy, the core issue is; should Massachusetts have two US Senators representing the state at all times even in the interim while awaiting the voter's choice in a new election. I think the answer is yes. That is not political, it is practical. Given population shifts and the passing of our long time Senator as well as our reliance on these offices to give us assistance in such issues as Medicare, social security, immigration, and passport issues, I believe that it is imperative to have two US Senators in Washington.
People deserve to be represented in Washington with our full legislative contingent.
People claim that the vote to do away with the practice of appointing a Senator if there is a vacancy was political. Of course it was. Gov. Romney was running for President and no one wanted to give him a leg up on the competition by appointing himself. That was a choice that was made given that situation. We have a different situation today and if there are cries of hypocrisy, then they apply to the Republicans too as they thought this was a good idea four years ago and now decry the appointment of an interim Senator. The difference this time is that we have a pledge that the interim appointment will not be someone who will seek the permanent appointment so that the people of Massachusetts will truly be able to elect, by popular vote, the next US Senator. I believe this is fair and equitable.
Thanks for the email and input on this matter, I appreciate your comments.
Sincerely, Dan Bosley
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Random Thoughts on a Beautiful Day
- Is there anyone who thinks that the vote against an interim Senator four years ago wasn’t political? Romney was sworn in as Governor and checked out immediately. He was clearly running for President and no one in the Democratic Party wanted to give him a leg up by having him become the Senator from Massachusetts.
- The difference this time around is that the idea is to ensure as much as possible that the interim Senator will not run for the elected position. So we get to have two Senators in Massachusetts during the interim and the public gets to elect the next Senator. What’s wrong with that?
- I know it is a pain in the neck to get around State St., but isn’t it great to have the bridge finally being repaired? BTW, that is the longest span in Berkshire County.
- I was out early Sunday morning taking pictures and in one area near the Savoy State Forest; the leaves are already turning quite a bit.
- My first trip for this school year to Sullivan School is today. Anna Saldo Burke and her third grade classes adopted me years ago and I get to class several times a year. Today I get to read to them.
- I keep hearing from people that Ted Kennedy’s passing is the end of an era. It is, partly because politics has become much more about personalities and less about issues. Ideologues have a hard time reaching across aisles as Ted did. But whose fault is that? We should demand that government again becomes more important than politics.
- If consumer spending is a huge part of our economy, how can we have a recovery when no one has any discretionary spending power? One of the aspects of this recession was that consumers were tapped out. Now we are being asked to do the same thing that got us into the last problem. I think this is going to take us longer to dig out of than in past recessions. Hang on, and continue to save a little.
- Gambling once again raises its ugly head in the state. Considering what we are now reading about Connecticut and the debt problems of the casinos as well as the weakness of the market, why is this still a good idea to some?
- We all have things that drive us nuts. For me, it’s people who have to push onto an elevator before people get off. Doesn’t it make more sense to wait till the elevator offloads before squeezing on? How much time do you have to save that you are in that hurry? And while I am on elevators, it drives me nuts when a young person gets on an elevator and presses the button to go up one floor. What drives you nuts?
- Back to politics; after two Globe stories where they dragged out Joe Kennedy’s ex-wife from years ago to write a story about his annulment and then printed a long story about his oil from Hugo Chavez, is it any wonder that Joe K didn’t run? The Globe has helped their candidate by defining the race. That’s too bad as Joe Kennedy was a good Congressman and would have helped this race as a candidate. This also says a lot about reporting and the direction of newspapers.
- I have decided to support Mike Capuano for the Senate seat. He is also a good Congressman and has been a good friend. I like his no nonsense style and find that he is as comfortable with a few people from the neighborhood as he is with foreign heads of state. He works hard and I like the fact that he is compassionate but also warns about how we spend money now and in the future. He is a good person and will work hard for us. And we will see him in Western Massachusetts if he is elected.
- The difference this time around is that the idea is to ensure as much as possible that the interim Senator will not run for the elected position. So we get to have two Senators in Massachusetts during the interim and the public gets to elect the next Senator. What’s wrong with that?
- I know it is a pain in the neck to get around State St., but isn’t it great to have the bridge finally being repaired? BTW, that is the longest span in Berkshire County.
- I was out early Sunday morning taking pictures and in one area near the Savoy State Forest; the leaves are already turning quite a bit.
- My first trip for this school year to Sullivan School is today. Anna Saldo Burke and her third grade classes adopted me years ago and I get to class several times a year. Today I get to read to them.
- I keep hearing from people that Ted Kennedy’s passing is the end of an era. It is, partly because politics has become much more about personalities and less about issues. Ideologues have a hard time reaching across aisles as Ted did. But whose fault is that? We should demand that government again becomes more important than politics.
- If consumer spending is a huge part of our economy, how can we have a recovery when no one has any discretionary spending power? One of the aspects of this recession was that consumers were tapped out. Now we are being asked to do the same thing that got us into the last problem. I think this is going to take us longer to dig out of than in past recessions. Hang on, and continue to save a little.
- Gambling once again raises its ugly head in the state. Considering what we are now reading about Connecticut and the debt problems of the casinos as well as the weakness of the market, why is this still a good idea to some?
- We all have things that drive us nuts. For me, it’s people who have to push onto an elevator before people get off. Doesn’t it make more sense to wait till the elevator offloads before squeezing on? How much time do you have to save that you are in that hurry? And while I am on elevators, it drives me nuts when a young person gets on an elevator and presses the button to go up one floor. What drives you nuts?
- Back to politics; after two Globe stories where they dragged out Joe Kennedy’s ex-wife from years ago to write a story about his annulment and then printed a long story about his oil from Hugo Chavez, is it any wonder that Joe K didn’t run? The Globe has helped their candidate by defining the race. That’s too bad as Joe Kennedy was a good Congressman and would have helped this race as a candidate. This also says a lot about reporting and the direction of newspapers.
- I have decided to support Mike Capuano for the Senate seat. He is also a good Congressman and has been a good friend. I like his no nonsense style and find that he is as comfortable with a few people from the neighborhood as he is with foreign heads of state. He works hard and I like the fact that he is compassionate but also warns about how we spend money now and in the future. He is a good person and will work hard for us. And we will see him in Western Massachusetts if he is elected.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Boston Charter Day
This past Friday, I was asked by one of my colleagues to speak at Boston Charter Day. This is a celebration by historians in both Boston Massachusetts and Boston, Lincolnshire , England of the September 1630 chartering of the city of Boston. I, of course, got a kick out of being the furthest representative from Boston and talking on this occasion. I spoke about the development of government. I thought it may be interesting. These are my remarks:
Welcome and thank you for this opportunity to speak today
I come from North Adams – the farthest city from Boston and farthest commute in the state, but get to spend half of the week in the beautiful Berkshires and half of the week in Shawmut/Trimountaine/Boston.
My grandfather on my mother’s side comes from South England near Plymouth in a small town called Looe. This is very far from Boston England – but my great grandparents came here much the same as those in the 1600s – looking for a better life for themselves and their families.
Now we know that the first European settler here in Boston was William Blackstone in 1625. We know that the Puritans who served in the Arbella Armada of 11 ships brought too many settlers for Salem to accommodate and those settlers migrated from Salem to Charlestown before eventually settling in Boston. This was mostly because of potable water in this area. That was the start and we know that since a large number of settlers came from the Boston England area – this city came to be named Boston.
For the next 130 years, it was the largest, wealthiest, and most influential city in America. Its geographic location and large port made it so.
Due to its position of influence, the City of Boston and her residents greatly influenced the growth of a governance system in Massachusetts, and eventually in the United States.
The factor that was of most importance originally was the fact that early settlers here were Puritans rather than Pilgrims. They weren’t separatists from the Church of England, but were chartered colonists – (I was always told that the difference was that Puritans had money – Pilgrims did not). The word puritan came from their belief in purity of the Church. They felt that the Church of England had been compromised by tolerance of other beliefs.
As a result, they imposed a strict set of rules on all the residents of this new land. They legislated morality as well as laws. This had the effect of creating an extremely structured and stable society here. Lest we think it was all about morality and church, they also preached education and hard work, both of which were key factors in stability and expansion of the economy.
The other main factor in the growth of Boston and the evolution of government was that Boston and the Massachusetts Bay Colony was allowed far more self-governance than their American counterparts in Virginia.
In 1629, the twelve men in England who were members of the Mass. Bay Colony decided to transfer the power to the new world. In effect, they founded a new company and a new government.
Arguably the Charter of 1629 should be recognized as one of the most important documents in our history.
Governor Winthrop brought this charter with him when he came to the colony. It gave the colony unprecedented power. It created a General Court of all free men. This court elected a Governor themselves and stated that they possessed the right to govern their own affairs as long as their laws were not contrary to the laws of England.
That Great and General Court has met regularly except for an inter charter period in the 1680s for 379 years.
Not all settlers had a voice at the beginning. Some were indentured to others in order to finance their way to the new country. But as they worked this debt off, more and more became free men.
In October 1630, 109 settlers petitioned for rights as freemen. This was at the first meeting of the Great and General Court. In May 1631, at their next meeting, 116 men were admitted as freemen. They immediately put through reforms that curbed the Governors power and declared that only the General Court had the power to tax.
So many so became freemen, that by May 1634, the General Court arranged for representatives from each city and town to make decisions for them.
This was included in a document sent out in 1641 – the Body of Liberties. This was the first code of law for the Commonwealth. It codified a representative form of government and said that the General Court could not be dissolved without the majority consent of that body. This was amazingly progressive for its time. It included protection for the rights of children, outlawed slavery, declared usury as forbidden and separated church and state. Public records were declared open to the public. This was tremendously progressive…well not all progressive, the death penalty was reaffirmed for witchcraft.
While the first legislators were all members of the church, by the 1640’s expansion of the colony lead to elimination of religious tests of officeholders.
In 1644, the single assembly was split into two bodies, the House and Senate and the beginning of separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches began. This happened gradually ending with the Constitution of 1780. 1644 A bicameral legislature was declared. The House became the body of freemen, and the Senate was deputies to the Governor…the body of property and wealth. Thus, we are the oldest bicameral legislature in the United States
In 1652 the bodies adopted the right of mutual veto. This is important as it gave both branches equal power.
The General Court lasted under the Province Charter until 1774 when it became the Massachusetts government; however it wasn’t until adoption of the 1780 Constitution that we officially became the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The pre-eminent political scientist, Andrew McLaughlin wrote, “If I were called upon to select a single fact on enterprise which more nearly than any other thing embraced the significance of the American Revolution…I would choose the formation of the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780; and I should do so because the constitution rested upon a fully developed convention, the greatest institution of government which America has produced, the institution which answered, in itself, the problem of how men could make governments of their own free will.”
239 representatives from 190 communities met in September 1779 to draft a Constitution. They had a “free conversation” and delegated a Grand Committee of 30 to prepare a draft. This committee selected a subcommittee of three – John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin to write the document. In the end, they let John Adams write this document. John Adams set out to write a document that, he wrote, created “an empire of laws, not men.”
This was a broad comprehensive document and today Massachusetts is the only state that still operates under its original constitution.
3 points are important:
1. Our rights must be respected by our government
2. It is our duty to maintain our government
3. The basic framework of that government
The Constitution gave the people tremendous power:
• Said government was accountable to the people
• We have the right to replace our officials
o Right to assemble
o Codified the separation of powers
o Right to impose taxes
This was far ahead of its time and set precedent for our national Constitution. Much of our federal government mirrors our state government.
Also in 1780, Senate was set at 40 members, where they have been since that time…House has fluctuated with growth of population high was 748 members in 1811
There are a couple things that make us unique. Each citizen of the Commonwealth can petition the legislature to pass a bill. This is the right of free petition. And each bill has to have a public hearing. No other state has both of these. You can still get your day in the general court.
This system has served us well, but it is a dynamic document. There have been changes or refinements along the way.
1840 citizens not taxpayers became the voters and legislators
1857 legislature abandoned town and city representation and elected 240 members from districts
1964 one man, one vote
1979 house cut to 160
In 1912, President Teddy Roosevelt said that, “Massachusetts has taken the lead in every movement for the welfare of this nation since the days when men of the 13 colonies sent their representatives to the first Continental Congress.”
There have been three presidents that have served here…John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Calvin Coolidge…6 speakers of the US House, and one Supreme Court Justice. Daniel Webster, and John Greenlief Whittier served and Ralph Waldo Emerson served as clergy to the House. What a place
We are proud of our heritage, our history, and our roots in Massachusetts. I believe that those roots have been responsible for who we are today.
Because of the Puritan emphasis on education and hard work and given our spirit of self determination, we lead the nation in college degrees per capita – on doctoral degrees per capita. We have 123 colleges and universities in our small state. That has lead to a record and history of innovation and creativity in our economy – from developing the first vaccine in 1791 to mapping the human genome.
Welcome and thank you for this opportunity to speak today
I come from North Adams – the farthest city from Boston and farthest commute in the state, but get to spend half of the week in the beautiful Berkshires and half of the week in Shawmut/Trimountaine/Boston.
My grandfather on my mother’s side comes from South England near Plymouth in a small town called Looe. This is very far from Boston England – but my great grandparents came here much the same as those in the 1600s – looking for a better life for themselves and their families.
Now we know that the first European settler here in Boston was William Blackstone in 1625. We know that the Puritans who served in the Arbella Armada of 11 ships brought too many settlers for Salem to accommodate and those settlers migrated from Salem to Charlestown before eventually settling in Boston. This was mostly because of potable water in this area. That was the start and we know that since a large number of settlers came from the Boston England area – this city came to be named Boston.
For the next 130 years, it was the largest, wealthiest, and most influential city in America. Its geographic location and large port made it so.
Due to its position of influence, the City of Boston and her residents greatly influenced the growth of a governance system in Massachusetts, and eventually in the United States.
The factor that was of most importance originally was the fact that early settlers here were Puritans rather than Pilgrims. They weren’t separatists from the Church of England, but were chartered colonists – (I was always told that the difference was that Puritans had money – Pilgrims did not). The word puritan came from their belief in purity of the Church. They felt that the Church of England had been compromised by tolerance of other beliefs.
As a result, they imposed a strict set of rules on all the residents of this new land. They legislated morality as well as laws. This had the effect of creating an extremely structured and stable society here. Lest we think it was all about morality and church, they also preached education and hard work, both of which were key factors in stability and expansion of the economy.
The other main factor in the growth of Boston and the evolution of government was that Boston and the Massachusetts Bay Colony was allowed far more self-governance than their American counterparts in Virginia.
In 1629, the twelve men in England who were members of the Mass. Bay Colony decided to transfer the power to the new world. In effect, they founded a new company and a new government.
Arguably the Charter of 1629 should be recognized as one of the most important documents in our history.
Governor Winthrop brought this charter with him when he came to the colony. It gave the colony unprecedented power. It created a General Court of all free men. This court elected a Governor themselves and stated that they possessed the right to govern their own affairs as long as their laws were not contrary to the laws of England.
That Great and General Court has met regularly except for an inter charter period in the 1680s for 379 years.
Not all settlers had a voice at the beginning. Some were indentured to others in order to finance their way to the new country. But as they worked this debt off, more and more became free men.
In October 1630, 109 settlers petitioned for rights as freemen. This was at the first meeting of the Great and General Court. In May 1631, at their next meeting, 116 men were admitted as freemen. They immediately put through reforms that curbed the Governors power and declared that only the General Court had the power to tax.
So many so became freemen, that by May 1634, the General Court arranged for representatives from each city and town to make decisions for them.
This was included in a document sent out in 1641 – the Body of Liberties. This was the first code of law for the Commonwealth. It codified a representative form of government and said that the General Court could not be dissolved without the majority consent of that body. This was amazingly progressive for its time. It included protection for the rights of children, outlawed slavery, declared usury as forbidden and separated church and state. Public records were declared open to the public. This was tremendously progressive…well not all progressive, the death penalty was reaffirmed for witchcraft.
While the first legislators were all members of the church, by the 1640’s expansion of the colony lead to elimination of religious tests of officeholders.
In 1644, the single assembly was split into two bodies, the House and Senate and the beginning of separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches began. This happened gradually ending with the Constitution of 1780. 1644 A bicameral legislature was declared. The House became the body of freemen, and the Senate was deputies to the Governor…the body of property and wealth. Thus, we are the oldest bicameral legislature in the United States
In 1652 the bodies adopted the right of mutual veto. This is important as it gave both branches equal power.
The General Court lasted under the Province Charter until 1774 when it became the Massachusetts government; however it wasn’t until adoption of the 1780 Constitution that we officially became the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The pre-eminent political scientist, Andrew McLaughlin wrote, “If I were called upon to select a single fact on enterprise which more nearly than any other thing embraced the significance of the American Revolution…I would choose the formation of the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780; and I should do so because the constitution rested upon a fully developed convention, the greatest institution of government which America has produced, the institution which answered, in itself, the problem of how men could make governments of their own free will.”
239 representatives from 190 communities met in September 1779 to draft a Constitution. They had a “free conversation” and delegated a Grand Committee of 30 to prepare a draft. This committee selected a subcommittee of three – John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin to write the document. In the end, they let John Adams write this document. John Adams set out to write a document that, he wrote, created “an empire of laws, not men.”
This was a broad comprehensive document and today Massachusetts is the only state that still operates under its original constitution.
3 points are important:
1. Our rights must be respected by our government
2. It is our duty to maintain our government
3. The basic framework of that government
The Constitution gave the people tremendous power:
• Said government was accountable to the people
• We have the right to replace our officials
o Right to assemble
o Codified the separation of powers
o Right to impose taxes
This was far ahead of its time and set precedent for our national Constitution. Much of our federal government mirrors our state government.
Also in 1780, Senate was set at 40 members, where they have been since that time…House has fluctuated with growth of population high was 748 members in 1811
There are a couple things that make us unique. Each citizen of the Commonwealth can petition the legislature to pass a bill. This is the right of free petition. And each bill has to have a public hearing. No other state has both of these. You can still get your day in the general court.
This system has served us well, but it is a dynamic document. There have been changes or refinements along the way.
1840 citizens not taxpayers became the voters and legislators
1857 legislature abandoned town and city representation and elected 240 members from districts
1964 one man, one vote
1979 house cut to 160
In 1912, President Teddy Roosevelt said that, “Massachusetts has taken the lead in every movement for the welfare of this nation since the days when men of the 13 colonies sent their representatives to the first Continental Congress.”
There have been three presidents that have served here…John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Calvin Coolidge…6 speakers of the US House, and one Supreme Court Justice. Daniel Webster, and John Greenlief Whittier served and Ralph Waldo Emerson served as clergy to the House. What a place
We are proud of our heritage, our history, and our roots in Massachusetts. I believe that those roots have been responsible for who we are today.
Because of the Puritan emphasis on education and hard work and given our spirit of self determination, we lead the nation in college degrees per capita – on doctoral degrees per capita. We have 123 colleges and universities in our small state. That has lead to a record and history of innovation and creativity in our economy – from developing the first vaccine in 1791 to mapping the human genome.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Senator Edward Kennedy
I am deeply saddened by the passing of Sen. Kennedy yesterday. While it was not unexpected, it is a tragic and sad day for Massachusetts and the US Senate. My thoughts and prayers go to his family.
There has been much written about the senior Senator over the last few days and much more will be written. We will not realize the full impact of the loss nor will we realize the impact to Massachusetts until we start to look at the things Ted used to do that will no longer happen. We have lost the most influential member of Congress and that will hurt. For many of us, we have also lost a friend and someone who cared deeply for the people of this state and for the people in need of a champion all over this country. People who are far more eloquent than I am will detail the accomplishments and career of the Senator over the next few weeks and months. I would just like to relate a few stories of my personal dealings with Ted Kennedy.
First, I have two treasured pictures of Ted Kennedy. The first is a picture of Ted and Vicki with my daughter Stephanie. I was taking the Senator on a tour of MassMoCA a number of years ago and my daughter (much younger then) came along. I wanted her to meet the Senator and told her he was one of the most powerful men in Washington. So I have a picture of them together at the museum. The other is the picture that was on the front page of the Los Angeles Times during the 2000 convention. It is a picture of Ted and Caroline together waving to the crowd. I sent to the Times for a few prints of this and asked Ted to autograph it for me. He wrote, “Dan, I am looking for you, Ted Kennedy.”
The Senator and the family were on vacation in the Berkshires and I received a phone call from Gene Dellea asking me to go to lunch with the Senator and a small group. I was seated across from Ted who was about three seats from his wife Vicki. As many know, Ted Kennedy waged a lifetime battle with weight (I can relate) and he sat there with a salad for lunch. As the meal ended and the waiter asked for dessert preferences, the Senator said he wanted coffee but told the person on his right that the chocolate cake with the chocolate sauce was good. As dessert went on, every time Vicki was looking the other way, Ted would scoop a big spoon of cake and sauce out and eat it. He would grin, so proud that he was sneaking dessert until Vicki turned to him and said, “Ted, you know you have chocolate sauce all over your shirt”! He looked down very dismayed until we all started laughing and he joined in with a loud laugh himself. He took his job seriously, but could laugh at himself, a disappearing trait in politics.
In the mid-nineties, I was on my way to Washington to speak to Congress about heating assistance and the federal transportation bill with a number of people from around the east coast. I asked a number of people, as I always do, whether I could do anything else while I was down there. I was told by a few members of the BRTA that the train in Pittsfield was in danger. Newt Gringrich was Speaker of the House and Dick Armey from Texas was the House Ways and Means Chair. The rumor was that they were closing Amtrak stations all over including Texas. So I called Ted Kennedy’s office and asked to speak to him about this when I was in Washington. I arrived at his office with a bunch of people to talk to him about fuel assistance and we sat around his office in a semi circle. Being the closest on the left of the seats, I was close enough to the Senator to see the 3x5 card in his hand. The only thing typed on it was, “Dan Bosley-Amtrak-Pittsfield”. As our meeting wound down, a staffer reminded the Senator that I had wanted to talk about Amtrak. Ted Kennedy said something to the effect that trains were important and Pittsfield was important and America was getting into training, training the Amtrak way! He then asked if anyone wanted to take a picture and my chance ended with pictures of our group. I remember thinking that this didn’t go as I expected. I was a little disappointed until the next morning. I was in again a large meeting in Washington. This time I was with the CEO for Amtrak looking for an update on the proposed transportation bill. All we got was a half hour lecture of how we should lobby Congress to give Amtrak a penny from the federal gas tax. However, as this meeting ended and we all were leaving, Amtrak CEO Downs asked if I were in the room. He asked me to hang back. We went into his office and he said that I didn’t have to worry about Pittsfield closing. He said he received a personal phone call from Sen. Kennedy at home last evening requesting that they leave the Pittsfield stop open. He said that we shouldn’t worry and that he was very happy to have had the chance to talk to the Senator about Amtrak’s request for more money. He thanked me for getting Ted to call him! He went on to ask if I knew just how influential the Senator was and that he was thrilled to be able to talk to the most powerful man in the Senate as their funding was being discussed. He said that if I needed anything else, just call him. I remember leaving thinking God Bless Kennedy for making the phone call and taking care of us.
The last story is about Ted Kennedy’s appearance at the Commencement ceremony at MCLA in May ’06. I brought a copy of his recent book, “America: Back on Track” so that he could sign it. While we were getting “robed up” for the ceremony, I brought the book over and asked him to sign it. He took the pen and signed the book, but then started to go over the book and mark what he considered to be the important parts. I remember thinking, “hey, he’s writing in my book”, but how cool is it to have a book with the parts that he thought were important pointed out?
I remember where I was when I learned of both Bobby and John Kennedy’s death. The passing of Ted Kennedy is more difficult for me. Perhaps this is because I am older and more aware of our mortality. Perhaps this is because I knew him personally. Either way, we are diminished by his death and have lost a very good friend to the citizens of Massachusetts as well as a good friend to, in Dylan’s words, “the luckless, the abandoned, and forsaked” all over the country. He will be missed.
Monday, August 17, 2009
A Governor's visit
Governor Patrick spent a day last week in the North Berkshire Community. He was gracious, inquisitive, supportive of our efforts here, and brought money!! What more could one ask for?
I am quick to criticize our administration when I feel they are wrong and the flip side should be that I should be just as quick to praise them when I feel they are right in their efforts. I feel this is one area that we have forgotten. Governor Patrick had a good trip here and we should say thanks for that.
The Governor announced that we would be receiving approximately 1.6 million in the district. These were Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to North Adams and Adams as well as some housing money. This comes from a $40+ million pool of grants around the state. A few people have questioned how the state can afford this when we are running a deficit and have cut other programs. A few have suggested that if there is money, why spend part of it on a skating rink as opposed to education or health care? Good questions. The answer is two-fold. First, this is federal block grant money that goes to the states each year to enhance communities. If we don’t use it, it goes elsewhere in the system, so we may as well use money that is designated for communities. On the question of putting resources into the skating rink, this is money that goes to people in the community. The skating rink is used by many kids and adults in the North Berkshire Community. Government should enhance the lives of our people and this will be a little money that will go a long way to helping locals use this facility.
The Governor also visited local businesses and art galleries. He asked a lot of good questions. He passed through the Juvenile court and said hi to Alex Daugherty. He talked with people on the street and had coffee in Brew Ha Ha.
But the most endearing quality of our Governor shines through when talking with kids. At the skating rink, he made a point of talking with every child there. He encouraged them to use the rink and was very engaged. (He also traveled out on the ice with his street shoes on. I was worried given his bad hip that he would slip, but he handled himself well.) He took several pictures with the kids. The Governor was scheduled to go to an area park to see the ROPES course that is operated regionally by the police departments. Given the death of Eunice Shiver and his hurrying back to the wake on the Cape, his office cancelled his afternoon appearance. When the Governor left the skating rink, he told his driver to take him to the ROPES course. He wasn’t going to disappoint the kids and he had made a promise at the Fall Foliage Parade to visit this course. The kids were thrilled and he again spent time visiting, posing for pictures, and talking to the kids. Thanks Governor for some time well spent.
I am quick to criticize our administration when I feel they are wrong and the flip side should be that I should be just as quick to praise them when I feel they are right in their efforts. I feel this is one area that we have forgotten. Governor Patrick had a good trip here and we should say thanks for that.
The Governor announced that we would be receiving approximately 1.6 million in the district. These were Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to North Adams and Adams as well as some housing money. This comes from a $40+ million pool of grants around the state. A few people have questioned how the state can afford this when we are running a deficit and have cut other programs. A few have suggested that if there is money, why spend part of it on a skating rink as opposed to education or health care? Good questions. The answer is two-fold. First, this is federal block grant money that goes to the states each year to enhance communities. If we don’t use it, it goes elsewhere in the system, so we may as well use money that is designated for communities. On the question of putting resources into the skating rink, this is money that goes to people in the community. The skating rink is used by many kids and adults in the North Berkshire Community. Government should enhance the lives of our people and this will be a little money that will go a long way to helping locals use this facility.
The Governor also visited local businesses and art galleries. He asked a lot of good questions. He passed through the Juvenile court and said hi to Alex Daugherty. He talked with people on the street and had coffee in Brew Ha Ha.
But the most endearing quality of our Governor shines through when talking with kids. At the skating rink, he made a point of talking with every child there. He encouraged them to use the rink and was very engaged. (He also traveled out on the ice with his street shoes on. I was worried given his bad hip that he would slip, but he handled himself well.) He took several pictures with the kids. The Governor was scheduled to go to an area park to see the ROPES course that is operated regionally by the police departments. Given the death of Eunice Shiver and his hurrying back to the wake on the Cape, his office cancelled his afternoon appearance. When the Governor left the skating rink, he told his driver to take him to the ROPES course. He wasn’t going to disappoint the kids and he had made a promise at the Fall Foliage Parade to visit this course. The kids were thrilled and he again spent time visiting, posing for pictures, and talking to the kids. Thanks Governor for some time well spent.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Getting Out of the Recession
President Barak Obama and many economic advisors have said that they believe that the worst of our economic times are behind us and that we should start to see signs of an economic turnaround. While there will be higher unemployment and struggles, the worst is behind us. Indeed, Wall Street has experienced the biggest one month growth in July in many months.
I think that the President is right when it comes to Wall Street. Growth is occurring. However, Wall Street no longer reflects the average family or consumer and that is one of the problems. They are not tied to fiscal reality for the average family.
There is a second problem that is different today than in past recessions. That is consumer spending and this is going to be a big problem moving forward. Most economic experts will tell you that consumer spending drives the economy. Growth only occurs when people consume and that consumption depends on confidence in the market. It also relies upon the confidence that one will remain working and not have a fear of losing their job. The suggestion that we are turning the corner on the recession is steeped in numbers from Wall Street and the dependence on a return of confidence as the market grows that will lead to more spending. There are a couple of problems with this.
First is that the job market has changed. I have often quoted a study by the Center for Work and Learning in Washington D.C. that was done in the nineties that states that the average person graduating from college in the year 2000 will have to changed or be retrained for their job up to seven times in their career due to technological changes in the work place. I would suggest that this total is low. We know that manufacturing has struggled in the US and even though it is still important, the skill sets required for these jobs have changed dramatically. I worked in the machine tool trades about twenty-five years ago when machinists used micrometers as the most technologically advanced tool. Today machines talk to one another by laser and computers spit out three dimensional models of parts before the machines are started. Skill sets have changed and continue to change. Bill Gates called the 2000’s the “Decade of Velocity”. He may have underestimated the speed of change. We know that fields of new technologies such as stem cell research, nanotechnology, green adaptations of new discoveries, defense work and IT to name a few weren’t even around for our parents generation, yet they dominate the job sets being created. So people are not as confident that they can keep their job as in past generations and we have a challenge in retraining people to keep up with new advances in technologies. All of this slows consumer confidence.
Second, we have witnessed several generations that have spent more money than they have and there is little credit left with which to spend regardless of consumer confidence. Think about it. We have spent the last few decades giving people multiple credit cards, easy payments, and things such as subprime mortgages all while blasting them with commercials about products that they need RIGHT NOW! Want an iphone? Get it. Cars on your own signature and if you can’t afford a home, we will give you one for next to nothing, oh and don’t sweat the balloon payment five years out.
This is irresponsible. But it has lead to a very high consumer debt level while we are saving less than many generations past. Even the federal government is getting with the program spending far more than they have saddling future generations with debt service (already the highest line item in the federal budget) that will make it harder to find expendable income. So, yes, consumer confidence and spending is important, but do we have any money left to spend?
I think that the President is right when it comes to Wall Street. Growth is occurring. However, Wall Street no longer reflects the average family or consumer and that is one of the problems. They are not tied to fiscal reality for the average family.
There is a second problem that is different today than in past recessions. That is consumer spending and this is going to be a big problem moving forward. Most economic experts will tell you that consumer spending drives the economy. Growth only occurs when people consume and that consumption depends on confidence in the market. It also relies upon the confidence that one will remain working and not have a fear of losing their job. The suggestion that we are turning the corner on the recession is steeped in numbers from Wall Street and the dependence on a return of confidence as the market grows that will lead to more spending. There are a couple of problems with this.
First is that the job market has changed. I have often quoted a study by the Center for Work and Learning in Washington D.C. that was done in the nineties that states that the average person graduating from college in the year 2000 will have to changed or be retrained for their job up to seven times in their career due to technological changes in the work place. I would suggest that this total is low. We know that manufacturing has struggled in the US and even though it is still important, the skill sets required for these jobs have changed dramatically. I worked in the machine tool trades about twenty-five years ago when machinists used micrometers as the most technologically advanced tool. Today machines talk to one another by laser and computers spit out three dimensional models of parts before the machines are started. Skill sets have changed and continue to change. Bill Gates called the 2000’s the “Decade of Velocity”. He may have underestimated the speed of change. We know that fields of new technologies such as stem cell research, nanotechnology, green adaptations of new discoveries, defense work and IT to name a few weren’t even around for our parents generation, yet they dominate the job sets being created. So people are not as confident that they can keep their job as in past generations and we have a challenge in retraining people to keep up with new advances in technologies. All of this slows consumer confidence.
Second, we have witnessed several generations that have spent more money than they have and there is little credit left with which to spend regardless of consumer confidence. Think about it. We have spent the last few decades giving people multiple credit cards, easy payments, and things such as subprime mortgages all while blasting them with commercials about products that they need RIGHT NOW! Want an iphone? Get it. Cars on your own signature and if you can’t afford a home, we will give you one for next to nothing, oh and don’t sweat the balloon payment five years out.
This is irresponsible. But it has lead to a very high consumer debt level while we are saving less than many generations past. Even the federal government is getting with the program spending far more than they have saddling future generations with debt service (already the highest line item in the federal budget) that will make it harder to find expendable income. So, yes, consumer confidence and spending is important, but do we have any money left to spend?
Governor's Veto
My last post was concerning the $80 million supplemental budget that the House passed just prior to breaking for the summer. It was placed on the Governor’s desk and he has had ten days to sign, amend, or veto the bill. As this is a budget, the Governor may line item veto the sections he disagrees with.
Governor Patrick signed the bill this past week, vetoing $33 million in spending and keeping intact the $40 million for legal immigrant health care. He suggested that $40 million wasn’t enough for this item.
I agree with the Governor’s vetoes up to a point and had hoped he would veto the entire bill. I don’t believe that this level of spending is sustainable. That said, I am saddened that he had to veto food bank money as well as regional library elder health care line items. These are important to my district, but I could not see spending $80 million in order to spend $6 million or so on programs that I like. That is the math that gets us in trouble.
I am also troubled by the statement that $40 million is not enough for the legal immigrant’s health care program. I believe that legal immigrants should be treated just as native citizens or people who have moved here to Massachusetts from another state. They are treated as a separate category of health care spending because the federal government doesn’t split the cost of health care for immigrants. That means that we pay 100% instead of 50% for their health care. The administration’s statement, along with the original estimate of upwards to $120 million for this line item, indicates to me that the administration will be back for more money for this later on in the year and that doesn’t bode well.
It saddens me to have to vote against any worthwhile program in the budget, but we have to live within our means and we have to find more cost effective ways of doing things within our line items. Until we do, the budget just continues to grow.
I believe that next year’s budget will be even tougher. Cities and towns have exhausted their rainy day funds. Next year is an election year and that means that elected officials are not going to want to bring home ore bad news than is necessary. That limits flexibility. If we don’t start to control spending now, we are in for an even tougher time next year.
Governor Patrick signed the bill this past week, vetoing $33 million in spending and keeping intact the $40 million for legal immigrant health care. He suggested that $40 million wasn’t enough for this item.
I agree with the Governor’s vetoes up to a point and had hoped he would veto the entire bill. I don’t believe that this level of spending is sustainable. That said, I am saddened that he had to veto food bank money as well as regional library elder health care line items. These are important to my district, but I could not see spending $80 million in order to spend $6 million or so on programs that I like. That is the math that gets us in trouble.
I am also troubled by the statement that $40 million is not enough for the legal immigrant’s health care program. I believe that legal immigrants should be treated just as native citizens or people who have moved here to Massachusetts from another state. They are treated as a separate category of health care spending because the federal government doesn’t split the cost of health care for immigrants. That means that we pay 100% instead of 50% for their health care. The administration’s statement, along with the original estimate of upwards to $120 million for this line item, indicates to me that the administration will be back for more money for this later on in the year and that doesn’t bode well.
It saddens me to have to vote against any worthwhile program in the budget, but we have to live within our means and we have to find more cost effective ways of doing things within our line items. Until we do, the budget just continues to grow.
I believe that next year’s budget will be even tougher. Cities and towns have exhausted their rainy day funds. Next year is an election year and that means that elected officials are not going to want to bring home ore bad news than is necessary. That limits flexibility. If we don’t start to control spending now, we are in for an even tougher time next year.
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