AS IS MY CUSTOM, I LISTENED TO THE
THE GOVERNOR SPOKE ABOUT THE $650 MIL - 2003 BUDGET SHORTFALL AND PREDICTED 2004 WOULD BE WORSE. SPEAKING FROM HIS OFFICE
AT THE CAPITAL, HE STATED HE HAD FILED HIS PLAN TO CLOSE THE GAP, DEMOCRATS STATED THEY HAD FILED THEIR PLAN TO MEET THE SHORTFALL AND REPUBLICANS COMPLAINED THEY WERE TOO MARGINALIZED TO PUT A PLAN TOGETHER.
THE GOVERNOR REPORTED HE HAD VETOED THE DEMOCRATS PLAN STATING IT RELIED TOO HEAVILY ON TAX INCREASES AND NOT ENOUGH ON SPENDING CUTS. GOVERNOR STATED 2800 STATE WORKERS HAD BEEN LAID OFF WITH MORE LAY OFFS TO BE ANNOUNCED. HE CAUTIONED THAT, IF CONSENSUS WAS NOT REACHED, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD RUN OUT OF MONEY IN MAY.
THE DEMOCRATS STATED THE GOVERNOR’S PLAN
RELIED TOO HEAVILY ON BUDGET CUTS AND NOT ENOUGH ON TAX INCREASES AND THE
REPUBLICANS SAID THEY WOULD SUPPORT A PLAN THAT WAS A BALANCE OF SPENDING CUTS
AND TAX INCREASES. IT WAS AT THAT POINT
THAT I REALIZED I WAS LISTENING TO THE NEWS FROM OUR
YES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE CIRCUMSTANCES
IN OUR SISTER STATE OF CONNECTICUT, INCLUDING THE PROJECTED AMOUNT OF THE 2003
BUDGET SHORTFALL ARE ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THOSE WE CONFRONT TODAY HERE IN
FOR THAT MATTER, AT LEAST 45 STATES IN THE
NATION FACE BUDGET CALAMITIES EQUAL TO AND, IN MANY INSTANCES, GREATER THAN
OURS.
FURTHERMORE, THIS RECESSION/DEPRESSION IS
GLOBAL WITH THE ECONOMIES OF OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES ON THE VERGE OF COMPLETE
COLLAPSE. EVEN COUNTRIES WITH STRONG
ECONOMIES ARE SUFFERING. FOR EXAMPLE,
HERE AT HOME, NATIONWIDE, STATE GOVERNMENTS WILL BE WRESTLING WITH THE SAME ISSUES AND THE DIALOGUE WILL FOCUS ON CLOSING THE GAP ON CURRENT BUDGET SHORTFALLS AND THE EVEN GREATER BUDGET SHORTFALLS TO COME. EVERYONE AGREES ON THE ISSUES. THAT WON’T CHANGE. IN MOST STATES, THE ONLY OPEN QUESTION WILL BE FINDING A PLAN THAT EVERYONE CAN LIVE WITH EVEN IF THEY DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO. WE WILL ALL NEED TO ELEVATE COMPROMISE TO AN ART FORM.
AND, WHILE THERE ARE MANY COMPARISONS TO BE MADE BETWEEN THE GREAT DEPRESSION OF 1929 AND OUR PRESENT SITUATION, THERE ARE IMPORTANT AND POSTIVE DISTINCTIONS TO BE MADE. THE GOOD NEWS IS: FIRST HOUSING STARTS AND HOUSING PRICES NATIONWIDE REMAIN STRONG AND, IN FACT, FINANCIAL ANALYSTS HAVE BEEN ADVISING PEOPLE TO HEDGE BY INVESTING IN REAL PROPERTY. MORE SIGNIFICANTLY, WHILE JOBLESSNESS WAS AS HIGH AS 25% DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, WE CONTINUE TO SEE A SINGLE DIGIT JOBLESS RATE OF LESS THAN 5% NATIONWIDE.
ALL THINGS REMAINING EQUAL, OUR COUNTRY AND OUR ECONOMY SHOULD REMAIN STRONG. AT THE STATE LEVEL, I SERVE WITH WONDERFUL BRIGHT AND DEDICATED PEOPLE, INCLUDING MY COLLEAGUES IN THE WESTERN MASS DELEGATION. I PREDICT THAT WE WILL ALL DO OUR JOBS AND WE WILL SEE IT THROUGH.
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, THE ROAD TO RECOVERY IS GOING TO BE VERY PAINFUL AND WE WILL ALL HAVE TO SACRIFICE PERSONALLY AND GLOBALLY IN TERMS OF THE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS WE CARE ABOUT, SO MANY OF YOU SERVE ON BOARDS AND COMMITTEES IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS AND YOU’RE PROGRAMS WILL BE CUT IF NOT DECIMATED.
FOR OUR PART, THE PERFECT STORM HAS ALREADY BEGUN.
THE ADVOCATES FOR VARIOUS INTERESTS ARE ALREADY POUNDING DOWN OUR DOORS: HERE’S WHAT CONSTITUENTS HAVE TOLD ME IN RECENT WEEKS ANDWITH EQUAL CONVICTION:
LOCAL OFFICIALS SAY
WE MUST MAINTAIN STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES/BUSINESS LEADERS SAY WE MUST CUT GOVERNMENT/WE NEED LESS GOVERNMENT SMALLER GOVERNMENT, EXTREMISTS SAY WE NEED NO GOVERNMENT.
CITIZENS FOR LIMITED TAXATION SAYS--WE NEED NO NEW TAXES/MMA SAYS OUR ONLY HOPE FOR SURVIVAL IS TO RAISE TAXES IMMEDIATELY.
ADVOCATES SAY: WE SHOULDN’T BALANCE THE BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF OUR ELDERLY, OUR CHILDREN, OUR RICH, OUR POOR, OUR SICK AND DISABLED, OUR VETERANS, OUR YOUNG FAMILIES AND OUR RETIREES ON FIXED INCOMES.
POLICE AND FIRE CHIEFS SAY: WE CAN’T AFFORD NOT TO INVEST IN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY. PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES TELL US POLICE AND FIRE CAN’T BE SACRED COWS.
SUPERINTENDENTS AND SCHOOL TEACHERS INSIST: WE MUST FULLY FUND EDUCATION REFORM. LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE EQUALLY INSISTENT THAT WE CAN NO LONGER HOLD EDUCATION REFORM HARMLESS.
JUDGES AND LAWYERS TELL US THE COURTS CAN’T TAKE ANY MORE CUTS/MOST PEOPLE SAY: WHO CARES ABOUT JUDGES, LAWYERS AND THE COURTS?
STUDENTS PROTEST THAT WE MUST FULLY FUND OUR
DOCTORS, NURSES AND HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS TELL US THEY ARE DESPERATE FOR RELIEF AND CLOSE TO BANKRUPTCY
WE MUST INVEST IN OUR HOSPITALS.
SELECTMEN TELL US WE CAN’T SAVE THE CITIES AT THE COST OF THE SUBURBS—WHILE MAYORS TELL US WE HAVE TO HELP THE CITIES FIRST BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO ABILITY TO HELP THEMSELVES WHILE THE WEALTHIER SUBURBS HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO HELP THEMSELVES.
AND, FINALLY, LOCAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE TELL US NOT ONLY CAN WE NOT BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS US BUT WE MUST REDUCE BUSINESS COSTS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY INVEST IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WELL, I THINK YOU GET THE PICTURE. IT’S ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
TIME.
BRIAN, MARY AND I ALL REPRESENT BOTH THE CITY
OF