ON THE AIR: Senator Hedlund discusses the top news stories of 2008 on NECN

Senate Minority Whip Robert Hedlund was a featured panelist on NECN’s “NewsNight” end-of-the-year news wrap-up show. Sen. Hedlund opined on a number of the year’s top news stories, including Hillary Clinton’s teary-eyed performance in New Hampshire, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the automaker bailout, and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s star turn on the national stage. In case you missed it, we have part 1 and part 2 of the countdown.

Not so Happy New Year for Business in Massachusetts

House Bill 4904, signed into law by Governor Patrick in July as Chapter 173 of the Acts of 2008, drastically raises corporate taxes as of tomorrow, January 1, 2009.

These changes will result in an estimated increased burden of $500 million to be borne by Massachusetts businesses. Combining this new obligation with the most challenging economy for business in the past quarter century could prove fatal for many private corporations. From “check-the-box” to the sting tax, Democrats have characterized these changes as “closing loopholes.” Bottom line: when corporate obligations increase and sales revenues decrease, Massachusetts workers are hurt, which is why the Caucus will be leading the fight to repeal the corporate tax increase in the new year.

During the corporate tax debate, Senate Republicans tried unsuccessfully to lessen the impact of this legislation by offering several amendments, including one which would have allowed for an appropriate implementation period and given the Patrick Administration and others until 2010 to more carefully execute these provisions. Another amendment was filed that would have given cities and towns a one-time nonrecurring local aid payment from the funds generated by the implementation of this act. Unfortunately for private industry and its employees, their attempts were defeated.

Hiring freeze? What hiring freeze?

In politics, it’s often been said, it’s not what you know but who you know.

Case in point: Governor Deval Patrick’s selection to fill the new $120,000 a year post of Director of Real Estate Services at the Division of Capital Asset Management. According to yesterday’s Boston Herald, attorney and real estate consultant Dana Harrell is not only a “frequent contributor to Patrick’s campaign coffers,” he’s also a neighbor, living “less than a quarter mile” from the Governor.

It’s worth noting that Patrick is continuing to hire and create new positions, just two months after warning that 1,000 state jobs would be lost due to the economic downturn. It turns out those numbers were highly exaggerated, as many of the jobs “lost” were simply vacant positions that went unfilled. Not only that, but the Patrick Administration has yet to implement any type of hiring freeze, despite the fact that state revenue collections are continuing to nosedive. Instead, Patrick is relying on a “no net new hires” policy that still “allows for critical positions to be filled,” according to the Herald.

Reportedly, Harrell has been brought in to “help turn the state’s real estate assets into moneymakers.” Here’s hoping he’ll start by inventorying the assets of the MA Turnpike Authority, which the Patrick Administration has been keeping a closely guarded secret, despite repeated calls by the Senate Republican Caucus to use some of these assets to negate the proposed toll hike and pay down the Turnpike Authority‘s outstanding debt.

In case you missed it – Former Patrick aide fined for ethics violation leading to $350k job

The State House New Service reported the following story on Christmas Eve:

Former Patrick administration Undersecretary for Business Development and ex-state representative Robert Coughlin admitted to violating state conflict of interest laws and has paid a $10,000 civil penalty, according to the State Ethics Commission.

Coughlin was found to have repeatedly weighed in on "matters of interest" to the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council after he had applied to become the group's president. The Ethics Commission found that Coughlin had indicated his interest in the MBC presidency, the post he holds now, as early as April 1, 2007, and had emailed a resume to the presidential search committee. Coughlin did not inform the governor's staff of his interest in the job until July 24, 2007, a week before he was formally interviewed by the search committee, according to the report.

Coughlin accepted the $350,000-a-year job on Sept. 4, 2007. While the search process was going on, Coughlin, in his capacity as undersecretary, met with MBC staff regularly, advised the governor on life sciences issues, met with the administration's economic development team to discuss tax incentives for life sciences companies, and met with other industry officials.

“After Coughlin submitted his resume in April, his official actions taken in connection with the MBC and its members raised numerous appearances of conflicts of interest,” said Ethics Commission Executive Director Karen Nober, in a statement. “The penalty reflects the seriousness of those violations.”

A $1 billion, ten-year life science industry investment law is one of the most highly touted laws passed this session.

And since $350,000 minus $10,000 equals $340,000 Mr. Coughlin should be fine in ’09.

BUDGET WATCH – Republicans take lead on how (and how not) to balance budget

The Associated Press knows that Republicans on Beacon Hill are influencing the state budget debate. Rising to the challenge of the fiscal crisis upon the state, minority party leaders are challenging the Governor and Speaker and asking for a state salary freeze and transportation system reform before any tax hikes or drastic cuts to local aid.

Merry Christmas To All

The Massachusetts Senate Republican Caucus would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season.

Job losses continue to mount

It looks like Governor Patrick’s pledge to create 100,000 new jobs is one campaign promise he’s not going to deliver, as the ranks of the unemployed in Massachusetts continued to climb during the month of November.


According to the official figures recently released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the state’s unemployment rate now stands at 5.9 percent, which is the highest it’s been since August of 2003. Another 8,000 jobs were lost in November, and with October’s jobless numbers just revised upwards from 7,000 to 8,000, the state has now lost 19,100 jobs in just the last four months.


Don’t expect things to get better anytime soon. Economic forecasters are predicting that the state could lose anywhere from 26,000 to 100,000 jobs by the time Patrick’s first term ends in 2010.

ON THE AIR: Tarr says transportation reform needed before 'another nickel spent'

Appearing on NECN Newsnight with guest host Chet Curtis last Thursday, Assistant Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) insisted that fiscal reform measures are integral to cleaning up the mess that is Massachusetts transportation… And seriously, folks, drive safely.

Hedlund questions state's debt load

Sen. Hedlund’s latest column questions the fiscal wisdom of continuing to allow the state to accumulate record amounts of debt. The Commonwealth has accrued more than $25 billion in debt, or more than $4,500 per person – the highest amount of debt per capita in the nation.

'A Return to the Good Old, Bad Old Days'...

That’s how the Boston Herald is characterizing Governor Deval Patrick’s decision to hire James Aloisi as his new Transportation Secretary.

As Governor Michael Dukakis’ assistant secretary of transportation and later general counsel for the MA Turnpike Authority, Aloisi was one of the chief architects of the Big Dig boondoggle – the gift that keeps on giving for Massachusetts’ taxpayers (or should we say taking?). It’s no wonder the Herald calls Patrick’s attempts to promote Aloisi as a reformer “laughable.”

The Herald editorial notes that Patrick may have been paying “tribute to the old way of doing things” by “releasing controversial news late on a Friday afternoon.” As Governor, Dukakis was notorious for releasing bad news on a Friday, especially Fridays that led into a long weekend.

We think we’re beginning to see a pattern here.

You may recall that Patrick announced the closing of the Fernald Development Center and three other state-run facilities that service residents with severe mental and developmental disabilities on Friday, December 12. The following Friday brought news of Aloisi’s appointment. One can only imagine what bad news the Governor is preparing to announce this Friday, which happens to fall the day after Christmas.

This is yet another sign that Massachusetts is returning to the days of Michael Dukakis (see our “He’s Baaaaaacccckkkk!” posting from December 17). God save the Commonwealth.

GOP calls for one-year salary freeze for all state workers, legislators

Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei is calling on Governor Deval Patrick to impose a one-year moratorium on all raises, bonuses, payouts, step increases and cost of living adjustments for active state employees to help the Commonwealth save money during the current fiscal crisis.

Tisei issued the call in response to an Associated Press report that Governor Patrick is delaying salary increases for 30,000 human services providers who earn about $25,000 a year on average. The delay comes as the Department of Revenue predicts that state tax collections for Fiscal Year 2009 may come in another $749 million below the revised revenue projections issued on October 15.

“In light of the fact that the Governor is taking these raises away from human services providers – who are already among the lowest paid workers in the state – it is only right that all state employees be asked to do the same and forego any raises for one year to help save money and hold the line on spending,” said Tisei. “That includes those working in upper management positions as well as members of the Legislature. Everyone should do their part.”

The Legislature included a $23 million salary reserve in this year’s budget to fund 3 percent raises for direct care workers earning less than $40,000 a year. Patrick so far has refused to release the money for the raises, which were due to take effect on July 1, 2008.

“With revenues dropping at an unprecedented level we need to consider every cost saving measure that comes across the table,” said Senator Michael R. Knapik. “Establishing a moratorium on all raises, bonuses and payouts across the board is the only fair and logical way to go about it.”

IBEW criticizes Governor’s priorities

Talking about the state economy in the 6-25-08 to 7-2-08 edition of the Weekly Dig, Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei said, “The problem is the Governor only seems interested in promoting some of the sexier industries such as life sciences and the movie industry, at the expense of all other businesses in the State.”

Tuesday at the State House, members of the Local 103 IBEW were handing out flyers excoriating the Governor for setting aside $1 Billion for the Mass Biotech Council. The flyer argues that this is an irresponsible way to spend state money when a more than $500 million budget shortfall could result in deep cuts to local aid. The IBEW compares the bailout culture taking hold at the federal level to the Patrick Administration’s focus on life sciences corporations at a time when traditional blue-collar industries, and workers, are struggling.

Senator Hedlund on Transportation Secretary change

Senate Minority Whip Robert Hedlund has posted his thoughts on the possible appointment of James Aloisi as the Commonwealth’s new Transportation Secretary over at redmassgroup.com.

Sen. Hedlund, a longtime member of the Joint Committee on Transportation, says Gov. Patrick should consider appointing someone who is neither linked with the failures of the Big Dig, nor who raises the specter of a “pay to play” atmosphere here on Beacon Hill.

Where’s the Plan? Part IV

When Governor Patrick unveiled the broad outlines of his sweeping Readiness Project, he neglected to include a couple of not so minor details: how much it will cost to implement his sweeping vision for the next phase of education reform, and how the state is going to pay for it all.

Initially, the Governor’s Readiness Finance Commission was scheduled to release a report on November 15th that would attach a price tag to the project and include a series of “revenue suggestions” to help fund it. But only days before the report was to be issued, the Governor’s office told the State House News Service its release would be delayed until “mid-December”.

Well, here we are on December 17th – which most would agree constitutes the middle of the month – and the silence from the Corner Office is deafening. So, once again, we have to ask the Governor: Where is the plan?

GOP leaders: Worsening fiscal situation requires immediate executive action

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei, along with Representative Vinny deMacedo and Senator Michael Knapik, the ranking members on the House and Senate Ways and Means committees, released the following statement today in light of Monday’s dismal revenue update:

Based on the latest revenue figures released by DOR, Republican legislators believe Governor Patrick needs to come up with an immediate plan to address the worsening fiscal situation. If he does not do that, we believe the Legislature should be called back into session before the end of the year to address the problem. Clearly, time is of the essence, and the longer we wait before tackling this problem, the worse the impact will be.

As a result of Monday’s Consensus Revenue Hearing, we have learned that DOR is anticipating another revenue shortfall of between $648 million and $749 million for the current fiscal year. This is on top of a $1.4 billion gap that has yet to be addressed and was only partially offset by the Governor’s October 9C cuts.

There have been numerous opportunities to deal with this fiscal situation, yet we find it getting worse by the day. At this point, everyone would agree that the depth of our fiscal problems is accelerating and needs to be addressed as soon as possible to mitigate the impact on our state’s communities. As late as yesterday, the Lieutenant Governor was saying there will be local aid cuts.

We’ve already seen the debacle that has taken place with the state’s transportation infrastructure. For 14 months, the Governor has talked about doing something, but has yet to file any legislation that the House and Senate can act on. When it comes to the budget, we can’t afford to be all talk and no action. This is something that needs to be addressed immediately, and if the Governor is not willing to do it, then the Legislature should step in and do what needs to be done.

In July when this budget was passed, the signs of economic despair were not only evident to us, but were already being felt on a national scale. The collapse of Bear Stearns, the rising costs of energy, new enrollment on unemployment and the crumbling housing market had already started taking its toll on citizens nationwide and here in the Commonwealth. These signs, along with others, were the driving force behind our decision to vote against the budget and encourage the reining in of spending. The warnings, however, were unfortunately ignored, and we are now faced with an increasing burden on the state level.

He’s Baaaaaacccckkkk!

We caught ourselves looking at the calendar this week to make sure it really is 2008, and not 1988. The reason for our confusion? The sudden proliferation of Michael Dukakis sightings in and around the State House.

The former Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate – who more than anyone helped give the Commonwealth its “Taxachusetts” label – is back (as are some of his cronies). The Duke is certainly keeping busy these days. In addition to calling on the Patrick Administration to repeal many of the tax breaks that were implemented after he left office, Dukakis wants to see the state restore the western Massachusetts tolls between Worcester and the New York border. He also thinks the gas tax should be increased on an annual basis to help meet the state’s transportation needs, and word has it that he is actively lobbying for the national popular vote bill (maybe he’s still smarting from his 1988 election defeat).


Then, to top things off, it’s now being reported that Transportation Secretary Cohen – who resigned on Monday – could soon be replaced by none other than attorney James Aloisi, who once served as Dukakis’ assistant secretary of transportation and as general counsel to the MA Turnpike Authority.


What perfect timing. The state’s finances are in free-fall, just as they were in Dukakis’ final days in office. And with the Turnpike Authority teetering on the edge of being crushed under its Big Dig debt, who better to call in than one of the key players behind the Big Dig boondoggle?

Hold onto your wallets. It looks like we’re in for a bumpy ride ahead.

Who is Dan Pawson?

And the answer is: He’s the aide to Assistant Senate Minority Leader Bruce E. Tarr and the fourth-winningest champion on the popular game show Jeopardy! He’s also profiled in today’s Newburyport Daily News. After winning nine games and $170,902 last January, Dan is returning to Jeopardy! next month for a chance to take home another $250,000 in the tournament of champions.

Senator Brown weighs in on transportation reform

Assistant Senate Minority Whip Scott P. Brown takes aim at the Patrick Administration for its decision to “raise tolls as a first resort” to address the Commonwealth’s transportation problems. Check out his guest column from yesterday’s Metrowest Daily News.

Senator Tisei’s statement on Fernald closing

Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei today released the following statement regarding the Patrick Administration’s plans to close the Walter E. Fernald Development Center in Waltham by July of 2010:

Governor Patrick has once again defied the wishes of the families whose loved ones reside at the Fernald by moving ahead with his plans to close the facility. Not only is he forcing some of the state’s most vulnerable residents to leave the only home they have ever known, but he is also depriving families of any real choice in the placement of their loved ones, with no guarantees they will continue to receive the same quality of care.

I can’t help but think the Governor’s actions are being driven primarily by cost-saving considerations, and not the best interests of the Fernald’s residents. You cannot use a “one-size-fits-all” approach to care for individuals with such a wide range of severe mental and developmental disabilities. A group home or other community-based setting may be a viable option for some families, but those who feel their loved one’s needs would be better served by remaining at the Fernald should also be given this option.

The Patrick Administration’s talk of pursuing a “person-centered planning process” during the upcoming transition period rings hollow, given the fact that the Governor has completely and repeatedly ignored the stated wishes of the Fernald families as well as the Coalition of Families and Advocates for the Retarded (COFAR). Once again, the government is trying to tell families what is best for their loved ones, without regard for their personal wishes.

By announcing his decision on a Friday afternoon, right before Christmas – a time when few people are paying attention to the news – Governor Patrick has attempted to minimize the damage of what he has done. That’s hardly something that “no ordinary leader” would do – and it’s not very transparent. The reality is, Governor Patrick’s plan has caused an unnecessary disruption in the lives of hundreds of families, and he should set things right by reversing his decision to close the Fernald.

Hedlund: No MBTA Expansion Until Transportation Reform Plan in Place

The Boston Globe is reporting that the MBTA may lose promised federal funding of the final phase of the Silver Line due to the agency’s inability to show it can afford to operate the busway if built.

The $1.4 billion project, which will connect the two existing Silver Line routes, involves constructing a mile of underground travel lanes beneath Tremont and Essex Streets, three bus stations, and a turnaround area. It currently is ranked by the Federal Transit Administration as a medium-importance project and qualifies for 60 percent federal reimbursement.

However, with the MBTA spending more to pay down its $8.2 billion in debt than to actually operate its system of rail and bus lines, the federal government reportedly is concerned that the MBTA won’t be able to operate the bus line without having to cut service elsewhere. This point was highlighted this past Tuesday when MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas told the Joint Committee on Transportation that the agency was losing $12 million annually operating the one-year-old Greenbush commuter rail line. Grabauskas also said he could not guarantee that the MBTA wouldn’t be back before the Legislature next year asking for a bailout.

“We should not be considering any more expansion projects until the MBTA, Governor Patrick, and the Legislature partner up to pass a comprehensive transportation reform plan that places the MBTA on solid financial footing,” said Senate Minority Whip Robert L. Hedlund, the ranking member of the Committee on Transportation. “And as part of that reform plan, we need to place a higher priority on mass transit projects that will serve our population centers and are financially self-sufficient, rather than suburban-oriented projects that require substantial operating subsidies.”

Let the People Decide

Readers of Scaling the Hill know that the Senate Republican Caucus is strongly opposed to depriving Massachusetts residents of their right to vote to fill any US Senate vacancy through a special election (see our November 10 posting, “Caucus vows to protect MA residents’ right to choose their US Senator”). Today, the Boston Globe’s Joan Vennochi makes a compelling case for keeping the current process intact, and not restoring appointing authority to the Governor. The arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich this week on charges that he attempted to enrich himself by “selling” President-elect Barack Obama’s soon-to-be vacant US Senate seat to the highest bidder shows what can happen when such an important decision is left up to one person.

So Much for Health Care Transparency

The state’s efforts to create a more open and transparent health care system hit a snag this week, as Department of Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach told the State House News Service that DPH will be “struggling” to find the staffing to implement new regulations requiring the public disclosure of gift-giving practices between doctors and pharmaceutical companies.

The regulations – which are mandated by the health care cost containment law signed in August – are scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2009. With the exception of payments for research and clinical trials, the new regulations will require medical device and pharmaceutical companies to disclose any payment of $50 or more to health care providers. This information will be posted on a searchable website available to the public.

We understand that DPH’s budget has taken a $28 million hit under Governor Patrick’s recent 9C cuts, but according to the Governor’s own website, most of those cuts ($16.6 million) have come from stricken earmarks or reductions to public assistance programs, not personnel. Another $7.5 million was stripped from operating expenses, primarily for the universal immunization program ($5.97 million).

The commissioner should not worry too much about struggling to meet the personnel needs of this new mandate, because only $3.8 million of the $28 million of the 9C cuts was stricken from DPH wages and salaries. Prior to the 9C cuts, wages and salaries in Auerbach’s office had nearly doubled from $7.3 million to $14 million in one year. Even after a $700,000 9C reduction, his office still realized an increase of almost $6 million for salaries in the main DPH operating account over last year. He should be able to easily absorb the $3.8 million cut and have enough left over to find the necessary staffing to implement this new mandate.

Taxpayers should look on the bright side: at least Auerbach’s office budget hasn’t increased by 1391 percent, like salaries and wages at the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (see “Massive Cuts Don’t Extend to Governor’s Top Labor Officials” from December 1).

Toy Drive

Senator Bruce Tarr will once again be participating in the annual North Shore Holiday toy drive. The drive is an all day event, making its way through several North Shore communities. For more information and where you can connect with the traveling toy drive, check out this Gloucester Daily Times article.

Turnpike - Where's the Plan (Part III)

Sobering testimony from the heads of the state’s three biggest transportation agencies, as reported in today’s Boston Herald, show the need for Gov. Deval Patrick to accelerate his efforts to craft a comprehensive transportation reform package, Sen. Robert Hedlund said.

MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabuaskas, Mass. Turnpike Executive Director Alan LeBovidge, and MassPort CEO Thomas Kinton each spoke before the Joint Committee on Transportation yesterday. Grabauskas said virtually every dollar paid by riders is going to pay off the agency’s $8 billion in debt. LeBovidge said that without enacting a massive toll hike in January, the authority could see its credit rating plunge into junk bond status triggering a termination clause in a pair of swaptions that could cost the Turnpike upwards of $400 million. And Kinton said he could guarantee that Gov. Patrick’s plan to place MassPort in charge of Big Dig debt would not sink the financially solvent agency.

“We have been waiting nearly two years for a comprehensive transportation reform plan from Gov. Patrick. In the meantime, the situation at our transportation agencies continues to worsen,” Sen. Hedlund said. “We cannot solve these problems in a piecemeal fashion. As the state’s chief executive, it is time for Gov. Patrick to display leadership and unveil his vision of a modern transportation system that is solvent, efficient, and meets the needs of the Commonwealth’s 6 million residents.”

Sen. Hedlund added that the Republican Senate Caucus is looking forward to working closely with Gov. Patrick to bring real and needed reform to the state’s transportation system.

Your Tax Dollars at Work

Who says crime doesn’t pay? Certainly not Teamsters Local 25.

The Boston Herald is reporting that the union – which has had its share of run-ins with the law in the past – recently employed several career criminals on the set of the taxpayer-subsidized movie “The Surrogates,” which was shot in Boston last summer. The list of felons reportedly earning up to $3,000 a week included a killer, bank robbers, repeat drunk drivers, and a convicted cocaine trafficker who served 15 years in federal prison.

Apparently, big-shot Hollywood producers and actors aren’t the only beneficiaries of the state’s $100 million film tax “giveaway.”

Turnpike - Toll Increase Fallout

Tensions seem to have boiled to the surface over Governor Patrick’s controversial plan to raise tolls to help pay off the state’s Big Dig debt. A recent two-hour meeting between Patrick, House and Senate lawmakers and staffers was deemed “productive” by a spokesman for the Governor, but reportedly led to some tense exchanges that only served to highlight the pressure the Governor is facing in trying to sell his transportation plan.

Of course, the Governor has yet to submit an actual plan, unless you count his op-ed piece in last month’s Globe and the announced toll increases. It’s no wonder people are skeptical.

Where’s the Plan? (Part II)

The housing market may be in a slump, but the Boston Globe reports that many Massachusetts homeowners are about to get hit with higher property tax bills anyway. Based on a review of the new rates cities and towns have filed with the Department of Revenue’s Division of Local Services, the Globe has identified a disturbing trend: property values are falling but, with few exceptions, the taxes paid by homeowners are going up.

So, we have to ask Governor Patrick, who campaigned on a promise to end the “shell game” of high property taxes: Where is your plan to provide some relief to struggling Massachusetts’ homeowners?

After two years in office, Patrick’s plan for dealing with high property taxes essentially boils down to one thing: raising taxes, including the meals tax, hotel tax and a host of other taxes. That’s not real relief; all it means is that, one way or another, government will be reaching deeper into residents’ pockets, at a time when they can least afford it.

Conflict of interest delays Governor's Council vote on Patrick nominee

Governor Patrick’s decision to sign a bill carving out a special exemption for members of the Governor’s Council by allowing them to represent private clients in legal proceedings before the state’s courts, boards and commissions appears to have come back to haunt him.

The State House News Service is reporting that the Council’s vote to confirm attorney William Mazanec’s appointment to a Greenfield District Court judgeship was delayed this week after one of the Governor’s Councilors – attorney Thomas Merrigan – was forced to recuse himself from the vote. The reason? Merrigan shares office space with the Governor’s nominee, and his family contributed to Mazanec’s 2006 campaign for Franklin County Superior Clerk of Courts.

Ironically, the bill granting a special exemption to Councilors was reportedly filed at the request of Merrigan, who is one of three attorneys on the Governor’s Council. With Councilor Christopher Iannella absent from the meeting, the remaining Councilors found themselves deadlocked on a 3-3 vote.

The Senate Republican Caucus warned of potential conflicts of interest when the bill was debated in the Senate last year, and even submitted a letter to Governor Patrick requesting that he veto it. At the time, Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei labeled the legislation a “special interest bill that serves no public purpose and is all about protecting one individual’s personal financial interests.”

We have to wonder why the Governor - who professes to be concerned about ethics and has used the slogan “no ordinary leader” - ever allowed this bill to go through. With his nominee in limbo, Patrick may be asking himself the same question right now.

Restoring the public's faith in government

The Massachusetts Legislature has endured its share of political scandals this year, resulting in a renewed call for ethics reform from Governor Patrick and rank-and-file legislators. In a new op-ed piece, Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei questions whether the proposed “reforms” will it be enough to restore the public’s faith in state government and prevent future wrongdoing by elected officials, and suggests the best solution lies in restoring political balance on Beacon Hill under a strong two-party system.

ON AIR: Brown at the Turnpike Rally

Roughly 200 East Boston residents banded together Wednesday, December 3rd to voice their opposition to the Turnpike Authority’s toll increases. Listen to what Senator Brown had to say as one of the featured speakers of “Stop the Pike Hike” rally in East Boston at the Ecco Restaurant & Martini Bar. Under the proposed hikes, it would cost drivers $7 to use the airport tunnels, and $2 to drive from Allston-Brighton into Boston.

November tax collections continue freefall

It’s been almost two months since the Patrick Administration revised the state tax revenue benchmarks for FY09 downward by $1.1 billion. Based on the latest figures released by the Department of Revenue, it appears that even the revised numbers may be overly optimistic.

Preliminary revenue collections for November totaled $1.257 billion, coming in $41 million short of the revised benchmark and $59 million below November 2007 collections, with sales, meals and motor vehicle taxes all down from last year. Sales taxes in particular continued their freefall, bringing in $313 million but dropping $19 million (or 5.7 percent) compared to last year and finishing $12 million below the revised benchmarks.

Cellucci: GOP can look to 1986 for inspiration

Former Governor Paul Cellucci had some words of inspiration for the state Republican party when he addressed the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce this week, drawing parallels to 1986.

“People said the Republican party was dead” after Democrat Michael Dukakis claimed a decisive victory in his re-election campaign for Governor that year, Cellucci said. But within four years, the GOP had secured 16 Senate seats and captured the corner office, ending 20 years of Democratic rule and marking the start of an uninterrupted string of Republican Governors in Massachusetts that was broken only by Deval Patrick’s 2006 election win.

Governor’s Task Force on Public Integrity

Today, the Governor’s Task Force on Public Integrity will hold a public hearing at 3:30 PM in Hearing Room A-2 of the State House. The goal is to solicit ideas from the citizens of the Commonwealth on ways to strengthen regulatory frameworks that govern ethics, lobbying and public employee conduct and allow for a more transparent process.

GOP Senator Michael R. Knapik, of Westfield, was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Task Force. “Massachusetts citizens have entrusted public officials with operating our government in a transparent and honest manner and it is imperative to maintain this confidence,” said Knapik. “Recent events have, for good reason, seriously damaged the image of the Legislature and it is time we rebuild the public’s trust in the political process.”

Reform is needed and welcome given the appalling behavior of several Democratic state officials in the past two years. Governor Patrick himself used very questionable judgment when he placed a call on behalf of Ameriquest Mortgage in 2007, as the sub-prime lender was seeking financial assistance from Citigroup. The Governor had previously sat on Ameriquest’s board of directors. More recently, we saw two senators, Jim Marzilli and Dianne Wilkerson, indicted on criminal charges, while House Speaker Sal DiMasi and House Majority Leader John Rogers remain under investigation for unethical conduct.

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE...

Here at Scaling the Hill, we are sometimes accused of being too tough on the Governor. We'd like to take a moment to clear the air and remind everyone that it was the members of the Senate Republican Caucus who proved to be Governor Patrick's most reliable allies this year when it came to sustaining his budget vetoes back in July.

But don't just take our word for it. Check out Beacon Hill Roll Call's analysis, which shows individual Republicans voted to sustain Patrick's vetoes as much as 76.3 percent of the time, while 28 Senators from the Governor's own Democratic Party voted to overturn all 72 of his vetoes and increase spending in a budget that was already well out of balance.

We can understand if you missed this story the first time around. With the exception of the Boston Herald, the veto override debacle has been virtually ignored by the media.

WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN

Is Governor Patrick becoming a GOP convert? A couple of recent announcements have us wondering if the Administration is finally warming up to some policy ideas that the Republicans have long been advocating for better government.

First, Governor Patrick announced last month that he would be taking steps to dismantle the troubled Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and implementing a series of transportation reforms, many of which sound suspiciously like ideas that were first proposed by previous Republican governors, including Bill Weld and Mitt Romney.

Now, in an effort to trim the fat in state government, the Governor is reportedly asking his department heads to use a "zero-based budgeting" model when putting together their budgets for Fiscal Year 2010. Needless to say, Bill Weld pushed the same plan two decades ago while on the campaign trail, and our own Senator Bruce Tarr has kept the concept alive by filing legislation year after year that would make zero-based budgeting an annual exercise.

Given our deteriorating economy and rising unemployment rate, we're hoping the next Republican idea that Governor Patrick embraces will be the adoption of a more business-friendly policy that will create new jobs and jump-start the economy.

Turnpike Rally

Senate Minority Whip Robert L. Hedlund, of Weymouth, and Senate Asst. Minority Whip Scott Brown, of Wrentham, will be among the featured speakers at tomorrow’s “Stop the Pike Hike” rally in East Boston. The event is being organized by citizens upset with the massive toll hikes being proposed by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Under the proposed hikes, it would cost drivers $7 to use the airport tunnels, and $2 to drive from Allston-Brighton into Boston.

“These hikes are the result of decades of fiscal mismanagement by the Turnpike Authority,” Sen. Hedlund said. “We should not be talking about toll hikes without first taking a hard look at long-needed reforms,” Sen. Brown added.

The rally is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. at the Ecco Restaurant & Martini Bar, located at 107 Porter Street, East Boston.

Massive Cuts Don’t Extend to Governor’s Top Labor Officials

The Boston Globe reports that workers filing unemployment claims are facing long lines at local walk-in centers and lengthy delays when calling the state’s toll-free hotline. One woman reportedly had to call 40 times over a two-day period before she could reach a service representative who could process her claim.

It shouldn’t really come as a surprise that the general public is receiving such poor service. Even as the Labor and Workforce Development payroll has been expanding over the past two years, many of the rank and file employees who work on the front lines servicing the public have been let go, leaving a shortage of workers to assist people filing for unemployment assistance.

Ironically, when Governor Patrick created the new secretariat position of Labor and Workforce Development in his first re-organization plan, he touted the move as a way to make the executive branch “more accountable and efficient.” Since the re-organization, however, the only area in which the department has proven to be efficient is in providing a salary bonanza for top officials.

Under Secretary Suzanne Bump’s watch, mid-level managers and senior staff have seen their salaries rise considerably, with the Director of Labor pocketing a $14,000 raise and the General Counsel taking in an extra $22,000. Bump’s own salary has increased from $135,890 to $150,000, and salaries for her immediate staff have risen between $7,000 and $18,000 in just one year.

Perhaps most telling is that, between the end of Mitt Romney’s term and the Fiscal Year 2009 budget, the main operating budget at Labor and Workforce Development increased by 737 percent (or $1,243,413). At the same time, salaries and wages – which now account for more than 93 percent of the budget – mushroomed by an eye-popping 1,391 percent (or $1,224,000).

As mid-level management expands, funding for the state’s career centers and other first responders to the unemployment crisis is being eliminated. For example, the state’s $21 million Workforce Training Fund (WTF) program – which is funded through a special tax on employers – took a 43 percent hit in the recent round of 9C budget reductions. With $9.6 million in workforce training grants already awarded since July 1st, the Governor’s decision to cut another $9 million leaves the program with just $2.4 million to carry it through the last seven months of Fiscal Year 2009.

Since its inception, the WTF has helped to provide education and skills training to hundreds of thousands of workers, many of whom have been laid off from their jobs and are seeking new employment. With unemployment on the rise, you would think the state would want to preserve this crucial program.

Once again, we have to ask: where is the Governor’s plan to reverse this trend and create the 100,000 new jobs he promised?