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	<title>Will Brownsberger &#187; reform</title>
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	<link>http://willbrownsberger.com</link>
	<description>24th Middlesex District -- State Representative -- Democrat</description>
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			<item>
		<title>Transparency and the Brown Victory</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3313</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3313#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:04:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=3313</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This from a lifelong Democrat and continuing true believer in government spending: The heart of our problem is a sense of entitlement to spend the taxpayers' money.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3313/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>20</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Transparency as the best policy</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3248</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3248#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:04:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=3248</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is a deep and passionate conversation going among legislators right now around the issue of transparency. There is a growing group of legislators who feel that the legislature needs to change the way it manages its own business.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3248/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>15</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Availability of information about legislative spending</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3172</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3172#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:37:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-ref]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=3172</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This post relates to a fairly technical question that has been the subject of some confusion on the House floor: Exactly what information is available to the public about spending on legislative operations?]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3172/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Voting in the minority</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3117</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3117#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:09:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=3117</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I found myself voting in the minority -- with the Republicans and a small group of Democrats -- on three financial integrity issues this week.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3117/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ethics, Lobbying and Campaign Finance Reforms</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3045</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3045#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:36:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=3045</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Ethics reform bill that we passed earlier this year imposes a number of new disclosure and procedural requirements.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/3045/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tough Choices about Legislative Staffing</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2939</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2939#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:58:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=2939</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Members of the house grew uneasy last week as they voted a routine final "deficiency" budget -- a set of appropriations to cover a short list of cost overruns  from the last fiscal year.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2939/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Fall Legislative Agenda</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2505</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2505#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:00:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economic development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pensions & benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=2505</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Gambling, health care cost control, further pension reform – these are the major issues that the legislature is likely to address this fall after we resolve the Kennedy succession.  The theme?  Continued financial pressure.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2505/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Summary of the Legislature&#8217;s Work this Season</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2370</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2370#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:55:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=2370</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Speaker Deleo published today this summary of the legislature&#8217;s work this season.   The focus for the whole spring and early summer was on reform &#8212; ethics, pension and transportation &#8212; and the budget.  See also, my series of posts on the reform and budget issues.
]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2370/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>More state administrative consolidation &#8212; the Sheriffs</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2255</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2255#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:48:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=2255</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the sleeper stories in this year's season of reform is the consolidation of the remaining seven independent Sheriff's into the state budget.  The main cost benefit of this change is that the employees of the sheriffs will purchase their health insurance through the Group Insurance Commission now as state employees.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/2255/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Virtuous Cycle of Fear and Loathing</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1879</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1879#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:07:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=1879</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is a lot more to reform, but by any fair reckoning, the last four months of legislative activity have been extraordinarily productive.  It didn't have to turn out that way. ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1879/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Final Ethics Reform Bill Passed Unanimously</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1833</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1833#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:16:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=1833</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The House voted unanimously in support of far-reaching ethics reform today.  The bill included not only core ethics reforms (enhanced penalties for all forms of inappropriate gifts and self-dealing), but also enhanced regulation of lobbying and campaign political finance.
The results will be greater transparency in government, higher barriers to appropriate influences on officials, easier [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1833/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Final Ethics Bill Released &#8212; Full Text Available.</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1780</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1780#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:48:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=1780</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[House and Senate conferees released the text of the final ethics bill that they have agreed on.  The initial read from informed observers is that it is a very strong bill that more or less takes the strongest ideas from the House bill, the Senate bill and the recommendations of the Governor's task force.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1780/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ethics Reform Discussions This Week</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1729</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1729#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:47:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=1729</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In <strong> Belmont Town Hall</strong>, on <strong>Wednesday</strong> night, June 24, from <strong>7PM</strong> to 9PM, <strong>two speakers</strong> who have been centrally involved in crafting the ethics reform legislation will lead a public discussion about the reforms.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1729/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Voting for the FY2010 Budget</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1693</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1693#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:21:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pensions & benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[taxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=1693</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I voted this afternoon for the FY2010 budget which passed with 110 votes in the House and 31 in the Senate, in both branches more than the 2/3 needed to override a possible veto.
Here are some of the key considerations weighing in support of my vote to balance the budget, which includes the controversial increase [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1693/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Transportation Reform Enacted</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1651</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1651#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-taxes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=1651</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Final passage of a landmark transportation reform bill, with a bipartisan vote of 130 to 25 in the  House today, signals an end to decades of costly balkanization of our transportation infrastructure.  I voted in favor &#8211;  nothing so controversial and complex can be perfect, but it is a very good bill.  The bill will [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1651/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Strong pension reform bill to be enacted</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1490</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1490#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:40:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[pensions & benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=1490</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The legislature today will enact a strong pension reform that will eliminate rules that give some employees, mostly elected officials, special advantages. The bill is the product of a conference committee that has been reconciling House and Senate pension reform bills.
The inventory of specific reforms in the bill dates back to work that the Joint Public [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1490/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Indictment of Former Speaker Sal DiMasi</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1474</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1474#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:49:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=1474</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Former House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi was indicted last week on federal corruption charges. House Democrats, including me, voted overwhelmingly to re-elect DiMasi as speaker in January and he served briefly before resigning later that month.  What were we thinking? ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/1474/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reform before Revenue &#8212; Scheduling Difficulties</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/992</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/992#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2009 15:21:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[taxes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/?p=992</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Perhaps the main things to underline at this stage are: (a) nothing at all is settled yet about the budget, reform or revenue; (b) all the major players endorse the principle of reform before revenue and are trying to do the right thing.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/992/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reform before revenue, part 2 &#8212; pension reform</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/227</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/227#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:35:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pensions & benefits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-taxes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/wordpress/?p=227</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Pension reform is probably the most fundamental and controversial among the reforms on the agenda this year.  Now seated on the Public Service Committee, I expect to give this area quite a bit of my own attention.
There are several different kinds of pension reform.  Last session we made
changes in how pension funds are administered and invested.  There is [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/227/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reform before revenue &#8212; the legislative agenda this spring</title>
		<link>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/225</link>
		<comments>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/225#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:33:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Will Brownsberger</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stag-taxes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://willbrownsberger.com/wordpress/?p=225</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Our mantra in the legislature this spring is &#8220;Reform before Revenue.&#8221;
It&#8217;s a moral principle:  You don&#8217;t ask for more money unless you are
providing fair value.  It&#8217;s a sound budgeting practice:  You can&#8217;t ask for
more money until you know what you really need.  It&#8217;s basic political
wisdom:  The voters need to have some confidence in how their [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://willbrownsberger.com/index.php/archives/225/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
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