Is the Governor’s Council Obsolete? * 3 commentsI’ve always wondered – why do we need a Governor’s Council? What duties do they perform that could not be covered by other existing bodies? As far as I can tell: approval of gubernatorial appointments (including judges), prison pardons, and something about payments from the treasury. How much does this cost, in terms of salary, [...] State pension obligations * 4 commentsWill, There was an article in Saturday’s NYT entitled “In Budget Crisis States Take Aim at Pension Costs“. It quotes a pension expert who finds that states like Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana and New Jersey are less than 10 years from exhausting their pension funds. However, as the article says “…paying public pensions straight out of [...] What is the status of the health insurance bill? I remain very concerned that this will be done in a way that allows municipalities to make unilateral changes in negotiated labor agreements — I gather that such a power is in fact a provision of the Senate bill, but NOT of the House bill. Eliminate Suffolk-only holidays * 2 commentsI saw today (boston.com) that the Senate voted to eliminate Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day holidays. I’ve lived here for more than 20 years and have been stumped why they still exist. We all know one is just an excuse for St Patrick’s Day partying by Boston people. If you chopped out Patriots Day [...] Public Libraries and Accreditation * 3 commentsWill, As you well know many Towns and Cities are in crisis mode dealing with budget shortfalls. In Belmont we are looking at approx a $3.2m deficit assuming a $300k transfer from free cash is applied. An Override is on the table but it is uncertain it will pass and the consequences of passing it [...] I remember how shocked I was when the cable broadcasts of the House and Senate sessions were dropped, and then I checked into it and found that long before I even moved to Massachusetts, which was in 1983, the legislature had voted to exempt itself from both Open Meetings laws and the Freedom of Information [...] Good Move, Will. * 3 commentsJust read this Globe article today.; A growing group of dissidents in the Massachusetts House yesterday called on Speaker Robert A. DeLeo to open the chamber’s books, allow healthy debate on all bills, and subject the Legislature to the laws that cover other elected bodies – including laws on public records, open meetings, and competitive [...] Legislative Spending for legal services * 2 commentsI’m happy to see Speaker DeLeo has responded to his house members and begun an investigation of legal fees for the ex-speaker. But – it’s only a start. The entire Legislative body’s spending, perks and benefits must have records open to the public. To think they are “special” and don’t need to have the public see [...] Suffolk County’s Controversial Holidays * 1 commentSince Evacuation day and Bunker Hill day have been getting a lot of attention lately, I thought I would post something about the legislative and social history of the two holidays. The first major celebration of Bunker Hill day, by the people of the Commonwealth, was in 1875. The battle was commemorated with a military [...] Pending Ethics Legislation * 1 commentAs a constituent, I appreciate the opportunity to comment here on the pending “ethics” legislation. |