Governor Deval Patrick announced today a sweeping set of action items, including a seven percent across the board cut in the executive branch, as well as ordering the Secretary of Transportation to draw legislation abolishing the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. He is considering further consolidations, placing Lt. Governor Tim Murray in charge of a task force to study other potential areas of consolidation. He asked Treasurer Tim Cahill to recommend legislation to amend the pension systems of the M.B.T.A., as well the Commonwealth.

From Boston.com:

Citing lagging revenues and warning that the “road ahead will be rough,” Governor Deval Patrick this morning outlined a slate of spending cuts and long-term reforms, including dismantling the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.

With state revenues falling $188 million behind expectations in September, Patrick said his administration would identify “hundreds of millions of dollars” in cuts before Oct. 15. He said the cuts would have an impact on both state services and the state workforce.

“I know that what I have outlined will not be easy,” he told reporters and television cameras in a room next to his corner office. “Behind every one of the cuts we make or reforms we propose is a family, a small business, a nonprofit, or a worthy idea. However, as disruptive as these cuts may be, the circumstances demand action.”

The Governor still faces a range of problems with some of these proposals, including how to abolish the Turnpike Authority. With bondholders needing to be paid there are some trickly legal issues to be overcome. But he has made a start, although he was heavily criticized by the State Republican Party.

Meanwhile, Republicans today have started criticizing the governor – as well as the Democrats in the state Legislature — for not trimming the budget passed in July in anticipation of financial problems ahead.

“Governor Patrick signed a budget increasing spending by $1.4 billion, authorized $16 billion in new borrowing, and has hiked taxes by hundreds of millions of dollars this year,” Barney Keller, spokesman for the state Republican Party, said in a statement.

The Governor faces a difficult financial picture, with State revenues lagging badly at this point.

The Department of Revenue reported today that revenue for the first quarter had come in $223 million below expectations without counting nonrecurring payments. Counting those one-time payments, revenues were lagging $143 million behind what was expected. September was the worst of the three months, with revenues dropping $188 million.

Local aid has escaped the ax, for now. We must hope for the best, and plan for the worst.

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