The panel on state finance convened by State Senator Steve Baddour met at Northern Essex last night, and the news was uniformly grim. With the State Senate poised to deliver a budget today that will be even more austere than the House budget the room at Northern Essex was filled with police officers protesting the potential cut to the Quinn Bill. Senator Baddour and the panel heard from police officers from many cities in the Valley, and it did get a bit testy at times. The focus was on the downgrade of the State’s revenue estimate to about $17.9 billion, and the real impact that will cause to all those who receive state services.
Michael Widmer spoke to the unsustainability of the municipal health care system, and joined in my criticism of the “municipal relief bill” put out by the Rosenberg/Donato Committee. I made that critcism here yesterday, and the reports I got on yesterdays hearing only reinforce my thought that the legislature just does not understand the real nature of this problem.
It was a good exercise, and Senator Baddour is to be commended for having some real heavyweights come to Haverhill. The Treasurer spoke of some of the serious problems facing us on the debt front, and how we may be at the end of the road as far as our ability to keep piling on debt. Widmer was as usual brilliant, and currently is the guy you want to be listening to if you have any questions on numbers. And the Senate budget set to be unveiled this morning does indeed zero out the Quinn Bill.
Bill Manzi.com 
Your Honor,
In our ‘reform before revenue’ state did you expect anything different?
Is there any ‘reform’ of consequence? I define consequence as removing enough items from the budget that would preclude the call for more taxes.
Actually, what did you expect? Did you actually believe the Health Bill to be sustainable?
I expected less than nothing.
I quote Pogo, “We have met the enemy and it is us.”
Nice ataboy to Baddour, and his heavyweights. End result the same. Heavyweights did not help. Steve Baddour did not provide ‘reform before revenue’ Deval Patric did not give us a tax break. These guys are liars.
Oh, one promise kept, the revenue side of ‘reform before revenue.
Jules
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Your Honor,
were there any newspapers or any other media in attendance?
See nothing in the Globe or Herald.
Jules
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All Baddour is doing this for is to be in the spotlight, he has been a horrible senator, please bring back the real Senator Jajuga.
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No media attended the event, although I believe they were invited.
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I would have been happy to attend had I known, but I would not have been able to stay as it was NA town meeting last night. BTW: what do you epect in a state that refuses to stop spending and refuses to stop BORROWING to spend. The governor and Legislature are like a teenagers with a credit card.
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Your Honor,
When it comes to judgment, your defense of the ‘unusually brilliant’ Widmer falls flat.
I quote him’ “…our state sales tax is really low when you relate it to our high personal income.”
If that is not elitist I don’t what is. No wonder our taxes is through the roof.
Would you say that before a Methuen audience?
Jules
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Jules,
Widmer is brilliant by any standard. As you know I oppose a sales tax increase. Widmer is looking at ways to balance the budget. He has also advocated a 25 cent hike in the gas tax. But Widmer has also advocated REAL reform, including REAL municipal health care reform, REAL reform of out transportation system, and REAL pension reform. He is hated by the union folks. Politics do not enter his formulations.
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Your Honor,
So what. You and I agree to the same policy changes. Are we brilliant? This guy isn’t going get anything done.
How about politicians with the courage to do whats right. They doesn’t seem in large supply.
Committees, meetings, promises and policy phrases are not going get it done.
You Honor, show me the money.
Jules
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I never said he was going to get anything done, because he has no official role. I said he was brilliant because
1) I agree with his cost side reforms
2) his numbers have been right on.
Not a lot of courage out there right now, and it is somewhat discouraging.
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Your Honor,
I,like you, agree with his cost side reforms.
Are we Brilliant?
When do we get some brilliant politicians?
All this BS and we WILL pay hire taxes and the politicians will keep their PERKS.
Jules
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Quinn Bill was good when the money was flowing, but I can see it gone, and have no problem with it, but to cut officers ?
Ive heard ridiculous rumor with upwards of 50 guys gone from the Lawrence PD…I can only imagaine what numbers Methuen is dealing with.
Lawrence will be in serious trouble if that’s the case. There are plenty of other places to cut! Public Safety is an absoulute necessity, crime is definately up,so why would you advertise cutting Officers. Methuen is no longer small town, back woods any more,we border Lawrence…cut Officers, cut patrol, cut reduction in crime…good luck to the home owners in Methuen.
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