Holy Family Hospital Men’s Guild FIFTY- NINTH ANNUAL
Men’s Guild Dinner and Assembly
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Social hour 6:00p.m. – Dinner 7:00 p.m.
WYNDHAM, 123 Old River Road, Andover, MA
Anyone interested in attending may call the Hospital Development office or CJ Gangi at 978-360-0600..
Presidential advisor David Axelrod said this morning on “This Week”that President-elect Obama would be against any bailout for the big three that does not show a business plan that brings them back to solvency. While Axelrod did not say what such a plan should entail it sounds suspiciously like the restructuring that many have called for in order to justify a massive government infusion of cash. It does not appear that Obama desires to just give over $25 billion without someone showing how that money will be spent, and what the BUSINESS PLAN is for recovery. Show him the numbers, and he will show some government money. Axelrod also suggested that the CEO’s fly commercial on their next trip to Washington. Pretty good advice! From the “This Week” website:
“We all have a stake in the survival of the auto industry in order to do that they have to retool,” Axelrod told me on “This Week.”
Obama’s former chief strategist said Obama hopes the Big Three automakers come back to Washington in early December — with a plan.
“If they don’t do that then there is very little the tax payers can do – I hope automakers come back to congress, hopefully on commercial flights,” Axelrod said.
“He said from the beginning that we need to help but we can’t give a blank check and I agree with that,” he said.
President President Elect Barack Obama has warned of the perils of a deflationary spiral that could bring job losses in the millions. There is plenty of meat in his weekly radio address, and a lot to be concerned with as the economic situation seems to worsen. I am encouraged by the potential for aid to the states that could not only serve as a jobs program, but would have the added benefit of helping to repair our crumbling infrastructure. Plenty of critics out there, but Obama is hitting the right points here.
The National Security Team of President Obama has begun to take shape, with Hillary Clinton poised to become the Secretary of State and General James L. Jones as National Security Advisor. From the Washington Post:
A friend of Clinton’s said she is ready to accept an appointment that would make the former Obama rival his point person in tackling an array of international crises and restoring the United States’ influence around the world, a frequently stated objective of the incoming administration.
Although the Obama transition team and Clinton’s Senate spokesman said nothing has been finalized, her office for the first time officially confirmed that she is talking to Obama about the job. “We’re still in discussions, which are very much on track. Any reports beyond that are premature,” said Philippe Reines, Clinton’s spokesman and senior adviser.
And on the national security front, General Jones looks to be closing in on the job.
Meanwhile, several sources said that Jones has moved to the top of the list to be Obama’s national security adviser and that the sides are in advanced talks. Sources familiar with the discussions said Obama is considering expanding the scope of the job to give the adviser the kind of authority once wielded by powerful figures such as Henry A. Kissinger.
The Jones appointment would put the onetime Marine Corps commandant and NATO commander in charge of managing an interagency process that many Democratic foreign policy experts say has been broken under the Bush administration.
The General has vast experience in key areas, and is considered to be a non partisan figure. Jones is also close to Senator John McCain, and is considered to be a strong leader.
Mathews and other officials said they expected that Jones would also help impose order in the national security bureaucracy. Over the course of the Bush administration, national security advisers Condoleezza Rice and Steven J. Hadley have been criticized by some for not resolving interagency conflicts, although some of those disputes have receded in recent years.
Jones “is certain to be viewed as a very formidable figure,” said David Rothkopf, who served in the Clinton administration and wrote a book about the NSC. “This is a general right out of central casting. He is extremely strong and forceful and thoughtful. . . . If you want a disciplined NSC process, this is your man.”
My favorite part of the Post story on Jones was a purported statement he made to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs during the tenure of Don Rumsfeld:
He is known for being low-key but blunt: Journalist Bob Woodward wrote that Jones told then-Joint Chiefs Chairman Peter Pace that he “should not be the parrot on the secretary’s shoulder,” referring to Donald H. Rumsfeld.
Obama appears to be tacking towards the center on foreign policy. What do you think? Has he made good choices?
I don’t know if we can attribute all of this activity to Steve Baddour’s entry into the blogosphere, but transportation policy is front and center everywhere. A letter from the Governor to the legislature urging a slowing of the rush to a gas tax increase, along with Speaker Dimasi speaking in favor of a gas tax increase, Senate President Terry Murray talking about delaying any prospective toll increases, and the Globe weighing in in favor of a gas tax increase, as well as Scott Lehigh talking about the political boon to Speaker Dimasi from his new position of advocating for a gas tax increase instead of a toll hike. My head is spinning. Lets deal with the Governor’s letter to the legislature. Here it is!
Dear Members of House and Senate,
Last week, in a column published by The Boston Globe, I set forth my objectives for the future of our transportation system. I believe that a safe, efficient and cost- effective transportation system is critical to building a strong Commonwealth, but that our transportation network today is poorly organized and underfunded. Compounding those problems, prior administrations have failed to level with the public, and perhaps with you, about the dual burdens of debt and neglect which our transportation system bears. Fundamental reform of our system and how we pay for it is essential.
A toll increase on the eastern end of the Turnpike is not the long-term solution for our combination of challenges. No one wants to raise tolls. But the action of the Turnpike Authority was unavoidable because the debts of prior administrations have to be paid today. It is merely a step taken in the context of broader reform.
The Authority’s action has generated serious discussions among many of you and the public about alternatives to the proposed toll increase. I welcome that discussion. Whether the alternative involves a gas tax increase or some other solution (such as whole or partial privatization), I ask you to bear three principles in mind:
1. Is it enough? A gas tax increase sufficient to avoid the proposed toll increase but that otherwise leaves the status quo in place is no solution. There is Big Dig debt assigned to the MBTA as well as to the Turnpike, with the same debilitating effect. There are other unmet transportation needs as well. If an
alternative funding source is under serious consideration, consider a comprehensive solution.2. Is it dedicated? We ought not to consider, and I cannot support, any alternative that is not dedicated entirely and exclusively to transportation investment and maintenance.
3. Is it a part of comprehensive reform? Now is the time to radically simplify our transportation system, including re-examining the need for several overlapping agencies to oversee and manage it. The public will not accept throwing new money at the same broken system. Working within our present limitations, we have made substantial progress in reforms at the Turnpike Authority, saving millions of dollars. A unified system could save even more and deliver better service.
We have an opportunity to correct a lot of poor decision-making from the past, and set the course for a much stronger transportation future. My administration looks forward to working with you to do so wisely.
Respectfully,
Deval Patrick
The Governor weighs in, looking for a comprehensive solution that will meet the total transportation needs of the Commonwealth. But we have a three headed monster starting to be formed, with Murray/Baddour, Dimasi, and Patrick all coming at this from different angles. And the sniping at the Governor has been intensifying, with Baddour lancing him over the lack of a comprehensive proposal, saying in today’s Globe:
“Part of the problem is for the last 18 months we’ve all been waiting for a comprehensive plan,” said Senator Steven A. Baddour, a Methuen Democrat and chairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation.
“We haven’t received one, and then we wake up one day and are told tolls are going up to $7,” Baddour said. “I understand shock and awe, but it’s a little too dramatic.”
And the Republicans whacked the Governor and the Legislature, calling for reforms now, before any revenues, toll or gas tax, are considered.
Republicans seized on the debate over gas taxes to portray the Democratic governor and legislative leaders as engaging in post-election revenue raising.
“The election was only two weeks ago and already in record time, the Democrats want to increase taxes first instead of instituting long overdue reforms and decreasing state spending,” said House minority leader Bradley H. Jones Jr.
What about these “reforms”? Why is talking about “reform” so popular, but listing specifics so lacking. What are the goals of reform, and what are the specific proposals to implement this reform? I will post the full report of the Romney transportation finance commission tommorow, and when you read it you will be stunned. Matt Viser wrote a great story in today’s Globe. Link to it here.
NBC is reporting that Tim Geithner, the President of the New York Federal Reserve, will be named Treasury Secretary on Monday.
NBC’s Andrea Mitchell and Political Director Chuck Todd reported that Obama will unveil his economic team on Monday, with New York Federal Reserve President Tim Geithner likely taking the helm as Treasury secretary.
Wall Street got a boost of confidence following NBC’s report. Stocks surged, with the Dow Jones industrial average closing up nearly 500 points.
Geithner has been heavily involved in attempting to devise solutions to the current financial issues facing the country.
Come join us as we kick off the holiday season with the Methuen Santa Parade tommorow November 22. Santa will be making his first seasonal appearance in Methuen!
Methuen Santa Parade
Saturday, November 22nd
1:00 PM
THIS Saturday !!!!
parade route is the same as previous years
starting at Pelham St. left onto Lowell St, right onto Hampshire St, right onto Broadway. Ending at the Methuen Line.
Featuring bands from all over New England including our own Methuen High School Marching Band, floats from all of our Grammar Schools and local businesses, dance troops and more!
Federal agents have arrested Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner on bribery charges right at Boston City Hall this morning.
The FBI arrested Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner this morning on charges he accepted a $1,000 bribe and then lied about taking the money in a widening federal corruption probe. A 12-page affidavit filed this morning in US District Court alleges that Turner was surreptitiously videotaped accepting the cash in his district office on Aug. 3, 2007, in exchange for pushing for a liquor license of the Roxbury nightclub Dejavu. Included with the affidavit are two photographs of Turner allegedly accepting the bribe. In one image, Turner’s trademark white goatee is clearly visible as folded green bills are pressed into his hand.
The Wilkerson scandal expands and ensnares Turner, who has served since 2000.
Turner has served in the City Council since 2000, representing District 7, which includes Roxbury, Lower Roxbury, and parts of the Fenway, South End, Dorchester.
Well, after all this time Senator Steve Baddour has joined us as a member of the world of blogs. I urge all of you to visit the Senator’s new blog site, but I am very hopeful that both Jules Gordon and Bob Leblanc will visit there often! You can visit the Senator by clicking on this link.
Senator Baddour and Senate President Murray jointly penned an op-ed piece in today’s Globe, and the transportation piece made a couple of important points. First the Senate pair talk of the potential for a new transportation agency.
First, the Senate will consider the advantages and drawbacks of creating a new, unified surface transportation agency for Massachusetts that would combine some or all of the financing and administration for the Turnpike, MassHighway, the MBTA, and regional transportation authorities. Such a combination would likely require additional sources of revenue, even with the benefit of new administrative efficiencies, but we would quantify those needs and evaluate potential sources.
Secondly the pair write of the potential for some sort of public-private partnership to take over some of our toll roads.
The Senate will also consider the feasibility of developing and engaging a public-private partnership to assume the functions of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Before we create yet another public entity to continue collecting tolls inside Route 128, wouldn’t it make more sense for the state to evaluate the possibilities of a public-private partnership to perform this function and absorb some of the financial risk and deferred maintenance obligations of the Big Dig?
Neither proposal gives much detail, and the pair seem to rule out new revenues without “reform”. I am sure the bloggers will give some pretty strong views on what constitutes “reform.”
We must insist on reform before revenue. Unfortunately, we cannot tell Massachusetts tax-, toll- and fare-payers that their money is being well-spent right now, and we should not rest until we can deliver that assurance.
Good luck to Steve on his entry to blogging! One question for him??? Where is my #@#@@ link on your blog?
Bill Manzi.com 