Massachusetts Budget

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In the latest Open Media Boston editorial, Jason Pramas weighs in against Deval Patrick’s neo-liberal addictions to corporatist ideology, and wonders if there might be a cure:

How does one treat people under the spell of an ideology that dictates that the private sector can run every sort of program better than the government when long experience with this kind of boondoggle shows that extracting profit from government monies budgeted for service provision equals … surprise, surprise … worse service provision?

How does one remind such people that the “deficit” as flogged by right-wingers is a paper tiger, and that social investment by a government is well-known to produce a stable working-class and a growing middle-class who can then bulk up the tax base and stabilize government budgets in a happy virtuous circle?

How does one explain to such bought-off and/or befuddled corporate shills that we wouldn’t be in the current economic crisis to begin with if we strengthened the regulation of corporations – and most critically, the financial sector – and TAXED them as they were once taxed; so that the public good was served over the private good?

Then he goes on to state the cure (below the jump)…

Continue reading Stein receives as close to an endorsement as she’ll get from OMB
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While the Herald chooses to ignore Jill Stein’s voice on the issues, the Stein campaign calls out the Governor for protecting Raytheon, Fidelity and biotech while slashing critical services left and right:

Stein Decries State Budget As A “Tragedy Of Misplaced Priorities”

by FRIENDS OF JILL STEIN on JULY 1, 2010

BOSTON –   Green-Rainbow gubernatorial candidate Jill Stein decried the Massachusetts state budget  signed by Governor Patrick yesterday as a  ”tragedy of misplaced priorities, declaring that “This budget signifies Beacon Hill’s accelerating abandonment of critical services that people need now more than ever.”

Stein challenged Governor Patrick’s assertions that the painful cuts were unavoidable.  “The Governor cannot duck his responsibility for the cuts or for the tax and fee hikes” according to Stein.  “These cuts are there because of deliberate decisions made by the Governor and the Democratic Party leadership.  They decided to protect powerful special interests and put the burden of balancing the budget on the backs of those least able to defend themselves. ”

“This budget hits struggling education programs with another $180 million in cuts, including cuts to public schools, and higher education – already cut more in Massachusetts than any other state over the past five years. Programs that provide for our elders, at risk youth, the disabled, the mentally ill, disadvantaged children and distressed families are all under attack. State and municipal workers providing essential services are being fired.”

Continue reading Massachusetts Budget — A Tragedy Of Misplaced Priorities
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