Representative Don Humason



DEJA VU Westfield Evening News column By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. January 30, 2010 “It’s like déjà vu all over again,” as the old quote goes. And what a déjà vu week it was! This week, Governor Deval Patrick released his proposed version of the state budget. It’s called House 2, and it applies to the fiscal year 2011 that begins on July 1, 2010. You can go to www.mass.gov/budget/governor if you would like to look at his budget online. It’s a massive, 2-volume, several hundred page book. My office is still reviewing it, as are most of the legislators on Beacon Hill, but the first thing I look at is the local aid numbers for Westfield. Westfield’s Chapter 70 (education aid) number in his budget is $34,381,447. Our Unrestricted General Government Aid (lottery money) is $5,546,600. The next thing I found was Outside Section 18, which would repeal the state sales tax exemption on the sale of aircraft in Massachusetts. This exemption is only 8 years old and was first put into law thanks to the efforts of Senator Mike Knapik and Representative Cele Hahn, my predecessor. They lobbied the Legislature and Governor at the time in support of the high tech aviation industry in the Commonwealth. Airplanes equal jobs, plain and simple. Besides being an important part of the Massachusetts transportation infrastructure, the aviation industry and aviation-related businesses boost our state economy and provide money and jobs to benefit state government. What’s so déjà vu about this? Governor Patrick tried the same thing in his FY 2009 budget 2 years ago with Outside Section 17. After a hard battle it was defeated in the Senate and was not included in the final conference committee report on the budget that year. I am the Chairman of the Legislature’s Aviation Caucus and I represent Barnes Municipal Airport in Westfield. I truly believe that repealing the exemption and reinstituting a sales tax on aircraft sales would capture very little revenue for the Commonwealth. But it would kill general aviation-related businesses in the state. Airplane buyers would go elsewhere, drying up the airplane sales business (there are about 18 aircraft dealers in Massachusetts). No airplane sales mean fewer airplane repairs and little airplane maintenance. Then those jobs will go away too. What else happened “again” this week? The in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants bill (benignly called An Act to Promote Educational Parity within Institutions of Higher Learning) was refiled and received a public hearing before the Higher Education Committee Wednesday. I am a member of the Higher Ed Committee and was the only member to speak out against the bill. Thankfully, several of my colleagues did express some concerns and asked the supporters of the bill (the room was packed with them) some tough questions. The proponents of the bill glared at me quite a bit after I said the first thing we try to teach our own American citizens is that America is a nation of laws. We need to follow those laws and those rules. How is it fair to provide illegal immigrants an advantage that others, American citizens, may not have? I must say I was very surprised at the audacity of many in the room who wagged their fingers at us Massachusetts Legislators and chastised us for not passing this bill. They want us to fix immigration laws that Congress has neglected to address. I’m a big states-rights guy but I believe immigration and border issues need to be handled by the US Congress, not individual states. I was also surprised at the number of Massachusetts state college officials who testified in support of this bill, including a vice-president from my Alma Mater of Westfield State College. I’d like to hear what you think about this bill. You can get a copy by going to www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht01pdf/ht01175.pdf. Thanks to all the voters who turned out in large numbers in the cold weather last Tuesday to vote in the special election. It was great to see so many civically-engaged people making their voices heard. Congratulations to United States Senator-elect Scott Brown. I look forward to working with him for Westfield, Western Massachusetts, and the Commonwealth. Saturday is the 6th annual Penguin Plunge to benefit the Amelia Park Children’s Museum. It’s up at Hampton Ponds State Park this year. Festivities start in the morning. Hope to see you! * * * Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield Evening News. Representative Don Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District Office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Boston office, State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org
This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group

DEJA VU

Westfield Evening News column

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

January 30, 2010

“It’s like déjà vu all over again,” as the old quote goes. And what a déjà vu week it was!

This week, Governor Deval Patrick released his proposed version of the state budget. It’s called House 2, and it applies to the fiscal year 2011 that begins on July 1, 2010.

You can go to www.mass.gov/budget/governor if you would like to look at his budget online.

It’s a massive, 2-volume, several hundred page book. My office is still reviewing it, as are most of the legislators on Beacon Hill, but the first thing I look at is the local aid numbers for Westfield. Westfield’s Chapter 70 (education aid) number in his budget is $34,381,447.

Our Unrestricted General Government Aid (lottery money) is $5,546,600.

The next thing I found was Outside Section 18, which would repeal the state sales tax exemption on the sale of aircraft in Massachusetts. This exemption is only 8 years old and was first put into law thanks to the efforts of Senator Mike Knapik and Representative Cele Hahn, my predecessor.

They lobbied the Legislature and Governor at the time in support of the high tech aviation industry in the Commonwealth. Airplanes equal jobs, plain and simple. Besides being an important part of the Massachusetts transportation infrastructure, the aviation industry and aviation-related businesses boost our state economy and provide money and jobs to benefit state government.

What’s so déjà vu about this? Governor Patrick tried the same thing in his FY 2009 budget 2 years ago with Outside Section 17. After a hard battle it was defeated in the Senate and was not included in the final conference committee report on the budget that year.

I am the Chairman of the Legislature’s Aviation Caucus and I represent Barnes Municipal Airport in Westfield. I truly believe that repealing the exemption and reinstituting a sales tax on aircraft sales would capture very little revenue for the Commonwealth. But it would kill general aviation-related businesses in the state. Airplane buyers would go elsewhere, drying up the airplane sales business (there are about 18 aircraft dealers in Massachusetts). No airplane sales mean fewer airplane repairs and little airplane maintenance. Then those jobs will go away too.

What else happened “again” this week? The in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants bill (benignly called An Act to Promote Educational Parity within Institutions of Higher Learning) was refiled and received a public hearing before the Higher Education Committee Wednesday.

I am a member of the Higher Ed Committee and was the only member to speak out against the bill. Thankfully, several of my colleagues did express some concerns and asked the supporters of the bill (the room was packed with them) some tough questions.

The proponents of the bill glared at me quite a bit after I said the first thing we try to teach our own American citizens is that America is a nation of laws. We need to follow those laws and those rules. How is it fair to provide illegal immigrants an advantage that others, American citizens, may not have?

I must say I was very surprised at the audacity of many in the room who wagged their fingers at us Massachusetts Legislators and chastised us for not passing this bill. They want us to fix immigration laws that Congress has neglected to address. I’m a big states-rights guy but I believe immigration and border issues need to be handled by the US Congress, not individual states.

I was also surprised at the number of Massachusetts state college officials who testified in support of this bill, including a vice-president from my Alma Mater of Westfield State College.

I’d like to hear what you think about this bill. You can get a copy by going to www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht01pdf/ht01175.pdf.

Thanks to all the voters who turned out in large numbers in the cold weather last Tuesday to vote in the special election. It was great to see so many civically-engaged people making their voices heard. Congratulations to United States Senator-elect Scott Brown. I look forward to working with him for Westfield, Western Massachusetts, and the Commonwealth.

Saturday is the 6th annual Penguin Plunge to benefit the Amelia Park Children’s Museum.

It’s up at Hampton Ponds State Park this year. Festivities start in the morning. Hope to see you!

* * *

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield Evening News.

Representative Don Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District Office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Boston office, State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group