Representative Don Humason



SHORT WEEK By Representative Don Humason, Jr. July 7, 2007 Independence Day fell on Wednesday and a lot of people on Beacon Hill took Tuesday and Thursday off too. That makes for a short week as far as doing the people’s business goes. I have to say that I thought the fireworks at Stanley Park were great. And the parades on July 4th at Hampton Ponds and Wyben were a nice little slice of Americana (even if the Wyben parade was a bit soggy). On Monday we were in session to vote on the budget. We were a day late, literally, because we’re supposed to have the budget in place by the start of the fiscal year, July 1. Still, the vote was unanimous in both the House and Senate to pass the budget. Now it goes to Governor Deval Patrick. He and his staff have ten days to review it. The clock is now ticking. The Governor has until July 13 to review the language and appropriations contained within the $26.8 million budget. The Administration can veto sections of the spending plan, or send them back with amendments. The rest he signs into law. It remains to be seen whether Governor Patrick will use his veto pen or not. But the long journey of the Massachusetts budget is nearly done. The ball will once again bounce into the Great and General Court where we will have the final say on whether to vote to override any or all of the vetoes Patrick makes. The budget as released by the Conference Committee was widely viewed as a pretty reasonable compromise between the two versions passed earlier this year by both branches. Legislators again prioritized sending more money back to cities, towns, and schools, so-called Local Aid, as well as health care and higher education. But even with a budget of nearly $27 billion, there’s still a great deal state government doesn’t do, can’t do, or shouldn’t do. I worry about the ever growing size of our state budget. It never gets smaller. In fact, I fear it’s growing so large that it’s becoming unsustainable. We don’t grow money on trees in the Boston Common. We don’t print our own greenbacks in the basements of Beacon Hill. The revenue we spend comes from you…the tax payers, toll payers, rate payers. Fees, fines, fares, and Federal dollars (but wait, Washington’s money doesn’t grow on trees either) all go into our General Fund to pay for the people and the programs of state government. But at some point we should ask ourselves, how much is too much? How much can we legitimately expect you to pony up? Tax Freedom Day, the day each year that the average American worker stops paying for his share of the costs of the local, county, state, and federal government, gets later and later each year. It’s now nearly six whole months into the calendar that he has to work to pay for government services before he can begin to keep the rest of what he makes for himself. He can spend it; invest it, save it, whatever. My point is he doesn’t have that much left for himself each year after he gets done paying for government. I think the Democrats in the Legislature got it right by joining with us Republicans in saying no to the easy and quick short term fix of tax increases. Massachusetts continues to lose businesses and population, our unemployment rate is increasing and is higher than the national average, and business and consumer confidence is shaky at best. I applaud the Majority Party for resisting the Patrick Administration’s siren’s song of increasing taxes. When government raises taxes it cuts its citizens paychecks. It releases some of the pressure on the bureaucrats to be fiscally prudent and financially responsible with limited resources. Remember: There is no shortage to the good we politicians think we could do if we just had a little more of your hard earned money. Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us
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SHORT WEEK

By Representative Don Humason, Jr.

July 7, 2007

Independence Day fell on Wednesday and a lot of people on Beacon Hill took Tuesday and Thursday off too. That makes for a short week as far as doing the people’s business goes.

I have to say that I thought the fireworks at Stanley Park were great. And the parades on July 4th at Hampton Ponds and Wyben were a nice little slice of Americana (even if the Wyben parade was a bit soggy).

On Monday we were in session to vote on the budget. We were a day late, literally, because we’re supposed to have the budget in place by the start of the fiscal year, July 1.

Still, the vote was unanimous in both the House and Senate to pass the budget.

Now it goes to Governor Deval Patrick. He and his staff have ten days to review it. The clock is now ticking. The Governor has until July 13 to review the language and appropriations contained within the $26.8 million budget.

The Administration can veto sections of the spending plan, or send them back with amendments. The rest he signs into law. It remains to be seen whether Governor Patrick will use his veto pen or not. But the long journey of the Massachusetts budget is nearly done. The ball will once again bounce into the Great and General Court where we will have the final say on whether to vote to override any or all of the vetoes Patrick makes.

The budget as released by the Conference Committee was widely viewed as a pretty reasonable compromise between the two versions passed earlier this year by both branches. Legislators again prioritized sending more money back to cities, towns, and schools, so-called Local Aid, as well as health care and higher education. But even with a budget of nearly $27 billion, there’s still a great deal state government doesn’t do, can’t do, or shouldn’t do.

I worry about the ever growing size of our state budget. It never gets smaller. In fact, I fear it’s growing so large that it’s becoming unsustainable. We don’t grow money on trees in the Boston Common. We don’t print our own greenbacks in the basements of Beacon Hill.

The revenue we spend comes from you…the tax payers, toll payers, rate payers. Fees, fines, fares, and Federal dollars (but wait, Washington’s money doesn’t grow on trees either) all go into our General Fund to pay for the people and the programs of state government. But at some point we should ask ourselves, how much is too much? How much can we legitimately expect you to pony up?

Tax Freedom Day, the day each year that the average American worker stops paying for his share of the costs of the local, county, state, and federal government, gets later and later each year. It’s now nearly six whole months into the calendar that he has to work to pay for government services before he can begin to keep the rest of what he makes for himself. He can spend it; invest it, save it, whatever. My point is he doesn’t have that much left for himself each year after he gets done paying for government.

I think the Democrats in the Legislature got it right by joining with us Republicans in saying no to the easy and quick short term fix of tax increases. Massachusetts continues to lose businesses and population, our unemployment rate is increasing and is higher than the national average, and business and consumer confidence is shaky at best.

I applaud the Majority Party for resisting the Patrick Administration’s siren’s song of increasing taxes. When government raises taxes it cuts its citizens paychecks. It releases some of the pressure on the bureaucrats to be fiscally prudent and financially responsible with limited resources. Remember: There is no shortage to the good we politicians think we could do if we just had a little more of your hard earned money.

Representative Don Humason and his new aide Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group