Michael O. Moore Receives MA State Universities Leadership Award
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Friday, November 22, 2013
GoLocalWorcester News Team
Senator Michael O. Moore (D-Milbury)
Yesterday, Senator Michael O. Moore, Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, received the Recognition of Leadership and Commitment Award from the State Universities of Massachusetts. The award was presented to the Senator from Milbury during an event at the State House thanking the Legislature for the recent increase in higher education funding in the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget.
“I would like to thank the state universities of Massachusetts for this award. The students of our public higher education system are our state’s future,” the Senator stated. “As Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, a priority I have set has been to support our students and their successes. They are future residents, innovators and leaders in the Commonwealth. I am proud of the increase we have achieved, which will make a difference in the lives of students, but we must continue to make public higher education a priority in Massachusetts.”
During the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget debate, Senator Moore played a major role in ensuring the Legislature included a historic increase in funding throughout the state’s public higher education system. Due to the increase in funding, University of Massachusetts, state universities and community college campuses across Massachusetts, all agreed to freeze tuition and fees for the 2013-2014 school year.
Related Slideshow: 7 Questions Worcester Mayor Petty Will Need To Answer
The following are seven big questions facing Worcester Mayor Petty in his secon term in office.
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1) City Manager's Position May Be Vacant
Michael O'Brien may leave to take a position in the private sector. O'Brien has been the proverbial glue that has held City Hall together. O'Brien is a competent fiscal manager and keeps the peace among the City Council.
Top-level government pros are NOT likely to line up for the Worcester job. Petty will be on the hot seat to find talent in the post-O'Brien era.
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2) Economic Development Mixed Reviews
The recent series in the Boston Globe and the overview in GoLocal outlined the lack of success Worcester has had in creating a comprehensive economic development plan. The results of the new construction has created some hope, but there lacks a comprehensive vision and the building seems to be developed in a vacuum. Mayor Petty seems to be extraneous except for the ribbon cutting ceremonies.
The biggest embarrassment was his lack of input into the casino process. Petty had no public opinion on the projects proposed in Worcester or the projects in adjacent towns.
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3) New Council
The new City Council will have its own personality, while the old council failed to debate or discuss - and too often voted in block.
A number of the council members just elected have promised to be more proactive. This could be a challenge for Petty -- or an opportunity to drive proactive change leveraging new ideas and new energy.
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4) Telegram Closing?
Since John Henry purchased both the Boston Globe and the Worcester Telegram, there have been a series of indications that Henry has a strong desire to invest in the Globe and has not said a public word or even visited the Telegram. Media experts have prophesied that the Telegram could be rolled into the Globe - a Globe West edition.
This would leave New England's second largest city without a daily newspaper. What has been deafening is Petty's lack of leadership on this issue. Can you imagine Tom Menino or Buddy Cianci waiting for a decision to be made on Morrissey Boulevard?
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5) Lack of Diversity in Worcester's Government
As GoLocal previously reported, more than 40 percent of Worcester's population is a minority, but you would not know it by who gets the city jobs. Worcester has more than 1,600 full- and part-time city employees and well over 80 percent of them are white.
In almost every department, the number of white workers far outnumbers minorities; some departments are as much as 98 percent white. It is a startling disparity in a city known for its diversity. There has been no concerted public effort to change this by Petty.
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6) Republican Governor Factor
Worcester may not be as wired to the Patrick Administration since Lt. Governor Murray resigned and returned to Worcester, but the Democratic Mayor can get his phone calls answered in the State House.
The next Governor of the Commonwealth could be Charlie Baker. The Democrats are looking at a bruising primary between AG Martha Coakley and Treasurer Steve Grossman, while Charlie Baker is looking like he may get a free ride through the GOP primary. Baker may not be so quick to be concerned about Joe Petty's phone calls.
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7) Legacy
Every Mayor wants to leave his or her city better than they found it -- and wanst to put a mark on the history of the City. Some Mayors focus on schools and others on major developments.
Mayor Petty has yet to define his priorities and the second term is the time to unveil a game plan on why he was the man for the job.
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