Arthur Schaper: “Mister Governor” Patrick’s Final Budget

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Friday, January 24, 2014

Arthur Christopher Schaper, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

Happy New Year, Massachusetts! And with every new year comes another legislative session, and an annual budget for the fiscal year to follow. Like his liberal counterpart in Rhode Island, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick gave his final state of the state address, although Patrick had the fortune (but not for the rest of the Commonwealth) of serving in office for two terms. He also outlined his final budget proposal.

A couple of givens: Patrick wants to spend more money, even though the Bay State has nothing left. With failing Obamneycare websites, lawsuits abounding, pension problems (though no unprecedented reforms under fire, as in Rhode Island), plus spiraling health care costs, tussles over immigration, and no end to the tax-and-spend culture of the Beacon Hill Democracy, no one should have been surprised.

Adressing education, health care and crime

And yet, the governor wants to increase spending by about five percent. His focuses? Expand early education, close the achievement gap in schools, ensure affordable health care and address violence among young people and in urban areas.

What will Governor Patrick do for early education, when the state as a whole has done so much damage already? The previous year, atheist parents were suing the local school because they did not want their children to recite “Under God”. How about curtailing the frivolous lawsuits against cash-strapped school districts? Go Local Worcester reported on schools with the most misbehaving students, as well as the institutions which have issued the most suspensions. That unruly students are becoming the norm, or rather the rule, in Worcester schools should alarm Worcester residents. Statehouse recriminations and Beacon Hill dollars will not solve that problem, yet public officials, especially those who depend on campaign dollars from teachers’ unions, will be more than happy to extend state-sponsored anything (including education) into every area of the Commonwealth’s citizenry.

Early education? How about removing the incentive for having children yet not raising them? Want to close the achievement gap, Mister Governor? Let the kids who want to learn choose the schools they enroll in, and as for those not so academically inclined? Trade schools, apprenticeships, and a quick tour of a jail cell (for those who cause more trouble than they should).

About ensuring affordable health care, one gets the impression that Patrick copied this idea off of prior Bay State “State of the State” addresses, or at least off of President Obama’s teleprompter. Who doesn’t want affordable health care? Yet the very legislation which was supposed to advance this agenda, the Affordable Care Act, has proven unaffordable, as well as preventing doctors from caring for their patients, as well as contributing to Massachusetts’ dubious distinction as the state with the highest health care costs.

When will liberals in government ever learn? Not any time soon, judging by this latest budget schema (or scheme).

About rising crime from youth in urban areas, a quick review of the cost-effective methods listed above will take care of juvenile delinquency. Of course, removing the ease of welfare fraud and the criminal elements latent within (like the Boston Marathon bombing, provided by taxpayer funded, homegrown terrorists) would stave off crime in the urban regions.

On a positive note, the government (federal, not state) finally put behind bars, and for good, Irish mob hero/thug James “Whitey” Bulger. It’s time to make an example out of organized crime, as in it really doesn’t pay. Now, as for the legal kind (Beacon Hill, Washington D.C.). . .

Hedging his bets

But let’s not lose our focus on “Mister Governor” Patrick’s budget proposals.

There were some examples of restraint. Instead of treating the few tax-paying residents like limitless coffers of gold, the governor rejected prior-repeated attempts to revive raising the state income tax. With so little coming in (in terms of money), and so many people coming out (in terms of leaving the state), Patrick needed to hedge his bets, as far as cashing in on those with any cash left.

And speaking of cashing in and hedging bets, the Governor of Massachusetts played a card all too similar to Rhode Island Governor Chafee: taking into account projected revenues for projects not yet built. Projections with a capital P, the casinos have not yet been built, and with rumblings in Worcester and throughout the state that they like the revenue, but the traffic and trouble associated with it in their hometowns, these potential resources may turn out as one more source of wishful thinking.

Lawmakers rejected the computer cloud tax. Republicans are pushing to end the forever gas tax. Yet other taxing suggestions did sneak into Patrick’s budget, including that ridiculous levy on candy and soda. With one of the highest tax rates on cigarettes in the country, Massachusetts has inadvertently created a black market for tobacco. Will a schoolyard underground add to it Skittles and Coca-Cola, too? So much for bring down youth crime in the urban core. Common sense may fly over lame duck Governor Patrick’s budget hopes and dreams.

Still, with all of its flaws, Governor Patrick declared: ‘‘I'm proud of this budget. It’s a good budget. It’s a sensible budget.’’

No economy, even in self-praise.

 

Arthur Christopher Schaper is a teacher-turned-writer on topics both timeless and timely; political, cultural, and eternal. A life-long Southern California resident, Arthur currently lives in Torrance. Follow him on Twitter @ArthurCSchaper, reach him at [email protected], and read more at Schaper's Corner and As He Is, So Are We Ministries.

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