DAN ALLIE
May is one of my favorite months. I love gardening and being outside, especially after a long winter.
I would like to wish every mom and my lovely wife Theresa, a Happy Mother’s Day.
Thank you for all you do. I will always remember and be thankful that my mother taught me I could do anything I put my mind to, and to always try my best. This will be the first year without my stepmother. I believe it is important for us to remember the values our parents have given us.
I ran for city council because I enjoy meeting new people and wanted to help my neighbors. Listening and learning from people gives me more insight into our community, our shared interests and history.
I have found that there is much more that unites us, than the labels or preconceived notions that seek to divide us. I believe we are at our best when we put the needs of our fellow man before our own concerns.
America has always been a nation of associations and volunteers who rose to meet challenges and solve problems. I have spent much of my life working with other volunteers who want to be involved, and part of the solution. Receiving the Edmond P. Garvey Award from Springfield Technical Community College for Outstanding Community Service will always be one of my proudest moments.
Many people including myself believe that dependency on the government is not always the best solution. Too many of our problems were originally caused by some level of government action, intervention or policy.
The people of Westfield and Massachusetts are among some of the most generous people, but government spending and increasing taxes have driven many of those people and businesses out of the state. That is not helping to revive our economy, grow jobs, or keep young people from leaving our state. A thriving economy and disposable income is the best solution to many of the problems we face.This includes unemployment, under-employment, lack of opportunity and providing revenue for essential services, rather than simply raising taxes.
Our entire community needs to pull together to help revive our economy and get through these tough economic times that many of our neighbors are experiencing. Maybe that means volunteering, donating to local charities, spending money locally, or living within one’s means.
My mother taught us by example the lesson of working and saving even small amounts for future important things such as new clothes and shoes for school.
Many of our seniors living on fixed incomes,hard-working families and business owners are being taxed out of their homes. Their roads are falling apart and many do not have city sewage. High property taxes take money immediately out of their pockets and our local economy.
Rather than tax ourselves, our neighbors, parents and grandparents out of our homes, I would hope city departments would make every attempt to use any available unspent monies in the 2014 budget that ends in two months to offset upcoming 2015 expenses and help the Mayor and City Council meet our obligations to provide essential services as well as reduce the burden on our taxpayers, homeowners and local economy.
Citizens must also demand that all levels of government keep theirpromises and fulfillobligations. On the Massachusetts State Lottery website are photos of million dollar winners. I notice there are no photos of the losers.
Yet, Westfield has lost nearly a million dollars a year for five years in a row, even though the money is already in the Lottery fund profits.The Lottery was created to provide a source of revenue called local aid to cities for police, fire and education. Westfield has made up that shortfall with increased property taxes.
Last year, the state took in nearly a billion dollars in revenues above projections, a surplus. Yet it cut local aid and Chapter 90 money for roads and bridges. The state could have taken a small portion of that surplus, (about 10 percent or $100 million dollars) and restored local aid to every city and town.
Instead, it raised taxes a half a billion dollars and reinstated the tolls on the Mass Pike. Both actions were completely unnecessary. The state had a surplus. The Pike has been paid for many times over, and is supposed to be maintained by vendor fees from billboards, restaurants and gas stations. The state also passed Automatic Gasoline Tax hikes rather than take votes.
Excise taxes were originally used to maintain the roads. Over time, this was changed. We now pay all of these taxes and fees, but are not getting the benefits or services has originally promised.
As a city councilor knocking on doors and listening to Westfield residents, I can only take so much without taking action. I know family budgets are stretched to the max. That is why last fall; I helped gather thousands of signatures to put a question asking voters to repeal the Automatic Gas Tax on the statewide ballot, the first all-volunteer effort to accomplish this since 1991.
Last week, I was extremely grateful that the City Council unanimously approved my resolution to send a letter to Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo requesting the state restore local aid, Chapter 90 funding and provide municipalities with projections for local aid funding in the spring, before cities do their budgets. I encourage everyone to contact the Speaker and our State Representative and Senator and make your voices heard.
For my part, I will put two public policy questions on our local ballot this November. One question asks to restore local aid and another asks to restore Chapter 90 money for our roads. If you would like to volunteer to gather signatures or support this effort, please contact me at danallie.com or [email protected].
Thanks, Mom.
Dan Allie
City Councilor At-Large
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of this publication.
