Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.
It is also Sunshine Week; a project of the American Society of News Editors whose aim is to promote dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Sunshine is the best disinfectant in government and people are served best by transparency.
“Either you will control your government, or your government will control you.” – Ronald Reagan
I understand people have concerns about the City Council considering civil service. As chair of the Public Health & Safety Committee, my intent is to seek input from department heads and the men and women affected; doing all we can to make their ideas and voices heard. I understand any change must begin with the mayor and negotiations with city employees, and then approved by the City Council.
As a community, our goal should be to hire the best applicants available, who wish to work in Westfield, and promote individuals who best fit positions, while providing protections for our employees. The system should not cause delays in testing, receiving scores, hiring, obtaining lists and providing necessary information to make hiring decisions. No one is served when tests are expensive, out-of-date, not relevant, or not given in 12 years. Our past two governors cut the civil service budget and staff from 80 down to seven people.
I believe we have an opportunity to report the recommendations and ideas from the men and women affected by civil service to the Mayor and City Council, and present a resolution early in the Baker administration, through our state legislators for improvements at the state level.
Each of us should be more concerned with our governments’ response to problems caused by the state’s mismanagement of basic services that impact our daily lives and city.
This was the case as Westfield considered two new taxes to increase city revenues.
Some politicians tell us we should not complain about cuts to Westfield’s local aid because the state has given us the tools to increase revenue, referring to the meals tax and hotel tax. Isn’t that like a thief who broke into your house, saying you should be grateful that they did not steal your car, so you can go to work and replace the stuff that was stolen?
The state lottery was created with the intention that all revenues were to go to cities for education, in the form of local aid. Sadly, the state has taken over 700 million dollars out of lottery funds, including in 2013 when the state had a significant surplus. Cuts in local aid have cost Westfield a million dollars for each of the last five years.
I strongly believe we need to maintain Massachusetts’ high standards in education and highway safety. Where was the media and public outcry as our last governor and state politicians were taking hundreds of millions of dollars out of education funding?
People are tired of overpaying for services we never receive, knowing tax money is being diverted to other uses. We must stop accepting excuses, and demand that our tax dollars be spent wisely on their intended purpose.
Last year, we were told that if gasoline taxes did not go up automatically, called “indexing”, our roads and bridges would fall apart. Well, friends, our roads and bridges are falling apart because of a lack of priorities and a plan, not for a lack of resources.
In 2008, Governor Patrick passed a $3 billion bond for bridge repair. The state increased the gas tax by 3 cents and passed a $12.5 billion dollar transportation bond bill, but only allocated $200 million for road maintenance. In January, Governor Baker released $100 million more, with Westfield receiving $600,000. However, none of this money went to fix our roads.
Massachusetts transfers 20 percent of our sales tax, (a tax originally created to fund education) and much of the gas tax increase to subsidize the MBTA, a department that wastes hundreds of millions. None of this money benefits those of us living in western Mass.
Westfield drivers pay $4 million a year in vehicle excise tax, which was created to maintain our roads. Yet, only $100,000 in local funding was in the city budget. Mainly, we rely on the Chapter 90 funding, which is not enough to maintain our roads. The lack of maintenance has other hidden costs. For every dollar spent to maintain a road still in good condition, it saves $6 to $10 in costs to fix the road once it fails. Consider the cost we all face to repair our vehicles, replace tires or have our lives interrupted when we nearly destroy our cars and trucks because the government cannot maintain the roads?
The Registry of Motor Vehicles collects $600 million dollars for an agency that cost $60 million to operate. Service has never been worse, and it raised inspection fees by $6. That is a 90 percent profit and who knows where that money ends up?
Any wonder why Massachusetts is one of the highest cost of living states, ranks at the bottom for the high cost of doing business, and has lost population and 3 congressional districts in the past 30 years?
Our families, seniors and small businesses are burdened with high property taxes due to cuts in local aid, high taxes on gasoline, income, savings, new taxes on the Internet, a high sales tax, inflation, the tolls on the turnpike, and are being told we need to tax ourselves more.
We pay enough taxes and fees and deserve better service. I wish to thank my fellow councilors for voting to not pass the meals and hotels tax.
Dan Allie, At-large City Councilor
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of this publication.
