Sunday, January 07, 2007

No gazebo left behind

My home state of Massachusetts has a new governor. Let's see how he is doing:

Patrick Warns Fiscal 2008 Deficit Could Be $1 Billion
Governor Patrick says the state faces a potential budget deficit of one billion dollars in the next fiscal year. The state's new chief executive says the Romney administration misrepresented the financial situation with "all sorts of patches and plugs."
And then this:

Patrick's reversal of cuts brings joy
$383.6m restored for local projects

With Deval Patrick now in the corner office on Beacon Hill, officials and community leaders south of Boston are applauding his decision to restore budget cuts made by former governor Mitt Romney.

The restored cuts statewide amount to $383.6 million. While it is difficult to estimate how much of that money was destined for south of Boston, the funds clearly benefit dozens of projects here and help thousands of people.

The affected projects range from downtown revitalization work in Stoughton, Milton, and Quincy, to a skating rink in Randolph. Workers at Bridgewater State College and those who work with the elderly will get long-awaited raises. And ratepayers in communities served by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority will get $25 million in rate relief.

In Braintree, the list of restored budget items illustrates why Patrick's reversal of his predecessor's order came as a huge relief: $100,000 for a library land purchase; $100,000 in aid to the police and fire departments; $100,000 for a town gazebo; $25,000 for the local Council on Aging; $20,000 to help close the public library's budget; and $250,000 for a flooding study in the Bestick Road area.