One of the interesting revelations…is what a vicious spiral we would find ourselves in, were Question 1 to pass. Why? Because so much of the federal aid we receive is contingent on the level of state aid…As we slash programs to try to shrink our budget, we will also watch federal dollars being sucked out of state and back to Washington D.C., leaving Massachusetts poorer and more desperate than ever.
Author: Paul Roberts
(Updated) No on Question 1? You betcha!
Question 1 is a gimmick — it’s a ham fisted and poorly thought out effort to “make a point” to those hated bureaucrats on Beacon Hill, consequences be damned. As MTF notes, the state could fire all 68,000 people in its employ and still save only $5b, leaving $7b left to cut. While Belmont might pay more out in taxes than we get back, we’re not an island. Major corporations don’t look for cute little towns to invest in — they’re looking for states that are encouraging innovation, producing educated workers and building an infrastructure to support and encourage commerce. Question 1 would make those kinds of investments impossible.
PJ’s Paradox: planning for the future in a troubled economy
Reading the comments that B2’s loyal readers leave is usually more interesting than reading my blog posts. While I’m usually content to leave them as comments, occasionally readers suggest ideas that are so interesting they deserve their own post (and…
Changes afoot on Board of Selectmen?
Rumors are swirling about town that there could soon be a vacancy on the Board of Selectmen, with current Chairman Angelo Firenze declining to stand for another term. But Firenze tells BloggingBelmont that he hasn’t made up his mind yet and is still weighing his options.
Eats roads for breakfast…
After months of back and forth and, sadly, a failed Prop 2 1/2 Override vote to fund comprehensive road reconstruction in town, repaving, such as it is, kicked off this week across town. I’m not usually one who stops to…
94% of parents opt for full day kindergarten
This is somewhat old news, but given BloggingBelmont’s long running coverage of the push by parents in town for a Full Day Kinergarten program, I thought it was worth calling readers’ attention to a little noticed factoid from a recent BCH article…
Jogging Belmont
My marathon training has brought me smack up against one of the hardest part about running regularly:finding good places to run. I’m on the hunt for fun, challenging routes. In the meantime, here are some that have worked for me in and around Belmont.
An energy efficiency “barn raising”?
I recently heard about a kind of barn raising opportunity that’s in the same spirit: a home weatherization barn raising. The invite comes from the Cambridge Energy Alliance, a city-sponsored non profit group. The idea is simple: a bunch of folks get together to help a neighbor winterize their home. In the process, everyone learns something, while the host gets a jump start on energy saving measures for winter – installing pipe insulation, switching to a programmable thermostat, and so on.
A better Citizen Herald?
Is the Belmont Citizen Herald doing a good job covering the town? Discuss!
No November vote on Wellington??
A town-wide vote on a debt exclusion for the construction of a new Wellington Elementary school is unlikely to coincide with this November’s general election, according to a story posted on The Belmont Citizen Herald’s Web page. BCH editors and…