It’s shaping up to be a big night for the Democrats, but folks on both sides of the aisle are breathing easier in Massachusetts, as Question 1 went down BIG on election night. While all the votes haven’t been counted,…
Municipal Light Dept. falling short on Green Choice Program
Having set the bar low for adoption of its new Green Choice renewable energy program, it now appears that the Belmont Municipal Light Department is in danger of tripping over it. According to BMLD CEO Tim Richardson, just 87 BMLD customers have signed up for the voluntary green energy program — less than 1% of BMLD’s 9,600 customers, and short of BMLD’s already modest goal of signing up 100 customers for the program.
Rep. Brownsberger: Thoughts on Question 1
There is a moral dimension to this vote. It is morally wrong to abandon the mentally ill, the mentally retarded, the abused children, the working single mothers who can’t afford health care for their kids and the many others who depend on the state for assistance in one form or another. That’s really what we are talking about — it’s not about optional services and it’s mostly not about waste. – Will Brownsberger on Ballot Question 1
Room to improve on green initiatives in Belmont
One of the issues that’s facing our town (and state and nation) in the coming years is the environment and how people can learn to live more lightly on the land and leave a smaller environmental footprint. There are goings…
Opponents: Question 1 would sap $11.2m from Belmont
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.
(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.