Oct 17, 2008 1:11 pm US/Eastern
React: Where Should Budget Savings Come From?
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Governor Deval Patrick announced
$1 billion in spending and job cuts for the state, to fill a huge budget gap caused by the financial crisis. The cuts, in the governor's own words, did not trim fat - but rather 'cut muscle' from the state budget.
Read: Overview of Patrick's Budget Cuts We are curious. Given the extent of the budget deficit, do you think Patrick made the right cuts? Is there anything else specific you would have slashed instead?
Email Us. (Try to keep it constructive rather than insulting, and we just may use your ideas in a news story.)
Your Comments:
"Pay cuts for the Gov, Lt. Gov, and all the senators & congressmen working for the Commonwealth. Big Business is cutting back on their contributions to employee health care, so shouldn't the Commonwealth. Maybe it's also time to look at the wasteful policies, procedures, and practices and stream line government so it actually works and saves money. I'm not sure making State Troopers leave their cruisers at the barracks will work, but you never know. I definitely think that there are people in government that have a vehicle as one of their "perks", maybe those "perks" should be temporarily taken away. Pull back all the corporate credit cards that the Commonwealth has issued to employees."
-Emmitt, Plainville
"Routes 3, 95 and 93 on all the borders of mass. like the other states do. Dont take away from the elderly and blind people alone."
-Bobby, Peabody
"Why do State Police have take home cars? Leave them at the barracks and save Millions in gas.. I dont know one Tropper who pulls over anyone once their shift is over!"
-William, Randolph
"Work with vendors to cut costs. Work with Employee Unions to reduce insurence costs. Leave the blind and elderly alone."
-Donna, Fitchburg
"Review and/or cancel contracts for materials purchasing to see if new/old vendors can supply product for lower cost."
-Gene, South Boston
"What about eliminating time and a half (and more) for state employees overtime? Sounds a little more merciful than dunning the blind and elderly. Also transportation and per diem allowances for state officials, less "training days", conferences, and consultation travel; even an across the board salary REDUCTION for state employees earning over $100,000 (State employees?) Cut the fat WITHIN the state budget."
-Dave, Lowell
"Don't support nursing homes - keep elders at home with support services; replace state cars with hybrids; have all state employees and local unions sign up with GIC (
Mass. Group Insurance Commission)"
-Barbara, Brookline
"Why has there not been any mention of state employees paying for a larger portion of their health insurance. Why don't they eliminate all state vehicles(limos and the large motorcaides that are used by officials use to go to functions).They need to start at the top!!!"
-Jo, Berkley
"Build a large home and hire a couple of house mothers and stop paying thousands of dollars a month to foster mothers who take in more kids than they have room for just for the money."
-Denise, Billerica
"I work for a non-profit agency that supports adults with disabilities. How can they think that the $293 million cut in Medicaid is not going to hurt the people that we service? These people are mainly funded by Medicaid and have nothing to start with, how can they take from these people and sleep at night? The "Big Guys" need to start from within."
-Joanne, Plymouth
"The Gov should let the blind workers at
Ferguson Industries for the Blind keep their jobs (closing a blind workshop is not too cool) and look to the high paying hacks to take a cut in pay."
- Joe Citizen, Malden
"No free public education for illegal immigrants, no free ESL classes, no free health care for illegal immigrants, stop printing government forms and documents in languages other than English."
-Stacy, Malden
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