Massachusetts Budget Out of Control

Massachusetts is is now $130 billion in debt. Also, 29% of the state's revenue is dependent upon the federal government, and the federal government is $17.6 trillion in debt. For Fiscal Year 2014 Governor Deval Patrick submitted a budget, during a depressed economy, for $34.8 billion, a 7% increase that included a $1.9 billion tax hike and a $400 million withdrawal from the state's (mysterious) reserve fund. Under Patrick, between FY's 2009-2013 expenditures increased $11.7 billion, a 23.6% increase while the cumulative rate of inflation during this same period increased only 9.1%. This clearly shows the pattern outspending both income and inflation as our massive state debt increases.


The Massachusetts FY 2015 Budget (beginning July 1) passed by "lawmakers" is $36.5 billion, a $1.7 billion, or 4.9% increase. The current rate of inflation, 12 months ending May 2014 is 2.1%, so our state budget increase is 2.3 times the rate of inflation.


The State House News Service has reported that the FY 2015 Budget exceeds the estimated 4.9 % revenue growth and also counts on casino licensing fees of $73 million and slot parlor revenues that may or may not happen, essentially betting on the come. This seems to be a practice all too common under the Patrick administration and our one party legislature. Claimed revenues that are in the budget are not solid and this invariably leads to dipping into the mysterious "reserve" or "rainy day" funds. When you are $130 billion in debt it has already "rained".


What is desperately needed in Massachusetts is fiscal responsibility by our elected representatives. Currently there appears to be NO responsibility. It is only a matter of time before the entire Massachusetts economy will come crashing down. Then all the citizens of the state, irrespective of party, will be severely and negatively affected. I urge people to look at the facts and not at just the political rhetoric. It all comes down to basic arithmetic, and it will affect everybody.


In 2012 a State Integrity Investigation graded the Massachusetts budget process. They gave Mass an "F" for Public Access of Information; an "F" for the State Budget Process; and a "D+" for Legislative Accountability. The citizens of Massachusetts deserve better than that. They also deserve a media / press that doesn't just report what they are told, but does true journalism in asking the tough questions and digging out the facts....a true practice of the First Amendment.

How to Bring About Dramatic Improvement of the Veterans Administration

If I were the US Secretary of Veteran Affairs This is what I would do to turn things completely around and the timetable to do so.

1) Working with others, while still maintaining strong leadership, I would immediately put in place a new Mission Statement for the VA. This Mission Statement would be placed in a prominent location in every VA facility in the nation. The Mission Statement would contain a reference to our very purpose of existence....to serve all veterans to the highest possible level of promptness, quality, care, customer service, and follow through. Our human concern for their care will be paramount. I would make it clear that all employees of the VA understood and followed this Mission Statement as a condition of employment.

2) I would ask the President and the US Congress to pass immediate legislation that would allow me and my designates the ability to fire any employee of the VA that did not perform and live up to the highest standards of veteran care.

3) I would assemble a meeting of all regional heads of the VA and let them know specifically what our new standards are and what will now be expected. At this meeting I would let them know that any manipulation of records or performance would result in immediate dismissal and possible criminal prosecution.

4) I would do away with all internally generated measures of performance and put in place ONE PRIME MEASURE. That measure would be based upon input from veterans, themselves. Veterans will be asked on an ongoing basis to rate the performance of the VA on the following:

a) Promptness of gaining an appointment and ability to receive responses...customer service.

b) Quality of their medical care and their processing as a patient.

c) Follow through on them as patients.

d) How they were treated, the human care and dignity aspect exhibited by the VA.

A rating system would then be summarized for each location and region and kept constantly visible. The veterans will determine performance, not some bureaucratically generated internal rating system. Where the veterans ratings of a location are low these will be investigated. Not all problems may be due to individual performance but due to other factors that need change and support. Yet individual performance will also be judged based upon veterans input and corrective action taken.

5) New standards of expectation will be put in place. These standards will be partially derived from ongoing studies of results from the private and public sectors concerning medical care, particularly from some of the best performing hospitals and clinics in the nation. Also such things as the number of patients typically seen in a day for given specialties as compared to the VA.

6) People, including good VA employees, thrive where there are clear rules and high standards and when they succeed they are rewarded. To begin with the pay of all VA employees will be slightly better than the average for their job description or specialty in the public or private sectors. Based upon veteran ratings, they will be subject to bonuses. Performance, pay raises, and promotions will also be tied to veteran ratings.

7) High performing locations and individuals, based upon veteran ratings, will be celebrated and recognized.

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At the end of 6 months you will see initial progress.

At the end of 1 year you will see notable progress.

At the end of 2 years you will see substantial progress.

At the end of 3 years the VA clinics, hospitals, and patient care will be recognized as being the best in the world.

All of this CAN be accomplished. This is a guarantee.

Filthy Fish on Your Plate?

The United States is bound by two oceans and a gulf, and has many thousands of lakes, rivers and streams, yet we import 91% of our seafood. Why? Worse only about 1 percent is inspected and only 0.1% is tested for banned drug residues according to the US Government Accountability Office. Filthy fish products may contain dirt, insect fragments, and rodent hair according to News21 (journalism program at Arizona State University).

Even though the United States is richly bound and blessed with waterways and fish sources we are ranked 13th in the world and have a $10.4 billion trade deficit...and it is growing. Again and again where is our leadership on this? We should be consuming 91% of are OWN fish, not importing it. And, we should make darn sure it is well inspected, clean, and healthy.

The next time you sit down and have some seafood think about what you are eating! There is a high probability that you will be eating un-inspected seafood from China. Are you comfortable with that? 

More will be written later about ALL of our food sources and why we import with such rich farmlands in America.