With Fair Share pet projects, our lawmakers are at it again
This is not what I had in mind when I voted for the Fair Share surtax. Combined, the House and Senate have added roughly 400 earmarks costing a total of $120 million to the bill — almost 10 percent of its total spending.
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The Legislature once again displays its core dysfunction — a lack of open, accountable, and democratic decision-making — and undermines public trust.
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John Lippitt
Reading
The writer is on the leadership team of Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts.
Ah, so this is what it takes to get the Legislature to move swiftly
Just because this is apparently the way they've always done it doesn't make it right. How about legislation to stop this that can also be passed in the blink of an eye? Nothing else the Legislature does ever moves this fast. Legislation often sits stagnant for years — unless it will score big political points with lawmakers' constituents.
Time for still more reform to promote total transparency. All spending amendments should be treated equally, presented at the same time in public, and voted on separately, not in a surprise mystery package.
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I'm sure the state auditor is well aware of this secret process. This is the kind of thing she has been fighting to expose all along, but these same leaders still refuse to cooperate. They need to be voted out to stop this from continuing. This whole power play looks really bad and destroys people's confidence in any fairness through the legislative process.
Steven Tryder
Rockport
Is this spending really going to serve education and transportation needs?
Repeatedly, elected representatives have ignored the express mandates of the voters who elected them. Now the Fair Share surtax, supported by many because the funds were to be used to provide critically needed support for our ailing school system and aging transportation network, is being transferred to pork barrel projects.
The brazen greed and dishonesty of our lawmakers occurs because it is not punished. How are we to correct this problem? Throw the bums out and replace them with new elected officials who we believe will be more responsive to the will of the people.
Julian M. Aroesty
Scituate
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