Lawmakers Talk Reform With Business Leaders
Eileen Kennedy
The Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual legislative breakfast.
For State Sen. Harriette L. Chandler, D-Worcester, government reform should start with merging the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority into the state Highway Department.
"When you see one agency after another come in and request the same things, after awhile the redundancies you see become overwhelming. Before we can talk about revenues we have to talk about reform," she said this morning during the Corridor Nine Chamber of Commerce annual legislative breakfast at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westborough.
Most of the legislators present said they were against raising the state gas tax and turnpike tolls, but warned the audience of businesspeople that they should brace for the possibility of a sales tax increase.
Among the areas of reform the legislature will focus on this year are ethics, transportation and public employee pensions, according to State Sen. James Eldridge, D-Acton.
While reform is important to make government more efficient and cost-effective, Gov. Deval Patrick will be cutting another $1 billion from this year's state budget, which will harm cities and towns across the state, according to State Rep. George Peterson Jr., R-Grafton.
The one bright spot on the horizon is the federal economic stimulus bill, which should focus on infrastructure projects, many of which have already been submitted to the state in anticipation of the money.
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