Where's Worcester's fair share?
Tired of not receiving Worcester's "fair share" of state funds, local lawmakers argued for a bigger slice of budget pie at a Joint Committee on Ways and Means hearing on economic development held recently at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in the city's downtown.
State Sen. Edward M. Augustus Jr., D-Worcester, and Worcester Assistant City Manager Julie A. Jacobson lobbied hard for increased funding in the region for Brownfields redevelopment and workforce development funds.
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"Worcester is not getting its fair share" of a proposed statewide workforce development and summer jobs budget of $4.7 million, Augustus told Suzanne Bump, director of of the state Department of Workforce Development, who testified before the committee. Under Gov. Deval Patrick's proposed 2007 budget, Worcester would receive approximately $300,000, or roughly 6 percent, of those state dollars.
"I think the state needs to look at the distribution formula," Augustus said.
Bump acknowledged that the distribution plan is not final, and promised to help the region.
"The formula could be more equitable," she said.
The meeting was one of several public hearings held throughout the state in the first half of March to discuss Gov. Patrick's preliminary budget numbers. The final hearing was held at the State House in Boston March 15 before the budget went for debate by the House and Senate.
Augustus also brought attention to the closure of the Worcester office of the Commission Against Discrimination in March 2006, saying the state's second-largest city deserved better. The commission works to enforce the state's anti-discrimination laws and eliminate discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, mortgage lending and education.
Jacobson listed funding for job education and workforce development as one of five key factors in the continued economic development of Worcester.
Augustus and Jacobson also argued for continued funding for the state's Brownfields Redevelopment Program. The program is part of Patrick's "smart growth" strategy of redeveloping previously used, or "brown" space, instead of consuming green space.
"We have businesses knocking on our door, and we need to expand the money available for lead paint and asbestos removal and site cleanups," Augustus said.
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