While we think Patrick is right in arguing for a fine for Unitil, we think he was wrong to select Worcester, and specifically the New England Business Expo, as the place to announce $352 million in cuts to the state budget.
The lion’s share of the cuts comes from the state’s executive branch. The remaining cuts will be made to other branches of government. Ideally, Patrick should’ve taken the news right to those employees. He could have announced his intentions with a press release or a press conference in Boston.
Instead, he traveled to Worcester to make the announcement. The fact that Patrick treated Worcester like a foxhole is offensive. The fact that he chose the New England Business Expo, a forum during which he had a responsibility to engage business leaders on the state’s plan to spur business development or control health care costs, to make his announcement, is highly inappropriate.
We’d love to see Patrick in Worcester more often, and we’d like to be the first to invite him to next year’s business expo. But next time, hope he brings better news.
