Baker’s plan does well in balancing priorities, maintaining fiscal responsibility

Boston, MA: The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to promoting better government and right-of-center fiscal and economic policy solutions, today expressed support for the budget plan released by the Baker Administration for fiscal year 2016.

“Governor Baker’s FY ’16 budget represents a welcome and continued break from our state’s recent economic policies, particularly since it does not seek to raise taxes,” said Paul Craney, the group’s executive director. “It’s now up to the legislature to ensure that these much-needed reforms don’t get derailed by politics as usual.”

The organization pointed out several especially encouraging aspects of the proposal, including:

• an increase in local aid to cities, towns, and school districts;
• an increase to the Earned Income Tax Credit, a particularly successful anti-poverty program that rewards work rather than discouraging it;
• the elimination of the film tax credit;
• concrete steps to reform MassHealth in order to ensure that only those who are eligible receive benefits
• a much-needed restructuring of the executive branch of state government 

“As the budget process plays out over the next several months, residents should feel empowered to contact their lawmakers and urge them to support aspects of the Governor’s budget that they favor. The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance will play a role in helping to educating the public on several key points that we're confident will move Massachusetts forward and promote fiscal responsibility,” Craney concluded.