The Veto Pen and the Legislature
You might remember back in July all the fuss about Governor Baker's budget vetoes. The legislature rejected the idea that the budget they passed was out of whack, and overrode many of Baker's proposed cuts.
Well, we're nearly done with the first quarter of the fiscal year, and guess what? Revenue projections are down, legal fees and judgments are up, and the budget is most definitely out of whack. In fact, the gap is just about the same amount as the total in veto overrides passed by the legislature this summer.
Governor Baker is too sophisticated to say "I told you so," but MassFiscal isn't.
The legislature's childish refusal to work with Governor Baker on building a responsible budget back in July means he will need to make emergency cuts now and going forward. Wouldn't it have been smarter to put forward a reasonable budget plan to begin with?
As you know, we've been promoting the Fiscal Scorecard among voters in targeted areas across the state. Take a look at the scorecard here, and see how your legislator voted on the overrides.
Voters can make better choices, knowing which reps and senators voted to spend money we just don't have.
If Allegations Are True, Dixon Should Withdraw from Rep Race
(BOSTON)--Saying there are more questions than answers in the story of Moses Dixon's arrest for domestic abuse and the subsequent restraining order filed against him, Paul Craney, executive director of The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance today called on Dixon to drop out of his race if allegations prove true.
Dixon claims that he and the victim were and remain best friends. He claims she lied about the physical violence and called the police and pursued the matter through the courts in retaliation for a financial argument. "The report, facts around the case and allegations are serious and disturbing. Dixon's denial doesn't clear up anything, if anything it creates more questions," Craney said. "He may be telling the truth, but he may be just victimizing the victim all over again.”
Craney said the questions remaining surrounding the matter, including allegations of a public records cover-up, are enough to draw into question his candidacy. "Sure, he has, by strictly interpreting the law, every right to remain in the race," Craney said. "But the people of the 17th Worcester district deserve better."
Scorecard mailer
Recently, you may have received a mailer urging you to check out MassFiscal’s online scorecard. We’ve sent tens of thousands of these cards to people in key towns and cities around the state.
For the average resident, finding out how his or her state legislator voted is nearly impossible. Official websites are low on information, and even that information is usually well-hidden.
That’s why MassFiscal created its easy-to-use online scorecard, highlighting the most important votes pertaining to fiscal responsibility and government transparency. The database is easy to search. Even more, we aggregate every vote in a given session into a single percentage score, making it possible to compare legislators against each other.
The MassFiscal Scorecard makes access to a state's legislature's voting record simple.
Visit the scorecard today, at www.MassFiscalScorecard.org.