The Stanley Report

Patrick Administration Releases Fiscal Management Plan for 2010

With tax revenues for the first quarter of the fiscal year off by $212 million, the Administration plans to act immediately to bring state spending in line with a $600 million shortfall. Governor Patrick's five-point fiscal management plan to address this shortfall includes reduce spending by $600 million; reducing payroll by up to 2,000 positions; consolidating state agencies and services wherever possible; expanding 9C authority; and encouraging energy cost savings through joint purchasing.

Division of Health Care Finance and Policy Releases Study

According to an annual survey disseminated by the state Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, Hispanic adults are more than twice as likely as the general population to go without health insurance in MA. More specifically, more than eight percent of Hispanic residents between ages 19 and 64 lacked health insurance this year. The study is conducted by the Urban Institute and targets 4,910 MA households. The survey indicates that 97.3 percent of MA residents are insured while 171,000 are uninsured.

Other survey findings include: 75 percent of children and 80 percent of adults between ages 19 and 64 were covered by health insurance obtained through an employer; 91 percent of elderly adults were covered by Medicare; 6.4 percent of unemployed adults between ages 19 and 64 lacked health insurance; 2.5 percent of employed residents in that age group lacked health insurance; 6.1 percent of adults between ages 19 and 64 in fair or poor health lacked health insurance, compared to 3.2 percent of adults of the same age in good, very good or excellent health.

For complete results, please click here.

ARRA Funds Providing Lifeline to Unemployed

According to the Patrick Administration, MA has paid approximately $883 million in extended compensation to unemployed residents since March 1, an increase over the prior six-month period. As unemployment in the Commonwealth in September reached 9.1 percent, the funds from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) continue to help residents who have lost jobs.

Mental Health Advocates Lobby for No Additional Cuts

Mental health advocates, hurt by prior cuts to the state budget due to decreased tax revenues, recently asked the legislature to cuts budgets of other state agencies, calling their cuts disproportionate. Advocates presented lawmakers with petitions asking the Patrick administration to mitigate the expected cuts. Tobias Fisher, the policy director of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) addressed several hundred advocates, individuals with developmental disabilities and their family members who had gathered at the State House.

MTF Forecasts 2010 fiscal revenues

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation (MTF) recently reported that state tax revenues for fiscal 2010 will total $18.279 billion, $600 million less than the $18.879 billion consensus forecast on which the 2010 state budget is based. The MTF presented its finding to the chairs of the Senate and House Ways and Means Committees on October 8th.

These dismal numbers, according to MTF, created another unexpected revenue gap and it is predicted that the 2010 shortfall could reach a billion dollars. The MTF reported that "Sales taxes continue to slip due to a weak job market, anemic wage growth, tight credit and increased savings as consumers push off discretionary spending to pay down their debt. Corporate and business taxes were especially weak in September, falling 34 percent below benchmark because of greater than expected profit declines, increased use of transferrable tax credits, and a jump in refunds."

Gov. Patrick may Expand Bottle Law

Gov. Patrick's aides say he will discuss whether to expand the bottle deposit and redemption law to include bottled water, sports drinks and juices, calling current policy riddled with loopholes that pass up revenue and lead to litter.

Earlier this year, Rep. Stanley filed legislation to update and expand the "Bottle Bill" in MA. His Bottle Bill would expand the existing Bottle Bill to include $0.05 deposit on bottled water containers. Unreturned deposit receipts would be placed in a dedicated fund available to municipalities, water districts, and the MWRA to be used for water and sewer infrastructure repairs and projects. The anticipated amount of unclaimed deposits would bring in between $30 and $50 million annually.

In addition, expanding the bottle bill could remove a significant portion of beverage containers collected through trash and recycling programs saving municipalities another 4-5 million dollars annually.

To watch a brief video of Rep. Stanley discussing his version of the updated Bottle Bill, please click here.

Under current law, consumers pay a 5-cent fee on bottles of carbonated beverages that they can recoup by recycling those bottles at a local redemption center. Retailers that help collect the redeemed bottles receive 2.25 cents for each bottle from bottlers and distributors.

RMV Restores License Renewal Reminders

The Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is reinstating courtesy notices for driver's license and MA ID renewals that were discontinued last December. The RMV partnered with a private Massachusetts electronic messaging firm to develop a secure notification service at no cost to the taxpayer that will alert customers a month before their license expires by email, phone or text message.

Customers will have an opportunity to join the new service through www.mass.gov/rmv and choose what method they want to be notified. The RMV Reminder Service, which will be powered by Sendza, Inc, will be free of charge to customers and the Commonwealth because the notifications will be sponsored by Massachusetts businesses. In developing the reminder service, the RMV also built an IT infrastructure that can be expanded in the future to other registry services including registration and vehicle inspection renewals.

In order to be eligible for notification, a customer must sign up for the service at least 45 days prior to the expiration of their driver's license or MA ID. They will receive an electronic message by the method of their choosing at least 30 days before the expiration date and will inform the customer whether they can renew their license or MA ID online or must visit a branch. Customers will also be notified if their license is in non-renew status because of an outstanding parking ticket or excise bill and must be cleared before they can renew. The notification service includes a strict privacy policy to protect the information and data customers provide to the RMV.

MBHP Hosts Home Buying Workshop

Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP)will host the City of Boston Home Center for a 4-week series on Home Buying 101. This workshop is for people who are thinking about buying a home but who are not sure where to start. In this workshop you will learn how to shop for a home, get an intro to the mortgage process, the importance of good credit, and the legal aspects of homeownership. Folks must attend all 4 parts of this workshop. Part 1 will be on Monday, October 26th from 12- 2pm. The other parts are November 2, 9, and 16th. Space is limited for this event! To RSVP for these workshops, please contact Iris Sierra at 617-425-6650 or Iris.sierra@mbhp.org.

Weekly Flu Updates

With the flu season approaching, it is important that we do what we can to stay healthy. For more information about protecting yourself and others, please click here for the most up to date information.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

There was a significant decrease in breast cancer deaths among Massachusetts women from 2002-2006, according to Office of Health and Human Services. In Massachusetts, there was a 3 percent decline in deaths, while nationally breast cancer deaths declined by 2 percent.

It is recommended that all women over the age of 40 have a screening mammogram (a type of x-ray) every year. Some women, especially those with a family history of breast cancer may need to be screened early - they should talk to their doctor about getting a mammogram. Although there is no known way to prevent breast cancer, detecting cancer early greatly increases a woman's likelihood for surviving breast cancer.

To download facts about breast cancer, please click here.

United States: Census 2010

The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas. All residents of the United States must be counted every 10 years. This includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, citizens and non-citizens. The next census occurs in 2010. Census questionnaires will be mailed or delivered to every household in the United States in March 2010. The questions ask you to provide information that is accurate for your household as of April 1, 2010. The Census Bureau must count everyone and submit state population totals to the U.S. President by December 31, 2010. The first Census was conducted in 1790 and has been carried out every 10 years since then. For additional information about the 2010 census, please click here.

AARP launches new web tool to help lower drugs costs

AARP launched its new Doughnut Hole Calculator, a free web tool that can help residents "avoid the dreaded coverage gap" which can leave folks stuck with thousands of dollars in unbudgeted spending. Click here to access this calculator. According to the AARP, in 15 minutes visitors can view a graph of their out-of-pocket spending by month, look up lower cost drugs for their conditions, create a Personal Medication Record and print out personalized letters to their doctors to help start a conversation about safely switching prescriptions.

MBA Veterans Legal Hotline

If you are a veteran, or family member of a veteran who needs to appeal a state or federal benefits decision, the Massachusetts Bar Association can help. Please call (617) 338-0572 to be matched with a volunteer attorney - for FREE.

Land Stewardship Featured at League of Women Voters Forum

At the League of Women Voters of Lexington's First Friday Forum on November 6, Mike Tabaczynski of the Lexington Conservation Stewards and Emily Schadler of the Town's Conservation Division will talk about land stewardship in Lexington. They will highlight recent stewardship projects that citizen volunteers have undertaken on Lexington's conservation lands, including the new 975 foot boardwalk at Hayden Woods. Tabaczynski and Schadler will also discuss the unique natural resources in Lexington and share opportunities for citizens to serve as stewards.

The Lexington Conservation Stewards work closely with the Town's Conservation Division and other organizations, such as Citizens for Lexington Conservation and the Friends of the Bikeway, to care for the town's conservation lands and other open spaces.

This is the third in a series of 2009-2010 First Friday Forums hosted by the League of Women Voters of Lexington to promote awareness and understanding of public policy issues. Refreshments will be available at 9:30 a.m. and presentations will begin at 9:45 in the Community Meeting Room on the lower level of Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Massachusetts Avenue. The library is easily accessible by Lexpress and from the Minuteman Bikeway. For more information or to carpool, contact the League at 781-861-7697. All League forums are open to the public at no charge.

Become an English At Large Tutor

An informational session will take place at the Cary Memorial Library on October 21, 2009 from 10am to noon. Space is limited. Please call or email to register for the session at volunteer@englishatlarge.org or 781-395.2374. If you do decide to be a tutor with English at Large, you will need to attend a15-hour training. For more information, please click here.

Cary Memorial Library Celebrates 20th Anniversary

To celebrate the library's 20th anniversary, the Friends of Cary Memorial Library will host events (as listed in the Lexington Minutemen) at Cary Memorial Library through the fall. Several events are listed below but to read a complete list, please click here.

Annual Meeting: The Friends of Cary Memorial Library will celebrate their 20th anniversary Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room at Cary Library.

'Illusion' program: On Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room, Buddy Bergeron will present "Illusion - Don't Be Fooled."

Personal health: "Your Personal Health Information: How to Access, Manage and Protect It" will be presented by Marianne Garfi Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Large Meeting Room.

Music and The Bard: "Opera Based on Shakespearean Plays" continues Sunday, Nov. 22 with "Romeo and Juliet" and Sunday, Nov. 29 with "Otello." John Tischio will be in the Large Meeting Room from 2 to 4:30 p.m. with brief lectures and highlights from notable performances of the operas being presented.

Liberty Ride Offers Discount

Leaves from National Heritage Museum, 33 Marrett Road, Lexington. Daily, 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m. The Liberty Ride, the town of Lexington's historically narrated tour of the first day of the American Revolution, April 19, 1775, features a colonial guide that takes passengers to the North Bridge in Concord and back, describing the events of the day. Adult fare is $25 and includes admission to all three Lexington Historical houses. Until September 30th, there is a special discount for Lexington residents only--a buy two tickets, get one free. The tickets are for equal or lesser value tickets and must be purchased from Liberty Ride Guides at the National Heritage Museum. Call 781.862.0500, Ext. 702; email info@libertyride.us, or visit libertyride.us for more information.

LCE's fall schedule

Lexington Community Education's (LCE) fall catalogue offers new courses and a new Around Town section. More than 135 classes are available for you to learn more about your community. Courses range from "Special Conversations" with Poet Laureate Donald Hall and renowned poet and Lexington resident XJ Kennedy; to a conversation on "Racial Identity," the spirit of creativity and the effect of life in the suburbs with Danzy Senna, author of Caucasia and Michael Thomas, author of "Man Gone Down;" to learning about field production, digital editing or studio production at LexMedia. A sampling of new classes includes: Zumba, an Acting Workshop with LHS' Steve Bogart; Oil Painting; Web site Planning and Design with Dreamweaver; GRE Prep; Creating Comics for Middle Schoolers; Practice Workshop for String Musicians; Online Social Networking for Small Business Marketing; Introduction to Zen and more. These new topics will complement the array of classes offered in the 15 categories of classes including Exercise and Dance, Computers and Fine and Fabric Arts. LCE catalogs are available online; at Cary Library; and by calling LCE at 781-862-8043.

Opportunities at Minuteman Senior Services

Minuteman Senior Services offers seniors and their caregivers over 22 different programs and services. Over 15,000 people each year turn to them for help. Fifteen Commonwealth Corps Members will serve between October 1, 2009 and July 31, 2010 to help Minuteman Senior Services identify, reach, educate, and connect elders and caregivers to services in Minuteman's 16 communities west of Boston (from Arlington to Harvard). Please click here to learn more about these service opportunities.

The mission of the Commonwealth Corps is to engage residents of all ages and backgrounds in direct service to rebuild communities and address unmet community needs. The Corps will provide opportunities for skill building, leadership development and will encourage and enhance a lifelong civic vocation for Corps members. Corps members will provide direct service, build capacity, and recruit, organize and mobilize additional volunteers, thus building a grassroots movement of volunteers dedicated to service.

Lexington Food Pantry

In November 1990, the Lexington Food Pantry opened its doors to distribute non-perishable food to residents in need of food assistance. Open on Saturday mornings, the Food Pantry is currently distributing food to 60-65 families from Lexington, Lincoln, and Winchester. For more information, please click here.

Lexington Farmers Market

The Lexington Farmers' Market will take place at the corner of Massachusetts Ave, Woburn St., and
Fletcher Ave. in LexingtonCenter every Tuesday from 2pm - 6:30 p.m., rain or shine. The market
features locally grown produce, a variety of meats, fish, baked goods and other prepared foods, and artisans tent. Admission is free. For more information or to subscribe to the weekly newsletter, please click here.

Volunteer Drivers Needed One Day per Month

If you are retired, have a flexible work schedule, or have available time during the day, please consider becoming a volunteer one day a month for Lexington's F.I.S.H. (Friendly Independent Sympathetic Help), a community-service organization. F.I.S.H. has been providing free rides to medical appointments for over 30 years for Lexington residents, but our 130 volunteer drivers and phone callers cannot meet the current client demand. Drivers typically volunteer to drive for one day a month and can choose to provide round-trip rides to destinations either in Lexington and vicinity or in the greater-Boston area. "Phone F.I.S.H." volunteers make calls from their homes for a few hours on a given day to assign F.I.S.H. clients needing a ride to the volunteer drivers. Being a F.I.S.H. driver or Phone F.I.S.H. is a very rewarding experience and we hope you will consider helping out your fellow Lexingtonians who have become very dependent on this unique service. For more information about volunteering for F.I.S.H., please call F.I.S.H. President David Horton at 781-862-3293.

Donate Your Books to More than Words Bookstore and Caf�!

Looking for somewhere to donate your books, CDs and DVDs? Interested in hosting a book drive? More Than Words Bookstore and Caf� is the place for you!

More Than Words is a nonprofit that empowers youth who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, or out of school, to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business!

By working as a team to manage their own retail and online bookstore and cafe business, our youth develop leadership, employment skills and self confidence as they prepare for their transition to adulthood!

Please email Jennifer Stewart or via phone at 781-788-0035 for more information regarding book drives and donations or stop by 376 Moody St, Waltham.

Contact Information: State Representative Thomas M. Stanley State House, Room 167 Boston, MA 02133 (617) 722-2810 Thomas.Stanley@state.ma.us

Contact Information:

State Representative

Thomas M. Stanley

State House, Room 167

Boston, MA 02133

(617) 722-2810

Thomas.Stanley@state.ma.us