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 House Passes Balanced Budget
State Representative Carolyn Dykema is pleased to announce the passage last week of the House's fiscal year 2012 budget, a balanced budget that closes a $1.9 billion gap between the cost of maintaining current services and the revenue expected to be available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012.
 When FY 2012 begins, we will enter the fourth budget year shaped by the worst national recession since the great depression. This economic crisis has battered the state budget; decreasing our expected state tax revenues from $21.4 billion in FY 2009 to 18.3 billion actually received that year, a 15% cut. While we are anticipating $20.53 billion in tax revenue this year, costs have dramatically increased as more families have found themselves depending on state programs for access to health care and other basic safety net services.
While cuts have been necessary to close the 1.9 billion dollar gap, the House was successful in restoring some funds to critically important accounts that will assist our towns and most vulnerable citizens. These include:
- An increase in Chapter 70 education aid to municipalities to $3.99 billion. This account is the major source of state support for local schools and provides funding directly to cities and towns based on a formula for the cost of educating children.
- An additional $80 million for the special education circuit breaker that supports school district costs of educating children with the greatest need. This brings the account to FY2009 levels, filling the gap left now that federal stimulus dollars are gone.
- Level funding of regional school transportation.
- Restoring $1.5 million of a $2.8 million cut to the Department of Environmental Protection to protect their ability to enforce with regulations and to respond more quickly to permitting papers.
- Changes to municipal health insurance that will help towns retain employees and sustain local services.
- Level funding local aid to public libraries.
- Restoring $350,000 for local Councils on Aging. Councils on Aging across Massachusetts provide more than 440,000 elders, families and caregivers with direct services each year.
- Restoring $2.5 million of an $8 million cut to fund Early Intervention which provides occupational, physical and/or speech therapies to nearly 30,000 developmentally delayed infants and toddlers. The cut would have put an estimated 6,000 children on a waiting list.
- Restoring $5 million to 16 Regional Tourism councils, which will include funding to the newly established MetroWest Tourism Council.
- Level funding for the 32 recovery and rehabilitation centers called "Club Houses" which provide recovery and rehabilitation support for 15,000 adults with long term mental illness.
The budget now heads to the Senate which will debate their proposal at the end of May.
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Supporting Our Troops
We can all play a role in supporting our soldiers. Be it by sending a letter or supplies of funds these are important ways of showing we stand behind them while they fight for our country.
Care Package Drive for Our Troops is a twice yearly donation drive coordinated by Lisa Braccio of Southborough which has shipped over 5,500 boxes totaling 120,000 pounds of touches and tastes of home. I hope you will join me May 14th and 15th at the Southborough Senior Center this year in adding to that total.
I encourage you to consider any connections you have with retailers to possibly get quantities of these items. Below please find a list of requested items.
More information is available here and on the Care Package Drive facebook page.
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Personal Care items
· Deodorant - male/female
· Toothbrush/ Toothpaste
· Body Wash GEL
· Q-tips
· Baby wipes
· Razors
· Tampons (no pads)
· Body lotions
· Dental Floss
· Chapstick or Blistex
· Travel size shampoo
· Foot powder
· White crew socks
· Air fresheners
· Bug Spray (no aerosol) |
Food items - Individual packs please
· M&Ms, Skittles, Twizzlers, etc.
· Gum
· Hard candy - Lifesavers, Jolly Ranchers, etc.
· Lollipops - soldiers and children
· Nuts, sunflower seeds, Trail Mix
· Dried fruits, raisins, apricots
· Fruit Roll-ups
· Fruit Cups
· Pop Tarts
· Protein/granola/ breakfast bars
· Instant Oatmeal - (individual packs)
· Cookies and Crackers (individual packs)
· Freezer Pops Tuna in PACKETS
· Microwave foods -Popcorn, Easy Mac, Ramen
· Canned soups
· Beef Jerky/Slim Jims
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Drink items
· Coffee, tea
· Presweetened mixes
· Crystal Light, KoolAid
· Cocoa, iced tea mix
Other items
· Puzzle Books
· Playing cards
· Travel Board Games
· Magazines
· Batteries - all sizes
· Game System games
· DVDs - new or used
· Paperback Books
· Frisbees, Baseball, Squirt Guns, golf balls
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Upcoming Community Events
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Upcoming Office Hours
Join Rep Dykema for coffee in your town to discuss the state's budget, legislation and issues facing our communities. Check the facebook page for confirmation on the Holliston and Medway locations.
Holliston
Friday, June 17th, 9:30-10:30am
Pejamajo Cafe
770 Washington Street
Holliston, MA 01746
Hopkinton
Friday, June 17th, 8:00 - 9:00am
Golden Spoon
85 W Main Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748
Medway
Friday June 3rd, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Starbucks
67 Main Street
Medway, MA 02053
Southborough
Friday, June 10th , 8:00 - 9:00am
Mauro's Cafe
2 Main Street
Southborough, MA 01772
Westborough
Friday, June 10th , 9:30-10:30am
Panera Bread Company
600 Union Street
Westborough, MA 01581
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Redistricting Committee Hearing Comes to MetroWest
New Date!
June 18th, 10am - 2pm
Framingham State University
Forum Room at the McCarthy Center
100 State Street
Framingham, MA 01701
Every 10 years, state legislative district lines are redrawn based on the federal census numbers. This year is a redistricting year, and a particularly challenging one since Massachusetts will be decreasing the number of congressional seats from 10 to 9 due to a population decrease in the recent federal census. State House and Senate seats will also be redistricted.
This hearing will be an opportunity for your voice to be heard during one of 12 statewide hearings. More information about the redistricting process can be found at: http://www.malegislature.gov/District
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