Articles about Politics that may be useful to Massachusetts retirees.
Would Create $2.5 Billion Deficit
NOVEMBER 2010 VOICE: Another election cycle brings with it the latest attempt by anti-government groups to cut or eliminate certain Massachusetts taxes. This year their focus is cutting the sales tax to 3%, while also eliminating the sales tax on alcohol.
2007 JULY - Rubin Had Been Deputy Treasurer - Shortly after going to press with the May edition of the Voice, Governor Deval Patrick shuffled the deck in his inner circle by replacing Joan Wallace-Benjamin with Doug Rubin as his chief of staff.
Rubin, who had been the new governor’s top political advisor during the 2006 campaign, previously served as the state’s first deputy treasurer from 2003-2006. As the first assistant to Treasurer Tim Cahill, Rubin worked closely with the Pension Reserves Investment Management (PRIM) Board and the State Retirement Board.
2007 MAY - Failed At Last Year’s Town Meeting - Stoneham’s Selectmen are a tenacious bunch. It seems they
intend to clutter Town Meeting with the same warrant article that was soundly
defeated last year.
2007 MAY - Legislation Would Force Investment In State Fund - Municipal
retirement boards were both shocked and dismayed when Governor Deval Patrick
filed legislation this February that would require many of our local boards to
turn their pension funds over to the CommonwealthUs PRIT Fund for investment.
2007 MAY - Murray Assumes Presidency - An unusual early session change of power has occurred in the
state Senate, resulting in the election of the first female legislative chief in
the history of Massachusetts.
2007 MAR - Although former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Thomas Finneran, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice this January and was pilloried by the news media as expected, it is only fair that our members be reminded of Finneran’s work on behalf of public sector retirees and survivors.
2007 MAR - Harwich Republican Is Former State Senator - One of outgoing Governor Mitt Romney’s appointments which we wholeheartedly agree, was the naming of Paul Doane to fill a seat on the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC), the state’s key pension oversight agency. Doane’s term will run until October 29, 2010.
2007 MAR - Senate President Robert Travaglini has named Senator Benjamin Downing (D-Pittsfield) to the post of Senate Chairman of the Public Service Committee, the key committee which acts on all pension legislation.
2007 MAR - Among the many appointments that our new governor, Deval Patrick, has made there are two that are of special importance to our Association.
JAN 2007 - Over 13 years ago, Framingham became the second municipality to adopt the coalition bargaining law (Section 19), with Lexington being the first. “We’re pleased to report that coalition bargaining is operating smoothly in Framingham, and will continue to do so,” according to Associations Insurance Coordinator Cheryl Stillman.
Since 1968 the Retired State, County and Municipal Employees Association has been the leading voice for Massachusetts public retirees and their families. Join with our 52,000 members as we continue the fight.
