Representatives Eldridge and Peisch form coalition to support suburban towns
Representatives James Eldridge and Alice Peisch have established the Suburban Legislative Coalition in the House of Representatives, and held the coalition’s first meeting January 31.
Eldridge and Peisch set up this coalition of legislators to better represent the interests of suburban communities and to educate all members of the House of the needs and viewpoints of suburban towns.
“Given the growth that most suburban communities are experiencing, it is critical that suburban legislators work together to ensure that the needs of every municipality are served by Massachusetts state government,” Eldridge said. “The Suburban Legislative Coalition will work to bring together all of these communities to do just that.”
At the first meeting, legislators agreed that the coalition will direct its energies to increasing Chapter 70 and other forms of education aid; cost savings for municipalities; protecting the environment, open space and state parks; increasing affordable housing while reforming Chapter 40B; improving public transportation and roads and bridges; and fast-tracking Home Rule petitions through the Legislature.
The coalition will also be reaching out to the currently existing caucuses to gain support for programs like the Special Education Circuit Breaker, the Senior Citizen Circuit Breaker, school transportation reimbursement, and Payment In Lieu of Taxes funds.
Those interested in learning more about the Suburban Legislative Coalition should contact Eldridge’s office at Rep.JamesEldridge@hou.state.ma.us or (617) 722-2060 or Peisch’s office at Rep.AlicePeisch@hou.state.ma.us or (617) 722-2080.
Senator Pam Resor named MMA legislator of the year
The Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) presented Senator Pam Resor a Legislator of the Year Award for her leadership on municipal zoning, water management, open space, and affordable housing reform.
Geoffrey Beckwith, executive director of the MMA, presented Sen. Resor with the award at the organization’s annual meeting and banquet in Boston. “Senator Resor was a strong and calm voice in bringing opposing parties to the table seeking to achieve consensus on a particular issue. Over the past twelve months, she and her staff have championed a compromise bill aimed at streamlining the Chapter 61, 61A, and 61B land conservation laws,” Beckwith continued. “The issue, which had languished for several years, was finally resolved thanks to the senator’s dedication and leadership. With over 40 acres of land lost to development every day in the commonwealth, it will go a long way to benefit landowners and communities while protecting valuable natural resources.”
The legislation closes many loopholes in Chapter 61 of the General Laws, which assesses valuation of productive land, including forestry, agricultural, and recreational land. It was signed into law by then Governor Mitt Romney on December 22, 2006, and becomes effective early this spring.
In this new legislative session, Senator Resor has filed several bills, including the Community Planning Act, which is the first major updating of the commonwealth’s zoning and subdivision control statutes in decades.
Contest to improve government offers $10,000 prize
Senator Pamela Resor has announced an opportunity for Massachusetts residents to improve the way state government works. The Pioneer Institute, a nonprofit research group, is sponsoring the 16th Annual Better Government Competition (BGC), which seeks ideas from individuals about ways to improve the quality of government services and deliver them more efficiently. With the high cost of living in Massachusetts and the urgent need to retain workers and businesses, the theme of this year’s competition is building competitiveness at the state and local level.
Implementation of winning ideas from previous competitions has saved Massachusetts taxpayers more than $400 million.
In 2007, the commonwealth continues to face budget challenges and competition for business from other states and across the globe. This competition asks entrants to draft policy ideas for streamlining government and making our government more effective; such ideas include, but are not limited to, competitive contracting, downsizing, consolidating programs or agencies for economies of scale, and enhancing service quality and efficiency.
The competition is open to everyone and has an entry deadline of March 26. Past entrants included students, accountants, scholars, consultants, entrepreneurs, and concerned citizens. The winner receives help from the Pioneer Institute in developing the idea and a $10,000 prize, which is presented at the BGC awards dinner in June. Runners-up will each receive $1,000 for their proposals to improve government.
For more specific information about the competition, go to www.pioneerinstitute.org/bgc or call (617)723-2277 and ask for Shawni Littlehale (slittlehale@pioneerinstitute.org).
