Misplaced Priorities?

Beacon Hill is once again showing its priorities are incredibly misplaced. Today, three significant issues have hearings including; transportation reform, health care payment reform and most importantly revenue.

Yet despite this packed day, Democratic leadership in the House decided to schedule a full formal session to take up a bill that has been kicking around in Ways and Means since April, an Act Relative to Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response in the Commonwealth. This bill has been filed in some form several times over the last few years. This is certainly not an urgent matter that could not wait one more week. The topics of the hearings being held today are critical to the economic recovery of the Bay State and deserve complete attention from all lawmakers on Beacon Hill.

The Commonwealth is facing a projected $1 billion tax revenue shortfall this fiscal year and this grim piece of reality needs to be addressed in a swift and responsible manner. The people of Massachusetts are worried about staying in their homes, keeping their jobs and putting food on the table. Those issues are top on the priority lists of taxpayers and should certainly be the focus of Beacon Hill today, tomorrow and indefinitely until the economy is moving in the right direction again.