BY DAN VALENTI

Mother should dart her daughter and track her. Call in the fuzz when location interfaces with incompatible venue and take the embarrassment back to the child.

Also. There is expiration date for beer and milk. Should be expiration dates for public commission critters too.

May 20, 2026

The Massachusetts State Legislature is run like a costly bureaucracy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8krjVmLXHcI

The multi-million-dollar stipend system is about bureaucratic control instead of democracy.

There are many more registered lobbyists in Boston’s corrupt Statehouse than the 200 state lawmakers, who will soon take 5 months off of meeting in formal sessions from August 01, 2026 – December 31, 2026.

Some registered lobbyists report 7-figure earnings. It is said and written that once a state lawmaker retires in Boston, they never actually leave the Statehouse because the MONEY is too good for them to pass up.

The voter approved state audit of the Massachusetts State Legislature is being fought tooth and nail by state lawmakers who do NOT want the people they serve to know what is in their otherwise cooked books. The state taxpayers are footing the bill, or course.

State Senate President Karen Spilka blames the federal funding cuts for the state’s under-funding of local aid, but the Boston Herald news article states that local government in Massachusetts have NOT received an increase in local aid in nearly 20 years since 2008.

Last week, Spilka was asked why wealthy towns such as Wellesley and Newton may receive 10 to 15 percent increases in unrestricted state aid to local government, while poorer communities will only see a 2 percent increase.

Jon Melle

“Spilka: Federal funding cuts to blame for dwindling local state aid” – “Senate kicks off debate this week as cities and towns feel pressure”
By Boston Herald reporter Tim Dunn tim.dunn@bostonherald.com May 19, 2026

Senate President Karen Spilka says don’t blame the legislature for dwindling local state aid.

Instead, she’s pointing the finger at cuts in federal revenue to the state as Massachusetts cities and towns struggle to stay afloat.

“We’re doing the best we can. Just like cities and towns are struggling because their funds have been cut, the state’s funds have been cut too. As I’ve said before, we have tried to take into account and we recognize that the Commonwealth can’t lead unless cities and towns have resources,” Spilka told the Herald when asked outside the Senate Chamber Tuesday if she felt the increased criticism towards Beacon Hill on local funding is fair in her mind.

The Senate begins debating its $63.3 billion budget recommendation this week as cities and towns across the state find themselves fiscally underwater, or at least approaching that status. Many have proposed either proposition 2 ½ override votes or cuts to essential services in order to close budget shortfalls.

In New Bedford, which is facing a $32 million budget shortfall, Democrat Mayor Jon Mitchell has proposed closing its Fire Station No. 9 along with cutting 20 firefighters from the payroll to reduce the strain. This as the city’s tax levy is expected to increase by an estimated $16 million, which would result in an additional hundreds of dollars in property taxes for the average homeowner.

Mayor Mitchell recently aired his frustrations with Beacon Hill for turning a blind eye to the Commonwealth’s 351 municipalities, revealing that local aid to New Bedford hasn’t increased in nearly 20 years.

“Last year, we received the same amount of funding as we did in 2008,” Mitchell told local talk show host Chris McCarthy during an appearance on the Chris McCarthy Show on local outlet WBSM radio (1420AM). “If your income, your salary, hasn’t changed since 2008 you may have a hard time paying your bills. It’s the same thing for our city. There has to be in Boston, on Beacon Hill, a real adult discussion on state aid and what the state’s obligation is. There is no formula in place.”

Even Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve is getting involved, holding a press conference in the Whaling City Tuesday to unveil his new “Local Aid and Property Tax Relief” plan, which includes promises to double local state aid, protect Proposition 2 ½, and return excess state revenue to cities and towns.

Shortsleeve also pointed the finger at his potential opponent in the general election, Gov. Maura Healey, for what he says are her “failed priorities” that has contributed to the fiscal strain Massachusetts municipalities are facing.

“New Bedford is potentially losing a fire station. These are the direct consequences of failed priorities from Maura Healey and her allies on Beacon Hill. Local aid has been neglected, forcing higher property taxes and fewer services onto working families. Maura Healey has deliberately shifted the tax burden onto the backs of homeowners.” Shortsleeve said.

In South Hadley, residents last month overwhelmingly rejected a whopping 50% property tax hike as the town tries to tackle its own budget gap. Two ballot measures for Proposition 2 ½ overrides were presented to voters that would have implemented either a $9 million override or an $11 million override. Both were struck down.

The strain being caused by the lack of local funding was also noted in a recent study, entitled “Proposition 2 ½: Keeping Property Taxes Low Since 1980,” and released by the Fiscal Alliance Foundation, that found the ever-decreasing amounts of state aid to municipalities are the primary driver of fiscal pressure on local governments, with Massachusetts providing significantly less local aid to its cities and towns than the national average.

Spilka went on to tell reporters about the $1.376B the Senate will be taking up this week, what her office calls the “highest local aid proposal in state history.”

“We‘ve prioritized an increase in local aid. We have historic school funding, we are implementing Chapter 70, we’re also putting in funds for special education. We have a part built in for a new foundation budget review commission, which isn’t technically up for another couple of years, but this is the last year of the Student Opportunity Act,” said Spilka.

“And we realize, ever since COVID in particular, there’s been a lot of changes to school funding, to schools and trying times as well. So we recognize it’s really important to take another look at the way we fund our K-12 schools. We streamlined housing development,” she said.

The Herald also asked Spilka if the Legislature is spending too much on politicized items like funding legal representation for illegal immigrants or the state’s costly climate mandates.

“That’s a very general question and I think that again we try to balance all the needs of our communities and our residents,” Spilka replied.

The Senate will also be considering hundreds of budget amendments that include specific spending items, amendments to state law, and more.