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September 20, 2007
Consider reforms
Critics didn't waste much time before pounding away at many of the recommendations highlighted in the transportation finance report released Monday -- and rightfully so in some instances -- but there are several reforms listed that would serve this state well.
The report recommended an 11.5-cent hike in the state gas tax and a new 5-cent-per-mile highway "user fee." Those are two suggestions we simply cannot support at this time.
However, the report also proposes the state:
* Eliminate paid police details on road and bridge construction projects, replacing them with less-expensive civilian flagmen.
* Scale back the MBTA's pension plan which gives employees full pension benefits, including free health insurance, after 23 years of service.
* Study the privatization of some roads and bridges.
Frankly, we can't say enough about the recommendation to do away with paid police details. Massachusetts is the only state in the union that offers this very costly option for police officers. We know the state's strong police unions have fought off every attempt to eliminate paid details, but it is ridiculous that the Bay State continues to waste money on them.
Why is it that civilian flagmen are perfectly able to direct traffic around road and bridge construction in 49 other states, but not in Massachusetts? Aren't there any Bay State politicians courageous enough to take on an issue that would save voters millions of dollars? Police unions will argue that construction companies and other businesses fund most of their detail pay, but make no mistake, that money comes out of residents' pockets via higher prices.
MBTA unions have been equally vigilant in their fight against pension changes, even though the agency has raised fares just to keep afloat. By allowing employees full pension benefits after 23 years, many MBTA workers can retire in their 40s and 50s, potentially collecting costly benefits for another 40 or 50 years. We just can't afford this.
These types of public-sector giveaways have to stop before the state should even consider looking at increasing taxes. Once we know how much can be saved, only then should higher taxes be considered.
Posted by Admin at September 20, 2007 12:34 PM
Comments
I have not personally worked a detail in nearly a year. That being said, car crashes, pursuits, robberies, hit and runs, and almost any other police type function that can occur on the roadway gets attention from "extra" cops out there not assigned to patrol. It may be more expensive than flagmen, but you get something out of it, such as personal responsibility and accountability, training for traffic control, first aid, immediate and CLEAR communication with other emergency resources, and on and on. I personally observed a man nearly sever his arm working on a guardrail. I accessed my first aid kit, stopped the bleeding as his coworkers were all nearly fainting, then radioed for an ambulance while contemplating ushering to the hospital in the cruiser I had there due to the severe bleeding. what would a flagman do? I hear these stories from coworkers all the time. I work in narcotics, and a significant number of the homes we end up doing search warrants in are tax assisted residences. To see perfectly healthy men dealing drugs and having thousands in cash and TV's the size of a wall of my house - yet the taxpayers pay for their housing - is maddening. And this is an epidemic, not an isolated event. Point is, why aren't we cutting ridiculous costs like this instead of worrying about overpaying people who are underpaid putting their life on the line every day? The problem with Democratic leadership is they blindly throw money at social programs that have run amok, and benefit people who are NOT in need of anything but truth, tough love, and a dose of reality, yet the complaint is that road jobs requiring safety oversight should not be controlled by cops who would otherwise be grossly underpaid...
Posted by: Jay at November 1, 2007 11:35 PM
