- December 2008We are deeply saddened by the passing of Kevin Harrington, one of Massachusetts' foremost political leaders of the past half century and a member of the Foundation's Executive Committee since 1987. Mr. Harrington was first elected to the Massachusetts Senate in 1958 and served as Senate President from 1970 to 1978, but his larger imprint on Massachusetts government and politics extended way beyond the years in the Senate. A lover of history and politics and a teacher by nature, Mr. Harrington had a deep commitment to public service and respect for the institutions of democratic government while also displaying great skills and relish at the world of hard-nosed politics. As a member of the Executive Committee for two decades, Mr. Harrington helped guide the Foundation while explaining to business leaders the ways of Massachusetts government and politics. The Commonwealth and the Foundation are deeply indebted to him.
States without income tax find other revenue
in
Jan 4 2009
After examining the nine states without income taxes, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation concluded that Massachusetts would have been forced to raise sales and property taxes, shifting the tax burden from higher earners to middle- to lower-income earners.
Ballot questions: Pure democracy or special interest?
in
Jan 2 2009
Michael Widmer, director of the Massachusetts Taxpayer Association and a Question 1 opponent, said ballot questions give too much power to special interest groups. Because voters vote with a simple yes or no, ballot questions often oversimplify issues and leave no room for compromise, Widmer said.
Unions, municipalities balk at cost-saving plan
Jan 1 2009
Health insurance costs for city and town employees increased 63 percent between 2001 through 2005, according to a 2005 survey by the Massachusetts Municipal Association and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. The figure was nearly double the state's annual increase in health costs.
Gov. Patrick warns of new budget cuts
Dec 31 2008
MA Taxpayers Foundation's Michael Widmer says people need to learn how to deal with the upcoming round of cuts, wherever they hit, because it's not the last time we're going to hear it.
Deval Patrick to slash budget by $1B in ’09
Dec 31 2008
"It's going to be a triple whammy," said Michael Widmer, executive director of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. "Homeowners will see their property taxes go up, the value of their homes go down and their services will be cut."
Editorial: State leaders ready to push hard on health-care savings
Dec 30 2008
Indeed, it would help - enormously. In Newburyport, Mayor John Moak estimated it could have saved taxpayers about $500,000 a year. Statewide, if every municipality had joined the GIC, they could have collectively saved $100 million this year, according to a report by the Boston Municipal Research Bureau and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
Cities, towns could save millions on health care
Dec 28 2008
Massachusetts cities and towns could have saved as much as $100 million this year, $750 million in fiscal 2013 and $2.5 billion in fiscal year 2018 if they all joined the GIC this year, according to a report jointly released in August 2007 by the Boston Municipal Research Bureau and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
Editorial: Massport pork
Dec 26 2008
We agree with Michael Widmer, director of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, who has recommended the governor order a complete review of the benefits packages at all independent public agencies, including Massport. Widmer is also pushing for Gov. Deval Patrick to review compensation levels.
Ex-senator wants double pension
Dec 24 2008
Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, echoed the sentiment. "This is another pension excess that is causing increasing outrage to taxpayers," he said. "You have these thousands of employees who earn legitimate pensions and then these kinds of abuses undercut support for the entire system.
Perk allows Massport workers to sell vacation time
Dec 22 2008
Michael Widmer of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation calls the benefit a ''lucrative arrangement'' not found in the public or private sectors.
Mining vacation gold at Massport
Dec 22 2008
Michael Widmer, head of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a nonpartisan business-backed group, recommended that Governor Deval Patrick order a review of the benefits and compensation packages at Massport and other independent agencies. "This is an extremely unusual and lucrative arrangement, not found in either the public or private sectors," Widmer said. Patrick administration officials declined to comment.
Mass. Market: Shift in consumer attitudes a concern for retailers
Dec 20 2008
MTF President Michael Widmer says retailers weren't hit as bad in the previous recession because home prices were rising quickly, and consumers could tap into that newfound wealth. Of course, that's not the case today, with local home prices suffering percentage declines in the double digits since their peak nearly three years ago.
Aloisi named secretary of transportation
Dec 20 2008
"He has a combination of both policy and political savvy, which I think is exactly what the administration needs now to help navigate through the whole issue of transportation funding and reform," said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation and, like Aloisi, a member of the Transportation Finance Commission. "His appointment is a chance for the administration to take a fresh look at all of this."
Vow to add jobs appears doomed
Dec 18 2008
"In an economic recovery, 100,000 jobs was a modest goal," said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a nonpartisan research group in Boston. "In a recession, it's an impossibility."
Coming cuts in state aid worry towns
in
Dec 18 2008
"There will be winners and losers, and it will be very complicated trying to figure it out for a given community" because of the convoluted formulas used to determine aid, said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a nonprofit budget watchdog.
Local pols mixed on Patrick's transportation pick
Dec 17 2008
Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation and who worked with Aloisi when both served on the state's Transportation Finance Committee, said Aloisi has institutional knowledge of transportation issues and strong political skills. "I came away very impressed" with Aloisi, said Widmer.
The Bay State's Fiscal Future
Dec 17 2008
New York announced massive tax increases to help make up a budget deficit. Could Massachusetts do the same thing? Michael Widmer of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation spoke with FOX25's Gene Lavanchy.
Editorial Footnote: Budget forecast should be wake-up call for Beacon Hill
Dec 17 2008
The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a generally reliable fiscal prognosticator, delivered its state revenue forecast this week. As MTF president Michael J. Widmer aptly put it, "Not surprisingly, the picture is bleak."
For the current budget year, fiscal 2009, MTF predicts tax revenues will total $19.4 billion, $900 million less than the administration's latest forecast. Worse, MTF predicts a decline in revenues to $18.6 billion in fiscal 2010.
Fiscal forecasting is a mix of science and art, to be sure. However, the MTF figures - based on trends in employment, personal income, capital gains, sales taxes and corporate profits - demand serious consideration.
Revenue drop may spell doom for local aid
Dec 16 2008
"To make a dent in the problem would be hard to do without going to local aid," Widmer said. "I think the numbers are shocking, but the global economic calamity is taking everything in its wake."
Forecast deepens fiscal gloom
Dec 16 2008
"The problem is so large, there's going to be a lot of damage," Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, said during testimony yesterday. "Damage to the economy. Damage to human beings. Damage to institutions."
Massachusetts cuts revenue projection, again
Dec 15 2008
State revenue are expected to fall more than $2 billion to $18.6 billion in 2010 from $20.9 billion this year, as Massachusetts loses 126,000 jobs and corporate profits fall about 20 percent, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, an independent forecasting organization, said.