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Hopkinton home values rise [2]

in

Feb 4 2012

Hopkinton home values rise [3]

By David Riley, Hopkington Crier

“It's consistent with our general sense of the slowly, very slowly, improving Massachusetts economy, and housing with it,” said Michael Widmer, president of the nonpartisan, business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
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Editorial: Pay-as-you-go plan must come to an end [5]

in

Jan 30 2012

Editorial: Pay-as-you-go plan must come to an end [7]

The Republican

Springfield has $761.6 million in the unfunded liabilities, which translates to more than $12,000 in unfunded liabilities per single-family home; Holyoke would be on the hook for $300 million, which translates to a liability of more than $18,000 per single-family home. And eight other cities in the commonwealth are in similar straits. “It’s a classic problem of the public sector,” said Michael J. Widmer, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation president, “You vote for all these benefits knowing what the cost will be in the future. But of course, you’re not going to be in office by then.”
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Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation says unfunded retiree health care liability is growing for towns and cities [9]

in

Jan 22 2012

Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation says unfunded retiree health care liability is growing for towns and cities [10]

By Jim Kinney, The Republican

The foundation, a Boston-based independent, nonprofit organization that conducts research on state and local taxes, government spending, and the economy, says the liabilities are not some hypothetical obligation but represent actual amounts taxpayers owe in today’s dollars for retiree health-care benefits already earned by current retirees and eligible employees and payable during the next 30 years.
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More Budget Cuts Loom Despite Rising Tax Revenue [12]

in

Jan 16 2012

More Budget Cuts Loom Despite Rising Tax Revenue [14]

By Paul Tuthill, WAMC

Michael Widmer, the president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation predicts state budget writers will find a way to boost local aid.
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Editorial: A cure for local budgets [16]

in

Jan 16 2012

Editorial: A cure for local budgets [17]

The Boston Herald

Speaking of “fixed” costs (see above) the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation is out with a truly frightening report on the threat posed to municipal budgets by the cost of providing health care to retirees.
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Report says Brockton owes more for healthcare than other big MA cities [19]

in

Jan 15 2012

Report says Brockton owes more for healthcare than other big MA cities [20]

By Garo Hagopian, WATD

The study, from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, shows that Brockton owes more per household than any of the ten cities analyzed. Brockton owes just under $700 million in health care benefits for current and future retirees over the next 30 years.
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Brockton ranked last in unfunded health care cost study [22]

in

Jan 14 2012

Brockton ranked last in unfunded health care cost study [23]

By Erik Potter, The Enterprise

A report released by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation showed that Brockton owes more, per household, in unfunded future health care costs than any of the 10 cities it analyzed. In today’s dollars, Brockton owes $693 million in health care benefits for current and future retirees over the next 30 years.
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Retiree Health Costs Threaten Cities in Massachusetts [25]

in

Jan 13 2012

Retiree Health Costs Threaten Cities in Massachusetts [26]

By Martha Bebinger, WBUR

“Neither of those options are feasible,” says MTF president Michael Widmer. He recommends scaling back retiree benefits and/or changing what cities and towns have promised current employees. Specifically, Widmer suggests increasing the age by which municipal workers can retire early from 55 to 60 and extending the number of years they must work (now 10) to receive full health coverage.
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City has $186M liability looming [28]

in

Jan 13 2012

City has $186M liability looming [29]

By Chris Camire, Sentinel and Enterprise

Fitchburg is facing a $186.6 million liability for retiree health-care benefits, jeopardizing funds for local services, according to a new study by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
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Study claims Lowell facing $432.7M deficit for retirees' health-care costs [31]

in

Jan 13 2012

Study claims Lowell facing $432.7M deficit for retirees' health-care costs [32]

By Chris Camire, The Lowell Sun

Lowell is facing a $432.7 million liability for retiree health-care benefits, jeopardizing funds for local services, according to a new study by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. The report, released today, found that cities, including Lowell, Lawrence and Fitchburg, have not put aside nearly enough money to pay the ballooning cost of health insurance promised to their retired employees, as well as employees who will retire.
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Source URL: http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/12

Links:
[1] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/municipal
[2] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/public_finance/municipal/20120204/hopkinton_home_values_rise
[3] http://www.wickedlocal.com/hopkinton/news/x370664950/Hopkinton-home-values-rise#axzz1lcbeppcI
[4] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/forward/1760
[5] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/health_care/20120130/editorial_payasyougo_plan_must_come_end
[6] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/health_care
[7] http://www.masslive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/01/editorial_pay-as-you-go_plan_m.html
[8] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/forward/1758
[9] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/health_care/20120122/massachusetts_taxpayers_foundation_says_unfunded_retiree_health_car
[10] http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2012/01/massachusetts_taxpayers_foundation_says.html
[11] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/forward/1745
[12] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/public_finance/budget/fy_2013/20120116/more_budget_cuts_loom_despite_rising_tax_revenue
[13] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/fy_2013
[14] http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news.newsmain/article/0/0/1894114/WAMC.New.England.News/More.Budget.Cuts.Loom.Despite.Rising.Tax.Revenue
[15] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/forward/1740
[16] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/health_care/20120116/editorial_cure_local_budgets
[17] http://bostonherald.com/news/opinion/editorials/view/20220116a_cure_for_local_budgets
[18] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/forward/1739
[19] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/health_care/20120115/report_says_brockton_owes_more_healthcare_other_big_ma_cities
[20] http://959watd.com/blog/2012/01/boston-report-says-brockton-owes-more-for-healthcare-than-other-big-ma-cities/#.TxWKqm_y-k4
[21] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/forward/1738
[22] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/health_care/20120114/brockton_ranked_last_unfunded_health_care_cost_study
[23] http://www.enterprisenews.com/topstories/x2062851068/Brockton-ranked-last-in-unfunded-health-care-cost-study
[24] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/forward/1737
[25] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/health_care/20120113/retiree_health_costs_threaten_cities_massachusetts
[26] http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/01/retiree-health-costs-threaten-cities-in-massachusetts/
[27] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/forward/1736
[28] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/health_care/20120113/city_has_186m_liability_looming
[29] http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/local/ci_19734931
[30] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/forward/1735
[31] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/health_care/20120113/study_claims_lowell_facing_4327m_deficit_retirees_healthcare_costs
[32] http://www.lowellsun.com/rss/ci_19734971
[33] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/forward/1734
[34] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/12?page=1
[35] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/12?page=2
[36] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/12?page=3
[37] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/12?page=4
[38] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/12?page=5
[39] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/12?page=6
[40] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/12?page=7
[41] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/12?page=8
[42] http://www.masstaxpayers.org/in_the_news/12?page=32