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Area cities adopt changes to curb health costs [1]

May 17 2012

Area cities adopt changes to curb health costs [2]

By John Laidler, The Boston Globe

As of March 19, 127 communities and regional school districts statewide had taken steps to adopt the law or to use traditional collective bargaining to achieve savings in their insurance costs, according to a report by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

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Time out [4]

Apr 10 2012

Time out [5]

By Gabrielle Gurley, CommonWealth Magazine

Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, says the Legislature may be spending less time debating, but it’s still getting plenty done. During the 2009-2010 session, lawmakers passed major transportation initiatives and last year they approved municipal health care and pension reforms and set up a casino gambling framework. Widmer says legislators should be judged by the quality of the legislation they approve and not the quantity of their debate.

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Our View: Costs weigh heavy on scales of justice [7]

Nov 26 2010

Our View: Costs weigh heavy on scales of justice [8]

The Salem News

The problem: As panelist Michael Widmer of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation pointed out, even in an improving economy, the squeeze on the state's resources is only going to get worse over the next few years.

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Broadside: Sen. Knapik on eliminating holidays [10]

Mar 17 2010

Broadside: Sen. Knapik on eliminating holidays [11]

By Jim Braude, NECN

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation and Boston Municipal Research Bureau have determined about 35,000 workers get the day off, while Knapik estimates the two holidays cost the state $5 million in overtime and lost productivity.

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If tax rollback passes, Mass. will be 'The Hurt Locker' [13]

Mar 12 2010

If tax rollback passes, Mass. will be 'The Hurt Locker' [14]

By Peter Lucas, The Lowell Sun

We already face a huge $2.5 billion hole in the budget and that would double if the sales-tax rollback passes," Widmer said. He said the tax cuts would take at least $2.5 billion a year from the state's tax base and would lead to "massive cuts" in local aid.

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Job creation and Medicaid woes adding to budget problems on Beacon Hill [16]

Oct 9 2009

Job creation and Medicaid woes adding to budget problems on Beacon Hill [17]

By Michael Norton, State House News Service / Swampscott News

Widmer also gave committee members a chart showing Massachusetts ranked fifth from the bottom among states in job creation this decade, with jobs here down by 186,000 since 2000. Massachusetts outperformed only Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan, according to the chart, which showed about half the states adding jobs over the decade.

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Impacts of Question 1 up for discussion [19]

Oct 20 2008

Impacts of Question 1 up for discussion [20]

By Katie Curley, The Daily News

According to a report by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation released earlier this month, if the measure passes, the state would be forced to slash most agency budgets by more than 70 percent. According estimates gathered by the political action group Vote No on Question 1, the city of Newburyport would lose $12 million in education funding and an additional $2.6 million in state aid.

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