In The News

"A Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation report in 2006 said that giving tuition breaks would not cost the state money but prompt hundreds of illegal immigrants to enroll in public higher education, earning the state millions of dollars in tuition."

"'This is going to get very difficult very fast,' Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, told The Standard-Times.

"'It's clear we don't have the money to do this in the short term. Maybe we don't have the money to do this in the long term. It depends on how the economy performs over the next decade,' he said."

"'We already have a $1 billion shortfall in the budget with the state income tax,' said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, which opposes the repeal. 'Without the tax, it would be a $13 billion shortfall.'"

"However, their most politically challenging task will be looking at revamping the way that public schools are funded, said Michael Widmer, who is serving on the governor's commission and is the executive director of the watchdog Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation."

"MICHAEL WIDMER: I think the state's entering a very difficult period in which it's going to be extremely difficult to maintain the present level of services in health care and education and human services and transportation, let alone any significant expansion like this."

"While it appears the state will close out fiscal 2008 this month in fairly good financial shape, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation is warning that the 2009 state budget could deplete nearly half the commonwealth's reserves, taking a $2.1 billion fund balance to just $1.2 billion."

"A Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation report released this week said flattening enrollment in Commonwealth Care could limit the cost boost to $100 million higher than projections."

"While many unions rightfully decry the cuts in employees they face with budget reductions, the monies available are finite and getting tighter. A report last year from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation shows that health care costs are about 10 percent of municipal budgets but left unchecked and unchanged, at an estimated 13 percent annual increase, it will consume about 23 percent by the year 2018."

"In Massachusetts, the law has made local governments more reliant on fluctuating revenues from income and sales taxes, said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation."

Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, said his group favors the use of civilian flagmen, believing it will save taxpayers "tens of millions of dollars."