While Bay Staters have known for a long time how bad our state government is, now we can point to a study by the Pew Center that backs that claim.
High debt, sloppy budgeting and a $19 billion road and bridge repair tab are making Massachusetts state government one of the worst-performing in the nation, a new study found.The study by the Pew Center gave Massachusetts state government a C for its overall performance in managing money, infrastructure, state employees and information. That grade was tied for third worst in the country, with only New Hampshire (D-plus) and Rhode Island (C-minus) faring worse.
The study cited a litany of Bay State concerns including the Big Dig, skyrocketing health care costs and a $1 billion structural budget gap.
“Massachusetts is literally and figuratively digging itself into a deeper and deeper hole in terms of its infrastructure,” said Richard Greene, co-author of the Pew report.
Greene noted that Massachusetts is carrying more than $18 billion in overall debt - the highest per capita in the nation - and faces a $1-billion-per-year problem to maintain transportation infrastructure over the next 20 years. Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed reducing that backlog by consolidating costly state transportation departments into a new super-agency known as MassTrans, but he has yet to formally file his legislation on Beacon Hill.
Some onlookers are growing antsy for a look at the reform plan. “Nothing’s happened and the problem has gotten worse,” said Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. “The entire transportation system is hemorrhaging and there seems to be silence on Beacon Hill.”
Not surprising, is it? We can't blame it all on Governor Deval Patrick, there is a Legislature that has been around longer than he has (and is nearly 90% Democrats) that deserves a fair share of the credit as well.
The Bay State’s worst grade was a D-plus in infrastructure; its best was a C-plus for money management. Greene said he found silver linings for the state government in its financial reporting and access to online services and information. The state also does a good job training and keeping employees, he said.Of course the State does a good job at keeping employees...with that sweet pension deal on the line, you'd stay as long as possible, too.
