Blog Highlight: Rep. Atkins: I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

I attended the Acton Board of Selectmen's (BOS) meeting Monday night (11/21) to listen to the debate surrounding possible municipal health care changes outside of collective bargaining.

I was pleased to hear that the BOS will pause until 2/6/12 and enter informal discussions with the unions and other stakeholders re: rising health care costs and possible modifications to benefit plan designs. I am both troubled by this process, and extremely weary of unsustainable costs incurred by our municipalities.

Health care and pensions are issues I heard repeatedly as a candidate for the Board in 2010. Now, as an Associate Member of the Stow Finance Committee, this ongoing issue is something my new town is not immune to either. In this Great Recession, no community can ignore the tough decisions and necessity for budget compromises.

After listening to Rep. Cory Atkins start off Monday’s meeting my initial reaction was: Why did our state legislators sign on to any Chapter 69 Bill that allowed the Selectmen to be placed in a difficult and foreign situation where they become the de facto School Committee and Dr. Mills?

On that basis alone, couldn't they have at least offered amendments to the Governor's Municipal Health Care bill that allowed for the people’s direct, locally elected representatives to make changes to plan designs, or unilaterally move any school bargaining unit(s) into the GIC? Is it possible they abdicated their responsibility by following a Beacon Hill Culture that too often goes along with whatever the Boston leadership WANTS instead of what the districts they represent NEED?

Speaking of the past, I found it ironic to hear Rep. Atkins, particularly when she spoke about our fiscal and economic crisis. I give her credit for coming to a contentious meeting where passions run deep on all sides. To paraphrase, she noted that over these last 10 years, looking back at her tenure in the House, she acknowledged that she wasn’t (fiscally) conservative enough – presumably with budgetary and spending matters before her on Beacon Hill.

Atkins correctly noted the absolute failure of the D.C. Super Committee in coming up with austerity measures. Wasteful spending, public debt, crony bailouts, and an inefficient tax system: These structural issues, in my opinion, are driving the public discourse as we deal with the worst economy since 1929.  

Well Rep. Atkins, as the much younger man (back then) who competed against you eleven years ago in our 1999 Special Election, where we debated these fiscal and budgetary matters – I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Dean Cavaretta of Stow and native of Acton is a MA certified public school teacher and former ABRHS Football and Lacrosse Coach. He was a 2010 Candidate for Selectman and 1999 Candidate for State Representative. His small business, Gen X Consulting is based in Acton.

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