Party On!

Acton's finances are back on track and things are looking up!

We read today in the Boston Globe that the state may lose 50,000 jobs when the “automatic” budget cutbacks on the federal level kick in. Various funding recipients go on to bemoan the loss of funding. "Sure," they seem to say, "we need to cut spending on the federal level, but it shouldn't affect Massachusetts!"

And the plan will only "reduce spending" by $1.2 Trillion over 10 years. This is of course very misleading. The growth in spending is being reduced, not actual spending. That keeps increasing. And the federal debt will continue to climb. We aren't paying that back yet.

But things must be looking up in Acton, because we can keep raising taxes (3.5% next year, according to the latest plan) so that must indicate that employment has improved, incomes are rising, and we can all afford higher taxes. Great news!

And, using some left-over federal stimulus funds and some savings from negotiations with our workers, we can now increase our spending above “level service” budgets....

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