Weathering the storm together
By Senator Benjamin B. Downing
As the Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) budget process moves forward, we in the Legislature are focused on preserving vital services that meet the needs of our most vulnerable citizens. Paramount among these programs are those that provide varying degrees of assistance to seniors. The current debate is not about whether these are worthwhile programs; rather it is about how to allocate scarce state funds to meet needs and provide basic services.
Uncertainty defines this year’s budget process. Revenue projections for this and next fiscal year are still unpredictable. As we craft the FY10 spending plan, every expenditure must be examined, efficiencies must be found, and revenues must be maximized. In my capacity as chairman of the Joint Committee on Revenue, it is my responsibility to examine all current and proposed sources of state revenue and ensure fairness in the Commonwealth’s tax structure. This is not a task I take lightly, especially in these difficult times. However, it is a task I find to be rewarding, as every dollar saved or raised more efficiently is an investment that can be made in services to seniors.
The Governor’s FY10 budget proposes a total of $234 million for elder services statewide, including $199.2 million for elder home care services, such as the Enhanced Home Care Program, and the Elder Nutrition Program. The budget proposal also provides $8.6 million to grants for local Councils on Aging, restoring last year’s original funding level. The Governor’s spending recommendations represent a starting point for the state budget process. Now the Legislature is analyzing the Governor’s spending proposal and crafting our own version of the budget. Dwarfing all other issues in this process is the deteriorating economic climate and its impact on the state’s fiscal standing. Without reliable revenue streams it is difficult to define proper spending levels and limits.
There is some immediate good news. The federal stimulus package has provided $2 million for Massachusetts to expand vital nutrition programs like senior congregate and home-delivered meals to help seniors maintain healthy nutrition during these challenging times. This critical infusion of federal dollars will help provide 300,000 meals to seniors statewide. Additional stimulus dollars alleviate budget pressure that otherwise could have forced deeper cuts, thus ensuring essential services remain in place.
While federal stimulus assistance provides us with some relief, policy-makers remain focused on the needs addressed in the state budget, and preserving services that enhance the quality of life for seniors and other populations. The challenges facing the state are not unlike the challenges facing small businesses and families across the Commonwealth. We will continue to seek out efficiencies and try to do more with less. We know tough times in the Berkshires, and I am sure we will weather this storm. But we will only emerge stronger and ready to prosper if we come together, put aside our differences, and focus on what unites us, not what divides us. Providing core services for our seniors is one of those areas where we can come together. I look forward to working with my colleagues to do so, even in these challenging times.
Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D – Pittsfield) represents the 48 western Massachusetts communities in the Berkshire, Hampshire and
Franklin District. He serves as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Revenue. He can be reached at 617-722-1625, 442-4008 or
benjamin.downing@state.ma.us.
