4.10.08   Spread It Around a Little:  Tufts and Lesley Universities have just received $272 million dollars from a charitable trust set up by Frank C. Doble, a Tufts University Alumnus and Lesley University trustee. 
     That trust is a grand and noble gesture, and Tufts and Leslie are fine institutions to donate to. From what the media say, those schools have excellent programs they plan to fund with the monies.  
     But wouldn't it be wonderful to see them give two or three million of these funds to the DMR or the DMH? Those budgets are getting slashed, yet every year more and more children and families are applying to those departments for programs and services.  The State is crunched under fiscal problems and many departments suffer the consequences. Could well-off academia and private wealthy citizens to step in and offer to shore up some of these programs? It would be money well-spent, and Massachusetts communities would reap the benefits for many future generations.
Sharon Marie

4.7.08   Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss: The news that Governor Patrick will receive a nice, fat $1.3 million for his book deal has been the cause of many strong opinions across the state.
     Now I don't fault anyone for making a good living, and in the Governor's prior career he did quite nicely, thank you. I'll bet his bank accounts could hold their own with former Governor Mitt Romney's any day of the week.
     But now Patrick is a public servant and works for me and every taxpayer in this state. And as one of his bosses, I don't want to see him wasting our "company" time on personal business. Can't tooting his own horn wait until he is at least out of office? Unless, Mr. Governor, you want to fork over that $1.3 mil to the Department of Mental Health and Department of Mental Retardation? Gee, last I read those departments are facing budget cuts again, and they could really use that money. And so could all the financially strapped families struggling to raise children with neurological problems and mental illness. 
      We voted for a change in this state, for a new "boss." But these days me thinks that the "new" boss is looking like the "old" boss. 
Sharon Marie

4.1.08   Show Me The Money: Last week the Boston Globe reported that the Patrick administration still plans to complete a $189,000 contract to conduct a "comprehensive review" of the casino proposal. This is despite the fact that the Massachusetts House of representatives resoundingly shot down the proposal, and House Speaker Sal DiMasi has called the issue "over." 
  Enough already. Dumping more money into the casino studies is an outrage. There are better ways for our legislators to spend our money and their time. 
  Instead, let's put that $189,000 in the budget for the DMR. Or the DMH. Or towards any Massachusetts school system with a SPED program in dire straits. How much of that money already spent on the gambling proposal could have gone into expanding services for many of these families and children in desperate need of help? Our kids, both "typical" and disabled, are the best resources to put our tax dollars into today.  Now that's an investment that Massachusetts will benefit from for years to come.  
Sharon Marie.