More Pain Proposed for Working Families in Mass. Senate FY 2011 Budget Proposal

As the global economic crisis continues, Massachusetts lawmakers continue to follow the neoliberal playbook as slavishly as their federal counterparts - slashing programs that help working families and the poor to the bone, and refusing to raise taxes on the rich and corporations to help keep vital social services at reasonable levels. So, as has become our tradition here at Open Media Boston during the annual state budget debates, we're taking a look at the proposed cuts in the final Mass. Senate FY 2011 budget proposal - taking our information straight from the latest budget analysis from the good people at the progressive think-tank Mass. Budget and Policy Center. To get a real sense of what's going on, we highly recommend going to the MBPC's website and checking out their full analysis. Please note that this editorial does not review programs that are not being faced with cuts. But there aren't good times for any part of state government this year. Departments not threatened with budget cuts are slated to be level-funded, or at best enjoy slight increases. One thing's for sure, though ... as the crisis deepens, it is getting harder and harder to follow the deck-shuffling in state government - with budget lines being created, merged and destroyed at a furious pace. It would be remiss of us to fail to mention that such shuffling generally comes at the expense of the least powerful groups and institutions in our society.

Education
Chapter 70 - The Senate FY 2011 budget provides $3.9 billion for Chapter 70 aid to municipal and regional school districts, which is $116 million, or 3 percent, less than FY 2010 current and General Appropriations Act (GAA) amounts. Although the overall cut to the Chapter 70 appropriation is 3 percent, the proposal actually calls for a cut of up to 4 percent. This means that the cut impacts districts differently. If the full 4 percent cut would bring districts below their foundation level, the cut would be reduced in order to maintain all districts at the foundation budget amounts, as calculated by the Senate.1 Thus, some districts would receive a smaller reduction while others would receive the full 4 percent cut, resulting in a net reduction of 3 percent.

Early Education & Care - The FY 2011 final Senate budget proposal includes $511.7 million in funding for the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the services it administers. The Senate’s final budget recommendation is $9.1 million, or 1.7 percent, below current FY 2010 budget levels

Higher Education - The Senate final FY 2011 budget proposal provides $1.03 billion for higher education, a $48.1 million, or 4.5 percent, reduction from FY 2010 current budgeted amounts. Most significantly, funding for the University of Massachusetts (UMass) and state and community colleges is reduced by 5.3 percent, or $51 million.

Environment and Recreation
Environmental Administration - The Senate budget recommends providing $15.3 million for administering environment and recreation programs overseen by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA). This level is $2.3 million less than the FY 2010 GAA, and $1.2 million less than the current budget after the Governor made 9C cuts.

Environmental Protection - The Senate FY 2011 budget proposes spending $59.1 million on environmental protection programs in FY 2011. This level is $6.6 million less than the FY 2010 GAA and $3.8 million less than the current budget after the Governor made 9C cuts.

Park & Recreation - The Senate budget recommends spending $78.9 million on parks and recreation programs in FY 2011. This is the same amount recommended by the Senate Ways & Means Committee budget. This is a $3.8 million, or 4.6 percent, cut from the FY 2010 GAA, and an $11 million, or 12.2 percent, cut from the current budget for these programs.

Health
Mental Health - The Senate includes a total of $631.7 million for mental health services. This is just under FY 2010 current funding totals, and is $10.2 million more than in the House budget. The Senate budget brings mental health funding in some areas close to what is estimated would be necessary to continue funding services at the FY 2010 level, taking into account that over the course of FY 2010, $10.3 million has been cut from mental health services.

Public Health - The Senate budget includes $502.6 million for public health services. During floor debate, the Senate added a total of $1 million to the Senate Ways & Means budget proposal, adding $300,000 for teen pregnancy prevention and close to $750,000 for public health hospitals. The Senate total is a $3.5 million reduction from the FY 2010 GAA, and a $4 million reduction from the FY 2010 current budget.

Human Services
Children & Families (formerly Department of Social Services) - The FY 2011 final Senate proposal provides $764.8 million in overall funding for the Department of Children and Families (DCF), $7.8 million below current FY 2010 budget levels and $18.9 million below the FY 2010 GAA.

Developmental Services (formerly Department of Mental Retardation) - The FY 2011 final Senate budget proposal provides $1.26 billion in funding for the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), $9.4 million above current FY 2010 budget levels. The Senate amendment process did not result in any significant changes for Developmental Services, when compared to the Senate Ways & Means proposal. Despite offering funding recommendations which are slightly above current FY 2010 budget levels, the final Senate proposal for DDS funding remains below the funding level required to maintain services in the next fiscal year. Compared to other FY 2011 budget proposals, the final Senate recommendation is $4.8 million above the FY 2011 House budget proposal but $6.5 million below the FY 2011 Governor’s proposal.

Transitional Assistance [although the MBPC report doesn't mention it, this used to be called Welfare, Ed.] - The FY 2011 final Senate recommends $771.1 million in funding for the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and the programs it administers, $10.9 million above current FY 2010 budget levels. The Senate amendment process did not result in any significant changes for Transitional Assistance, when compared to the Senate Ways & Means proposal. The final Senate budget recommendation falls $5.7 million below the final House budget recommendation and $2.3 million below the Governor’s budget recommendation.

Infrastructure, Housing & Economic Development
Economic Development - The Senate final FY 2011 budget provides $22 million for economic development programs, a $16.7 million, or 43.2 percent, reduction from the FY 2010 current budgeted amounts.

Housing & Community Development - The Senate final budget recommends spending $279.3 million on housing programs for FY 2011. This level is $30.9 million more than the FY 2010 GAA, but is $36 million below the current budget for FY 2010. The Senate final budget is also $8.9 million higher than the Governor’s FY 2011 budget proposal and $2.7 million higher than the House’s final budget. In inflation-adjusted dollars, funding for housing programs has fallen $36.5 million or 11.6 percent since FY 2001.

Workforce & Labor - The Senate final FY 2011 budget proposal provides $45 million for Workforce and Labor programs, a 22 percent ($12.7 million) reduction from FY 2010 current amounts, but a 12.2 percent ($5 million) increase from FY 2010 GAA.

Law Enforcement - The Senate essentially level-funds law enforcement, but it's worth noting that like the House, Governor’s, and Senate Ways & Means budgets, the final Senate budget provides only $5 million for the Quinn Bill, a program that offers salary enhancements to police officers who acquire advanced degrees. This is a $5 million reduction from the $10 million appropriated in the current FY 2010 budget. The Senate budget also proposes establishing a special commission to study the effectiveness of police career incentive programs.

Prisons, Probation & Parole - In total, the final Senate FY 2011 budget provides $1.2 billion for prisons, probations, and parole. This represents a reduction of $39.1 million, or 3.2 percent, relative to current FY 2010 funding levels, though the final Senate budget provides about $14 million more than either the House or Governor’s budgets. The Senate final proposal also includes controversial language that would allow the Commissioner of Corrections and the county sheriffs to charge inmates certain fees for services provided while incarcerated.

Local Aid
The Senate Fiscal Year 2011 budget provides $927.2 million in local aid to cities and towns, a reduction of $37.7 million, or 4 percent, from FY 2010 current amounts. This category includes the unrestricted aid provided to cities and towns to fund their municipal budgets, not including Chapter 70 and other local education aid. The primary cut occurs through a 4 percent, or $37 million, cut in the unrestricted aid to municipalities, which totals $899 million in the Senate budget. Since FY 2001, total funding for local aid has decreased significantly by 42 percent, or $679 million (after adjusting for inflation).

Other
Libraries - The FY 2011 Senate budget recommends spending $21.1 million on libraries, which is $3.8 million less than the FY 2010 GAA and $3.5 million less than the current FY 2010 budget. In inflation-adjusted dollars, funding for libraries has fallen $22.4 million, or 51.4 percent, since FY 2001.