Issue Position: More Local Aid to Western Massachusetts

Issue Position

The decrease in local aid puts a higher burden on our city to dig deeper into our pockets to find additional funds for our schools, public safety, roads, and sanitation among other things. The increase in the gas tax is especially painful since those of us in Western Mass drive more and have less access to public transportation. In fact, the first two projects funded by gas tax revenues are multi trillion dollar projects benefitting the Boston area. This demonstrates, right on the heels of the "Big Dig," the state's lack of consideration for Western Mass residents.

My approach to this gap in getting value for our tax dollars is to build a coalition of legislators in Western Massachusetts so that we can create legislation that addresses the local aid formula. We also need to build a united front for driving more tax dollars to projects in this end of the state.

This is how I can make a difference. I'm an experienced attorney who knows how to interpret and make laws. I will use my skills as an attorney to change the laws that determine how local aid is calculated and distributed, and then work tirelessly to get more of our tax dollars to work in Westfield.

Source