Member of the reality-based community of progressive (not anonymous) Massachusetts blogs
A LiL reader and City employee sent me the attached letter from City Manager Bernie Lynch that was sent out to all individuals employed by the City of Lowell. This is the second letter from the City Manager in as many weeks.
In his follow up letter, CM Lynch points out that strategic measures such as “reduction in expenditures,” “leaving open positions unfilled”, “savings in debt service” as well as a “reduction to the school budget” helped us “reduce the gap [local aid cuts] from $3 million to $500,000.”
As I was told by the City employee who forwarded me the letter, it is amazing that for now we have been able to do this without layoffs but concessions need to be made, such as switching from Master Medical to the PPO or HMO healthcare plan. I heard the CM this week on the radio and he mentioned that the Master Medical plan is a killer on the City budget. In his letter he mentions that “the [health insurance] trust fund shortfall is largely as a result of Master Medical losses of about $2 million.
So with a freeze in hiring and a freeze in spending, I am not sure where the next cuts are going to come in spending without tackling a reduction in the work force; maybe not for FY 2009 but I would think it is a real possibility in FY 2010.
One of my international friends sent me this link. This is more than just a blip on the global radar. The EU is serious.
The EU has increased its pressure on the US to reconsider the “Buy American” clause in the $800bn (£567bn) economic recovery package now before Congress.
The clause seeks to ensure that only US iron, steel and manufactured goods are used in projects funded by the bill.
A European Commission spokesman said it was the “worst possible signal” the Obama administration could send out.
The EU will launch a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) if the clause remains, the spokesman said.
On the one hand, you could totally see why this sort of “protectionism” would be desirable, from the point of view of the American politician and also the taxpayer. Why produce a stimulus if some large percentage of the funds will go into international hands? How does that create the jobs we so desperately need in order to get the economy back on track?
On the other hand, under many of our trade agreements and international law, protectionism isn’t allowed. The whole purpose was to open the playing field in international markets.
Also, if we’re spending taxpayer money, and some European or foreign company can produce the material or good cheaper than we can, wouldn’t it be a waste of taxpayer money to not go with the competitive bid? And the actual job of building the bridge, or road, or other infrastructure will be done by new US jobs, so is the protectionism sort of moot, or at least, not so big a deal?
It’s a pickle, to be sure, and it won’t go away if this clause in the stimulus passes. Lest we forget previous tiffs .
Gunther Wellenstein of the Solid Waste & Recycling Office has an article in the Lowell Sun with the lowdown. Sorry I don’t have audio from Friday’s show up, I’ll try to get it.
Anyway, no excuses for not knowing the skinny on our new trash system! 
Look, I hate winter, and even more so this year, since it’s been brutal and I now own a home where I am responsible for shoveling sidewalks and driveway. I may be Quebeçois, but for some reason I didn’t inherit the cold-tolerance genes.
I unapologetically skip Lowell’s Winterfest every year. Guiltlessly. Effortlessly.
However, here’s your chance to convince me to show up. What do you like about Winterfest, and why should I want to go despite my extreme distaste for anything remotely to do with temperatures below 60 degress?
[powered by WordPress.]
46 queries. 0.641 seconds