MassBudget: What is the state of working Massachusetts?

New findings on wages, income, jobs, education and the strength of the economy

MassBudget Information. Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center Democracy. New Study Finds MA Workers Joining Labor Force Faster Than Any Other State, Amid Strong Job Growth but Flat Wages On this Labor Day there are some very positive signs in our economy, but our State of Working Massachusetts report finds that rapid job and labor force growth isn't leading to strong, broad-based wage growth. Our labor force has grown faster than any other state in 2017 - increasing 3.2 percent. Massachusetts has added close to 300,000 jobs since the start of the Great Recession in 2007. That's 9 percent job growth - among the highest rates of job growth in the country over that time. While our economy is growing, we are not seeing strong wage growth for most workers. This continues a long-term trend in Massachusetts and in the United States: economic growth is not translating into wage and income growth for most workers and their families. Since 1979, median household income in Massachusetts has barely budged, growing only half a percentage point each year after adjusting for inflation. By contrast, among the highest-income one percent of households, income has risen by 4.3 percent annually. This is a national pattern, but it is particularly pronounced in Massachusetts. In fact, household income among the highest-income one percent has grown more rapidly in Massachusetts than in any other state: 341 percent between 1979 and 2014 (the most recent year for which data is available). Ten percent of all Massachusetts income went to the highest-income one percent of households in 1979. In 2014 it was 25 percent. After years of stagnation and decline, we have seen strong growth in the wages of low-wage workers in Massachusetts over the last two years. After declining by almost 10 percent between 2008 and 2014, wages among the lowest-earning 10 percent of workers have increased by 8 percent since the state's minimum wage was increased by a dollar each year in 2015 and 2016. Another bright sign in the data is that Massachusetts has the best educated workforce in the nation. In fact, in 2016 Massachusetts became the first state ever with 50 percent of its workforce holding a four-year college degree. Across the nation, the states with well-educated workforces consistently have stronger economies than those with less well-educated workforces. Massachusetts and New Jersey have the best educated workforces in the nation and workers in those states earn the highest wages. While that strength alone hasn't led to wage and income growth for all of our workers - a goal that likely requires improvements in the national economy, along with changes to state and federal policy, to achieve - it has put us in a strong position for our state economy to outperform the rest of the nation. Read MassBudget's new State of Working Massachusetts 2017 report.  The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today

Boys and Girls Youth Soccer Clinic - Oct 15

Presented by the Franklin High School Soccer Program

Instruction Provided by: FHS Soccer Team Members and Coaches

All skill levels welcome

Grades 1-6 boys 9-10:30 am Grades 1-6 girls 11-12:30 PM- Cost $25

The clinic will run rain or shine

Location: Franklin High School New Turf Field.

Content: The clinic will focus on skills and techniques for any level player.

Equipment: sneaker or cleats, shin guards and a soccer ball. 

Payment: Send the form with a check payable to Franklin Soccer Boosters by October 8, 2017: Kathleen O’Neil at 560 Coronation Dr., Franklin MA 02038. Email: franklinsoccerboosters@gmail.com

Boys and Girls Youth Soccer Clinic - October 15

In the News: SNETT glimpse into past; Harvest Festival sign up now; FSPA open houses scheduled

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"For Dave Barber, a trip on Franklin and Bellingham section of the Southern New England Trunkline Trail isn’t just a chance to exercise your legs, it’s an opportunity to glimpse into the past. 

Barber, a member of the Blackstone River Bikeway Patrol, said he suggested the venue for a ride last Wednesday which was promoted through the Blackstone Heritage Corridor. 

During the ride, Barber, a member of the Franklin-Bellingham Rail Trail Committee, pointed out sights along the trail that others might miss. 

“There’s an area where Railroad Street used to cross the right of way,” he said. “The South Bellingham railroad station used to be there, and there was a trolley line as well.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170904/bellingham-bike-ride-promotes-rail-trail

SNETT in Franklin

"Franklin Downtown Partnership’s 15th annual Harvest Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 14 on Main, East Central and West Central streets. 

Plans for the festival are underway and booth space is filling up fast. Visitors will be treated to local entertainment, fall flavors from local restaurants, kid crafts and activities, shop specials, artwork and crafts by area artisans and information from community groups and vendors. 

Organizers expect booth space for this event to sell out. Partnership members will receive a booth for free; non-members will be charged $125. Downtown businesses must send in an application to ensure storefront space. Booths are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170904/strongfranklin-downtown-partnership-announces-harvest-festival-strong

from the archives: a Harvest Festival Parking Sign from 2013

"Franklin School for the Performing Arts, 38 Main St., will expand this fall to assume the entire building of the Felix Cataldo Block in downtown Franklin.

FSPA will host open houses from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 9, and from 4-8 p.m. Sept. 19 at the school.

The renovation will connect all areas of the existing FSPA facility and provide spacious new dance and music studios, and a first floor waiting area for students and families. The expansion will also create and house Intermission, a new downtown cafe available to the FSPA community and open to the public."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170904/strongfranklin-school-for-performing-arts-announces-expansionstrong

FSPA will host open houses - Sep 9 and Sep 19

Lessons from the Beloit Mindset List for the Class of 2021

An annual event is upon us again. As students (and educational professionals) return to school this September, thinking about how to approach this class and the opportunities they present will occupy some time for their reflection.

Three professors from Beloit College started this process 20 years ago by looking at what had happened during the life of the freshman class that they were faced with. Each August, the Mindset List is published. It is interesting to see what the world was for these college freshman as they grew up. The list is not meant to be the end all. It is meant to start the conversation.

"Teachers and counselors alike have used the Mindset List over the years, sometimes as the basis for one-on-one chats, and at other times for class discussions and even personal essays. This year’s List is no different. The annual Lists are wonderful icebreakers for counselors and professors and students. They stimulate intergenerational conversations."

What does the list look like? A sampling follows

• They are the last class to be born in the 1900s, the last of the Millennials -- enter next year, on cue, Generation Z!
• They are the first generation for whom a “phone” has been primarily a video game, direction finder, electronic telegraph, and research library.
• There have always been emojis to cheer us up.
• Donald Trump has always been a political figure, as a Democrat, an Independent, and a Republican.
• Zappos has always meant shoes on the Internet.

As Franklinites prepare for the biennial town election this November. Let's think about 

• Where we are? 
• How did we get here? 
• Where do we want to go? 
• What do we need to do to move forward?

To help with the conversation, the election collection has thus far presented the background info on each of the elected bodies (Town Council, School Committee, Board of Assessors, Board of Health and Planning Board).

The offer to candidates to share their background and info has been made. Several candidates have taken up the offer and that information will be posted when complete.

Several key posts from the archive of Franklin Matters will be shared to remind us of the budget and other items that should be worthy of discussion as we prepare to cast our ballots on November 7.

If you have a suggestion (or two) on what you would like to see to help you prepare, please let me know. You can use any of the following methods:

• send me an email (shersteve @ gmail dot com)
• leave a comment here on the Franklin Matters webpage
• leave a comment on the Franklin Matters Facebook page
• reply to one of the @FranklinMatters tweets

I would also recommend that if you haven't already, please consider subscribing to the Franklin Matters daily newsletter. It is one email per day with all that is posted. You don't need to wait for Facebook to filter the newsfeed for you. The newsletter is delivered daily (approx 10:00 AM) and then you can keep informed.

Note the subscription is a two-step process. (1) Enter your email address (2) Reply to confirm your email address.

the Town Common in the rain Sunday morning

The full listing of the Beloit Mindset list for the class of 2021
https://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2021/

The Franklin Election Collection 2017 can be found
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/08/election-collection-2017.html

Franklin Election 2017: candidate interview questions

When you have an election ballot in front of you, you have a list of positions, a listing of candidates and a marker to fill in a circle next to one or more names.

How do you decide to make a choice?

To help you make your choice, I have offered to meet with all the candidates. My purpose is hear directly from them about their background and their views on the issues that they will work to resolve on Franklin’s behalf.

This is not an endorsement of any candidate. This is an information sharing exercise.

I’ll ask the same set of question of each candidate so that you can have some common ground to base your decision.

The questions I propose to start with are as follows:

1 - Tell me a bit about yourself, your family and your life here in Franklin? What is your Franklin story?

2 - What do you see as your role’s biggest challenge and do you have any suggestions on how we can resolve it? 

3 - What experience or background will help you to serve in this role? What do you bring to the table that helps to set you apart from the others?

If you have some suggestions, I’d like to hear them. I may find during the course of the interviews that I should tweak the questions. If I do that, I’ll post the updated questions here.

For the candidates, while we start with these three sets of questions, our conversation may bring up other questions to help clarify the point you are trying to make.

The candidate interviews will be posted here and included in the Election Collection for 2017
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/08/election-collection-2017.html

#2069 sign at Franklin Police Station on Panther Way

Franklin, MA: Town Offices Closed Monday September 4, 2017

Town Offices Closed Monday September 4, 2017

This was shared from the Town of Franklin page

http://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/town-offices-closed-monday-september-4-2017

Bilello will not be running for re-election to Franklin School Committee

To repeat my comment from Facebook:  

"Vanessa, thank you! I have great respect for your choice, I wish you all the best!"

You can read her full posting on Facebook:

Franklin's FY 2018 budget by major budget category

Benefits	$10,956,398
Culture & Recreation	$1,399,397
Debt Service	$6,609,708
DPW - Hwy	$4,669,497
Education	$62,586,202
General Government	$9,899,231
Human Services	$691,948
Liability Insurance	$525,000.0
Public Safety	$11,201,434
Sewer	$5,074,368.0
Solid Waste Disposal	$1,949,673.0
Water	$4,748,897.0
Total	$120,311,753

The FY 2018 budget document can be found here

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0wjbnXDBhczeFo1Ni1nMmhTcDg

FY 2018 budget resolution can be found here

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0wjbnXDBhczVzRZVHlNRUFJWmM