Monday, July 13, 2015

MA Ranked 48 of 50 on Fiscal Condition

Given the agreement between the MA House and Senate on the state budget which is now in the Governor's hand to review and vote on, it would be interesting to know how MA finances compare overall with the other states.

Does your state have its fiscal affairs in order? It’s not an easy question to answer, in part because the question can mean so many different things, including:
  • Can the state pay its current bills? (cash solvency)
  • Will annual revenues be sufficient to cover budgeted expenditures? (budget solvency)
  • Are the state’s long-term liabilities—think bonds and loans—sustainable? (long-run solvency)
  • How much room is there to raise additional revenue should the need arise? (service-level solvency)
  • Can the state meet its pension and health care obligations? (trust fund solvency)
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University has compiled this information in an interactive manner so you can check on the state by state comparison.

Long-run solvency. Can a state meet its long-term spending commitments? Will there be enough money to cushion it from economic shocks or other long-term fiscal risks?
Long-run solvency. Can a state meet its long-term spending commitments? Will there be enough money to cushion it from economic shocks or other long-term fiscal risks?

MA does not do well. We are ranked 48 of the 50. Yes, well down the bottom.

You can find the rankings here
http://mercatus.org/statefiscalrankings

The MA summary is here
http://mercatus.org/statefiscalrankings/massachusetts

A video explanation of the process can be found here




Sunday, July 12, 2015

Wedding Gown Exhibit

June (10.8%) may be the most popular month for weddings with August (10.2%) a close second but May (9.8%) and July (9.7%) come right behind along with September (9.4%) and October (9.2%).

So this is still prime wedding season and the Historical Museum can provide a comfortable setting to view some gowns and stories from Franklin weddings.

The Franklin Historical Museum's summer Wedding Gown Exhibit is presently on display at the museum. 11 gowns ranging from 1890 to the 1960s are on display along with photos and stories of the brides who wore them. 
Featured this year is the gown worn by beloved Franklin teacher, Palma Johnson, whose Kennedy school class had legislation passed to have the Lady Bug named as Massachusetts official state bug! 
The parachute gown is one again on display as well as many mother/daughter displays of gowns from both generations. 
The museum is located at 80 West Central Street in the old Town Hall, is handicap accessible and is open
  • Saturdays 10:00am-1:00pm,
  • Sundays 1:00pm-4:00pm
  • Thursday evenings 5:00pm-8:00pm.

wedding gown on display at the Franklin Historical Museum
wedding gown on display at the Franklin Historical Museum

wedding gown on display at the Franklin Historical Museum
wedding gown on display at the Franklin Historical Museum

For additional information on the Historical Museum visit their webpage
http://franklinhistoricalmuseum.org/

or on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/FHM02038


Note the wedding statistics came from this page
http://www.soundvision.com/article/wedding-statistics-in-the-united-states

MassBudget: Analyzing the Legislature's Budget for FY 2016



MassBudget  Information.
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 Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center  Democracy.
Analyzing the Legislature's Budget for FY 2016

The Legislature's Fiscal Year 2016 (FY 2016) budget, approved by the House and Senate on Wednesday, makes few major changes in overall funding provided to educate our children, keep our communities safe, protect our most vulnerable, keep our air and water clean, strengthen our economy and improve the quality of life in our communities. Click HERE for our full analysis. 

The Governor now has ten days from the enactment of the budget to sign it and veto any outside sections, line items, or portions of line items. The budget then returns to the Legislature, which can either let vetoes stand or override them with a two thirds vote of the House and Senate.  

The budget does include several significant new initiatives, including:
  • Increasing the value of the state earned income tax credit from 15% of the federal credit to 23%. This will provide additional income to over 400,000 lower wage workers and their families (click HERE for town-by-town detail). Besides improving lives now by helping parents to pay for necessities like food and clothing for their children, this additional support is also likely to expand opportunity for these children over the long run: there is growing evidence that when the income of a lower income family increases, the children often do better in school and earn more as adults.
  • Providing significant new tools for the administration to improve management at the MBTA. The budget creates a new MBTA Control Board and authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to appoint the Director of the MBTA. The budget also suspends for three years the Taxpayer Protection Act (commonly called the Pacheco Law) that regulates privatization. The law requires that privatization efforts achieve savings by efficiency improvements rather than by reducing pay and benefits for workers (click HERE for more detail).
  • Addressing substance abuse with targeted investments throughout MassHealth, public health and mental health. In particular, new initiatives support first responders and others in the community struggling to address the challenge of opioid addiction.
The Legislature's final budget, like the budget proposed by the governor back in March, relies heavily on temporary strategies to balance the budget. It spends $300 million in capital gains tax revenue that would have gone into the Rainy Day Fund under current law. It also counts on $100 million from a tax amnesty and $116 million from putting off paying some of our FY 2016 MassHealth bills into FY 2017.

As has been the case for many years, state budget choices are being shaped by fiscal challenges that date back to the late 1990s: after cutting the income tax by over $3 billion dollars between 1998 and 2002 our state has had to make deep cuts in areas like higher education, local aid, and public health. Meanwhile, the highest income residents in the Commonwealth are paying a substantially smaller share of their income in state and local taxes than do the other 99%. If our tax system were reformed so that the highest income 1% of taxpayers paid roughly the same share of their income in taxes as everyone else, that would raise about $2 billion that could be invested in things like making college affordable, improving our transportation systems, and providing all children with the supports they need to thrive.

Please click HERE for our full analysis.   

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
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Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108


News from Norfolk County Registry of Deeds


Norfolk County Registry of Deeds

Register O'Donnell Sees Encouraging Trends in Real Estate Market

Citing continued growth in the total dollar volume of real estate sales and the robust gains in the mortgage market in the 2nd quarter, 2015, Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell expressed "cautious optimism" that the Norfolk County real estate market is exhibiting several encouraging signs.

The Register noted, "During the last quarter (April-June), the total number of deeds recorded rose a modest 4% to 4,745 compared to the same time period in 2014. I am convinced this number would have even been bigger except for the lack of real estate inventory as buyers compete amongst themselves for a limited number of properties."

Register O'Donnell went on to say, "The total dollar volume of residential and commercial real estate sales increased by a significant 27% to $2.4 billion and the average sale price of property increased by 24% to $790,659 compared to the same quarter last year. These numbers clearly reflect, that despite the limited number of properties available, Norfolk County continues to be a desirable place to live and work."

Another big story was the continued turnaround in the mortgage market. The Register cited the number of mortgages recorded 8,510, a substantial 30% increase from the 2nd quarter of 2014. Total mortgage borrowing for the comparative period was $3.9 billion, a 45% increase. "What these figures show is the continuing improvement in the real estate market and in consumer confidence in the mortgage markets. Such actions can only improve the overall economy," stated Register O'Donnell.

One troubling statistic to note was the 69 foreclosure deeds filed in the County during the 2nd quarter, a 77% increase from the same time period in 2014. "This is a result of lending institutions working through a backlog of foreclosures, which were triggered by the housing crisis of 2008 and it's not just affecting Norfolk County, but all areas of Massachusetts. Compounding this data was the modest increase in the number of notice to foreclose recordings, 149 in the 2nd quarter, as compared to 138 during the same time period of last year. Notice to Foreclose Mortgage is the first step in the foreclosure process. These stats are a clear indicator that some of our neighbors are still struggling," said O'Donnell.

The Registry continues to partner with Quincy Community Action Programs at (617) 479-8181 x-376 and Neighbor Works Southern Mass at (508) 598-0950 to help anyone who has received a Notice of Foreclosure from a lender. Another option for consumers is to call the Massachusetts Attorney General's HomeCorps program at (617) 573-5333.

One remaining positive development gleamed from the past quarter was a 7% increase in the number of Homesteads recorded. Homestead recording provides for limited protection against the forced sale of an individual's primary residence to satisfy unsecured debt up to $500,000.

Register O'Donnell concluded, "Overall, I continue to be cautiously optimistic about the Norfolk County real estate market. I am hopeful that we will see an uptick in inventory which will benefit home buyers, particularly first-timers looking to own a starter home or condominium. However, one note of caution is to watch what the Federal Reserve does with interest rates later this year."

To learn more about these and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives, "like" us at facebook.com/NorfolkDeeds or follow us on twitter.com/NorfolkDeeds.

The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, located at 649 High Street, Dedham, is the principal office for real property in Norfolk County. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center at (781) 461-6101, or on the web at www.norfolkdeeds.org.


Register William P. O'Donnell
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds

phone: 781-234-3336

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Norfolk County Registry of Deeds | 649 High Street | Dedham, | MA | 02026-1831

screen grab of Norfolk County Deeds webpage
screen grab of Norfolk County Deeds webpage

In the News: Kulanu Family Fun Festival


On Sunday, July 12, Kulanu is collaborating with Temple Etz Chaim of Franklin and Temple Beth Torah of Holliston to offer Jewish families the opportunity to enjoy the Kulanu Family Fun Festival. 
The Festival will have a bouncy house, face-painting, crafts and "The Bubble Music Man,” who has entertained at hundreds of day care centers, public libraries, schools and children's birthday parties since 2005. 
For the second year in a row The Bernon Family Branch YMCA, 45 Forge Hill Road, Franklin is hosting the Kulanu Family Fun Festival.
Continue reading the article here
http://franklin.wickedlocal.com/article/20150704/NEWS/150709997


Register for the Kulanu Family Fun Festival by Friday, July 10 to get a rate of $5 for the entire family; $10 for families that walk-in. Register at https://jfsofmetrowest.wufoo.com/forms/kulanu-fun-day-07122015/

For questions, contact Kulanu Connector Dawn Doucette-Kaplan by email at ddoucettekaplan@jfsmw.org.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Lewis St Neighborhood - Roadway Improvements


Pavao Construction will be starting the Lewis St. Neighborhood Roadway Improvement Project the week of July 6th, 2015 and will continue through the fall. 

Crocker Ave at Summer St
Crocker Ave at Summer St

Work will include drainage and roadway improvements on Lewis Street, Hill Ave, Crocker Ave, Cook Street, and Keough Street.

equipment and work underway on Lewis St
equipment and work underway on Lewis St

Access to residents will be maintained, but we ask that travelers seek alternate routes during construction.

work on new sidewalks along Uncas Ave
work on new sidewalks along Uncas Ave

Where is Lewis St?


Off East Central St, opposite Rockland Trust






"I raised an addict - what could I have done differently?"

Patricia Byrne writes:
It has been a very interesting month. I have connected with old high school friends who have active or recovering addicts in their families. I have been contacted by people who are living the nightmare of Addiction as parents, spouses, children and friends of addicts as well as addicts themselves. Many have shared powerful stories of recovery. I have written or spoken the words ‘I am sorry for your loss’ too many times to count, though we really do need to keep counting… Every person we lose leaves a gaping hole in the world. That hole will swallow us all if the tide is not turned. 
I did not intend to start a blog, and I am a bit unsure of where to take it from here. I am, after all, just the Mom of an addict who posted a bit of a hissy fit to her Facebook. I don’t think I can keep tossing out hissy fits, it would get old pretty quickly. I have decided that I will post when something is swirling around in my head enough to make me sit down and write about it, since that’s what happened the first time. It may be a few things in a short amount of time, followed by a lull. We’ll just have to see where this blog leads me. 
This is a new journey and I’m glad for the company of all who would like to walk this path with me. We have certainly walked it alone for far too long. 
Today’s thought: What could I have done differently?
image from Heroin. Stop the Silence. Speak the Truth.
image from Heroin. Stop the Silence. Speak the Truth.

Continue reading her thoughtful post "I raised an addict -what could I have done differently?" 
https://stopthesilencespeakthetruth.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/i-raised-an-addict-what-could-i-have-done-differently/

#opioidFranklin