Although his staff has evaluated more than a dozen plans according to the paper, he failed to set aside any money in his budget for a reform alternative. This means if the House proposes an Act 60 funding alternative, a change in spending priorities will be required and this will be very contentious when it conflicts with other human services spending needs. With the economy expecting to slow in 2001, the abundant tax revenues of past years won t materialize. In my opinion, state spending at this level is exceeding inflation by almost 2X and is creating a government bigger than we can afford. This is the same mistake that was made in the 1980s.
Excessive spending reveals the absence of good leadership.
A recent Kiplinger Report indicated sluggish growth is expected for New England states this year. Act 250 improvements will be a key topic for discussion in the House this year. Many of us think the state is too bureaucratic in controlling development. Also, the process must be more timely, consistent around the state, more predictable and less costly, particularly if we ever want to build affordable housing in this state. Though the press attacked the House last year for its Act 250 bipartisan reform package, they are lauding that same bill as being a reasonable approach this year.