Legislative News MMA News Executive Director's Report From The Beacon, February 2000, Vol. This year there will be a lot of talk about the need to protect and nurture our healthy state economy. Massachusetts is doing well. Personal income continues to rise, employment is high, state and local finances have grown stronger. The result is a higher quality of life for most Bay State residents compared to just one decade ago.
Economic progress involves nourishing more than private business opportunities, however.
It requires substantial public investment in programs and resources that benefit citizens and enable them to fully participate in the economy. A great many of the programs that are vital to the state's economic future are delivered by local government. The first three that come to mind are public education, public roadways and public safety. Our economy depends on an educated workforce. Our economy depends on a modern system of roads and transportation so that people, businesses, goods and services can be connected.