State lottery receipts are down, and that's reflected in what the town is expected to receive in aid from the lottery. We re well aware that we could be in for some very difficult times ahead, an aide to Swift told The Boston Globe on Tuesday. Swift has not decided when she will make the orders official, aides said, and likely will announce them as part of a broader budget reduction plan. The hiring freeze, which Swift can do by executive order, will not affect plans to hire and train 150 new State Police troopers. Those are important symbolic steps, and they save some money, but that s just putting the toe in the water, Widmer said.
More serious steps have to follow.
Massachusetts legislative leaders still are negotiating this year s state budget more than 100 days into the fiscal year. Swift will meet with House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran and Senate President Thomas F. Birmingham soon to develop a bipartisan strategy to deal with the expected shortfall, an aide said. The Massachusetts Constitution requires the state to have a balanced budget. Swift opposes any change to the tax-cut schedule, according to her press secretary, James Borghesani. However Widmer said because of the current economic slowdown, the state should spend no more than a third of its rainy day reserves in a single year.