House Minority Leader Brad Jones’ Statement on Governor Baker’s Filing of MBTA Reform Bill

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today regarding sweeping MBTA reform legislation filed this afternoon by Governor Charlie Baker:

“I applaud Governor Baker for filing a comprehensive bill that seeks to implement many of the recommendations included in his Special Panel’s report on the MBTA.

There is no question that the MBTA must undergo a complete transformation in the way it operates to ensure that it can maintain long-term fiscal stability and deliver safe and reliable services to its riders.  This bill provides a clear roadmap for achieving these goals, including the implementation of 1- and 5-year operating budgets and 5- and 20-year capital spending plans; the removal of costly restrictions on contracting for services imposed by the Pacheco Law; the development of an evidence-based, long-range approach to system expansion; and the creation of a temporary Fiscal and Management Control Board to get the MBTA back onto a solid financial footing.

It is critical that these reforms be put into place without delay, and I intend to work closely with the Baker Administration to do everything I can to help move the bill through the legislative process as quickly as possible.”

House Minority Leader Brad Jones’ Statement on Release of House Ways & Means FY2016 Budget

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) released the following statement regarding the $38 billion Fiscal Year 2016 state budget proposal filed today by the House Ways and Means Committee:

“Based on my initial review of the budget, I am pleased the Ways and Means Committee has seen fit to expand upon the local aid increases included in Governor Baker’s budget proposal, which is good news for our cities and towns.  I am also happy to see that the Ways and Means budget begins to address many of the recommended reforms needed to promote increased reliability, efficiency and stability at the MBTA.  I look forward to reading through the budget in more detail over the next couple of days, and I anticipate a healthy and rigorous debate on the amendments that the caucus and our House colleagues will be submitting in advance of Friday’s filing deadline."

Representative Kane Named to Treasurer Goldberg's Task Force on Financial Literacy

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) is pleased to announce his appointment of Representative Hannah Kane (R-Shrewsbury) to the Treasurer’s Task Force on Financial Literacy.

Representative Kane will join with other policymakers, educators, banking representatives, and advocates on the Task Force, which was created by State Treasurer Deb Goldberg’s Office of Economic Empowerment to examine the state of financial education in Massachusetts.  The Task Force is charged with developing recommendations on how to empower the Commonwealth’s citizens and provide them with the resources needed for budget planning, saving for retirement, and managing their money.

“Representative Kane has extensive experience as a small business owner and as a member of the Shrewsbury Finance Committee, which gives her a unique understanding of the importance of fiscal responsibility and balancing a budget,” said Representative Jones.  “She also has a strong commitment to education, and will bring a wealth of real-world knowledge to her work on the Task Force.”

A recent national study conducted by Champlain College gave Massachusetts a failing grade on financial education.  To change this, the Task Force will focus on finding ways to improve the financial literacy skills of several key demographic groups, including K-12 students, college students, and adults. 

Representative Kane is the co-owner and managing partner of Beaton Kane Construction LLC in Shrewsbury.  She previously worked as the Vice President of Marketing Services at Kelley Habib John (KHJ) Integrated Marketing in Boston from 1999-2002 and prior to that as the Director of Marketing & Product Development for MassDevelopment.

A mother of three, Representative Kane currently serves as the President of the Shrewsbury Public Schools Foundation, the President of the Floral Street School PTO, and a member of the Oak Middle School Council.  She previously served on the Shrewsbury Public Schools Coordinating Council from 2007-2010, and was a member of the Shrewsbury Public Schools Superintendent Screening Committee in 2009.

The Financial Literacy Task Force plans to hold its first meeting this month, and will file a final report with the State Treasurer by November 1, 2015.

Representative Kane represents the 11^th Worcester District, which is comprised of the town of Shrewsbury and Precincts 4 and 5 in Westborough.  She won a special election on March 31 to succeed former Representative Matt Beaton, who resigned his seat in January to become Governor Charlie Baker’s Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

House Minority Leader Brad Jones’ Statement on Release of MBTA Special Panel Report

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today regarding the release of a report by a special panel appointed by Governor Charlie Baker to investigate chronic service problems at the MBTA and to recommend potential solutions for improving the authority’s governance, structure, finances and operations:

“This is an important document that will guide and inform our decisions as we attempt to deal with the myriad issues that have plagued the MBTA.  I commend the Baker-Polito Administration for taking decisive action to appoint this special panel and I appreciate the time and effort the panel’s members have invested in this critical undertaking.  The recommendations contained in this report have the potential for delivering long-term stability and meaningful improvements to the MBTA’s finances and operations.  Now that we have this blueprint for reform, it is crucial that the Legislature and the Administration begin to move forward expeditiously with implementing these recommendations so the residents of Massachusetts can have the first-class transportation system they not only deserve, but also are paying for."

Representative Susan Williams Gifford Weighs in on Single-Payer Health Care Debate

Attached below is a copy of a column by Third Assistant Minority Leader Susan Williams Gifford (R-Wareham) regarding single-payer health care which ran in the Globe South edition of the Boston Globe over the weekend:

When Massachusetts passed its landmark Health Care Reform Act in 2006, the immediate short-term goal was to provide insurance to residents who lacked coverage.  The more challenging problem, which remains elusive, is how to hold down health care costs.

Over the past decade, the Legislature has continued to grapple with this question.  But moving to a single-payer health care system is not the answer.

For starters, the price tag associated with transitioning to a single-payer model would be prohibitively expensive, as Vermont officials recently discovered.

In 2011, Vermont legislators voted to establish single-payer health care by 2017.  But Vermont abandoned those plans when it was determined it would cost $2.9 billion annually and would require an 11.5 percent state payroll tax on businesses.  This would have been devastating for the economy and would likely have driven many employers – and jobs – out of the state.

Fifteen years ago, the Beacon Hill Institute warned that adopting a single-payer system in Massachusetts would cost the Commonwealth $14.393 billion, along with 917,000 lost jobs, and would require increasing the income tax to 13.76 percent.  If a similar study were conducted today, the costs would surely be even higher.

Those who advocate for a government-run health insurance system should be careful what they wish for: government does not always deliver services as efficiently and cost-effectively as the private sector, as the ongoing problems at the Health Care Connector have proven.

To hold down costs, a single-payer system requires government-imposed price controls and scaled-back services.  Consumers would have fewer choices under this “one size fits all” approach, and would not be able to shop around for an insurer that best fits their individual health care needs.

Under a single-payer system, health care providers would receive substantially lower payments, creating a disincentive for investing in new technology, stifling innovation and potentially driving people away from the profession.  Patients would find themselves waiting much longer for a doctor’s appointment, and would experience significant delays in receiving treatment.

There are many options worth pursuing to reduce the costs of health care, but switching to a single-payer system is not one of them.

In Case You Missed It...

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) joined WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller on Sunday morning to talk about the MBTA and Boston’s bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. You can watch the full segment by playing the video links posted below.

House Minority Leader Brad Jones' Statement on Governor Baker's FY2016 Budget Proposal

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) released the following statement regarding Governor Charlie Baker’s proposed state budget for Fiscal Year 2016 and accompanying legislation that was filed today to establish an Early Retirement Incentive Program and provide an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit:

“I applaud Governor Baker for delivering a state budget that recognizes the significant fiscal challenges the Commonwealth is facing, but does so in a way that is responsible, transparent and sustainable.

The proposal released today increases state spending at a rate of 3 percent, which is well below the projected revenue growth of 4.8 percent, while holding the line on new taxes and fees and avoiding any draw down from the state’s Rainy Day Fund.  It also sets clear priorities, beginning with a commitment to local aid in the form of a $105 million increase in Chapter 70 education funding and an additional $34 million in Unrestricted General Government Aid for our cities and towns.

Governor Baker inherited a sizable deficit from the previous administration, but he has risen to the challenge by forging ahead with a creative budget plan and accompanying legislation that seeks to addresses a myriad of key issues including ongoing service problems at the MBTA, slowing the growth of Medicaid, and providing much-needed relief to working families by doubling the Earned Income Tax Credit over a three-year period.  I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House Caucus to ensure that Governor Baker’s initiatives are fairly considered as components of the House budget in the weeks and months ahead."

Rep. Sheila Harrington hosts House Minority Leader Brad Jones on 'House Happenings'

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) was a guest on the March 2015 edition of "House Happenings", where he and Representative Sheila Harrington (R-Groton) discussed some of the issues facing the Legislature for the 2015-2016 session, including the challenge of addressing the problems that have plagued the MBTA this winter, as well as the House Republican Caucus' efforts to provide increased local aid to cities and towns. The half-hour program, which airs on the Groton Channel, can be viewed in its entirety by playing the video below.

House Happenings with Rep. Harrington - Guest: Rep. Brad Jones, House Minority Leader from Groton Channel on Vimeo.

House Minority Leader Brad Jones to Appear on Channel 4's 'Keller at Large' Sunday Morning

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) will be a guest on this weekend’s “Keller At Large” show, hosted by veteran Boston journalist Jon Keller.  The interview will air on Sunday, March 8^th at 8:30 a.m. on WBZ-TV Channel 4.

Keller’s interview with Representative Jones will touch on a number of topics, including the looming state budget deficit, which some fiscal watchdog groups have estimated could be as much as $1.5 billion, as well as Governor Baker’s efforts to implement reforms to address the deficit.  Other topics include Boston’s proposal to host the summer Olympics in 2024 and the role the Legislature will play in that process.

Representative Jones was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1994 and has served as the House Minority Leader since 2002.  He represents the Twentieth Middlesex District, which is comprised of the communities of North Reading; Precincts 1, 6, 7, and 8 in Reading; Lynnfield; and Precinct 1 in Middleton.

House Minority Leader Brad Jones’ Statement on Governor Baker’s MBTA Special Panel Proposal

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today regarding Governor Charlie Baker’s announcement that he is appointing a special panel to identify the underlying causes of the ongoing problems at the MBTA and to recommend potential solutions for improving the MBTA’s governance, structure, finances and operations:

“Governor Baker's Special Panel to Review the MBTA is a strong and positive step in moving the troubled public transit system forward. The Special Panel will work to provide a clear picture of where the MBTA currently stands in order to make the best recommendations and establish appropriate benchmarks to put the system on sound footing both functionally and financially.

The seven member panel represents the diversity of experience and expertise necessary to undertake this review.  Having worked with Mayor Joe Sullivan directly on MBTA issues during his tenure as the House Chairman of the Transportation committee, I am pleased to see his involvement.

It is my hope that Governor Baker’s Special Panel will expeditiously undertake their charge and report back in relatively short order so we can move quickly on their recommendations to provide the people of Massachusetts with the transportation system that they deserve.”