Your editorial “Broke or Not?” does an excellent job of describing how a more transparent budget process could help the people of Massachusetts better understand what our government does and the choices we face. How much do we as a state spend on education, health care, public safety, and other important public services? How has this changed over time? Is the budget balanced, and what are the challenges ahead?
I was very pleased that you pointed to the recommendations of the Budget Transparency Project, convened by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center as a roadmap for producing a budget that people can understand and participate in shaping.
I disagree, however, with your suggestion that there has been a lack of leadership from governor-elect Patrick. He has spoken consistently about his commitment to transparency. Perhaps more important, Patrick named two members of the Budget Transparency Project to chair his transition team on budget and finance — and has asked them to make improving transparency a primary focus of their work.
There is every indication that this governor will provide strong leadership in restoring a sense of civic engagement, and will provide access to information that people need to make their participation real and meaningful.
Noah Berger
Executive Director
Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center
Love lost
I’m horrified by the lack of professionalism displayed by store owner/funeral-home worker Troy Schoeller, describing the way he rebuilt an entire baby with duct tape, coat hangers, and caulk. Being the father of a dead infant myself, I found this very disturbing. Hey, Troy, keep your trade secrets in the closet! That baby was someone’s son. Have some respect for the dead.
Mark Hogan
Medford
Copping a photo
As both a police officer for more than 21 years and a journalist in both the print and broadcast media, I was turned off by what appeared to be Jeff Manzelli’s self-importance, as described in Mike Milliard’s piece “Sound Off.”
During my college days covering anti-war rallies for my campus newspaper, I remember getting somewhat paranoid about others in the crowd snapping photos with penlight cameras. Others worried too. Why were they taking photos? After a while we just started smiling for them raising our fingers in the air. No one likes to have their picture taken involuntarily. It sounds like it bothered the police officer from the MBTA police department, just as it bothered me back in the ’60s and early ’70s.
Should Manzelli have been arrested for wiretapping and disorderly conduct? If I were an MBTA cop, I probably would have passed over the wiretapping charge and gone straight for the latter. If you start acting like an apparent asshole, you better be prepared for the consequences.
In-your-face reporters have the First Amendment on their side, but if I don’t want to be interviewed, move on to your next victim, please.
Once again, I think back to those anti-war protests on the Boston Common. We often would see figures on the tops of buildings taking pictures of the crowded rallies. We didn’t like it one bit. When anyone steps over the line, you can step into a pile of you-know-what.
Sgt. Sal Giarratani
Metro Boston DMH Police
Corrections:
In “Cop or Drug Dealer?”, Roberto Pulido was incorrectly identified as the owner of 22 Factory Street, where he is alleged to have hosted after-hours parties. “Manhandled No More” should have indicated that Sallie Mae’s stock has risen by almost 2000 percent since 1995, and that Ted Kennedy has not received campaign funds from the company’s PAC since 2000
