Update!! Insider Budget Briefing Wednesday, October 29th at 4:30 9C cuts
Question: What happens when state revenues start to decline?
Answer: 9C cuts.
Most of us know the FY 09 state budget is over $1 billion out of balance. Since our September Insider Budget Briefing on 9C cuts, Governor Deval Patrick has invoked his emergency fiscal powers under Section 9C of Chapter 29 to reduce allotments in certain line items in the just finished FY 09 state budget.
Prior to the announcement, a group of IBB participants gathered via conference call and in person to build a hopefully short-lived Campaign-With-No-Name (no, not another coalition) to work together to forestall or ameliorate 9C cuts that would threaten the hundreds of programs that keep our communities healthy and strong.
Now that the first round of 9C cuts have been announced, we will look at those and the possibility of additional cuts down the road.
Materials from the IBB can be found in Additional Information.
UPDATE
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Next week's Insider Budget Briefing will highlight progress - and provide next steps - on the 9C cuts. Please join us NEXT WEDNESDAY, Wednesday, October 29th at 4:30pm in the 9th floor conference room at 30 Winter St to hear from experienced advocates such as:
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David Magnani, Massachusetts Non Profit Network
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Ron Marlow, Assistant Secretary for Administration and Finance
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Mike Widmer, Mass Taxpayers Foundation
We have had the benefit of the knowledge and experience of Noah Berger from the Mass Budget and Policy Center who helped us understand the broader context of 9C cuts and from Elaine O' Reilly from Governmental Strategies who shared her strategies for guiding her clients through the prospect and reality of 9C cuts in both 2001 and 2006. Materials from the IBB can be found in Additional Information below.
This campaign -with-no-name conference calls have included folks from the Administration led by Challotte Golar Richie, Senior Advisor for Federal, State and Community Affairs who has facilitated a round of meetings with key members of the Administration and the Governor to hear from various constituencies, including IBB participants, about the human impact of the proposed 9C cuts.
NEXT STEPS
We recognize that we all need to act responsibly in the face of the current fiscal crisis. But we also need to understand the fiscal impact and the process and standards the Governor and the Legislature are using to implement the 9C cuts. We are hopeful that we will have an oppportunity to continue to work with Charlotte Golar Richie and other decision-makers in the Administration and the Legislature as they review the need for additional 9C cuts and build the FY 10 budget.
And yes, we know that we will likely find ourselves competing with each other as we advocate that our programs are the most quot;sympathetic and compelling," but at least we are working together to build a foundation of good information and smart strategies.
The tuition for the session is $20 and includes a light supper and take-home materials. Besides the Budget Punch lists, we will have a freshly-printed second edition of the Real Clout Book and Real Clout Workbook available at cost.
Please contact Carmen Arce-Bowen at (617) 275-2833 or carmen@realclout.org to RSVP for this event, or with any questions!
Peace in these hard times,
