On September 28th 2010 gubernatorial candidates assembled at Faneuil Hall for the first ever debate devoted solely to human services issues. Gov. Deval Patrick, Republican Charles Baker, independent Tim Cahill and Green-Rainbow candidate Jill Stein addressed vital issues concerning 185,000 employees in the human services field and the clients they serve. Health care reform, managed care and salaries were top on the list.
One question that struck at the heart of the debate was the following:
“Human services employees are paid $12 an hour on average. Most have to work two jobs just to make ends meet. What would you do to change this?”
As expected, each candidate had varying plans to improve the current system. However, they all agreed that human service workers are underpaid and struggling to provide invaluable services to vulnerable populations. With that in mind, I was encouraged to learn that there was consensus against the passage of ballot Question 3, on the November ballot. This question would reduce the state sales tax from the current 6.25% level to 3%.
NASW is part of a state wide coalition that opposes Question #3 as well as Question #1 which will remove the current sales tax on alcoholic beverages.
Governor Deval Patrick, who NASW/MA Chapter PACE has endorsed, simply stated “There will be a time to cut back on taxes, but the time is not now.”
Please remember to VOTE on Nov. 2nd 2010. For a full report on the MA Chapter NASW endorsed candidates, go to www.naswma.org.
Carol Trust
No comments:
Post a Comment