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Sports
High School Football
11-07-09 - Hoosac Valley beats Drury.
More photo's on Monday |
 | Thursday, Nov. 06
Boys' Soccer: State Vocational Championship Game
McCann Tech 3, Keefe Tech 2
Girls' Soccer: State Vocational Championship Game
Blackstone Valley 8, McCann Tech 0 |
Election
Trying to remember who won what and why? All the information is right here. |
Daily Digest
This is Jake
He's been lost in Pittsfield for weeks but frequently sited. He was last seen heading toward the fire station on Peck's Road. He's tired, dirty and needs seizure medication. He's chipped. If you see him, call Julie at 413-537-5616, the vet 24/7 at 413-499-2820 or animal control at 413-448-9700. |
What's Playing
The popular anime character "Astro Boy" searches for acceptance on the big screen.
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ObituariesSales FliersBazaarsNov. 7:
VNA & Hospice, Community Room, North Adams
North Adams Elks
10-4; Nov. 8, 9-2
Crafters, Chinese auction, bake sale
For vendor information, Melanie at 413-743-5562.
Nov. 14
Berkshire Community Church, Richmond
10-4; Crafters, bake sale. Contact Evelyn Goggia at 413-445-5747
Lanesborough Elementary School annual Fall Craft Fair from 10 to 4. Free admission, huge variety of arts and crafts, raffles, food and more. Proceeds go to sixth-grade trip to Cape Cod.
Vendors can contact Deb at 413-738-5349 or debhutton@aol.com or Lori at 413-499-0065 or lorittod@yahoo.com to secure a spot.
Dec. 12-13
North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Contact Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.
Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here. |
Related Stories |
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Guest Column: Reform Today for a Better TomorrowSen. Benjamin B. Downing
10:51PM / Tuesday, February 10, 2009
 | | Sen. Benjamin B. Downing |
If given a blank sheet of paper and asked to draw up the ideal transportation system in the commonwealth, no one would produce anything resembling what we have today.
The system is broken and before we ask taxpayers for any new revenue to support that system, we must repair it. Taxpayers and tollpayers across the commonwealth have little reason or evidence to trust that their hard-earned, scarce dollars are being spent in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Reform must come before any discussion of new revenues for maintenance of roads, bridges, RTAs and other transportation modes.
There are many straightforward reforms which, if enacted, would save the taxpayer and tollpayer millions, if not billions, and build public trust about how their resources are being spent. Currently, three agencies — Mass Highway, the Turnpike Authority, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation — are charged with operating and maintaining roads and bridges. Under a Senate proposal, these functions would be consolidated under one agency, resulting in significant savings and efficiencies.
Regional Transportation
Regional Transit Authorities, such as the BRTA in the Berkshires, are funded on a lag schedule, where state appropriations pay for the prior year's costs, plus interest. Instead of investing in new routes and expanded service, the state is paying to borrow money it knows it will spend.
RTAs should be forward funded. If this is too costly for an already ailing state budget, RTAs that are not also served by the MBTA (the T) should be given priority for forward funding.
Additionally, employees within the transportation system, in particular those at the T, should earn the same benefits as other state and municipal employees. The idea that anyone, in any field, could retire at 43 years old, with 100-percent state-funded health care, no matter if they choose an HMO or PPO, is outdated and unaffordable.
These are some, and by no means all, of the transportation reforms that should be considered, debated, and acted on, before any discussion of revenues moves forward. That being said, there will be a time when revenues must be debated.
Proposed Gas Tax
Recently, the Patrick administration leaked a proposal for a 27.5 cent raise in the gas tax. Such a raise is unacceptable, especially if the revenue raised is used to simply pay down debt from the Big Dig and the T. No doubt, there is a shared responsibility and obligation to pay for the operation and maintenance of our roads and bridges.
However, asking taxpayers and tollpayers that rarely, if ever, use or see benefits from such projects or agencies to bear a relatively large share of a burden is not the answer. Instead, we should look at a mix of revenue options that shares the responsibility of paying for the system proportionally among those who use it and benefit from it.
An effective, efficient and responsive transportation system is vital to the economy of Massachusetts. Real reform won't happen if the old broken system is given a new injection of revenue. Old habits will persist and costs will be passed on to future generations.
By putting reform before revenue, we can ensure that future generations won't end up where we are today – at a dead end. By putting reform before revenue we can build a better transportation system and that's the way to build a bridge to a better tomorrow.
State Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, represents 48 communities in Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin counties. |
| I still do not understand why the option of reinstalling the tolls from exit 1 through 8 are not being examined. With the slaries of toll takers I would eliminate the toll booths and have the automated toll lanes as in other states at the exits. Plus your bill for imbedded chips in the inspection stickers is a good one. If the cost of the transponders were eliminated I think more people would be open to Fast Lane use. | | from: Michael R. Vincent, Pittsfield MA | on: 02-15-2009 |
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| I'd be happy to pay higher gas tax, if the revenue were used to provide more/better public transport in my region (Berkshire County). | | from: Tom Haskins-Vaughan | on: 02-11-2009 |
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