For education, Cariddi stressed the importance of investing in early education and linked early reading capabilities to future success.

 

"In Massachusetts there are tens of thousands of preschoolers that have no educational resources and one of the things we know is that if you can read by the third grade, you are going to be a success in your life no matter what you do," Cariddi said.

 

City Councilor Lisa Blackmer was concerned that the problem wasn't strictly with the children, but also fell on the parents.

 

"The problem with a lot of kids that can't read is their parents can't read," Blackmer said.

 

Cariddi said part of the plan is to fix the problem by starting with a new generation.

 

The proposed Department of Education budget is $4.95 billion, an increase of $252.8 million from last year. Cariddi noted that these increases need to be paid for, previously stating Gov. Deval Patrick's vision includes "how he would like to have the citizens of the commonwealth contribute and pay for those improvements."

 

"On the opposite end of the vision is how we pay for it...There's also some very ambitious visioning as far as taxes are concerned," Cariddi said.

 

There are proposals to eliminate higher-education related deductions, which includes eliminating the $1,000 deduction for parents of a full-time students 19 year or older who are considered dependent and the tuition credits. Blackmer strongly disagreed with the cuts and was concerned about the consequences for the middle class.

 

"If these proposals go through, it's these type of cuts or deductions that are no longer going to be around ... I want to hear about it [from citizens]," Cariddi said. "These do affect middle-class taxplayers."

 

These cuts, if at the current 5.25 percent  income tax rate, would generate $73 million — $86 million at the proposed 6.25 percent rate.

 

Although the topic of transportation was lightly touched in the hour-and-a-half long meeting, Cariddi — now a member of the Joint Committee on Transportation — said afterward she's still eager to hear from the 1st District's citizens and to start working with the committee.  She disagrees, however, she said with a key transportation bill, Bill H.3142,  sponsored the 3rd District's Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, and Rep. Carl M. Sciortino Jr., D-Medford, which  proposes to set up a pilot program to see the viability of a vehicle mileage fee.

 

"Out here we travel a lot of miles," Cariddi said, noting the distances more rural residents need to drive just to get to the supermarket.

 

Cariddi also said the imbalance between how much money the county pays into the transportation taxes and fees compared to how much comes back needs to be addressed.

 

"People in the outskirts spend more on gas and pay a higher gasoline tax," she said.

 

In addition, she hopes to figure out what the best transportation for the county's citizens, specificly, transportation they "want and will use."

 

Unrelated to the proposed budget, some of the conversation focused on the area's umemployment issues. Resident Katherine Montgomery said the city needs a full-time employment office. The county's "One Stop Career Centers" were consolidated in Pittsfield in 2011, although limited hours are kept at the public library.

 

"How are they going to get a job if they have to wait 'til the day that the person comes in and how do they keep informed?" Montgomery asked. She said transient, very short-term jobs aren't viable with the office only open one day per week.

 

Blackmer also stressed that the lack of opportunities for unskilled labor is "the reality of the 21st century."

 

"There's 200,000 manufacturing jobs in Massachusetts, but most of those [jobs] are skilled," Blackmer said. "There's no more unskilled labor of putting a square peg in a square hole and getting a living wage."

 

Next month's local Democratic conversation will take place again at Freight Yard Pub, located in the Western Gateway Heritage State Park, on Thursday, March 21, at 6 p.m., and will focus more on transportation.