CPA Reconsidered, Caracas Revisited and a Vinny Interview

CPA
The Community Preservation Act (CPA)currently provides a one and one half percent surcharge be added to each Plymouth property tax bill. This money, along with State matching funds, is used for open space purchases, historic renovation and affordable housing. When Plymouth adopted the program seven years ago, the State match was dollar for dollar. Last year, Plymouth taxpayers kicked in $1.4 million to the CPA fund and received $991 thousand in matching funds. Given the severe fiscal problems in the state budget, the matching rate is expected to drop to the 30% range this year.

Those same state fiscal problems are widely expected to fall heavily on municipal budgets, which means upward pressure on property taxes. While the CPA program may have looked like a worthwhile deal during sunnier economic times, it should now be reconsidered amid today's bleak fiscal climate. Precinct 5's Laurie Enos is asking the Town Meeting to send the question to the voters so that they may decide whether or not it should be continued. The View is encouraging the Town Meeting to pass this recommendation. Click HERE for an article about Laurie's presentation to the Selectmen.


ANOTHER CARACAS SOJOURN
The fiscal problems facing Massachusetts are serious, but they pale when compared with the economic problems facing the Federal Government. It is a wonder, then, when we read of our local Congressman, Bill Delahunt, somehow having found the time to travel back to Venezuela to visit his old pal, Hugo Chavez, as was reported TODAYThe banks may be teetering on the brink of disaster, the Auto Makers on the verge of going belly-up, while the new President and the Congress are borrowing money from generations of taxpayers yet unborn and shoveling it out the door. But fear not. Our Congressman is encouraged about the the possibilities of improved relations between the US and Venezuela.

A VINNY INTERVIEW
A hat tip to Red Mass Group for its exclusive interview with our own State Representative, Vinny DeMacedo. There is allegedly a Part II of this piece. I will provide the link when it surfaces. In the meantime, Click HERE to read Part I and appreciate that we have at least one sane fiscal voice in the House.