Early last December, Charlie Baker pushed through $118M dollars in cuts in services across the entire state on his own, side-stepping the state legislature and the people of Massachusetts. The governor’s office grouped the budget cuts into large, vague categories that make it impossible to know which services in your town were actually cut. For example, Charlie Baker took away $6.5 million from the state police—but what exactly will go? I wanted to know.
So I called the governor’s office and asked for the details of his budget cuts. His aides have repeatedly told me that Charlie Baker does not want the public to know the details of his budget cuts. According to the governor’s office, the specifics of Charlie Baker’s budget cuts are not available for public circulation. Charlie Baker is hiding information about public money to pay for public services from the people of Massachusetts.
I have asked Charlie Baker’s office why the public cannot know the details of his budget cuts. In the meantime, I found a list of the cuts split into earmarks for individual services. Charlie Baker is cutting services to mothers in prison, hungry children, people seeking job training, fisherman, gay people, the elderly, people struggling with drug addiction, nature-lovers, and anyone who has ever been sick. I compared the numbers between the official cuts from Baker’s office and the secret earmark list that he is hiding from the public. Even at fifteen pages, this secret list of budget cuts is incomplete.
Please call Charlie Baker’s office (617) 725-4005 and ask for the details of the budget cuts yourself! Here’s a script you can use:
Happy New Year! My name is Joshua Reyes and I live in Cambridge, MA. I’m curious about cuts to the state budget.
The official line item account of Charlie Baker’s 9C budget cuts make it impossible to tell which individual services have been cut. I’d like to have a copy of Charlie Baker’s 9C budget cuts to the financial year 2017 budget listed by individual earmark to see which programs in my city were cut.
How can I get a copy of it? Thank you and have a good day!
If they tell you that the earmarks are not available to the public, ask them, “Why are the details of slashes to public services in the public budget a secret from the public?”
For your convenience, I’ve gathered all the documents I have so far in one place. Have a look for yourself!
- General budget cut documents from the Governor’s office
- Official Line Item Account of FY17 Budget Cuts by General Category PDF Excel
- Secret Line Item Account of FY17 Budget Cuts by Individual Service PDF Excel
For some reason everyone keeps reporting that the budget cuts are $98M. The official report clearly shows Charlie Baker slashed the budget by $118.5M. (The press missed more than twenty million dollars!) Even with the secret list of each of the earmarks I still cannot account for $64M in budget cuts!
So you can see what is missing, here is a comparison of the official and secret lists of budget cuts:
| Account | Account Name | Official Reduction | Secret Earmark Totals | Discrepancy between Official and Secret |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1100-1100 | Office of the Secretary of Administration and Finance(1CS) | $46,433 | — | $46,433 |
| 1100-1700 | Administration and Finance IT Costs(1CS) | $153,366 | — | $153,366 |
| 1102-3199 | Office of Facilities Management(1CS) | $129,817 | — | $129,817 |
| 1102-3205 | State Office Building Rents Retained Revenue(1RN) | $200,000 | — | $200,000 |
| 1102-3309 | Bureau of the State House(1CS) | $38,919 | — | $38,919 |
| 1108-5100 | Group Insurance Commission (1CS) | $162,719 | — | $162,719 |
| 1201-0100 | Department of Revenue (1CS) | $952,870 | — | $952,870 |
| 1201-0122 | Low Income Tax Clinics(1CS) | $100,000 | — | $100,000 |
| 1231-1000 | For the Rate Relief Component of the (1CS) | $600,000 | — | $600,000 |
| 1232-0100 | Underground Storage Tank Reimbursements(1CS) | $3,000,000 | — | $3,000,000 |
| 1232-0200 | Underground Storage Tank Administrative Review Board (1CS) | $18,984 | — | $18,984 |
| 1310-1000 | Appellate Tax Board(1CS) | $34,053 | — | $34,053 |
| 1599-0026 | Municipal Regionalization and Efficiencies Incentive Reserve (1CS) | $5,200,000 | $5,200,000 | — |
| 1599-2003 | Uniform Law Commission(1CN) | $70,000 | — | $70,000 |
| 1599-2014 | Victim Reserve(1CN) | $250,000 | — | $250,000 |
| 1750-0100 | Human Resources Division (1CS) | $120,000 | — | $120,000 |
| 1750-0300 | State Contribution to Union Dental and Vision Insurance (1CS) | $190,000 | — | $190,000 |
| 1775-0115 | Statewide Contract Fee (1RS) | $200,295 | — | $200,295 |
| 2000-0100 | Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Admin(1CS) | $407,861 | $150,000 | $257,861 |
| 2030-1000 | Environmental Law Enforcement (1CS) | $453,633 | — | $453,633 |
| 2200-0100 | Department of Environmental Protection Administration (1CS) | $632,000 | $235,000 | $397,000 |
| 2200-0107 | Recycling and Solid Waste Master Plan Operations (1CS) | $50,000 | $50,000 | — |
| 2260-8870 | Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program (1CS) | $83,000 | — | $83,000 |
| 2300-0101 | Riverways Protection Restoration and Public Access Promotion (1CS) | $127,000 | $127,000 | — |
| 2310-0300 | Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program(1CS) | $100,000 | $100,000 | — |
| 2330-0100 | Division of Marine Fisheries Administration (1CS) | $343,221 | $300,000 | $43,221 |
| 2511-0100 | Department of Agricultural Resources Administration(1CS) | $150,000 | $150,000 | — |
| 2511-0105 | Emergency Food Assistance Program (1CS) | $665,000 | $165,000 | $500,000 |
| 2800-0401 | Stormwater Management (1CS) | $50,000 | $50,000 | — |
| 2800-0500 | Beach Preservation (1CN) | $300,000 | $200,000 | $100,000 |
| 2800-0501 | DCR Seasonals (1CS) | $434,500 | $434,500 | — |
| 2800-0700 | Office of Dam Safety (1CS) | $75,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| 2810-0100 | State Parks and Recreation (1CS) | $5,383,588 | $4,013,000 | $1,370,588 |
| 3000-1000 | Department of Early Education and Care Administration (1CS) | $25,000 | $25,000 | — |
| 3000-7020 | Multi-Generational Anti-Poverty Pilot(1CS) | $100,000 | $100,000 | — |
| 3000-7070 | Reach Out and Read (1CS) | $1,000,000 | — | $1,000,000 |
| 4000-0005 | Safe and Successful Youth Initiative(1CS) | $60,000 | $60,000 | — |
| 4000-0014 | Edward M Kennedy Community Health Center(1CS) | $100,000 | $100,000 | — |
| 4000-0051 | Family Resource Centers(1CS) | $500,000 | — | $500,000 |
| 4000-0300 | EOHHS and MassHealth Administration(1CS) | $525,000 | $7,925,000 | $7,400,000 |
| 4000-0600 | MassHealth Senior Care(1CS) | $6,350,000 | — | $6,350,000 |
| 4000-0640 | MassHealth Nursing Home Supplemental Rates(1CS) | $2,800,000 | $2,800,000 | — |
| 4000-0700 | MassHealth Fee for Service Payments(1CS) | $26,000,000 | $1,250,000 | $24,750,000 |
| 4110-1000 | Community Services for the Blind(1CS) | $175,000 | $175,000 | — |
| 4110-2000 | Turning 22 Program and Services(1CS) | $140,000 | — | $140,000 |
| 4120-2000 | Vocational Rehabilitation for the Disabled (1CS) | $165,248 | — | $165,248 |
| 4120-4002 | Living Independently for Equality Brockton(1CS) | $30,000 | $30,000 | — |
| 4125-0100 | Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (1CS) | $200,000 | — | $200,000 |
| 4200-0300 | Residential Services for Committed Population (1CS) | $660,000 | — | $660,000 |
| 4400-1000 | Dept of Transitional Assistance Administration & Operation(1CS) | $1,541,228 | — | $1,541,228 |
| 4400-1100 | Caseworkers Reserve(1CS) | $20,000 | — | $20,000 |
| 4401-1000 | Employment Services Program(1CS) | $75,000 | $75,000 | — |
| 4403-2007 | Supplemental Nutritional Program (1CS) | $500,000 | — | $500,000 |
| 4405-2000 | State Supplement to Supplemental Security Income (1CS) | $922,323 | — | $922,323 |
| 4510-0110 | Community Health Center Services (1CS) | $275,000 | $275,000 | — |
| 4510-0112 | Postpartum Depression Pilot Program(1CS) | $200,000 | $200,000 | — |
| 4510-0600 | Environmental Health Assessment and Compliance (1CS) | $100,000 | $100,000 | — |
| 4510-0710 | Division of Health Care Quality and Improvement (1CS) | $50,000 | $50,000 | — |
| 4510-0716 | Academic Detailing Program (1CS) | $150,000 | $150,000 | — |
| 4510-0721 | Board of Registration in Nursing (1CS) | $63,699 | — | $63,699 |
| 4510-3010 | Down Syndrome Clinic (1CS) | $150,000 | $150,000 | — |
| 4512-0103 | HIV/AIDS Prevention Treatment and Services (1CS) | $917,485 | — | $917,485 |
| 4512-0200 | Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (1CS) | $1,929,000 | $1,929,000 | — |
| 4512-0225 | Compulsive Behavior Treatment Program Retained Revenue(1RN) | $500,000 | — | $500,000 |
| 4512-0500 | Dental Health Services (1CS) | $550,000 | $550,000 | — |
| 4513-1000 | Family Health Services (1CS) | $181,802 | $181,802 | — |
| 4513-1026 | Suicide Prevention and Intervention Program (1CS) | $50,000 | $50,000 | — |
| 4513-1027 | Samaratins Inc Suicide Prevention Services(1CS) | $400,000 | $400,000 | — |
| 4513-1098 | Services to Survivors of Homicide Victims(1CS) | $100,000 | $100,000 | — |
| 4513-1111 | Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (1CS) | $330,000 | $330,000 | — |
| 4513-1121 | Stop Stroke Program(1CS) | $630,000 | $630,000 | — |
| 4513-1130 | Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention and Treatment (1CS) | $185,000 | $185,000 | — |
| 4513-1131 | Healthy Relationships Grant Program (1CS) | $150,000 | $150,000 | — |
| 4530-9000 | Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Services (1CS) | $150,000 | $150,000 | — |
| 4590-0081 | Public Health Evaluation Grants(1CS) | $250,000 | $250,000 | — |
| 4590-0250 | School-Based Health Programs (1CS) | $225,000 | $225,000 | — |
| 4590-0915 | Public Health Hospitals (1CS) | $1,159,023 | $150,000 | $1,009,023 |
| 4590-0925 | Prostate Cancer Research(1CS) | $300,000 | $300,000 | — |
| 4590-1503 | Pediatric Palliative Care (1CS) | $400,000 | — | $400,000 |
| 4590-1507 | Youth At-Risk Matching Grants (1CS) | $539,000 | $539,000 | — |
| 5911-1003 | DDS Service Coordination and Administration(1CS) | $175,000 | — | $175,000 |
| 5920-3000 | Respite Family Supports for the Developmentally Disabled (1CS) | $107,000 | $107,000 | — |
| 5920-3025 | Aging with Developmental Disabilities(1CS) | $150,000 | $150,000 | — |
| 7002-0010 | Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (1CS) | $407,000 | $350,000 | $57,000 |
| 7002-0012 | Summer Jobs Program for At Risk Youth(1CS) | $150,000 | $150,000 | — |
| 7002-0020 | Workforce Development Grant(1CS) | $175,000 | $175,000 | — |
| 7002-0032 | Massachusetts Technology Collaborative(1CS) | $500,000 | — | $500,000 |
| 7002-1075 | Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund(1CS) | $500,000 | — | $500,000 |
| 7002-1502 | Transformative Development Fund(1CS) | $500,000 | — | $500,000 |
| 7002-1508 | Mass Tech Collaborative Tech and Innovation Entrepre(1CS) | $1,500,000 | — | $1,500,000 |
| 7002-1512 | Big Data Innovation and Workforce Fund (1CS) | $2,000,000 | — | $2,000,000 |
| 7002-1593 | Digital Health Internship Incentive Fund(1CS) | $100,000 | $100,000 | — |
| 7003-0100 | Office of the Secretary EOLWD Administration(1CS) | $121,120 | $75,000 | $46,120 |
| 7003-0606 | Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership(1CS) | $2,000,000 | — | $2,000,000 |
| 7003-0803 | One Stop Career Centers(1CS) | $262,400 | $25,000 | $237,400 |
| 7003-0902 | Joint Labor Management Committee for Municipal Po(1CS) | $125,000 | — | $125,000 |
| 7003-1206 | Massachusetts Service Alliance (1CS) | $2,340,000 | $2,340,000 | — |
| 7004-0099 | Dept of Housing and Community Development Admin(1CS) | $1,285,000 | $1,285,000 | — |
| 7004-0100 | Operation of Homeless Programs (1CS) | $184,790 | $184,790 | — |
| 7004-0101 | Emergency Assistance Family Shelters and Services(1CS) | $400,000 | $400,000 | — |
| 7004-0102 | Homeless Individuals Assistance (1CS) | $650,000 | $650,000 | — |
| 7004-3036 | Housing Services and Counseling (1CS) | $500,000 | $150,000 | $350,000 |
| 7004-9005 | Subsidies to Public Housing Authorities (1CS) | $500,000 | — | $500,000 |
| 7004-9024 | Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (1CS) | $2,416,109 | — | $2,416,109 |
| 7006-0040 | Division of Professional Licensure (1CS) | $248,000 | — | $248,000 |
| 7007-0300 | Massachusetts Office of Business Development (1CS) | $62,000 | — | $62,000 |
| 7007-0800 | Small Business Development Center at UMass(1CS) | $200,000 | $200,000 | — |
| 7007-0952 | Commonwealth Zoological Corporation(1CS) | $100,000 | $100,000 | — |
| 7007-1202 | Mass Tech Collaborative – Computer Science Education Promoti (1CS) | $1,700,000 | — | $1,700,000 |
| 7008-0900 | Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism(1CS) | $7,647,000 | $7,620,000 | $27,000 |
| 7009-1700 | Education Information Technology Costs(1CS) | $300,000 | $300,000 | — |
| 7009-6400 | Programs for English Language Learners in Gateway Cities(1CS) | $1,000,000 | — | $1,000,000 |
| 7009-9600 | Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment(1CS) | $250,000 | — | $250,000 |
| 7010-0005 | Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (1CS) | $1,878,844 | $1,878,844 | — |
| 7010-0020 | Bay State Reading Institute(1CN) | $266,667 | — | $266,667 |
| 7010-0033 | Literacy Programs(1CS) | $580,000 | $580,000 | — |
| 7027-0019 | School to Career Connecting Activities(1CS) | $400,000 | $400,000 | — |
| 7035-0002 | Adult Basic Education (1CS) | $644,444 | $299,444 | $345,000 |
| 7053-1925 | School Breakfast Program (1CS) | $250,000 | $250,000 | — |
| 7061-0033 | Public School Military Mitigation (1CS) | $100,000 | $100,000 | — |
| 7061-9011 | Innovation Schools(1CS) | $350,000 | $200,000 | $150,000 |
| 7061-9401 | Assessment Consortium(1CS) | $350,000 | $350,000 | — |
| 7061-9406 | Statewide College and Career Readiness Program(1CS) | $466,666 | — | $466,666 |
| 7061-9408 | Targeted Intervention(1CS) | $300,000 | $300,000 | — |
| 7061-9611 | After-School and Out-of-School Grants (1CS) | $714,999 | $714,999 | — |
| 8000-0105 | Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (1CS) | $30,000 | — | $30,000 |
| 8000-0110 | Criminal Justice Information Services(1CS) | $35,000 | — | $35,000 |
| 8000-0600 | Executive Office of Public Safety(1CS) | $1,690,900 | $1,690,900 | — |
| 8000-1001 | Boston Regional Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center(1CS) | $750,000 | $750,000 | — |
| 8000-1700 | Public Safety Information Technology Costs(1CS) | $150,000 | — | $150,000 |
| 8100-1001 | Department of State Police (1CS) | $6,458,001 | $765,562 | $5,692,439 |
| 8100-1004 | State Police Crime Laboratory(1CS) | $324,100 | — | $324,100 |
| 8200-0200 | Municipal Police Training Committee (1CS) | $100,632 | $50,000 | $50,632 |
| 8311-1000 | Department of Public Safety and Inspections (1CS) | $31,922 | — | $31,922 |
| 8700-0001 | Military Division (1CS) | $58,290 | — | $58,290 |
| 8700-1150 | National Guard Tuition and Fee Waivers (1CS) | $30,000 | — | $30,000 |
| 8900-0001 | Department of Correction Facility Operations(1CS) | $368,000 | $368,000 | — |
| 9110-1455 | Prescription Advantage (1CS) | $400,000 | — | $400,000 |
| 9110-1630 | Elder Home Care Purchased Services(1CS) | $10,000 | $10,000 | — |
| 9110-9002 | Grants to Councils on Aging (1CS) | $702,000 | $702,000 | — |
| Totals | $118,541,951 | $54,555,841 | $63,986,110 | |