Yes, Governor Romney disapproved of funding a Bill for Multiple Schlerosis. Unbelievable. The disease his wife, Ann, had suffered with for 6 years at the time.
I spent a few hours today compiling the lists of laws newly elected Governor Romney disapproved of and tried to cut funding for during his first year ON THE RECORD as recorded by the Massachusetts State Senate Journals.
The lists are SHOCKING! Read through the lists to see if your pet project(s) was disapproved.
Try to pass this information along to the media, if you have a moment.
These lists broke my heart. I am almost too stunned to be able to put this together for you.
Nothing I have read has made me feel more disgusted about Romney's record, including ALL I have read about Bain Capital, or disheartened at the prospect of Mitt Romney becoming President.
Following the lists, I will share the research journey I took to find this information. It's a dark journey beginning with a search of the Department of Justice's website for "Mitt Romney." Yes, there were some DOJ search results for "Mitt Romney" and for "Bain Capital."
Here are the lists of items "His Excellency the Governor" disapproved of and/or tried to cut funding for presented in the Massachusetts Journal of the Senate seven months after he took office. Only two days are presented: July 17, 2003 and July 14, 2003.
Massachusetts Journal of the Senate, July 17, 2003. (this link includes the MS funding disapproval); and
Journal of the Senate, July 14, 2003.
Let's reiterate the most shocking item Governor Mitt disapproved of, funding for Multiple Sclerosis, from the July 14, 2003 Journal of the Senate: Section 620, 10:
(10) $162,368 for the MS PASS program, so-called, as previously established at the department of public health. Said funds shall be expended to maximize matching dollars to be used for services provided by the program as managed by the Central New England chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
[The Governor disapproved this item.]
Here's the rest of the list in no particular order. I have highlighted some items to help those looking for specific interests:
ITEMS GOVERNOR ROMNEY IS ON RECORD OF DISAPPROVING:
For the Massachusetts correctional legal services committee $500,000
Cervical/breast cancer benefits
Prostate cancer education, prevention and treatment program
Universal newborn hearing screening program
New Turning 22 clients, $97,000 - Funding for Adult Mentally Retarded (Massachusetts language)
MRC - For employment assistance services; provided, that vocational evaluation and employment services for Severely disabled adults may, subject to approbation, be provided; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended on special projects in Charlestown for people with disabilities; and provided further, that not less than $305,000 shall be expended for the Charlestown Navy Yard Special Project for disabled adults 7,780,098”.
School breakfast pilot program
Youth build programs Item 7061-9626
For the talking book library at the Worcester public library
Board of Higher Education - The council shall not close a college without the authorization of the general court
Community college workforce training
For the operation of the toxics use reduction institute program at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell
Bilingual education I - V - helping non-English speaking children
For the operation of the mental health legal advisors committee and for certain programs for the indigent mentally ill
For the expenses of the social law library located in Suffolk county
For an education and community outreach pilot program to be administered in the Suffolk superior criminal court
Riverways protection, restoration and public access promotion
Library telecommunications, technology and automated resource sharing networks
For the expenses of a service coordinators program established by the department to assist tenants residing in housing developed pursuant to sections 39 and 40 of chapter 121B of the General Laws to meet tenancy requirements in order to maintain and enhance the quality of life in said housing.
DOS item pricing enforcement inspectors, support of the division of standard’s municipal inspection efforts
Education reform funding reserve pothole account
tem 4130-0002 Child abuse prevention programs trust fund
Environmental technology education partnership
Workforce Development
Reemployment assistance program to provide counseling, placement, training, and any other services deemed necessary, to employees terminated in plant closings and partial closings which will lead to the reemployment of said employees.” Section 587
Section 439 Boston convention fund — off budget V
Section 609 Shattuck Hospital - medical services provided to inmates
Sheriffs, civil process fee reporting
Greater Lawrence sewage grant payments
2000-0500 Administrative law judges - and provided further, that said office’s administrative law judges shall be initially the persons who, on October 1, 2000, were serving as administrative law judges and chief administrative law judge in the office of administrative appeals in the department of environmental protection 404,226”.
For certain payments for the maintenance and use of the trailside museum and the Chickatawbut Hill center
2800-0200 Commonwealth Zoological Corporation
Suicide prevention
Section 528 TANF work requirement - Recipients may meet said work requirement through education and training programs
Section 218 (North Shore Community College rental costs - that the assets of the institute that are associated with the program shall be available at no cost to the college.”
Turnpike Authority tourism cap
Metropolitan parkways control - Notwithstanding section 20 of chapter 21A, the division and department shall preserve and protect the scenic and historic integrity of its roadways and boulevards.
Section 604 (Chapter 70 Alternatives to Property Tax Commission - alternatives to using the property tax to fund public education.
DOR Commonwealth sewer rate relief fund
SECTION 627. The secretary of the executive office of environmental affairs shall coordinate the delivery of services of the departments and divisions under his control to ensure the protection of the air, water, natural resources and land of the commonwealth and to provide support for the provision of recreational activities for the citizens of the commonwealth.
“SECTION 605. The division of urban parks and recreation is authorized and directed to prepare an application to place the metropolitan parks system on the National Register of Historic Sites.”
MassHealth behavioral health program savings
Suffolk Probate Court community access - targeted at low income persons who experience educational and language barriers to court access
Retirement benefits for certain MWRA employees - who, in the course of his state employment was exposed to asbestos or other hazardous materials; and who has been diagnosed with an extraneously cancer related illness as well as an extraneously cardio-vascular cardiac related illness
Local aid formulas study - how best to allocate state funds equitably to cities, towns, and regional school districts.
Certified nurses aide training scholarships
Long term care and home fusionist pharmacies reclassification - best interests of the public health, welfare or safety, but no such registration shall be made or permit issued in the case of a corporation, as defined in section 30 of chapter 63 unless it shall appear to the satisfaction of the board that the management of such entity is controlled solely by a registered pharmacist
Child Abuse Prevention Board
Section 449 B.M.C., number of justices
Section 234 (B.M.C., motor vehicle offenses
Section 454 (B.M.C., — criminal jurisdiction over waters and islands
Section 455 B.M.C., justices assigned to court divisions I - III
“SECTION 458. Section 8 of said chapter 218, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in the place thereof the following sentence:— Each district court and each division of the Boston municipal court department shall have a clerk, except that the central division of the Boston municipal court department shall have two clerks as provided in section 53.”
Section 479 (B.M.C., administrative head) was considered
Section 485 (B.M.C., juvenile courts locations
Section 490 (B.M.C., salaries of secretary and assistant secretary
Section 695 (B.M.C., reorganization protections)
NURSING HOME, PHARMACY & HEALTH CARE ITEMS:
Section 620 (Nursing homes and pharmacy user fees) was considered, as follows:—
“SECTION 620. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the following payments shall be made from the Health Care Quality Improvement Trust Fund in fiscal year 2004 utilizing monies accumulated in said fund during fiscal year 2003 as a result of the prohibition of retroactive application of rate increases to nursing homes approved by section 180 of chapter 184 of the Acts of 2002:
(1) $6,500,000 for grants to community health centers for one-time grants for costs incurred by the development of the staff and infrastructure necessary to accommodate the MassHealth disabled population pilot project as mandated by this act and to mitigate the effect of changes made to clause (g) of section 9A of chapter 118E of the General Laws by chapter 184 of the Acts of 2002;
(2) $5,000,000 for the purpose awarding one-time grants to community health centers for capital, equipment, and other costs for the purpose of increasing access to health care for medically underserved populations or areas of the commonwealth through extended hours and innovative urgent care strategies including but not limited to diverting non-emergency visits from hospitals emergency departments. The criteria for awarding such grants shall include, but not be limited to, the lack of sufficient access to cost-effective outpatient services in the geographic area of the applicant to financially sustain the program in future years, the long-term viability of the applicant, and any other criteria the commissioners of the division of medical assistance and the division of health care finance and policy deem appropriate. An advisory group consisting of the secretary of health and human services, who shall chair the group, the commissioner of the division of medical assistance, the commissioner of the department of public health, the executive director of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, or their designees, shall recommend to the commissioner of health care finance and policy not later than 45 days after the effective date of this act the most efficacious means of awarding said grants consistent with the provisions of this section. The grants shall be awarded not later than six months after the effective date of this act. The commissioner of health care finance and policy shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means when said grants are awarded, specifying which community health centers will receive funds from this item and the amounts and uses of the awards;
(3) $1,500,000 to the city of Haverhill over a period of two years for the severe financial hardship resulting from maintaining critical health services through the operation of the former municipally-owned Hale Hospital. Said funds may be utilized for the expenses relative to health insurance and pension costs attributable to retirees of Hale Hospital during fiscal years 2004 and 2005;
(4) $2,500,000 for a contract with an independent auditor for the purpose of examining the costs and services being billed to the Uncompensated Care Pool, pursuant to section 641 of this act;
(5) $4,100,000 for the career ladder grant program in long-term care established pursuant to section 410 of chapter 159 of the acts of 2000, provided; that grants shall be available for certified nurses’ aides, home health aides, homemakers and other entry-level workers in long term care; provided further, that the length of such grants shall not exceed a period of 3 years; provided further, that the Commonwealth Corporation shall submit quarterly reports to the house and senate committee on ways and means on said grant program including, but not limited to, the number of grants awarded, the amount of each grant, a description of the career ladder programs, changes in care giving and workplace practices that have occurred and their impact on quality of care and worker retention and the certificates, degrees or professional status attained by each participating employee; provided further, that the administrative and program management costs for the implementation of the grant program shall not exceed 4 per cent of the amount provided for in this item; and provided further, that grants may also include funding for technical assistance and evaluation;
(6) $3,000,000 to fund expenses at the division of health care quality within the department of public health to enforce and improve nursing home quality standards partially funded in item 4510-0710; provided, that $1,000,000 shall be expended to support boards of registration being transferred to or serving in the department of public health;
(7) $2,000,000 for administrative expenditures at the division of medical assistance, partially funded in item 4000-0300, related to the establishment of a program of care management for Medicaid recipients with high-utilization of medical services; provided, that the division shall use the funds to identify health care costs and pricing patterns in the Medicaid program that are not cost effective or medically appropriate using best practices and identify alternatives which provide for an integrated approach to managing health care needs of recipients at risk of or diagnosed with specific ailments, including, but not limited to, asthma, congestive heart failure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke; provided further, that the program shall be designed to improve health care and health outcomes, reduce unnecessary or avoidable inpatient hospitalization, and reduce the number of emergency room visits by such recipients; provided further, that the program shall require the provision of clinically appropriate care management based on best practices, clinical studies and health outcome research; provided further, that the division shall report to the house and senate committees on ways and means by March 1, 2004, the number of individuals participating in the program and any reduction in utilization or spending resulting from the program, provided further, that administrative expenditures may include contracts with disease management organizations;
(8) $1,500,000 for non-recurring payments to financially distressed visiting nurse association that are operated by a corporation organized pursuant to chapter 190 of the General Laws, are located in an urban area, have experienced an operating deficit during the last two fiscal years and whose Medicaid and other governmental revenues comprise at least 75% of total revenues;
(9) $300,000 for a statewide stroke education and public awareness program at the department of public health to educate the public and providers, including emergency medical systems personnel, medical dispatchers and fire and police department personnel, about the warning signs of stroke, the recognition of stroke symptoms, and the importance of timely and appropriate acute care treatment. The department shall coordinate such program with any ongoing federally-funded statewide efforts, including any programs funded by federal cardiovascular health initiative grants and shall seek to maximize other available sources of funding to accomplish the goals of the program;
(10) $162,368 for the MS PASS program, so-called, as previously established at the department of public health. Said funds shall be expended to maximize matching dollars to be used for services provided by the program as managed by the Central New England chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
[The Governor disapproved this item.]
Apparently, Governor Romney was against health care before he was for health care until he decided he is now really against health care.
Governor Romney also reduced funding for a lot of programs for the needy.
If you search this Journal for the Senate version for "Governor reduced" you will find 51 matches. Some items Romney wanted to reduce funding for are:
Veterans cemeteries Agawam/Winchendon administration
George Fingold Library
Environmental Compliance
Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Division of Marine Fisheries
Urban Parks and Recreation
MassHealth long-term care services for the elderly
Community Services for the blind
Turning 22 residential and day community services
Independent living, individuals with severe disabilities
Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
AIDS Program
Early breast cancer detection and research
HELP program for black males health
Smoking prevention, cessation and tobacco control
Department of Mental Retardation
Adult day and work programs
Early intervention services
Clean environment program, recycling intiatives
Regional public libraries state aid
Workforce training
Housing services contracts, housing consumer education
Regional economic development projects
Tourism grants
Chapter 70 School aid
Special education school placement reimbursement
State Police
Criminal Justice Training Council
Congregate and shared housing services for the elderly
Home care for the elderly administration
Department of Corrections
Veteran's outreach, centers
Neonatal/postnatal home parenting education
Division of Occupational Safety
Council on Aging
Chelsea Soldiers' Home maintenance
And lots of $ for courts was reduced by the Governor
This one is important, too:
Item 0910-0200 (Inspector General administration) was considered, as follows:—
“0910-0200 For the operation of the office of the inspector general 2,201,150”.
[The Governor reduced this item to 725,658.]
If you search this
Journal for the Senate version, you will find 14 matches. These may or may not be duplicates of the prior list. They are:
Adult family support - respite services and intensive family supports
University of Massachusetts
Home care for the elderly
Appeals Court justices
Medical assistance for the blind
Ferguson Industries for the Blind
Vocational rehabilitation
Residential and day community services, including Special Olympics Massachusetts
Environmental and community health hazards programs (long list of protections)
Office of Commissioner of Probation
State psychiatric hospitals and community mental health center
Boston Municipal Court administration
Bridgewater State College
I can't hope but notice some trends in Governor Romney's choices for either disapproving or reducing funding. I'll be interested in your observations.
I think these lists will help voters, who may have special needs and/or concerns, learn Romney's positions in a clear and concise manner.
Also, the Massachusetts State Senate didn't allow Governor Romney to block many of these items, to their credit. I'll let legislative scholars and those expert in legalese read the details in the two Senate reports to pick them appart. I am admittedly neither. I have just compiled the topic lists as they appeared in the Journals to the best of my ability. I may have made mistakes. If so, my apologies to Governor Romney.
Please share this information to help voters you know.
If, per chance, any journalists would like to dig deeper into Governor Romney's record, here's links to the Journal for the Senate
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
I searched each day for "disapproved" and "reduced" to quickly find the Bills Romney either disapproved of or tried to reduce funding for.
The research journey below:
I thought it would be interesting to some to follow the open source journalistic journey I took to find the Senate Journals above.
Here's where I started, having no idea where I would end up:
I tripped onto this article today:
Deval Patrick: Romney Didn't Keep His Promises in Massachusetts
After reading the article, I decided to do some digging. The media is so obsessed about Bain's sociopathic, destructive behavior and the mystery of Mitt's ever-surfacing off shore hidden monies, I wanted to learn more about Governor Mitt.
As I often do when looking for info on the rich and famous, especially politically connected, I began with a search of the Department of Justice website for Mitt Romney.
What I found was a US Dept of Justice, Civil Rights Division letter to Gov. Deval Patrick about an investigation that began on November 17, 2006. Specifically,
Investigation of the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction, West Boylston, Massachusetts
If you choose to read this report, I have to warn you. Reading about the treatment of the incarcerated mentally ill and other inmates at this jail is like reading about jails hundreds of years ago.
I had not previously heard the terms "four, five, and six-point restraints" before. A mere tip of the iceberg, from the report:
Our investigation revealed that, in a significant number of instances, Jail staff inappropriately restrain inmates, specifically via four, five, and six-point restraints.3 Between April 2006 and March 2007, Jail staff performed 155 cell extractions and used the restraint chair/restraint bed 161 times. In many of these instances, Jail staff used restraints after the need for restraint had passed and/or used restraints for excessive periods of time.
As you might recall from the lists above, Romney proposed to cut funding for the Department of Corrections in 2003.
Yes, Mitt Romney was the Governor when the heinous abuses were reported and investigated by DOJ, Civil Rights Division.
But I thought to myself: Who was in charge of the jail? I found that Sheriff Guy Glodis was in charge. So, of course, I did a Google search for him.
I found this 2012 article: Ethics Commission moves against former Sheriff Guy Glodis.
The article depicts your usual "it's who you know" scandal. No biggie.
But then I found this, which led me to the Senate Journal. Maybe Glodis has a good heart:
Guy Glodis on Families & Children
In the list of items on Glodis's page I found reference to a "Veto override of $900K for disability & mentoring aid", so I clicked on the "Veto Override link" which brought me to this page:
Massachusetts Senate -- Vote Descriptions
At this site, I clicked on the Vote number 254 link and, voila!
The lists of what newly elected Governor Mitt Romney either disapproved of or tried to reduce funding for or
THE DARK HEART THAT IS MITT ROMNEY.
I say dark heart because of his disapproval for a really small amount of Multiple Sclerosis funding, $162,368 for the entire State of Massachusetts, when his very own wife, Ann, had suffered greatly from this debilitating disease for 6 years at the time and Mitt was spending bundles for dressage horses for Ann Romney.
I have no where else to file this information other than in a picture of a dark heart.
I see a parallel between the Bain leveraging, vulture capitalism, skim $millions, invest $As-Little-as Possible philosophy and how Romney governed. Shabbily!
Romney's Big Dig Disaster & the SEC investigation.
Specifically, take over an entity, company or state in this instance, defund its operations, use whatever means to raise money, load on some debt to be used to pay yourself and your friends, and leave. Then don't look back.
I hope Romney owns this and doesn't try to lie his way out of wanting to defund MS.
I was heart sick after reading about the horrific treatment and conditions at the jail to begin with, but descended into even more distress, sadness really, after reading the Senate Journal.
I think Duval Patricks statements are true:
Mitt Romney is a smooth salesman (me: maybe people are intimidated by wealth, because Romney doesn't seem smooth to me at all)
We bought it. Most of us now would warn, "buyer beware."
Young people and jobs were leaving our state.
He raised nearly every fee and surcharge that didn't bear the title "tax" and cut funding for the schools. (me: This is a GOP Governor trend, if my state is an example)
Why did a fellow who promised to reform state government fix so little? (me: People like Romney are reapers, not sowers. They are legally encouraged, via tax laws/havens, to reap, and reap, and reap without much sowing, unlike the rest of America)
Romney sincerely believes that people are better off on their own:
On their own to deal with their unemployment; with under-resourced public schools and no way to pay for college; with neglected infrastructure; with a job market that needs skills they didn't have.
He does not fundamentally believe that government should help people help themselves.*
And he has a record as governor of Massachusetts to demonstrate how much damage his leadership does to people, their families and our future.
And, Romney leaves a wide swath of damage done to towns and families all over the country with his Vampire Squid - Bain Capital.
*It is very interesting. Those who don't struggle with poverty and aging, blindness, special needs children, multiple sclerosis, being orphaned, abuse, poor education prospects and any number of the "bad luck scenarios" people experience believe that those that do should magically solve their own problems. As if that's possible.
I wonder if he's friends with Erik Prince, founder of the mercenary army Blackwater who now lives in Abu Dhabi where the prince in charge of the largest Sovereign Wealth fund died from a strange glider crash in 2010? They are both from Michigan's royal families. Last I heard, a private equity firm bought Blackwater for $200,000,000.
I call their vision for Life on Earth Planet Greed, and Planet Greed is doomed!
This just unearthed. 2006 Romney has a truthful moment about job creation.
Your thoughts?
Please tweet and facebook, K? More people need to learn about Mitt Romney's priorities.