Gov. Maura Healey considers Massachusetts taxpayers a really “choose” group.
First, she “chosen” varied communities throughout the Bay State to accommodate emergency shelters for the inflow of immigrants who began arriving in 2022. Then Healey “chosen” Mass. taxpayers to foot the roughly $1B invoice to accommodate and look after the surge of immigrants and homeless, a quantity that solely now sees hope of dwindling.
And on Friday, Healey “chosen” taxpayers to shell out for a $5 million authorized protection fund for immigrants. It was a part of the $61B FY state funds she signed, one which bears her veto mark on $130 million in funding.
It could be nice if Healey may choose another person, however there aren’t many locations within the U.S. who haven’t additionally shouldered the fiscal burden of President Biden’s porous border coverage. It wasn’t that way back that Democrats, significantly of the progressive wing, have been all for giving sanctuary to anybody and everybody who needed it, no matter unlawful entry into the U.S. Households searching for a greater lifestyle, criminals, drug traffickers, it didn’t matter. All have been welcome.
If Blue State pols had stood as much as Biden then and requested: “Who’s going to pay for all this?” and “how is that this sustainable?” and “is there any vetting being executed?” we wouldn’t be the place we’re in the present day.
However Democratic pols aren’t blaming Biden, they’re taking goal at Donald Trump for tightening the border and implementing immigration legal guidelines.
And in Massachusetts, taxpayers are budgetary cannon fodder. That $5M authorized protection fund isn’t from “leftover” money. It’s a program that can get pleasure from funding whereas Healey’s funds workplace stands on the able to slash hundreds of thousands in legislative earmarks for native initiatives.
It’s all Trump’s fault, in fact. “We’re additionally signing this funds in a second of nice dysfunction in Washington. The president is poised to signal a invoice that’s going to kick tons of of hundreds of Massachusetts residents off their well being care, enhance power and grocery costs, and value folks their jobs,” Healey stated in an announcement.
That $5M would come in useful then. However as we’ve seen over the previous few years, cash for migrants isn’t on the chopping block.
It’s a dangerous political transfer as Healey primes for a re-election marketing campaign. Any cuts to native earmarks would be sure you draw pushback from state lawmakers who push the requests by way of the funds course of. They’re those who convey the bacon residence to their districts, and Healey’s cuts, in the event that they occur, might be felt.
Her opponents jumped on it. Mike Kennealy, a Republican operating for governor, stated Healey has already used billions “in tax {dollars} to subsidize shelters, meals, transportation, rental help, training, and well being care.
“This newest $5 million is yet one more insult to taxpaying authorized residents,” he stated in an announcement.
Brian Shortsleeve, one other Republican operating for governor, stated “She cuts native initiatives out of the state funds, however $5 million for attorneys for the migrants survives her veto pen. Our taxpayer {dollars} shouldn’t be funding attorneys for people who find themselves not legally in our nation.”
Whether or not taxpayers are fed up sufficient to pick somebody apart from Healey on the voting sales space stays to be seen.
