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The cost of living crisis is hitting cities and towns as well as families, driven in part by outdated state funding. We need to update Chapter 70 to reflect real education costs and overhaul Unrestricted General Government Aid, which still relies on a decades-old system with no real formula, even though it funds schools, public safety, and basic services.
Housing is another major piece of the cost of living. Let communities allow more homes near transit and downtowns, with faster approvals and support for infrastructure.
Expand childcare support to prevent closures and lower costs.
Locally, reuse waste glass and develop regional composting to cut costs and create usable materials.
Check out my detailed plans on how to do this on my website.
Use the same low-cost public financing we already use for roads, schools, and water systems to build new electric transmission. Analysis shows this could cut financing costs by about 40% and save Massachusetts ratepayers billions. It builds on existing state tools, with no new utility and no change to federal oversight. Projects would have to prove savings upfront and be checked after.
Right now, utilities borrow at higher private rates and pass those costs, plus profit, on to customers for decades. The grid upgrades are necessary, but those extra financing costs are not. Lower-cost financing also makes it cheaper to connect offshore wind, solar, and storage, helping bring down bills while moving toward clean energy.
I would enforce the drug pricing reforms MA already passed. Set firm deadlines for rulemaking, public reporting & compliance checks, and use oversight hearings to make sure agencies follow through. The law is already on the books; the savings are not reaching families.
Second, require clear reporting on drug costs at each step — list price, net price, what insurers pay, what patients pay, and middleman fees. Most price growth happens in the middle, and transparency can help rein it in.
Third, test pooled purchasing for municipalities and school districts to see whether buying together lowers prices. Expand home-modification grants and hospital discharge support so more seniors can stay safely at home instead of entering costly institutions.
Update the Ch. 70 formula to reflect what educating students actually costs today, especially special education & transportation, and support regional sharing of SPED programs so districts can cut costs while keeping students closer to home. We also need a better way to help towns fund major projects. Create a Municipal Building Authority modeled on the MSBA, so towns are not left to pay for public safety & town facilities on their own. Expand infrastructure & capital grants, simplify applications so smaller towns can compete, and support shared services. Preventive investment is cheaper than emergency repair. Having served on the Rockland Select Board & Finance Cmt., I know overrides are a sign the state-local partnership is not working.
To keep Massachusetts elections secure, we need to protect voter data, support local clerks, and stop outside interference. We should limit the release of voter information without a court order, give the Attorney General clear authority to challenge improper federal demands, and fund cybersecurity, physical security, and post-election audits. We should also protect election workers and voters from harassment or intimidation. Massachusetts already uses paper ballots and routine audits, and that system should stay in the hands of our local clerks and the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
We need to protect the legal rights and safety of immigrants and their families by keeping local police focused on their real job — investigating crime, responding to emergencies, and protecting public safety — instead of civil immigration enforcement. That respects the work of law enforcement, protects sensitive places like schools, hospitals, and courthouses, and keeps state and municipal services from being used to target people based on immigration status. We should protect access to driver’s licenses, wage protections, and basic services, and make sure personal information isn’t shared in ways that put families at risk. Public safety depends on people feeling safe enough to call police, take a child to the doctor, and go to court.
