If Gov. Deval Patrick is smart, he won’t put Massachusetts’s money where his mouth is.
The Boston Globe reported Jan. 28 that Patrick is thinking about increasing stipends given to some lawmakers.
Patrick would offer pay raises to agency heads with hopes that these leaders would back his promised plans for change.
Without their help, Patrick says he will lack the control needed to bring about changes in a system still dominated by former Gov. Mitt Romney’s more than 300 lame-duck appointees.
But Patrick is not offering a universal pay increase. Only the stipends of those heads who are against Patrick’s agenda would see a rise. As reported by the Globe, the board of directors at the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority can expect more money, while the Massachusetts Port Authority should not hold its hands out.
By only increasing the stipends of his political foes, Patrick may anger his political friends — no one would be upset to get some more dough.
Having inherited a $1 billion deficit, going through with this legislation would set the wrong tone at the beginning of Patrick’s term, which is not even one month old.
During his campaign, Patrick preached “Together we can” and was known for his strong grassroots effort.
Paying leaders off is the opposite of what Patrick stands for in the eyes of voters. We know he is intent on bringing about great changes to the commonwealth, but he must attempt to create a dialogue before assuming he won’t have the backing of Republican leaders.
And the point of having different parties in positions of power is to provide balance in government. Using money to garner support is close to bribery and eliminates the valuable process of hearing different opinions. Plus, paying off appointees won’t guarantee they stay on his side in the long run.
Patrick was elected as a candidate of the people. With this possible legislation, he would only being making Massachusetts’s policymakers a bit richer.