EDITORIAL: No money, no problem

Considering Gov. Deval Patrick is up against a $1.3 billion deficit while delivering the first proposed budget of his gubernatorial career, he appears to be accomplishing what he can with what resources are available.

Even Patrick’s most ardent supporters during his campaign had to be aware that change cannot come in a flash. Policies take time to implement, especially when funding is insufficient. And compared to former Gov. Mitt Romney, the current governor’s plan takes a much more aggressive approach.

Tuesday’s budget proposal address in Melrose seems to be Patrick’s first step toward enacting many of his campaign promises.

While vying for office, Patrick vowed to add 1,000 cops to the commonwealth’s police forces. Limited by deficit, the Fiscal Year 2008 plan only calls for 250 additional officers. But 250 are better than none, and it proves Patrick is a man of his word, even if he can’t logistically accomplish what he would like.

Increasing officers on the streets also offers tangible results that Romney’s Fiscal Year 2007 budget failed to achieve. Romney’s plan proposed “allocating additional funds to expand the State Police Crime Lab to increase our DNA testing capacity” and increasing the witness protection program. Romney advocated providing communities with funds to bolster police forces via the state lottery revenue, but he did not offer any specifics on how the policing efforts would be improved. Patrick’s proposal to put more people in uniform is much more practical for effectively combating crime.

Romney tried to provide universal tax relief last year by cutting personal income taxes from 5.3 percent to 5.15 percent, but Patrick seems intent on helping out lesser-privileged citizens who desperately need the aid. In the proposed budget, households earning less than $70,000 per year can receive a tax credit of up to $860, assuming their property value does not exceed $684,000.

Like the additional 250 cops, $860 is not an overwhelming amount, but the sum of money is enough to ease some families’ financial burdens. And 100,000 families are eligible for tax credits under Patrick’s plan. There were 2,688,014 households in Massachusetts in 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but providing some monetary relief to the families that most need it is a positive strategy — Patrick’s was sensible and practical when composing his budget.

To balance his efforts to cut poorer citizens a break, Patrick’s budget takes on a Robinhood-esque role by eliminating tax loopholes that have been helping wealthy corporations during Romney’s time in office. Telecommunications companies were exempt from paying taxes on telephone poles and wires, even though the telephone companies are currently forced to pay for the infrastructures. Because both sorts of companies are responsible for these devices, both will be taxed under Patrick’s proposal — increasing state revenue.

The governor also showed his compassion by calling for a 15 percent increase in public health spending. As part of the $72 million boost, girls between 9 and 18 years old will be administered one free vaccination to prevent cervical cancer. While some criticize allocating money to pay for these not-completely-proven vaccinations, putting up the cash to provide them to young girls proves Patrick cares about the people of Massachusetts.

Additionally, the increase will go toward anti-smoking campaigns, preventing suicide and addressing teen pregnancy.

But safety is not the budget’s only goal; it also has a section devoted to improving child education. Like Romney, Patrick will increase spending on education. His proposal allots $13 million to turn more than half of the commonwealth’s half-day kindergartens to full-day classes — a policy already practiced by several states. Keeping kids in school for an entire day prevents them from getting into trouble. It also eliminates worries of parents with full-time jobs who currently have to think about how to care for their children in the afternoon.

Part of the $13 million would improve after-school activities, which keep young students away from gangs and give them direction for their passions. Advancing their talents will serve to better enrich the commonwealth’s children.

To make room for much of this additional spending, Patrick will need to tap into Massachusetts’s rainy-day fund. Like the name suggests, this sum is supposed to be for emergencies. Patrick said he didn’t want to use this fund, but the $225 million he wants to draw from it will not run it dry. And in the face of deficit, it is better to spend this money now and make things happen rather than watch the commonwealth crumble knowing it could have been prevented.