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Gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos presents novel ideas at a Global Massachusetts 2015 Roundtable

Boston, Massachusetts, June 27, 2006 – At a Global Massachusetts 2015 Leadership Roundtable sponsored by Mass Insight Corporation and attended by 20 civic leaders, gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos made some interesting points about funding higher education and increasing local aid.

Funding higher education
Mihos proposed that the Governor chair the UMass Board of Trustees and that revenue from installing slot machines at four state racetracks be used to freeze public higher education tuition and fee charges. Speaking as a former UMass board member, Mihos said the presence of the Governor as board chair would send a message about the importance of public higher education. He noted that the system suffered a 25 percent funding cut during the last recession.

Mihos estimated that slot machines would generate $400 million that we currently lose to neighboring states that allow gambling and would save “thousands of jobs” at the struggling tracks.

Also on public higher education, he proposed the “Springfield Initiative,” $300 million in bonding through UMass that would be used to build facilities in Springfield to make the city a more integral part of the UMass system.

Mass Insight Note: Mass Insight has long argued that targeted increases in state funding for UMass are critical to the Commonwealth’s competitiveness. Global Massachusetts 2015 focuses on the important role higher education must play to provide the state economy with the talent it needs to compete globally.

Impacts of increased local aid
Mihos touted his “Proposition One,” which would immediately dedicate 40 percent of state tax revenue to local aid, cap property values until the property is sold and remove sports and activity fees from public schools.

In response to questions about whether increased local aid would take away municipalities’ incentives to allow development or encourage less coordinated regional infrastructure planning, Mihos and running mate John Sullivan, who is town moderator in Winchester, argued that the move would give municipalities the certainty they need to do long-range planning.

Mass Insight Note: Reversing Massachusetts’ recent loss of population and the out-migration of young, educated people are central to the talent focus of the Global Massachusetts 2015 initiative. Mihos claimed that Proposition One, combined with extending commuter rail service to New Bedford/Fall River and removing tolls from the Massachusetts Turnpike, would go a long way toward reversing this exodus.

Mass Insight is sponsoring a series of Global Massachusetts 2015 Roundtables to facilitate discussion between gubernatorial candidates and business and education leaders.

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