Two-fer from the Globe

By Jim Stergios
June 13th, 2007

Yesterday’s editorial in the Globe on the Governor’s veering away from support for MCAS was spot on. It’s a must read.

Today, again, the right stuff and the right tone on the Quincy teachers’ strike (click here). The money quotes (not in the order presented in today’s paper) are:

The Quincy strike — which was still under way as of yesterday evening — is illegal under state law, and should be ended immediately.

Like municipal leaders across the state, Quincy Mayor William Phelan can’t keep asking the city’s taxpayers to pay the same share of escalating healthcare costs, which in Quincy have almost doubled since 2002.

A bill before the Legislature would allow cities and towns to purchase insurance for their workers through the GIC if 70 percent of the unions agree.

The bill should pass as a first step, but lawmakers have to be prepared to revisit the subject next year if only a few municipalities are able to reach agreement with their unions to join the GIC.

A statewide problem demands a statewide solution, but the compromise bill being considered by the Legislature threads too warily between the interests of local unions and the cities and towns.