| A couple of days ago I posted a five-point plan that I suggested would set a bold, progressive fiscal agenda for the Patrick administration -- one that both would cement Patrick's credentials as serious about fiscal responsibility, and would offer some real prospects for finding ways to afford property tax relief. In summary:
• Veto the pension bill
• New police detail regulations
• Ditch the casino bill
• Revise 70% rule for GIC
• Move toward progressive income tax
Today, the AP reports that one of the five items might be coming soon:
Governor Deval Patrick says he is forging ahead with plans to chip away at one of the most closely defended police perks in Massachusetts: paid details at roadside construction sites.
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Patrick said his administration is working on new regulations that would open the door to replacing some of the police details by hiring civilians, equipping them with orange safety vests and flags, and training them to direct traffic, especially on secondary roads.
Here, by the way, is some legal background on how this works:
There is no state law mandating that police officers protect workers at road construction sites, but the practice has become commonplace and has been fiercely protected by police unions. Some communities have labor contracts requiring that police staff construction sites.
Regulations authorizing the use of civilian flagmen on state-controlled secondary roads would encourage cities and towns to adopt similar measures, said David Tuerck, executive director of the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University. "If the governor does it, it's a huge signal that the state is finally going to stand up to the unions," he said. "It will create a practice of using civilian flaggers. When that lesson is learned, I think municipalities will change their laws."
Now, I understand why the police don't want to see this change. But this kind of thing does not help advance the discussion:
Rick Brown - president of the State Police Association, the union representing state troopers - said police officers have the authority to stop traffic, close lanes, and issue citations, all of which make for safer construction sites.
"The traffic is flowing so fast, public safety has got to be the main issue here," he said. "You're going to see more accidents out there without seeing the police presence. They're not going to slow down for a flagman."
With all due respect, Mr. Brown, absent any evidence that the use of flagmen in the 49 other states has led to increased accidents as compared to Massachusetts (and if there is any such evidence, let's see it), that doesn't really make sense. Drivers are "not going to slow down for a flagman"? Of course they are. Flagmen that I've seen in other states hold big signs that say "slow" or "stop," depending on the situation, and as far as I can tell, drivers respect those signs. Again, absent any evidence that the flagman system doesn't work, it's hard to see how the expense of our current system is justifiable. |
