New England, super state?

Thursday, May 8, 2003 - by Peter Golden

One of the hard things all of us in Massachusetts will soon have to face—that decent people all across the United States are facing as well—is the prospect of injury being done to otherwise entirely innocent people.

Unless you view being old, on a limited income, out of work or infirm as being somehow undeserving.

The squeeze is on at the federal and state level. Smaller government does not necessarily translate into more efficient government. And the state is seriously out of money. Which means the people left to answer the swelling tide of anger and anguish of the partially dispossessed are sitting on municipal boards all over MetroWest, across the Commonwealth and throughout the nation.

Right now they're hearing from just about everyone who can leap to their feet at town meeting, make it to the board of aldermen or dial a phone.

But the politicians are all saying the same thing: There's just no money. According to the Massachusetts Taxpayers' Foundation, state tax revenues will grow a paltry $30 million in FY 2004, which begins in just two months. That while medical insurance, an ever-growing line item in municipal budgets, continues to skyrocket. And a state budget deficit looms before us—after massive cuts in FY 2004—of a billion and a half dollars.

Some communities will be hurt worse than others, but in the end the old adage that a rising tide lifts all boats works just as surely in reverse.

And if you think times are getting tough in Massachusetts, hop the border into New Hampshire or Vermont and imagine what reductions in local aid are feeling like in towns where the nearest piece of tax-producing commercial property is twenty miles down a tree-lined road past cow pastures. Across the country, 48 of 50 states are facing deficits.

I happen to be a fan of entrepreneurship and love the idea of "reinventing the enterprise," a notion invented by a smart fellow from MIT that has been used to good advantage to downsize and rationalize corporate America in years past. It worked nicely; at least until the Internet bubble burst and turned all our 401Ks into 101Ks.

I still like the notion of reinventing the enterprise, especially in the public sector. Are there economies of scale and substantial quality improvements to be gained in consolidating school systems, public safety, sanitation and water districts? You bet, and there's plenty of history to validate such initiatives.

But why think just in terms of municipalities or regional authorities? After all, if we're going to really climb out of this economic quagmire and move on to the next big thing, why go it alone?

Why not call a constitutional convention and amalgamate the six New England states? In simply considering a "Commonwealth of New England" there is much to be gained, not the least of which is the beginning of the idea that we need not stand passively by while everything we have gained in the last decade slips away.

Imagine a super state with the size, financial heft and reputation to challenge a California, a Texas or New York. Just for comparative purposes, you should know California is the tenth largest economy in the world and Texas and New York are not far behind.

But the combined annual production of all six New England states is well on the way to $600 billion annually, which puts us within striking distance of two of those Big Three.

I'll leave you to consider the benefits of living in a state containing four of the six Ivy League universities, scores of secondary urban areas crying out for economic development and incomparable recreational and cultural amenities. Not to mention enough space to build a ton of affordable housing.

Sure, we'll need to open or expand some airports and substantially strengthen our transportation infrastructure. But consider the economic opportunities and the enhanced visibility we'll gain in Europe, Latin America and the Far East. New England will stand tall on the world stage in an increasingly global economy.

Yes, I know this is a radical idea. So was the idea of separating Maine from Massachusetts in the early 19th century. But these times call for bold thinking. Perhaps it's time to look at a map!

 
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