Patrick Governor with Cojones

[Tony1941]

After finding my Sunday Globe buried under 6 inches of new snow, I was shocked to learn that Governor Patrick has been blessed with a set of Cojones.

Some excerpts from the Globe’s article follow and the complete article is attached.

Patrick takes aim at agency salaries
By Michael Levenson and Todd Wallack
Globe Staff February 27, 2011

Slash the Fat and Fight the entrenched power blocks.
thGovernor Deval Patrick, who has forced out a number of top executives at independent state agencies, is now planning to slash salaries at the agencies, where many top-level staffers earn more than twice his annual pay of
$140,000.

Description of Task
In seeking to trim and combine the agencies, the governor is forging ahead with a vow he made four years ago, to seize control of a constellation of agencies that operate beyond his direct control. The agencies, which were designed to function without political interference, are not considered fully public because they do not rely solely on state aid for their operations and answer to independent boards. Ranging from six to 6,000 employees, they include 15 regional transit authorities; 12 larger authorities such as the MBTA and the Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs Logan International Airport; and 15 specialized and often obscure agencies like the Massachusetts Technology Development Corp., which doles out venture capital.

Mike Widmer being a Wimp
Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, said the administration needs to be careful about reducing salaries across the board. “They should make a judgment about the scope and responsibilities of each position and what it would take to recruit a good person,’’ Widmer said. “It’s important to make judgments about what salaries are necessary to recruit the kind of people who will do a good job.’’

Patrick for Republican (Tea Party) Governor in 2014
Daniel B. Winslow, a Republican state representative who served as chief legal counsel to Governor Mitt Romney, said Patrick is within his rights to take control of the agencies and reshape them. “It’s very political, but that’s OK,’’ Winslow said. “He won. It’s his vision. I think the governor ought to have the ability to impose his vision on the state, and I think it’s wrong when you have a disconnect between the popular will, as expressed through the election, and the management of government.’’

Future Tasks
Excessive compensations non-profits such as
1. Citizens Energy-Joe for Oil with a $570,000+ annual paycheck.
2. Merrimack Education Center- Chief at $400,000+ annual paycheck

Reduce State and Municipal Compensation

1. State employees pay and benefits reduction of 30%
2. Municipal employees pay and benefits reduction of 25%
3. Further reduction of legislative pay by 20%.
4. A cap on state and municipal maximum salaries equal to 90% of the salary of the governor, mayor, town manager or town administrator.

If POTUS Obama receives compensation of $400,000 and all the Secretaries (DoD, Treasury, etc..) are compensated at less than $200,000. How can an individual running a state or local function claim that they must be fairly compensated in excess of the 90% of Governor Patrick's salary.