Here is a complete YouTube video of the March 31 public forum entitled “What we can do to close the budget gap”. This forum was sponsored by the Northampton City Council/School Committee Conference Committee and Yes!Northampton. The video is 1 hour 28 minutes long and was recorded by Adam Cohen.
Mayor Clare Higgins, Representative Peter Kocot and Senator Stan Rosenberg shared information about budget trends at the city and state levels. Joel Feldman of Yes!Northampton spoke in favor of the progressive taxation embodied in the proposed “An Act To Invest In Our Communities”.
Mayor Higgins distributed these handouts on Northampton’s FY2012 budget and fiscal trends over the past several years. She cautioned that the specific numbers change frequently and the current budget gap is less than shown on the document.
Here is Representative Kocot’s presentation (provided by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center):
Here are action steps for those who support An Act To Invest In Our Communities:
See also:
Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center: Documents
Mass.gov: Budgetary Processes
Video: Mayor Speaks to Ward 4 about Fiscal Situation (3/8/11)