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News Index
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Massachusetts: New Year Promises New Governor, Same Issues of Education and Taxes (Mass High Tech News)
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By Christopher R. Anderson
An abbreviated legislative session and upcoming gubernatorial campaign make 2006 a compelling year for the public policy debate that will have an impact on Massachusetts’ diverse technology economy. It will be a challenge to keep a positive focus on key issues such as education reform, economic stimulus, health care reform and building on the successful preservation of the state’s top technical military installations in 2005. But there is also opportunity to continue progress toward creating a long-term, technology-based economic development plan for Massachusetts.
With Gov. Mitt Romney’s recent decision not to seek re-election, Massachusetts enters the election year without the incumbent governor trying to keep the seat for the first time in 16 years. That means that the new candidates vying to become the CEO of Massachusetts will need to work to learn the issues of the technology community. Back in 2002, the council worked to educate Democratic nominee Shannon O’Brien and Republican nominee Romney on technology issues. As a result, the newly elected governor was able to hit the ground running immediately following his inauguration.
A top council priority in 2006 will be improving the state’s K-12 public education system, with a strong focus on training, attracting, and retaining the best math, science and engineering teachers. Technology leaders like Ray Stata of Analog Devices Inc. will be taking a leadership role in working to allow our public schools to compete with the top systems in the world. It is significant that Massachusetts students lead the nation in a variety of standards, but it’s more important how they compare to their peers in India, China, Denmark, Ireland and other technology competitors. Creating a differential pay system (bonus pay for math, science and top performing teachers) and enhancing private sector teacher training are two important steps toward helping build the workforce of the future.
Two top Beacon Hill priorities of 2005 — the passage of a health care reform bill and an economic-stimulus package — remain in limbo as we enter the New Year. While there is still hope that a health care package will emerge in early January, the business community is working to prevent the inclusion of a tax on employers of up to 7 percent of payroll to fund universal coverage. A similar payroll tax will be part of a socialized-medicine ballot question to be decided on by the voters in November. Technology leaders remain optimistic that an economic-stimulus package, with a strong focus on science and technology, will be wrapped up early in the new session.
In addition, the state is poised to capitalize on the favorable results of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, which resulted in the Pentagon electing to keep open Hanscom Air Force Base and the Natick Soldier Systems Center. The result is that the 30,000 mostly technology-focused jobs related to the facilities will remain here. Beginning in 2006, the state and the council will work with the Pentagon and defense contractors to bring more jobs to Massachusetts and to strengthen our premier defense-technology cluster.
The upcoming year promises to be an exciting one in the hothouse of Massachusetts politics, but also should see progress toward making Massachusetts more competitive for technology employers and employees.
Christopher R. Anderson is president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council and the affiliated Massachusetts Defense Technology Initiative, both based in Waltham.
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