Cahill Statement on Newton North Ribbon Cutting

Type:	Announcements
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 31, 2010 Contact: Amy Birmingham 978-979-9252 Juli Sweeney 617-875-9026 Cahill Statement on Newton North Ribbon Cutting Massachusetts State Treasurer and candidate for Governor Tim Cahill released the following statement today relating to the ribbon cutting of Newton North High School. “Newton North is the poster child for mismanagement of the state’s school construction program prior to the adoption of my proposal to create the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The overpriced, bloated, $197 million Newton North High School is one of the prime reasons I went to the State Legislature to call for dramatic reform of school construction in 2004. Charlie Baker, as Administration and Finance Secretary, allowed this failed, out-of-control system to continue for years, which directly led to the fiscal debacle that is Newton North. Newton North was grandfathered under the old system, meaning the MSBA could not fully rein in its costs as it has done with school projects since then. The MSBA has developed a fair system for dedicating funding to the neediest and most urgent school projects first, replacing a system that rewarded politically connected districts and earmarked projects, like Newton North. The proof of the MSBA’s success is in the numbers. We have saved $3 billion for cities and towns in avoided local interest costs since 2004. We also have direct examples why Newton North could never happen again under our reforms. We reduced the price tag of the similarly sized, new Norwood High School from $100 million to $63 million. As Chairman of the MSBA, I have seen the dramatic effect of these reforms on an old program that was $11 billion in debt before my office took it over. Even so, we continue to grapple with the grandfathered, mismanaged projects left to us by prior Republican administrations. Taxpayers are also fortunate that the Legislature choose to reject Governor Mitt Romney’s proposal to double the length of school borrowing from 20 years to 40 years to clear up the school waiting list. Instead, the Legislature approved my reform plan to dedicate a portion of the state’s sales tax to address our school construction needs before this became the next Big Dig,” said Timothy P. Cahill. ###

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