Revenue Part of Equation Gets Overlooked as Tax-Exempt Institutions Get Off Easy…
Cash-starved communities are increasingly looking to employees for cash bail-outs instead of going after other, fairer, sources of revenue. The New York Times recently wrote a piece, entitled, “Strained States Turning to Laws to Curb Labor Unions,” showing how states are seeking to control employee costs:
“State officials from both parties are wrestling with ways to curb the salaries and pensions of government employees which typically make up a significant percentage of state budgets.”
And locally, some cities, based on a Boston Foundation report that blames rising health care costs, have jumped on the bandwagon as well. The Lawrence Eagle Tribune has written a piece headlined, “Money Intended for Students Going Toward Teacher Health Care:”
“Merrimack Valley mayors are calling for reform following the release of a new study showing that state education aid is increasingly going toward teacher health care costs instead of students.”
The Boston Globe has written similar pieces. Wouldn’t it be great to wake up one morning and read the following headline: “Money Going to Tax-Exempt Harvard and Mass General Ought to Go To City Instead.”