April 20 , 2006
Deb Goldberg Throws Support Behind Key Budget Amendments
Gang violence, health care, and education identified as central issues

Boston, MA — Deb Goldberg, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, expressed her strong support for three FY2007 budget amendments among those submitted by state representatives last week. Legislators are scheduled to debate the budget on Monday, April 24.

“The marked increase in the number of amendments filed this year shows just how much work still needs to be done,” Goldberg said. “We need to get Massachusetts back on track by responding quickly to people’s needs.” She applauded legislators from across the state, citing Amendments 619, 855, and 1519. These proposals address some of the most critical needs relating to crime reduction, health care, and education.

Submitted by Rep. Cheryl Rivera of Springfield, Amendment 619 calls for $650,000 in additional funding for the Hampden County District Attorney’s office. The funds will be earmarked for the county’s anti-gang project, a strategic partnership between law enforcement and prosecutors to curb gang activity. Offering her support, Goldberg said, “Rep. Rivera has it right. Unfortunately, the gang culture has deep roots in Springfield. Local leaders are working hard to turn the city around, and the state needs to give them the resources they need to make it happen.”

Goldberg also supports Amendment 855, filed by Boston’s Rep. Elizabeth Malia. It will provide a $500,000 grant to establish a community health center in Roxbury offering health care and other services to the underserved in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Jamaica Plain. “The state’s new health care plan was an important step in solving the crisis, but we still have work to do. Amendment 855 highlights disparities in the delivery of health services associated with race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. We must close that gap.”

Budget Amendment 1519, filed by 38 legislators from across the state, mandates that no school district receive less Chapter 70 aid in 2007 than was authorized in 2002. “Local communities should not have to choose between keeping police on the streets and educating their kids. It’s simply unacceptable that state funding for some of our school districts is decreasing,” Goldberg said. “We need to invest in our kids by strengthening public schools in every corner of the state. Massachusetts’ future depends on it.”

Deb Goldberg, a fifth generation resident of Massachusetts, has the skills and experience to help get the state moving again. Goldberg, whose family founded Stop & Shop, learned how to run a company with 50,000 employees who needed dependable jobs to support their families. Even with a small 1% profit margin, they still managed to give quality health insurance to all employees—full-timers and even part-timers.

Goldberg was elected to the Brookline Board of Selectmen in 1998. Her first priority was revitalizing the town’s three commercial areas. She was a key player in working with developers, neighborhoods, and local government to attract appropriate development that did not negatively impact town services. As Chairman from 2002 until 2004, she was responsible for the town’s $190 million annual budget. Under her leadership in tough economic times, Brookline, with a population of 58,000, maintained a strong financial position and was the only community in the state to add fire fighters and police each year without costly overrides. Deb Goldberg, 51, lives in Brookline with her husband, Michael Winter, and their two teenaged children, Evan and Meredith.