Each year, on the anniversary of James Madison’s birth, we celebrate Sunshine Week, a national observance of the importance of open government and freedom of information.  James Madison, author of the Bill of Rights and our fourth President, stressed the importance of citizen access to information, saying:

A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to farce or a tragedy.

From Revolutionary-era pamphleteers to the Internet Age and the proliferation of online news sites, discussion forums and blogs, our society has cherished free, vigorous and informed political discourse.  However, our First Amendment rights of Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Petition and Freedom of the Press are rendered weak and ineffectual without government transparency and freedom of information.  Without access to the proceedings of government bodies, and the documents and data that they use to inform their decision making, our evaluation of the performance of our elected representatives will be superficial and uninformed.

We are fortunate in Massachusetts to have a strong legal mandate for government transparency in the form of the Public Records Law and the Open Meeting Law.  Although these laws are especially important for the free press, since it guarantees their ability to investigate and report on government activities, these two laws make government information accessible to all citizens.

The Public Records Law allows anyone to request records from any state or local  board, committee, agency or other government entity.  With some exceptions specifically enumerated by state law, anyone can request, inspect and copy any governments documents, printed or electronic, for a nominal retrieval and copying fee.

The Open Meeting Law ensures that anyone can attend a meeting of a government body:

All meetings of a governmental body shall be open to the public and any person shall be permitted to attend any meeting except as otherwise provided by this section.

The Open Meeting Law also requires that meetings be publicly announced at least 48-hours in advance and that accurate records of the meeting be recorded.  These records are then available for inspection according to the Public Records Law.

More information on these two laws can be found among the “Open Government” links to your right.

The Lowell Sun profiled the Westford Taxpayers Association in an article today.  Chris Camire’s “Billerica, Westford tax watchdogs guard the municipal purse strings” can also be read online.

The article emphasizes the WTA’s non-partisan focus on local issues that concern taxpayers:

The Westford Taxpayers Association is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve as a local think tank by providing facts about local candidates and issues to residents. Dan Somers and other residents started the group in the spring of 2007 in hopes of keeping a closer eye on their town government.

The group’s Web site features information about government salaries, raises, benefits, taxes, as well as information about how to access public records.

“We are informers, but we don’t take sides,” said Somers, a 51-year-old marketing consultant, who has lived in town for 25 years. “Our mission is to inform Westford taxpayers about the impact of tax and spending policies and to encourage fiscal responsibility and transparency within local government.”

The group’s budget is only $100 per year, said Somers, which goes toward maintaining a Web site, a telephone line and a post-office box. Although the group conducts in-depth interviews with local candidates that are published on its Web site, it does not endorse.

Recent discussions among Westford Taxpayers Association members raised a number of interesting questions about local government. Everyone seemed to have an opinion about the cost and size of government, but we found ourselves lacking the facts. We decided we needed definitive information, and that’s what this article presents.

Looking at Westford’s annual budgets, it wasn’t surprising to learn that the cost of personnel represents our town’s largest expense. Generous raises, robust benefits, and advantageous union contracts have created an unprecedented level of prosperity among local government workers. With the upswing in government spending, we were curious to know how local-government employees compare with employees who work in the private sector.

We also talked about current economic challenges such as growing inflation, reduced consumer confidence, and increasing healthcare costs. We noted that businesses react by implementing cost-cutting measures and downsizing. And we observed that our own family budgets require reprioritization to reduce or eliminate non-essential expenses during tough times.

However, this is not the case with government. Our research indicates that federal, state, and local governments continue to grow during good times and bad. In fact, government — and its employees — appear to be immune to adverse economic conditions that cause businesses and families to react and take action in order to survive. Apparently, there are no incentives to prioritize or downsize in government.

FACT: State and local governments employ more people

Based on research conducted by the Westford Taxpayers Association, state and local governments now employ more workers than any other sector of the U.S. economy.

• Over the last century, overall government spending in the United States has increased from about 7% of GDP in 1902 to about 37% of GDP in 2008.
• In the United States, state and local governments now spend $1.8 trillion annually. That’s $6,310 per man, woman, and child and represents 13% of the total economy.
• Over the past 60 years, the number of people employed by state and local governments rose from 3.3 million employees in 1948 to 19.5 million employees today. That’s a 490% increase, while the U.S. population increased just 67%.
• Since 1999 — less than 10 years ago — state and local government employee headcounts increased by two million, growing 11.4% while the U.S. population grew at 8%. That means government is growing 40% faster than the general population!

FACT: Local government employees make more money

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of June 11, 2008:

• Total compensation for all workers in private industry averaged $26.76 per hour, while average total compensation for all workers in state and local government was $37.84 per hour.
• Average wages and salaries paid to workers in private industry was $18.91 per hour, while average wages and salaries paid to local and state government workers was $24.95 per hour.
• Insurance (life, health, and disability) premiums paid on behalf of workers in private industry averaged $2.06 per hour, while insurance premiums paid on behalf of state and local workers averaged $4.30 per hour.
• Retirement benefits paid on behalf of private-industry workers averaged $0.96 per hour, while retirement benefits paid on behalf of state and local government employees averaged $2.87 per hour.

FACT: Local government employees get bigger raises

According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• Compensation costs for private industry rose 0.6 % from March to June 2008. In state and local government, the increase was 0.9%.
• Wages and salaries for private industry workers increased 0.7% for the March to June 2008 period. In state and local government, the increase was 0.9%.
• During the same period, benefit costs for private industry rose 0.5%. For state and local government, benefit costs increased 1.1 %.

FACT: Local government employees get better benefits

As reported by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics on August 11, 2008:

• In private industry, 61% of employees had access to paid retirement benefits, compared with 89 % of state and local government employees. And in government, 86% of employees participated in a retirement plan, significantly greater than the approximately half of private industry workers.
• Medical care benefits were available to 71% of private industry workers, compared with 87% among state and local government workers. About half of private industry workers participated in a plan, far less than the nearly three-quarters of government workers.
• Employers paid 83% of the cost of premiums for single coverage and 71% of the cost for family coverage for workers participating in employer-sponsored medical plans. Employer share for single coverage was greater in state and local government (90%) than in private industry (81 %). For family coverage, the employer share of premiums was similar for private industry and government, 71 and 73%, respectively.
• Virtually all full-time employees in state and local government had access to retirement and medical benefits: 99 and 98%, respectively. In private industry, only 71% of full-time workers had access to retirement benefits and 85 % to medical benefits.

The advantages of working for a local government

Many government employees enjoy additional advantages. These make a government career more lucrative than a similar position in the private sector. Consider the following. (Note: All advantages do not exist in all government employment):

• More generous fringe benefits
• More paid vacation days and holidays
• Larger annual compensation increases
• Greater job security
• More paid personal days off
• More sick time and other paid time off
• Work weeks with fewer hours
• Generous severance pay
• Earlier retirement
• Unused sick leave credit at retirement
• Expensive defined-benefit retirement programs
• Routine pension benefits increases
• Paid retiree health care

What’s wrong with this picture?

Across the country, state and local government spending has been growing three times as fast as revenue. What’s more, state and local governments now have more than $1 trillion in unfunded liabilities for pensions and retirement medical benefits for public employees.

While businesses slash costs and families face stagnant wages with rising prices for gasoline, heating oil, and food, state and local governments increased spending by 7.8% last quarter while revenue rose 2.5%. Government continues to hire more employees, as private-sector jobs evaporate.

In Westford, we wonder why our elected leaders, professional managers, and volunteer board members seem incapable of reducing spending — even by a percent or two. Businesses and families do it all the time.

According to Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence:

“In the public (government) sector we routinely have five people doing the work of one. It’s a simple fact. Are we over-governed in the United States? We are wildly, bizarrely, sickeningly, ludicrously over-governed.”

Here’s something interesting. This table and chart shows how much higher Westford’s taxes have become compared to the state average.

In FY2008, our average single-family tax bill was $6,269 compared with the state average of $4,111. That means it now costs 52% more to pay property taxes in Westford than in the average town in the state. Ten years ago our taxes were “only” 35% higher than the state average.

Certainly, Westford is an above average town, but this property tax trend is worth watching.

Dear WTA,

There seems to be an appalling lack of information on this year’s candidates for election. I would like to be able to access candidate info on this site in the future, especially in the absence of published data in the local press. Last year there was an abundance of information available online and in all three papers but this year has been eerily quiet.

— Stunned by Silence

Dear Stunned,

With only one contested race and no ballot questions, it has indeed been a quiet campaign season. The low density of campaign signs is another indicator. Although our 501(c)(4) status does not allow us to directly or indirectly participate in any candidate’s or ballot committee’s campaign, we believe we have value to offer in other ways, such as:

• Sending candidates questionnaires related to their tax orientation and publishing the results of these surveys.
• Offering candidates the opportunity to publicly take a “No tax increase,” “No override” or “No fee increase” pledge.
• Providing the community pertinent educational material related to fiscal topics and issues of current interest in Westford.
• Hosting documents received in public document requests, such as campaign committee finance documents.

Unfortunately it is too late to do any of these things for this year’s elections. But now that we are set up and organized, you can count on hearing more from us come next April!

Dear WTA,

I only hope that this does not evolve into a mean-spirited group of “conspiracy theorists” who feed on one another’s pessimism and distrust. People complain about a lack of confidence in local government – but it’s a two way street. Some of the rancor in town is created by whiners and complainers who do not give the decent people volunteering their time to make this a good place a chance. Aha – we found a mis-spent nickel. Fie!!!!

— Kate

Dear Kate,

We all need to remember that with a Town Meeting government, and all-volunteer boards, we are all part of local government. It isn’t a matter of “us” versus “them.” It is all “us,” plus a few important people we hire to help us run the day-to-day operations. But we are the government. We call the shots.

If people want to whine and complain, there are already ample outlets for such activities. The fact that we’ve created this organization at all shows that we’re interested in going far beyond complaining. Complaining won’t accomplish our goals, and we want to be effective.

There is no shortage of advocacy groups in town, environmental, educational, athletic, etc., each bringing their own unique perspective, expertise, resources and energy to the debate, in an attempt to educate the community and participate in the democratic process. We’re doing no more and certainly no less.

But if you do know of some mis-spent nickels, please do let us know.

The Westford Taxpayers Association is pleased to present the results of our 2008 Board of Selectmen candidate interviews.

In part one, we asked candidates to provide written answers to questions about the rules and procedures guiding municipal governance. We imposed no length restriction and have posted a link to their answers — unedited and in-full — below.

Part two was a one-on-one interview with WTA president, Diane Weir, and included questions solicited from Westford taxpayers. These 30-minute interviews were recorded on March 29, 2008 and can be accessed using the links below.

Thanks to the candidates who volunteered their time in a busy month to answer our questions. We believe that the questions asked, and the depth of the responses permitted in this format, give Westford taxpayers a view of the issues and candidates that they will not find elsewhere.

As always, we welcome your feedback to info@westfordtaxpayers.org

Candidate	Written Answers	Audio Interview
Bob McCusker		Declined
Kelly Ross
Kirk Ware	Declined	Declined
Valerie Wormell

Did you know that Massachusetts has the second-worst water quality in the nation? As a result, Massachusetts residents face risk when they depend on our rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and subterranean waterways for their drinking water.

Westford is among several Massachusetts cities and towns affected by a water pollutant known as perchlorate. Perchlorate is a toxic substance used in rocket fuel, fireworks, and blasting materials. It has been detected in Westford’s water at concentrations far beyond two parts per billion (2 pbb), which is the maximum contamination level recommended by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

Massachusetts is the first state in the nation to establish a drinking water standard for perchlorate. It is important to note that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not yet set a standard for perchlorate and will likely not do so for several years. The EPA’s current 24.5 ppb Drinking Water Equivalent Level (DWEL) value is not a final standard but is an intermediate value used to set a final federal standard. And unlike the Massachusetts standard, it does not account for any other source of exposure to perchlorate.

Perchlorate is — and will continue to be — a major issue and potential taxpayer burden in Westford. The Westford Taxpayers Association urges you to become educated about this dangerous contaminant and offers the following perchlorate primer for your consideration:

What is perchlorate?

Perchlorate is the common name for a chemical known as ammonium perchlorate. It is widely used as an oxidizer in solid propellants for rockets, missiles, fireworks, and explosives. Perchlorate may thus be found in surface and ground waters around military operations, manufacturing facilities, and areas such as quarries where blasting agents have been used. Perchlorate may also be generated in small amounts within existing water treatment processes. Perchlorate is highly mobile in water and can persist for many decades under typical ground and surface water conditions.

How can I be exposed to perchlorate?

Human exposure to perchlorate can occur if contaminated water is consumed directly, is used to make beverages such as tea, coffee or formula, or is used to cook foods that absorb a significant amount of water. Perchlorate has also been detected in several types of foods and beverages (e.g., some lettuces and milk, depending on where they are from), possibly from use of perchlorate-contaminated irrigation water or feeds. Infants can be exposed to perchlorate through breast milk, depending on their mothers’ exposure.

What are the health effects of perchlorate?

At sufficient doses, perchlorate disrupts normal function of the thyroid gland. It interferes with iodide transport into the thyroid gland, decreasing the availability of iodide needed for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, which are essential for metabolism and normal growth and development. The impacts of disrupting thyroid hormone synthesis are greatest on pregnant women and their developing fetuses, infants, children, and on individuals who have low levels of thyroid hormones.

Is perchlorate present in Westford?

Yes. We know for sure that perchlorate contamination exists in Westford. While one public well has already been equipped with an expensive filter to remove perchlorate from our drinking water, authorities continue to test private wells and assess the extent to which perchlorate has spread. Thus far, test results indicate perchlorate has seeped beyond the original boundaries where perchlorate had been detected. One source of contamination is thought to be the blasting that occurred during the construction of Westford’s new Highway Department facility. While the town’s contract specifically prohibited the use of perchlorate during the construction of the Highway Department headquarters, there seems to be evidence that the blasting company (Maine Drilling and Blasting) used it regardless.

Who is responsible for removing perchlorate contamination?

When perchlorate contamination of ground water or wells is found to equal or exceed two parts per billion, the owner of the property is required to take necessary steps to remove it. In the case of Westford, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has already issued a “Notice of Responsibility” to the Town of Westford (as well as to Maine Drilling and Blasting). This has the potential for becoming a major issue. It’s conceivable that Westford taxpayers will be footing the bill for this clean-up while simultaneously paying to connect affected homeowners to town water, defend lawsuits, etc. Here’s a link to Westford’s press release.

The bottom line

The Town of Westford must fulfill its responsibilities to the residents of Westford and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. In order to prepare for the fiscal impact of perchlorate mitigation, the Westford Taxpayers Association urges all town officials and staff to incorporate these costs into their current and projected budgets.

To learn more about perchlorate, visit this page at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s website.

If people don’t participate, at what point does a democracy cease to be democratic? Before we decided to organize the Westford Taxpayers Association, we talked with many fellow Westford citizens about local issues, our government, and our leadership. Here’s what we heard:

1. You really do care about Westford, but you’re too busy to become involved unless there’s a direct threat to your property or pocketbook.
2. You feel that insiders and special-interest groups are in control of Westford and that your opinion doesn’t matter.
3. You want an unbiased source of information that will help you decide for yourself what’s best for Westford.

In the months and years ahead, the Westford Taxpayers Association will serve as the focal point for people who want to become more informed about issues that affect their lives. We exist to serve you, the Westford taxpayer. We encourage you to get involved to the best of your ability, vote in local elections, attend Town Meeting, and help us make Westford a superb place in which to live.