Rep. Evangelidis Pushes for Storm Relief

According to yesterday's Landmark (p.17) Representative Lew Evangelidis continues to work hard to secure money from the state to pay for ice storm costs and transportation. As reported by Danielle Ray, Rep. Evangelidis spoke out against this year's budget when it was being bantered about last summer at the State House. Everyone reading this blog knows that at the time, he called those numbers "unsustainable and unaffordable" and clearly, he was right. Lew presses on for our priorities and is determined to get funding for local aid, the PILOT program, regional school transportation and education. In the article, he also cautioned about becoming dependent on the stimulus aid since two years from now those federal dollars stop flowing. Rather than looking closer at costs with the intention of reforming and restraining, cities and towns, relieved that little needs to be cut, may simply accept the money and continue on with business as usual. Ms. Ray quotes Mr. Evangelidis, summarizing in this common sense way. "'With difficult economic times comes the opportunity to look extra hard at all our budgets and see where we can save.'"

The Landmark, March 19, 2009, "Evangelidis looks for transportation, storm aid" by Danielle Ray, p.17