Posted on 10/15/2013 1:42:01 PM PDT by mdittmar
Massachusetts will not use state money to reopen national parks or pay for other federal services cut off amid the government shutdown, Gov. Deval Patrick said today.
“We don’t have that kind of money,” Patrick said. “There is no way that our state is in a position to make up for the gap in spending from the federal government. We’re going to do everything we can to soften the blow but we need the government, the federal government, to be opened and fully functioning the way a first-world country ought to.”
Patrick also said his administration cannot help state employees who depend on federal grants for their income.
Other states are dipping into their own coffers to cover the shortfall.
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo reopened the Statue of Liberty on the state’s dime Sunday after it was closed for 12 days. New York State will pay about $62,000 a day from its tourism budget. Utah will pay nearly $1.7 million for 10 days of operation at several federal properties. Colorado signed a similar pact, offering to pay the federal government $362,700 to reopen Rocky Mountain National Park for 10 days. Arizona will pay $651,000 to operate the Grand Canyon for a week.
In Massachusetts, closed federal facilities and landmarks include the USS Constitution, Minuteman National Historic Park in Concord and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.
Thousands of state employees, mostly funded by federal grant programs, also have been affected.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which last winter provided assistance to nearly 9 million low-income families throughout the country, is also in jeopardy.
Addressing reporters for the first time since his return from a trip to Canada last week, Patrick said he’s been in touch with President Obama’s staff and other governors during conference calls about the shutdown.
“I can tell you there is a bipartisan interest in seeing this thing resolved,” Patrick said. “And a broad, frankly, disappointment that hostage politics like this is happening.”
In the nation’s capital, Senate leaders from both parties said a deal is near to end the partial government shutdown and avoid a potential default on America’s debt.
However, House Republicans are countering with their own proposal that would add provisions changing President Obama’s signature health care reform, commonly known as Obamacare.
The White House has said repeatedly that the president will not accept any change to Obamacare legislation during the shutdown negotiations.
Obama will meet with House Democrats at the White House this afternoon.
A resolution to end the shutdown has to be passed in both the Senate and House.
Patrick said it’s up to Speaker of the House John Boehner to end the impasse and call a vote on a continuing resolution to fund the government.
“Speaker Boehner has it within his power, if he would just call the question, because he has the votes in the House. He’s just letting a small group of Tea Party radicals hold the rest of Congress and the rest of the country hostage,” Patrick said.
Patrick said he’s not sure when the shutdown will end, and Congress needs to “put the country first” to resolve the stalemate.
If Mass. hadn’t chased off so many mass’oles to N.H., they might have enough money....
One pleasant day of driving around .. one guy ... with a key and enough muscle to move a barrycade.
$200.00
You ain't got a double C note?
Liein' POS.
Hand the national parks back over to the states and charge usage fees.
So he’s admitting socialized health care leads governments into bankruptcy?
What Tea Party? We were told a while back by Liberals that the Tea Party was no more, was a non-factor, was insignificant, was a bunch of has-beens.
obama has given Massachusetts alot of our money,guess he blew it all.
Old Ironsides is active Navy.
I agree. The feds have been giving them to the UN anyway, right? States—take back ALL your land. Charge the feds to use it. How did it become the other way round?
Here in Michigan, the state has to pay local taxes on state land.
It is somewhat entertaining to watch the various LIB asshats and moonbats squirm.
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