For Immediate Release
June 29, 2004
Please Contact: Colin Durrant (617)722-1650 or
Dalié Jiménez, 617-722-1650

Barrios Blasts Gov's Veto of $10 million in MWRA Rate Relief

(Boston) – Senator Jarrett T. Barrios (D-Cambridge) today blasted Governor Romney for vetoing $10 million in much-needed rate relief for MWRA water and sewer customers. Last week the MWRA Board warned that rates for MWRA customers would jump 3.9 percent because of Romney’s veto -- up from up the 1.9 percent estimated increase if funding was approved. Calling the Governor “out of touch with hard working families,” Barrios promised to work with fellow legislators to move quickly to immediately override the Governor’s veto.

“Working families are seeing their monthly bills increase in everything from housing to telephone costs, and now the Governor wants them to pay even more for their water and sewer?” questioned Senator Barrios. He continued, “With his veto pen the Governor has chosen to give every MWRA customer a tax increase and we’ll do everything we can in the Senate to override his veto and give people the relief they deserve.”

A significant portion of the rate relief – also known as the Debt Service Assistance line-item -- goes towards paying-off existing debt at the MWRA. This debt accounts for well over half the Authority’s expenses and was incurred in large part due to the court ordered clean-up of Boston Harbor. The money was originally included in the House and Senate’s FY’05 budget.

###

The Jarrett Barrios Website is privately paid for and authorized by
The Barrios Committee, Daniel Schlozman, Treasurer
PO Box 391254, Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 661-1805
Problems? Contact webmaster@senatorbarrios.org

Text portions, photographs, graphics, and source code © 2002-2005, The Barrios Committee. All rights reserved.
Click here for our full Privacy/Copyright/Linking Policy.