Relief Pitching

Keeping with the spirit of the new baseball season, here is my “pitch” for economic relief. The new economic development bill (S.2331) that is making its way through the Massachusetts legislature enjoys the backing of both the Senate President and the House Speaker and is, therefore, very likely to be enacted during this legislative session. This bill makes good economic sense for the Commonwealth.

Among its many provisions, under Section 61, is the establishment of a Health and Educational Facility Authority: a nine member group appointed by the Governor and charged with the responsibility of issuing revenue bonds to facilitate the design and construction of much needed projects among the Commonwealth’s not-for-profit institutions providing higher education and healthcare to our citizens.

During this recession, architects have watched helplessly as many of our not-for-profit clients struggled in vain to find adequate financing in a climate of increasingly tight credit. This bill addresses that problem and I hope that it will serve as a model for other states looking to stimulate their design and construction industries.

This bill is a home run!!