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Channel 5
Investigative Team Reports on the Use of Consultants in State Government
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Dear M.O.S.E.S. Member,
Recently the Channel 5 Investigative Team did a report on
the excessive use of consultants in our transportation agencies. As you all
know, this is only the tip of the iceberg; we have the same problems in many
other state agencies. MOSES will continue to make this important information
available to the public.
Attached is a link to the story and a video of
the investigative report.
THANKS !
Joe Dorant, President |
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Team
5 Investigates:
Many Bridge Projects Cost Double
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Private
Consultants Replace State Engineers, Millions of Dollars Wasted
BOSTON --
Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed a nearly $4 billion plan to fix hundreds of
decaying bridges statewide. But Team 5 Investigates' Janet Wu reported Thursday
that unless the state dramatically changes how those bridges are repaired,
taxpayers will end up spending millions of dollars unnecessarily.
More
Watch Video |
MOSES ALERT!
State
Employee Health Insurance Victory!!
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Dear M.O.S.E.S. Member,
All of our hard work paid off! The House of
Representatives voted to maintain the current state employee health insurance
premium split. A sincere thank you goes out to all the M.O.S.E.S. members who
contacted their legislators - they heard our message loud and clear!
Please call your State Representative and thank him or her for their support.
The main number for the State House is 617-722-2800.
Sincerely yours,
Joe Dorant, President
Bridget K.
Quinn, Legislative Agent
HOUSE REJECTS HEALTH INSURANCE
PROPOSAL!
The proposal to increase health insurance
premium costs for MOSES members and other state employees by up to $2000 per
year was soundly defeated in the House of Representatives. Representative Marty
Walsh, D-Dorchester filed an amendment to budget to keep health insurance
premium contribution rates at their current levels. Over 107 legislators signed
on to the amendment!
MOSES and other public employee unions
launched an all-out campaign to lobby legislators and mobilize our union
memberships with letters, emails and calls.
In the coming weeks the Senate Ways & Means
Committee will release its FY 09 budget plan. We are hopeful that the Senate
will not make any attempt to increase health insurance costs for state
employees.
Keep
checking the MOSES homepage for additional updates. Thank you, again, for all
of your hard work in support of fair health insurance for all state employees. |

2008 MOSES
Golf Outing
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The 2008 MOSES golf outing will be held on
Friday, June 13th at the
Hampden County Club located in Hampden MA. The format will be a four person scramble. Form your own team. We are scheduling a
10:00 A.M. shotgun start. The
cost will be $85.00 per person which includes
includes 18 holes of golf with cart, dinner and prizes. Members, Family
and Guest are invited.
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MOSES Member from DEP Receives EPA Award
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MADEP Employee Recognized
for Outstanding Wastewater Operator Training and Certification
Assistance
Thomas Bienkiewicz of the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection was recently honored with the "2007 State Wastewater
Operator Training and Certification Assistance Provider Award" by EPA.
EPA’s New England office formally acknowledged Mr. Bienkiewicz at the annual New
England Water Environment Association Conference at the Boston Copley Marriott
Hotel.
“I would like to thank EPA - Region 1 for recognizing the Importance for
Individualized Training and Certification for Wastewater Treatment Plant
operators. This Training and Certification hopefully will advance the WWTP
compliance and professionalism in the field. Thank you again for the 2007 State
and Municipal wastewater Operator Training and Certification Assistance Provider
Award,” said Mr. Bienkiewicz.
This award is one way EPA acknowledges the exceptional and diligent, work of its
state counterparts who provide technical assistance, training, and operator
certification assistance to municipal wastewater treatment facilities throughout
New England.
Mr. Bienkiewicz has provided essential operator training and certification
assistance to wastewater treatment plant operators in Massachusetts for many
years. Mr. Bienkiewicz has the professional respect of not only his peers, but
more importantly, wastewater treatment plant superintendents and operators
throughout
Massachusetts.
"The professionals providing technical assistance, training, and certification
assistance to wastewater treatment plants play a crucial role in ensuring that
our lakes and rivers are protected from unnecessary pollution,” said Robert W.
Varney, regional administrator for EPA's New England Office. "I am proud to
acknowledge Tom Bienkiewicz’s contributions to keeping Massachusetts’
waterways."
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MOSES Testifies Before Transportation Commission
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President Joe Dorant and Mickey Splaine, BOD member and Mass Highway Engineer spoke before the Transportation Commission on April 30th.
DCR Engineers Mark Griffin and David Lenhardt as well as Board Member Mary Richards attended the public hearing.
During a public meeting members of the Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers & Scientists (MOSES), which includes engineers from Mass Highway and DCR, testified that huge reductions in staffing have left the agencies unable to keep up with crumbling bridges and roadways. In addition, privatization of roadway projects has cost the state more money than keeping the work in-house.
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MOSES HONORED FOR RESPONSE TO BIG DIG TRAGEDY
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The state’s professionals from the
Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists
(MOSES) on Friday were thanked for their hard work following the
tragic Big Dig ceiling collapse. Following the July 2006
accident, more than 100 members of MOSES were called to the
scene to supervise and inspect the repairs being performed by
the contractor in the tunnel. The state’s professional engineers
worked around the clock for the next several months to ensure
the tunnel’s safety and restore the public’s confidence.
“First and foremost, MOSES is committed to protecting the
public’s safety, and that’s exactly what we were focused on in this response,”
said MOSES president Joe Dorant. “What happened in that accident was
inexcusable, and MOSES was there to make sure the public could feel safe and
secure following the disaster.”
On Friday, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray and Mass Highway Chief
Engineer Frank Tramontozzi honored MOSES members with a photo event in the State
House. MOSES is committed to working cooperatively with state leaders to ensure
programs and initiatives are in place that will provide meaningful improvement
to the state’s infrastructure and protect the public’s safety.
“The men and women honored today are critical to ensuring
the public’s safety and the response to the Big Dig collapse is a notable
example of the work they undertake everyday,” said Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray.
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MOSES Member
at DCR Receives Public Service Award from the Charles River
Watershed Association
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The Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA)
recently honored MOSES member Robert Lowell (center), Storm
Water Manager for the state Department of Conservation and
Recreation (DCR), with the 2007 Rita Barron Public Official
Award. (Also pictured is Robert Zimmerman, Executive Director of
the CRWA, far left and Kate Bowditch, far right, Director of
Projects for the CRWA.) The honor is presented each year to a
public official from the local, state or federal government who
has made significant contributions to cleaning up the Charles
River. The association cited Lowell, a former civil engineer for
natural resources, for his commitment by DCR to upgrade and
improve its storm water management and, ultimately, brings it
into compliance with the standards established by the US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Lowell initiated an
extensive survey of DCR properties and spent two years mapping
areas where storm water enters the environment.
MOSES congratulates Robert on his achievements, and outstanding
work performance as a public employee.
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