MASSPIRG Education Fund

FEATURED REPORT

Out of the Shadows:
Massachusetts' Quasi-Public Agencies and the Need for Budget Transparency

4/18/10: In Massachusetts, quasi-public agencies perform vital government functions, delivering essential services such as operating public buses and rail systems, delivering drinking water and managing public pensions. They employ thousands of people and sometimes control billion-dollar budgets. Because they are not directly accountable to the legislature and exempt from many kinds of public oversight, these agencies should make their decisions and budgets especially open to public scrutiny.

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RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Shedding Light on Quasi-Public Agencies

MASSPIRG Education Fund’s report Out of the Shadows is an in-depth look at quasi-public agencies that perform vital public functions, such as operating public transportation systems and delivering drinking water, yet are exempt from many kinds of public oversight. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has since incorporated some of our recommendations, such as including the budget of many quasi-public agencies in a new website, which will allow members of the public to easily see how our tax dollars are being spent.

Connecting the Commonwealth

In 2009, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts implemented comprehensive, progressive transportation reforms aimed at consolidating the various transportation agencies to improve efficiency and coordination. Some of the reforms were influenced by MASSPIRG Education Fund’s 2008 report, Connecting the Commonwealth, which examined the cost of driving on commuters, and the benefits of transit in terms of reducing oil consumption and relieving traffic congestion.

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RECENT REPORTS

Out of the Shadows: Massachusetts Quasi-Public Agencies and the Need for Budget Transparency 5/18/2010

In Massachusetts, quasi-public agencies perform vital government functions, delivering essential services such as operating public buses and rail systems, delivering drinking water and managing public pensions. They employ thousands of people and sometimes control billion-dollar budgets. Because they are not directly accountable to the legislature and exempt from many kinds of public oversight, these agencies should make their decisions and budgets especially open to public scrutiny.

Tax Shell Game: What Do Tax Dodgers Cost You? 4/15/2010

The IRS estimates that individuals and corporations currently hold $5 trillion in tax haven countries and asserts that the United States is responsible for a large portion of these assets.

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MEET OUR STAFF

Janet Domenitz, Executive Director

As executive director of MASSPIRG Education Fund, Janet Domenitz is responsible for coordinating policy development, research, and advocacy for the largest public interest organization in Massachusetts. She has served in that position since 1989. She currently serves on the board of Massachusetts Common Cause, which gave her the 2005 Distinguished Citizen Award, and she is a former member of the national governing board of Common Cause. Ms. Domenitz serves as President of the Consumer Federation of America, and was a founding member of Earth Day Greater Boston.

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