They need to make more cuts in benefits and pension along with a salary renegotiation with a 3 year contract. Who has a job right now? Only those in the public sector...the private sector can not keep supporting these public employees for life...

I do not EVER want to see people out of work but with that being said, I feel that if we can lay off 3500 people and still operate, we have at least 3500 people too many working for the state.

Also state employees need to pay their medical and pension just like everyone else, Why should I have to pay 100% of my pension and theirs too?

If you really think about it we pay their health insurance, their pension and also 50% of their social security payments since we are of course their employer.

AND - when the economy tanks, taking our 401K's (our retirement funds) with it, we have to pay more in taxes (with less in our retirement funds) to prop up their pensions because our state constitution guarantees that their pensions will not be decreased.

Any one else notice that the folks who voted "no" are not leaving an explanation as to why?

This is why IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL IS CRITICAL !
GOP forced the "public option" out of Obamacare..

If everyone in this country had the same health insurance that members of Congress have- funded by the federal govt tax rolls- then companies cannot claim the USA is not competative to other EU which has universal health care- and local property taxes would drop significantly overnight not having to pay for it. The only people discusssing Medicare for All is Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Dennis Kucinich and the GREEN PARTY- Dr. Jill Stein of Universal HealthCare MA has announced her run for President promising Improved Medicare for All !!

EU is doing sooooo well isn't it. That is what socialism and free healthcare for all gets you.