Angelo Scaccia Has No Idea What Boston Gets in Local Aid

In the debate over the Lawrence loan bill, Hyde Park Rep. Angelo Scaccia rose to support the bill, noting:

One of the biggest debates every year is local aid. If that’s not a handout to every community, I don’t know what is. How many communities could survive without the local aid, Chapter 70? Is that a bailout? Of course it is. Of course it is. How many communities would flounder today without that subsidy? Many. There are many communities that we help in the area of local aid, 75, 80, 90, 95 percent of their budget. Take for instance the city of Boston.

(emphasis added; from State House News, sub. req’d)

He’s represented a Boston district for over 30 years, he must have a rough idea of what share of the city’s budget comes from state aid, right?

Try 22.5%, according to the state’s Department of Revenue.

That’s 77th on the list for FY10 and only .5% over the state average.

What’s the number for Lawrence? They are one of 25 communities that don’t have current numbers in to DOR. Based on FY09, they got 69% of their budget from the state, which would put them far and away at the top of the list if that holds for FY10.