Steve Crawford has been around Massachusetts politics a long time, mostly working for Democratic candidates and causes. Today, in addition to advising Gov. Deval Patrick, he serves as spokesman for the Boston Teachers Union, according to a recent Associated Press story, and is helping to coordinate the campaign to defeat Question 1 on November's ballot.

The ballot initiative would repeal the state income tax and cut the state's revenue stream almost in half. And what has officials from Patrick on down particularly concerned is the fact that a similar measure was endorsed by a surprising 39 percent of the voters (44 percent in Essex County) in 2002.

Crawford is right when he says this is a drastic, even "reckless," way to achieve change. A cut of this magnitude would likely result in the elimination of all state aid to cities and towns and significant reductions in services at the state and local levels.

And he's right when he says voters are frustrated. But in this case it's not declining real-estate values or rising gas prices that have them so upset. Rather, it's the failure by those on Beacon Hill to address the profligate spending practices in the public sector.

While running "lean" is the new watchword for most private companies and their employees, it's still Fat City for many who work for government. The latter expect regular pay increases — and not based on their performance, either; heavily subsidized health coverage; and generous retirement benefits.

Their jobs are not quite as secure as they used to be simply because many cities and towns can't keep up with rising labor costs and have no choice but to resort to layoffs. But between the protections provided by Civil Service, collective bargaining contracts and a legal system that always seems to favor the employee over the employer, those with plenty of seniority have little to worry about even today.

It's time government gets a dose of reality. Crawford and his colleagues had better hope it doesn't come in the form of a yes vote on Question 1 this Nov. 4.

"We understand that people are frustrated with the economy, frustrated with the situation with foreclosures and the price of gasoline. We are concerned that their frustration might be reflected at the ballot box."

Gubernatorial advisorSteve Crawford