Belt-tightening and more

IT DOESN'T REQUIRE a State of the City address at historic Faneuil Hall to tell Bostonians that the public sector faces a deep fiscal crisis. Bostonians want to hear how Mayor Menino intends to make the most of the city's shrinking tax dollars. Instead, last night he commiserated with residents while offering strong hints that he will seek a fifth term in November.

In his one bold sortie during the roughly 20-minute speech, Menino called on city unions to accept a one-year wage freeze. Such a move would save $55 million this year and could offset the need to lay off hundreds of workers, according to city officials. Such drastic action may be necessary to maintain an acceptable level of city services at a time when the city faces a $140 million budget shortfall. But a proposal to pare the paychecks of 17,000 city workers deserved more explanation, even in the context of a tightly delivered televised speech, than Menino provided. Minimally, the mayor might have pointed to the need for sharp reductions in the city's workforce in 2004 following less drastic dips in revenue and state aid.

"We cannot tighten our belts out of this situation - no matter how much we prioritize, legislate, and consolidate," warned Menino.

But that assumption also needs to be tested. Samuel Tyler, who heads the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, faults the mayor for missing an opportunity to require eligible municipal retirees to enroll in Medicare, a way to shift much of the cost of the retiree healthcare system onto the federal government. Menino may be missing other opportunities. Could the city sell surplus land or equipment to ride out the fiscal crisis? What about the in-house "productivity banks" used in Philadelphia and elsewhere that give or lend money to city departments for innovative projects that can't be funded in the budget? And is the city doing all it can to manage worker injury leaves and high disability costs? It's not just the ability to cut that sees a city through a fiscal crisis.

The mayor, who sometimes uses major speeches to jab at state government or political detractors, wisely chose a more compassionate and conciliatory tone for the speech. The city is mourning the loss of Boston Fire Lieutenant Kevin M. Kelly, who died Friday in a ladder truck accident in Mission Hill.

Menino used last night's speech to reinforce his reputation as the accessible mayor of the neighborhoods, citing the city's aggressive efforts to prevent foreclosures, tamp down residential property taxes, and open new branch libraries.

"I will stand by your side to preserve your investment . . . I will fight to protect all that we have achieved," said Menino.

These are the words of a man looking forward to November.