Lukewarm reform; Governor, Legislature still wrong on EBT.

COLUMN: IN OUR OPINION

On Sunday, Gov. Deval Patrick signed a $32.5 billion state budget, but offered lawmakers a few curveballs in the form of vetoes and reallocating some $64 million from their original spending blueprint. Most of the tweaks the governor offered are defensible and involved relatively small sums. On two of the more controversial topics - vehicle registration and welfare benefits reform - we think his action is a split decision.

Mr. Patrick amended the Legislature's language seeking to tighten motor vehicle registration. Calling it "murky" and "overbroad," his amendment would give applicants more ways to prove their residence, and greater leeway to the Registry of Motor Vehicles to grant exceptions.

"I will not accept any Arizona-style legislation while I serve in this office," Mr. Patrick declared.

That surely qualifies as hyperbole. Nothing the Legislature offered came anywhere near the strength of the measures enacted by Arizona last year in an effort to curb illegal immigration. Such dramatic language may win political points, but has little practical impact.

The fact is that the language on motor vehicle registration in the original legislation and that in Mr. Patrick's amendment are fairly close. If strictly and properly enforced, either proposal should reduce the numbers of unqualified, ineligible and downright dangerous people on the commonwealth's roads.

Unfortunately, on the issue of welfare benefits reform, both the Legislature and Mr. Patrick have failed to advance the interests of either taxpayers or recipients. Attention this year has rightly focused on the abuse of Electronic Benefits Transfer cards - through their sale, their...