When Massachusetts state government sets out to build better public services, it turns to private vendors.
That approach is failing us. We deserve better. I am running for state representative because I know how to get it done.
For much of the past year, Massachusetts had the slowest unemployment system in the country. Workers who lost their jobs would submit applications and wait three months – without income – for an update. The long waits started in May 2025, after a new system went live. That new system was developed by a company ironically named Fast Enterprises.
These failures take place behind the scenes, sometimes years after legislators pass a bill they say will solve a problem. For example, a 2022 state law was supposed to create a single application for public benefits such as MassHealth, Snap and rental assistance. This “common app” would free families from the burden of submitting the same documents again and again for different programs. And in 2023, $18 million was set aside to build it app. Four years later, there is no common app. The solicitation process to hire a vendor dragged on for more than a year. In the meantime, no one could make any progress.
Our neighborhoods’ physical infrastructure suffers from outsourcing as much as digital infrastructure. Cambridgeport residents have contributed to conversations about taking down the Mass Pike overpass in Allston for more than a decade. But the state Department of Transportation’s reliance on outside design and engineering consultants – and the loss of in-house expertise under governor Charlie Baker – contributed to yearslong delays getting final plans. Those delays increased costs. More importantly, $335 million in federal funding sat unused, then got taken away by D.C. Republicans. A generational opportunity to reconnect our neighborhoods is at risk because we failed to directly employ great public servants to get it done.
Good intentions aren’t enough to move Massachusetts forward. Our state legislators of course say they support speeding up unemployment benefits, strengthening our safety net and expanding public transit. But without tackling the failed model of outsourcing, these goals will too often remain broken promises. I worked as a U.S. government data scientist for 3.5 years under the last administration, and my team’s job was to actually make the government work better. We helped the IRS hire thousands of agents to make sure the ultrawealthy paid their taxes; we delivered baby boxes to parents coming home from the hospital with their newborns; and we fought the stranglehold big corporations had on government contracts.
Now I’m running for state representative in Cambridge and Somerville to strengthen our public services. Here’s how I’ll get it done:
First up is transparency. Contracts for the three projects I mentioned above are supposed to be reported on Commbuys, “the e-procurement platform for the commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Try to look any of them up! It’s nearly impossible to figure out which vendors worked on a given project, or how much these companies got paid. We should be able to trace how the money budgeted for public services is being spent. If any of it goes to private vendors, we should know what they were being asked to do, and how successful they were. Massachusetts spends more than $4 billion on contracts every year. If a contractor underperforms consistently, we shouldn’t hire them again.
We also need to make it easier to attract and keep public servants in state government. So many of our neighbors would be interested in bringing their talent to solve hard problems in government, but don’t see a pathway into public service. We should increase agencies’ flexibility to pay top talent more and offer two- or four-year tours of service (like the U.S. Digital Service, pre-Doge). This support goes for frontline employees, too. The delays in unemployment benefits occurred partially because there just weren’t enough caseworkers to answer the phone and review applications. I’ll stand up for adequate staffing before a breakdown happens, even when other budget items get more attention.
Finally, I will push to change how we budget, shifting modernization funds from capital investments to operating expenses. The unemployment upgrades and the common app were in the state’s capital investment plan, which makes sense for large, one-off initiatives. This model supports spending tens of millions of dollars on a project all at once, with no funds available on an ongoing basis. With capital funding, it’s easier to put the money on a contract instead of hiring in-house capacity. Anyone who builds software knows it’s never “done” – products require ongoing maintenance or else they’ll quickly grow out of date. If we set aside smaller amounts to build permanent teams inside state agencies, spending $10 million every year instead of $40 million all at once, we can avoid the breakdowns that come from constant contract turnover.
Somerville and Cambridge provide examples of how the public sector can deliver better results by cutting outsourcing. Somerville’s Mobility Division has transformed streets around East Somerville to protect children, cyclists and pedestrians. And the Cambridge Housing Authority offers its services to cities all around New England. By lifting up the great work our neighbors have accomplished, we can build support for strengthening public service in state agencies.
Hiring rules and procurement data are never going to grab big headlines. But our communities would be transformed by public services they can truly rely on. To deliver health care for all, build a world-class transit system and end generational poverty, our government needs to work. As your state representative, it’ll be my job to make it work.
Neil Miller is running for state representative in the 26th Middlesex District, covering parts of Cambridge and Somerville.
Feature image by Undone via Flickr.
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