What to say about a state legislative year that began with the near-unanimous re-election of a soon-to-be-indicted Speaker of the House and ended with state finances still in disarray despite the approval of a 25 percent sales-tax hike?

Despite all the springtime rhetoric about "reform before revenues," the session just past fell well short of achieving the fundamental changes in personnel practices and policies necessary to achieve significant savings. Typical of the Beacon Hill approach to responsible spending was the vote to cut the state's share of Quinn Bill incentives for local (but not state) police and leave the cities and towns holding the bag for the balance. Local communities like Amesbury and Newburyport are among those that have had to scramble to find tens of thousands of dollars to fill the gap.

It should have come as no surprise that both chambers would adjourn for their holiday recess this week (we should all get so much vacation time) with plenty of unfinished business still on the table. They couldn't even be bothered to do away with the notorious "hack holidays" — Evacuation Day (aka St. Patrick's Day) and Bunker Hill Day — as recommended by the governor.

State and Suffolk County employees will be enjoying those days off next year while the rest of us — at least those of us still employed — go off to work as usual. And that's just the least of what the Legislature failed to accomplish.

There's a state budget still $600 million out of balance, despite the sales-tax hike and a new tax on alcoholic beverages. There's a regional transit system that's on the verge of collapse — literally, according to one expert who's advised against riding the Red Line in some locations. And there's $250 million in federal education assistance now at risk due to the House's failure to act on an education reform bill.

Gov. Deval Patrick chided the Legislature for failing to act, noting that lawmakers can simply vote to remain in session longer, especially when it's so clear that "there's work to be done."

Patrick's chiding has clearly rankled the Legislature. Instead of taking his criticism to heart and doing the people's business, they prefer to turn their backs — on the governor and the citizens.

Case in point is House Speaker Robert DeLeo, who replaced the disgraced Salvatore DiMasi earlier this year. He told reporters he found it "fascinating" that Patrick picked a charter school in the community next door to his hometown of Winthrop as a backdrop for his plea to have lawmakers stay in session and work on the education bill. He went on to say how dangerous of a precedent it would be to continue working during the Legislature's traditional break. What a petty and poor example of "leadership."

DeLeo promises education reform will be the first item on the agenda when his chamber returns to work in January. But that's only if teacher union lobbyists aren't able to use the holidays to persuade friendly legislators to gut the bill; and DeLeo and company can set some sort of record for speedy deliberation when they return. Applications for the federal aid that will go to those states that demonstrate a genuine commitment to innovative practices, must be received in Washington by mid-January, after all.

So while legislators look forward to a bountiful Thanksgiving and festive December, those who depend on state assistance — cities and towns, the homeless, the mentally ill — will spend the next few weeks wondering where the ax will fall next. Happy holidays indeed.