Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Statement on the Governor’s State of the Commonwealth Address
Tonight I released the
following statement regarding Governor Patrick’s State of the Commonwealth
Address:
“Tonight Governor Patrick has spoken eloquently about the strengths
of our Commonwealth, and the many attributes of the people of our state. In doing so he has recounted our challenging
path through a long and difficult recession, and expressed our prospects for
recovery.
Yet the Fiscal Year 2015 budget he has delivered to the
legislature creates serious concerns.
First, it increases state spending by nearly 5%, an ambitious amount in
light of the fluctuating revenue patterns of the past several months, and it
depends on revenue from gaming, though it’s proving difficult to get even one
facility started in the state.
Unfortunately, the governor’s proposal also once again
incorporates new taxes and stabilization fund withdrawals into the state
spending plan, continuing a trend of dependence on these things even as we
should be seeking to move away from them to build a solid foundation for future
prosperity.
Hopefully as the legislative process unfolds we can chart a
new course toward prosperity, and one which spends the dividends of robust
economic growth rather than making tax increases and one-time revenue measures
an integral part of every budget discussion.
There are many ways to accomplish that goal, and we must be bold enough
to pursue them.”
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