Go "D"

Go "D"

The sales tax increase is too much, the lack of common sense to keep it under the neighboring state's sales tax is incomprehensible. Gas tax discourages use of fossil fuel and dependence on foreign oil (yes, there is a connection to spending trillions of dollars on wars in the Middle East).

Imagine this lot supporting casino legislation when they can't figure out that they shouldn't be taking gifts to do their jobs! 50 years of waste and corruption in the billions and billions of dollars is what it took to begin to reform transportation in the Commonwealth. The Legislative Leadership (oxymoron) that has worked under the dome for years now realizes that pension reform is needed: VETO the proposed budget Mr. Governor, go "D".

STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK:

Friday, June 19, 2009

“I pledged to veto the Legislature's proposed sales tax increase unless the Legislature first enacted meaningful reforms in the pension system, the transportation network, and our ethics and lobbying rules. In the last 10 days, the Legislature has passed and I have signed legislation eliminating long-standing pension abuses. They have also passed what, at first review, seems to be a good-faith effort at reforming our broken transportation system. I commend the House and Senate for their work on these reform measures.

“However, the fact that we have not been able to pass a strong ethics reform bill -- despite the clear need to restore the public's trust -- threatens all the progress we have made. For the Legislature to enact a 25% increase in the sales tax without first passing a strong ethics bill goes against the pledge that the Legislative leaders and I made, and that the public expects us to keep, to deliver all three reforms before new revenue.

“We know what to do. The House passed a solid ethics bill. The Senate's bill contains a good new idea regarding campaign finance. Legislative leaders should quickly agree to final ethics legislation that includes the strongest provisions from the House, the Senate and my original bill -- including a gift ban and campaign finance reform. Without that, I will veto the sales tax.”

Need I tell you - part deux "Philly Mobsters"

We have Marshall and Troha on the corruption stage along with Anthony Nicodemo the reputed Philly mobster with the Middleborough, Mohegan Sun and Borgata/Atlantic City casino operations respectively.

However, 2009 has ushered in a new era in Massachusetts. The Governor's Task Force on Ethics has returned it's recommendations. It is great to see this step at the beginning of the second half of the Patrick Administration's tenure. We have come a long way since the ridiculous drapes and Caddy controversy, through the quagmire of the three -casino proposal, to ethics reform. Well done.

I am even hopeful that there will be a rake dragged through the prolific (aka bloated) number of six figure incomes of "public servants" in the Commonwealth, as we get hit with cuts to local aid....nah.

Maybe Congress (you know that batch of multi-millionaires - with the exception of a few, who enjoy lucrative benefits, pensions and outside contracts) will really work for the American people as recently stated,

"The most immediate task for the new Congress will be helping struggling families hurt by the ailing economy,"

by Congressman Olver (D-Amherst) and forego the 2.8% pay hike they granted themselves during this recession that is hammering working people....wanna bet?