Unemployment Rate Hits 9.5 Percent

The state’s unemployment rate jumped to 9.5 percent in January, according to figures released today by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. State labor officials also announced that December’s unemployment figures had to be revised upwards, from 9.1 percent to 9.3 percent.

The latest jobless figures put Massachusetts dangerously close to the national unemployment rate of 9.7 percent. There are now 329,100 Massachusetts residents out of work, which does not bode well for the state’s economic recovery.

One thing the rising unemployment numbers make clear is that the Patrick Administration’s economic policy has been a failure. The lack of a comprehensive jobs creation plan is hurting Massachusetts and putting the Commonwealth at a huge competitive disadvantage. The policies enacted over the past three years are hurting Massachusetts and have made a bad situation even worse. The question now is, just how high does the unemployment rate need to go before the Patrick Administration finally gets serious about taking action to put people back to work?

Scott Brown’s Tax Cut

A tax cut… proposed by Senator Scott Brown (R-MA).

Almost one month to the day of entering the U.S. Senate after a race that rocked the political world, Sen. Scott Brown, R-MA, has come out with his first piece of legislation — a tax cut.

It targets mostly working class Americans, those employees making up to about $200,000, with a temporary tax cut that would, according to data released from Brown’s office, save the average worker “about $100 a month for a total of at least $500 for individuals and $1,000 for working couples.”

Brown will win few, if any, Democratic supporters, however, as he seeks to pay for the entire amendment with “all unallocated stimulus funds,” of which Brown estimates there is “over $80 billion.”

There has not yet been a full analysis of the bill, which offers the tax cut for a six month period, which determines its price tag, by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Brown’s office, in a statement, said, “Families could immediately use their returned tax dollars to provide for their families and put back into the struggling economy to spur job creation.”

Let’s hope the new senator offers this provision real soon; and let’s also hope that Democrats were inspired by Brown’s non-partisanship and really consider this.

Line in the Sand

You gotta be kidding me.

Gov. Deval Patrick’s lightning fast reversal yesterday on a controversial $5 Registry of Motor Vehicles fee unveiled by the Herald was an election year bid by the struggling governor to prove he can be responsive to Bay State voters, said political analysts.

“There’s such a populist outrage against any new taxes or hidden taxes, he couldn’t take on another charge that he has a tin ear to the people,” said Boston University political professor Thomas Whalen.

Patrick halted the fee – and vowed to hand out refunds – only one day after the Herald reported his administration had quietly installed a $5 charge for customers who renew their license or registration with an RMV employee at a branch office or on the phone.

“I appreciate what the registrar and (transportation) secretary are trying to do, but we’re going to have to look for another way to do this because the pushback has been actually quite understandable,” Patrick said.

Critics branded the new charge, which even caught legislators by surprise, as a “backdoor” tax on the poor and elderly.

Patrick said yesterday he supports the move to encourage more RMV transactions online, but said he didn’t want to burden taxpayers during hard economic times. The fee will be rescinded as soon as possible.

“I think he knows he’s got to look a lot better,” said John C. Berg, a political professor at Suffolk University.

Patrick’s dismal showing in recent polls means “he’s got to campaign from now to the election if he’s going to convince voters he’s on their side,” Berg said.

RMV began charging the fee Monday for anyone who walked into a branch office to renew a license, a registration or request a duplicate license. Motorists who used mail, the Internet, or the automated phone system were not charged.

UPDATE: Please be sure to join us Wednesday night at 8:00pm EST for the latest edition of The Notes on Blog Talk Radio! Our guests will be authors Dr. Roy W. Spencer and Steven L. Pease. Plus, more from the Herald.

SECOND UPDATE: More from the AP, Herald and Globe.

THIRD UPDATE: More from the Herald, CNN.com and the AP.

The Short Lived RMV Tax

That didnt’ last long at all.

Gov. Deval Patrick today announced he’s not only rescinding a controversial new $5 fee levied by the state Registry of Motor Vehicles he will even refund those who already paid it.

The move comes a day after the Herald reported the Patrick administration had quietly slipped in the new fee, surprising even members of the Legislature. Critics branded it a “back door” tax on the poor and the elderly.

Patrick said today the negative response was heard loud and clear.

“I appreciate what the registrar and secretary are trying to do, but we’re going to have to look for another way to do this because the push back has been actually quite understandable,” Patrick said.

“We want to make the government as responsive as possible but I think this is one we need to think about in a different way,” the governor added.

Patrick said earlier today the idea was to move more RMV transactions online, but he didn’t want to burden taxpayers during hard economic times. The fee will be rescinded as soon as possible.

RMV began charging the fee yesterday, for anyone who walked into a branch office to renew a license, a registration or request a duplicate license. Anyone who called and talked to an RMV employee to conduct those transactions was charged the fee, as well.

Motorists who used the RMV’s website to conduct business or their automated telephone system were not charged.

State lawmakers who were stunned by the new fee applauded the decision to rescind it.

I’ve believed for a long time that Deval Patrick is trying to tank his reelection “campaign” in order to keep his promise that he will, in fact, run for reelection–but lose. This sets him up for a cushy job in the ill-fated Obama Administration without being called a liar… he’ll be called a moron, but not a liar when it comes his promise to seek reelection. I think this back-door RMV tax that failed faster than he put new drapes on the windows is as close to proof as we’ve seen this year.

RMV Tax?

If someone can explain the sense in this, I’m all ears:

Gov. Deval Patrick is quietly whacking beleaguered Bay State motorists with a $5 fee to use Registry of Motor Vehicle branches to renew their licenses and registrations, outraging critics who say the “back-door tax” hits poor and elderly drivers the hardest.

The fee, which goes into effect today, comes on the heels of a $10 license renewal increase last year.

“In this economic climate we shouldn’t be nickel-and-diming people for mandated services,” said state Sen. Steve Baddour (D-Methuen), who co-chairs the Legislative Transportation Committee, and is planning to look into repealing the fee.

Republicans said residents ought to be able to walk in and use their RMV branches without penalty.

“This is a back-door tax that hits the poor and elderly the hardest,” said Tarah Donoghue, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Republican Party. “They can’t afford or don’t have Internet access and computers. The Patrick-Murray administration is burdening those people who can afford it the least.”

Customers will incur the new $5 fee if they speak with an RMV representative on the phone or go in to one of the 30 branches for the following services:

• Renewing your driver’s license (except for the 10-year renewal required in person);
• Getting a duplicate license or Massachusetts ID;
• Renewing your registration; or
• Requesting an attested driving record.

The fee won’t be charged for transactions completed online, by mail, or over the RMV’s automated phone system.

I just don’t get this. This is essentially a tax for interacting with state employees in lieu of utilizing automated or online services. I find this particularly odd because it’s usually the other way around, and dubbed a “convenience fee.” I’ve gotten my fair share of parking tickets around the Boston area, and wouldn’t you know it, if I wanted to pay my fine online, I was charged a fee; if I paid in person or by mail, no fee.

So which is it? Are we to be levied with fees for utilizing online services, or in-person services? Either way, it’s absurd. More transactions online mean less people to pay at the RMV, so it ends up in a cost savings and it saves people time. It’s a win-win. But charging people to waste their time in line, dealing with people who really couldn’t care less about helping you, for that you are charging a fee?

Screw that. My license expires next year, and since I renewed online 5 years ago, I have no choice but to go stand in line at the RMV, and I’ll be damned if you try to charge me an extra fee to do that.

This Guy Sucks

Is this not the unofficial end of Gov. Patrick’s tenure?

Gov. Deval Patrick is quietly whacking beleaguered Bay State motorists with a $5 fee to use Registry of Motor Vehicle branches to renew their licenses and registrations, outraging critics who say the “back-door tax” hits poor and elderly drivers the hardest.

The fee, which goes into effect today, comes on the heels of a $10 license renewal increase last year.

“In this economic climate we shouldn’t be nickel-and-diming people for mandated services,” said state Sen. Steve Baddour (D-Methuen), who co-chairs the Legislative Transportation Committee, and is planning to look into repealing the fee.

Republicans said residents ought to be able to walk in and use their RMV branches without penalty.

“This is a back-door tax that hits the poor and elderly the hardest,” said Tarah Donoghue, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Republican Party. “They can’t afford or don’t have Internet access and computers. The Patrick-Murray administration is burdening those people who can afford it the least.”

Customers will incur the new $5 fee if they speak with an RMV representative on the phone or go in to one of the 30 branches for the following services:

Renewing your driver’s license (except for the 10-year renewal required in person);

Getting a duplicate license or Massachusetts ID;

Renewing your registration; or

Requesting an attested driving record.

The fee won’t be charged for transactions completed online, by mail, or over the RMV’s automated phone system.

“We want to discourage people from going to the branches,” said Ann Dufresne, a spokeswoman for the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

UPDATE: More from NECN, the Herald and Wall Street Journal.

SECOND UPDATE: More from Michael Graham and the Herald.

THIRD UPDATE: Gov. Patrick changes his mind. More from Todd Feinburg.