Posts with the tag 'Deval Patrick'
A Rasmussen Report poll released yesterday has some very interesting things to say, to both the Governor seeking reelection, and to the Republican Party that is hoping to gain back the Corner Office.
Oddly enough, Deval Patrick still garners 40% of the vote–which seems like a lot for a guy you could swear is trying to throw his own reelection. More interesting than Governor Patrick’s specific numbers, is the challengers’ numbers.
First up, Christy Mihos, Republican turned Independent, turned back to Republican; the only declared candidate for the Republican Party at this time. In a matchup with the sitting Governor, Christy Mihos snagged 41% of the vote, edging out Patrick by one point. One point!
Not bad considering just three years ago in a three-way race, Mihos won over only 7% of the voters.
Next we have Charlie Baker, oftentimes seen as a rockstar among the Massachusetts Republican Party. Charlie Baker, who still hasn’t made up his mind about his candidacy for governor, holds 36% of the vote compared to Patrick’s 41%.
Of course, there is still a long time before Election Day, but you can’t ignore the messages that can be taken from this poll.
If Deval Patrick is trying keep his job, he’s doing something wrong. Very wrong. I think it is also fair to say that the fact he still holds 40% of the vote is a bit surprising, but then again, these are most likely the same people who continue to blindly support candidates that turn their backs on the will of the people.
This poll should speak volumes to Republicans. For starters, Christy Mihos must be taken seriously as candidate because right now, he’s our best shot at taking back the Corner Office. I know this will be hard for many that are still bitter about 2006, but it’s time to forget about the past and worry about the future. If the Republicans want to place all their chips betting on Charlie Baker, then they need to get Charlie Baker on board immediately. If Charlie Baker wants to have a fighting chance then he had better get a move on. Stop jerking us around and make your decision, or run the risk of joining the race when it’s too late.
The big winner in this poll is Christy Mihos–not only did he best Governor Patrick, but is also favored over Charlie Baker in matchups versus the incumbent. Mihos must be doing something right, but should continue his campaign as if he is behind by ten points.
Oh, and did I mention that this poll was taken before Governor Deval Patrick signed the sales tax increase?
…and don’t expect a Sales Tax Holiday either…
Tags: Charlie Baker, Christy Mihos, Deval Patrick, Polls
June 30th, 2009
And off we go down the path of tax hikes and toll hikes and falling short of making the necessary reforms to keep those hikes from happening.
Bay State consumers, already hard-pressed by a slumping economy, will be slapped with a 25 percent sales tax hike and nearly $1 billion in total tax increases Aug. 1, Gov. Deval Patrick said yesterday after signing a massive transportation reform bill.
Patrick had vowed to veto the sales tax boost if lawmakers didn’t enact transportation, pension and ethics reforms - but all three measures passed.
“I could not support a sales tax increase and ask people to pay for the status quo,” Patrick said in a statement. “Because of (the reforms), I will approve the new revenues we need to bring our budget into balance, offset the need for even more difficult cuts and expand opportunity throughout the commonwealth.”
The transportation measure also means an unpopular toll hike - scheduled take effect July 1 - will likely be averted. The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board is meeting Monday.
I am not convinced, not in the slightest, that all possible options were considered to avoid increasing taxes. When times are tight for the rest of us, we have to cut our spending. Why can’t the state? I know too many people that have to endure pay cuts in addition to their own spending cuts and times are still rough. I know too many people that have become unemployed in the last year who will also bear the brunt of tax increases at the worst possible time. If they think the state has it rough, as around, they don’t have it so bad.
If someone can explain to me why perfectly good roads are getting repaved and perfectly good highway signs are getting replaced while taxes are being raised, then perhaps you have a shot of convincing me that the hikes are necessary. But I doubt it.
We’re all tired of the incessant rain that has been falling on the Commonwealth for weeks–but there is always hope in knowing that there is sunshine in our future…at least with regards to the weather forecast. As far as the forecast for the economy of the Commonwealth–I see that dreary days well into our future.
Remind me again, why do I bother to stay in Massachusetts?
Tags: budget, Deval Patrick, Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, sales tax, tax hike, tax hikes, Taxachusetts
June 29th, 2009
Whilst campaigning, then candidate Deval Patrick told the unsuspecting voters in the Commonwealth that he would create 100,000 new jobs in Massachusetts. What he didn’t say was those jobs were going to be public sector jobs.
Okay, maybe not 100,000, but since Governor Patrick took the oath, 2,000 jobs have been added to the state payroll, while unemployment in the Commonwealth has doubled.
Massachusetts GOP Chairman Jennifer Nassour said: “Government should be focused on encouraging investment by the private sector which will lead to job growth. Instead, state government is increasing taxes on families and businesses at a time when they are hurting the most. Increasing the sales tax will cost 12,000 jobs, on top of the 275,000 already unemployed in Massachusetts. The state and federal governments are exacerbating the situation by adding more public jobs because ultimately more tax dollars will be needed to continue funding those jobs. We need smaller government, lower taxes and fewer burdens on businesses in Massachusetts so that families can get back to work.”
Together we can?
Makes you wonder why Deval isn’t moving out of state.
Tags: Deval Patrick, unemployment
June 10th, 2009
Governor Deval Patrick is putting a ‘For Sale’ sign on his Milton mansion…
Empty-nesters Gov. Deval Patrick and his wife Diane are selling their Milton manse and heading Hubward. Patrick, who faced steep $38,000 monthly payments for the Milton place and his palatial Berkshires estate, is moving because both of his daughters have grown up and moved out, according to a spokesman.
“Gov. Patrick and his wife are staring at an empty nest,” said Kyle Sullivan. “They are planning to put up their home for sale and are planning to move to Boston.”
Patrick hasn’t decided on any particular neighborhood in Boston, but is planning to stay in the Bay State despite constant rumors of a potential job with President Obama’s administration. Patrick and Obama are close both politically and personally.
Sullivan also said the decision to move wasn’t triggered by financial needs. Patrick takes in $140,000 a year as governor and pocketed more than $380,000 as part of a $1.35 million book deal last year.
Why is it I don’t believe for one second that this move has nothing to do with financial reasons? The Patrick “nest” has been nearly effectively empty for a little while–the only thing different between a year ago and now is that Patrick’s poll numbers have taken a dip, and his reelection prospects dwindle with each passing day. Without the gubernatorial salary to bank on, why wouldn’t he want to make sure his mortgage payments go way, way down?
Perhaps a position in the Obama Administration is coming soon…but I digress. Good luck selling the big ol’ house in Milton in this economy, Governor.
Tags: Deval Patrick
June 10th, 2009
The corruption indictment of Sal DiMasi, according to the Boston Globe, “contains what critics are calling an unflattering behind-the-scenes look at Governor Deval Patrick’s administration, depicting its officials as bowing to political pressure to award a $13 million computer software contract that was allegedly rigged.”
But hey, that was the hope and change Deval Patrick promise wasn’t it? The sad fact is that this is par for the course in Massachusetts. Every election cycle the Democrats gain more seats, and in 2006 they decided to completely remove checks and balances from state government. The people of Massachusetts are to blame. Michael Graham nails it here:
Bay Staters are among the nation’s most affluent and well-educated. About 75 percent of our high school grads go to college. Almost 40 percent of adults have degrees. Our median income is 25 percent higher than the national average.
Yet these “brilliant and amazing” citizens repeatedly vote themselves one of America’s most corrupt and incompetent governments.
Three indicted speakers - and counting. Empty legislative offices with fulltime paid staffs. Pension perks for incumbents so lousy that they’re finally forced out.
What sort of voters put up with this?
Meanwhile, our pols don’t hide from corruption, they celebrate it. When they re-elected Sal DiMasi speaker, everyone knew he was under investigation. But only seven Democrats withheld their votes. The rest were with Rep. Jim Fagan, who bragged, “We are direct descendants of patriots and heroes!” - a comment that must have had Sam Adams drinking in his grave.
It up to the voters to change the state’s government. Deval Patrick came is an outsider, and became part of the corrupt machine. Empty campaign rhetoric about hope and change doesn’t make you a leader, it doesn’t mean you’ll do all the glorious things you said you would do. Deval’s dismal approval ratings prove that a good campaign speech doesn’t make a good governor. True accountability can’t come until checks and balances are restored. One party rule is crippling the state, and the worst part is that it happened with the consent of the governed.
Tags: approval ratings, Boston Globe, corruption, Deval Patrick, Michael Graham, Sal DiMasi
June 4th, 2009
Two Harvard economists are suggesting that taxes be adjusted based on your height.
This is not a joke.
In a new paper, N. Gregory Mankiw and Matthew Weinzierl, while not expressly advocating a new tax system, argue forcefully for different tax rates based on height.
Weinzierl (he’s 6’1”) and Mankiw (6’2”) acknowledge their newly published paper might be seen as “quirky” — but Weinzierl noted it was written for academics to examine the various ways to think about a tax system, one of the goals of which is to “maximize the level of happiness through a redistribution of income.”
“What we’re asking people to do,” Weinzierl said in an interview, “is to think about tax policies. Does government have the right to ask those who have the ability to earn more to pay more?”
According to Weinzierl, taller people already pay higher taxes because they earn more than their shorter friends.
“The idea,” he said, “is that the main framework most economists use is taxes should be based on the ability to pay, but you can’t see who has the ability to pay more.” A proxy would be “to look for the ability to earn” and that’s where height comes in, a physical trait which you can’t change which correlates with earnings.
“If you tax height,” he said, “you can take from those who are more able to pay and give it (through lower taxes or through spending programs) to those who are less able to pay.”
The paper discusses creating a policy which applies principles set forth by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto.“Pareto efficiency” holds that “it is impossible to increase the welfare of one person without decreasing the welfare of another.” That would argue for a redistribution of income along, perhaps, non-traditional lines.
“The job of academics,” Weinzierl said, “is to raise questions that may not be comfortable.”
Over at TheAtlantic.com Business blog, Conor Clarke ponders the question about taxing tall people.
The answer, of course, is that a tax on tall people seems like a pretty horrible thing to have. (Kurt Vonngeut’s “Harrison Bergeron” handled this back in 1961.) And, indeed, the point of the paper is to tease out that moral intuition. As Mankiw and Weinzierl write: “This paper can be interpreted in two ways. Some readers can take it as a small, quirky contribution aimed to clarify the literature on optimal income taxation. Others can take it as a broader effort to challenge that entire literature.” Yeah, right. It’s very kind of them to offer a choice, but I have the funny feeling they’re hoping for something more than a “small, quirky” interpretation of their work.
There is no worse time to suggest new ways to increase taxes than right now…not because of the state of the economy, but because the Democrats have control over Washington, and for us in the Commonwealth, well, you know what’s going on here.
Why not tax based on shoe size? You know what they say about big feet…
Maybe they should tax bra size? You know well endowed women get more opportunity than those who aren’t.
How about hair color? Eye color? Skin color? Sound a little silly–that’s because it is.
I hope Governor Patrick doesn’t get wind of this cockamamie idea.
Tags: Deval Patrick
May 28th, 2009
…if Barack Obama nominates Deval Patrick for the Supreme Court…
Gov. Deval Patrick is heading to the White House to meet with President Obama amid speculation he is among those being considered for a Supreme Court post.
An event added to his official schedule for today has him attending an auto emissions announcement with the president. It had not been on the governor’s schedule before Monday. His staff had only said he was traveling to Atlanta for a biotechnology conference.
Another possible Supreme Court contender - Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm - is also expected to be at the White House today for the auto emissions event. It was not known if Obama planned to meet with Patrick or Granholm about the Supreme Court seat being vacated by retiring Justice David Souter.
…may God help us.
It would represent exceptionally poor judgment by Obama, and Deval Patrick will have lied by falling back on his promise to the Commonwealth to not be a “drive-by” Governor.
Tags: Barack Obama, Deval Patrick
May 19th, 2009
Just over halfway into his term, Governor Deval Patrick has filed legislation that will lead to “reforming” the CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information).
Gov. Deval Patrick is filing legislation to tighten access to criminal records, a step he says will help ex-offenders make a new start.
The bill would eliminate access to what Patrick describes as “stale records” of those released from prison who have shown that they aren’t likely to commit new crimes.
Patrick said the bill would make it easier for ex-offenders to apply for a job and find a place to live. They would also be alerted when someone is reviewing their records and have the right to contest the records’ accuracy.
Prisoner advocates say the steps will reform the state’s Criminal Offender Record Information system, known as CORI.
Business groups say it will make it harder for them to learn about prospective employees.
It makes you wonder whose side the Governor is on.
Tags: CORI, Deval Patrick, Legislation
May 8th, 2009
From our friends at the NRA:
Yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick filed legislation that would severely curtail the rights of gun owners in the Commonwealth. The bill entitled, “An Act to Reduce Firearm Violence,” is in essence a repeat performance of Chapter 180 of the Acts of 1998.
Among other things, this bill would:
* Limit firearm purchases to one per 30-day period;
* Require the private transfer of all firearms to be conducted through a federally licensed firearms dealer, and;
* Allow the Colonel of the Department of State Police to destroy surrendered firearms instead of auctioning them for sale.
If you don’t remember, Chapter 180 of the Acts of 1998 created some of the most confusing and ill-advised set of gun laws in the country. The vast majority of those new laws attacked lawful gun owners and did little, if anything, to address violent crime. Since enactment, the only result has been an 85% decrease in the number of lawfully licensed gun owners in Massachusetts and a dramatic increase in crime.
Please contact your State Legislators TODAY and respectfully urge them to oppose this ill-conceived attack on our Second Amendment freedoms. Governor Patrick can be reached by phone at (617) 725-4005 or (888) 870-7770 (in-state), by fax at (617) 727-9725, or visit http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3utilities&sid=Agov3&U=Agov3_contact_us to send email. To identify your State Representative and State Senator and to find contact information, please click here.
Tags: Deval Patrick, Legislation, NRA
May 7th, 2009
These days, being poor is like winning the lottery. That’s what welfare is. But to what end? Why is that in this current economic crisis, Governor Deval Patrick still wants to give welfare recipients free cars?
Gov. Deval Patrick’s free wheels for welfare recipients program is revving up despite the stalled economy, as the keys to donated cars loaded with state-funded insurance, repairs and even AAA membership are handed out to get them to work.
But the program - fueled by a funding boost despite the state’s fiscal crash - allows those who end up back on welfare to keep the cars anyway.
“It’s mind-boggling. You’ve got people out there saying, ‘I just lost my job. Hey, can I get a free car, too?’ ” said House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading).
The Patrick administration decided last month to funnel an additional $30,000 to the nearly $400,000 annual car ownership program.
The program, which is provided by the State Department of Transitional Assistance, gives out about 65 cars a year, said DTA Commissioner Julia Kehoe.
The state pays for the car’s insurance, inspection, excise tax, title, registration, repairs and a AAA membership for one year at a total cost of roughly $6,000 per car.
The program, which started in 2006, distributes cars donated by non-profit charities such as Good News Garage, a Lutheran charity, which also does the repair work on the car and bills the state.
Kehoe defended the program, saying the state breaks even by cutting welfare payments to the family - about $6,000 a year.
“If you look at the overall picture, this helps make sure people aren’t staying on cash assistance. It’s a relatively short payment for a long-term benefit,” Kehoe said.
But Kehoe admitted about 20 percent of those who received a car ended up back on welfare, and while they lose the insurance and other benefits, they don’t have to return the car.
“Given the state’s fiscal condition, paying for AAA and auto inspection costs is outrageous,” said Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei (R-Wakefield). “There are so many families out there trying to deal with layoffs and pay cuts. You have to wonder what the state’s priorities are at this point.”
This is unacceptable. How do Governor Patrick and Commissioner Kehoe defend this when people who actually aren’t society’s slugs are struggling? How can you let someone keep a free car to drive to work when they aren’t working? And on top of it all, how can you expect people who work hard everyday to pay for their own cars to just sit back and let this go? It just doesn’t make sense.
Tags: Brad Jones, Deval Patrick, Julia Kehoe, Richard Tisei
May 7th, 2009
Older Posts
