As some others here have already noted, today’s Globe reports that, at a forum in Roxbury last night, Deval Patrick said that, if the economy grows enough, he’d be willing to cut the income tax to 5%.
“I do think that we can get to a point one day when we can sustain a 5 percent rate,” Patrick said. “The only way to get there is by growing the economy.”
An AP article has a slightly different quote:
“I think we can get to a point where we can roll back the income tax,” he said. “It’s not about today. It’s not about never. It’s about being realistic.”
Interestingly, as alert (new) contributor RevolutionsSon points out, this really isn’t inconsistent with what Patrick has said in the past, which has been along the lines of “postponing” the rollback, or of now not being the time for it. Yesterday’s comments, however, were Patrick’s most explicit to date that an income tax of 5% is an appropriate goal to work toward.
Good move by Patrick. His opponents’ best weapon against him is the income tax issue, and the more he can blunt that attack, the better off he’ll be. Here’s the thing, though: he needs to be much more specific than he’s been thus far, both about how he will use the current tax structure to relieve the “pressure on the property tax,” and about how economic growth will advance the reduction of the income tax rate. Chris Gabrieli, as we all know, has a “plan” by which economic growth leads to a reduced tax rate. Patrick should explain why Gabrieli’s plan isn’t the right one – or if it’s right, he should adopt it too, giving Gabrieli full credit for it.
Adopt Gabrieli’s plan, or tweak it to come up with a better one (I still think Brian Schweitzer’s idea in Montana could be a useful model)? Sure, why not? Patrick has said repeatedly – he said it on WBUR again this morning – that this race isn’t just about who has the best policy ideas. Everyone’s got some; Patrick freely acknowledges learning from Gabs on after-school stuff and borrowing some of his ideas on it. And Gabs, I think it’s fair to say (even if he hasn’t actually said it), has learned from Patrick on Cape Wind.
No, the race is just as much, if not more, about who can change politics. And IMHO, Patrick remains the guy most likely to be able to do that. He has gotten his candidacy to the top of the polls, and to the top of the fundraising charts, in a way that no one has ever done before in this state. (Yes, Dukakis had a good ground game too, but he didn’t raise the bucks in a month that Patrick raised in August.) If that model succeeds, especially after 16 years of Republican Governors, it’s a new ballgame.
No doubt we’ll hear lots more at tonight’s debate. I hope some of what we hear is the candidates, instead of kicking the sh*t out of each other, acknowledging the useful contributions that each has made to the discussion, and making some bold statements about where they want to take this state.
I totally agree that what Patrick said last night is completely consistent with what he’s been saying all along. It’s a question of priorities, and I think that’s why he has garnered so much support from local officials.
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The people on the front lines, trying to stuggle with how to allocate the scarce resources of a town or city, in light of rapidly escalating healthcare costs and other serious challenges, are extremely aware of what Deval calls the “fiscal shell game.”
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When a candidate says, “cut the income tax” they hear “cut local aid” and that does not sit well in today’s climate.
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I think you chose the right quotes to highlight Patrick’s stand that “now is not the right time.” I think most voters, if they are honest about it, agree with that stance.
Exaaaactly.
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On substance, I love Gabs. Love him. I even agree with him more than Patrick on certain things (health care assessment), and his ideas are consistently in my comfort zone between “defensible” and “downright cool”.
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But Patrick’s got all that and the grassroots loyalty and the persuasive power to actually reshape politics in the state. I mean, can you imagine Deval Patrick going to Beacon Hill? What are the wiseguys going to make of him? It’ll be like aliens landed.
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“And I, for one, welcome our new alien overlords.”