Tisei is exercised over taxes yet he also takes shots at the Governor’s Life Sciences program which contains much business tax relief. Beyond that I have not seen anything in the article that gives a clue as to Tisei’s economic development ideas beyond the income tax rollback and the cost to businesses of the new healthcare law (which I think passed the Senate unanimously??? Was he sick that day?)
The piece also seems to confuse capital spending on roads, higher ed infrastructure and transportation with operating budget issues. How would he have us address the affordable housing crisis beyond current state programs? How would we get property tax relief if we lose income tax revenue? Overall a poor job that might be worth some letters to the editor.
He doesn’t vary from the GOP and talk-radio routine of taxes-are-bad-grunt.
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p>You’re right about his tenure. He was in the House from 1985 and the Senate from 1991. Those were the times when the Republican leadership with the passive legislature stopped funding the necessary, while keeping earmarks for local districts.
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p>You may recall in the last gubernatorial election that the Republicans claimed a budget surplus. Not only was that an absolute lie (they pretended our accumulated “rainy-day fund” was operating income), but it conveniently overlooked 18 years of deferred spending on infrastructure.
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p>Deval came in with an honest accounting, and then he added what we had to do to make ourselves competitive in business and education. Whether it’s to avoid responsibility for decades of failed governance or to maintain that fantasy of no taxes needed here, just move along, many lawmakers (including Dems) whistle and look skyward. It’s like they think these long-term problems of neglect will suddenly fix themselves.
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p>Mr. Minority Floor Leader should not be bragging. He should not be calling for lids on investment when that is what got us into the fine mess. Promising perpetually lower taxes in a downwardly spiraling economy is another ass braying in the field. It may make him feel good, but it solves no problems.
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p>Yes, damn it, we went into recession after much of the country, but we are the only region that hasn’t emerged. We have to invest (spend and tax) to make our industries and innovators healthy and productive. Let’s get it on!
Mike Dukakis did that. He damn near drove the state into bankruptcy. Ed King saved us, then was shanked by the Dukakis character assassin squad. Duke then ran us into the hole again and the sate spiralled into a black hole of financial catastrophe with the give away programs. That’s why we had Republican governors for twelve years! Good or bad—-mostly bad.
wasn’t there something about a Massachusetts Miracle? Like, some of the best economic growth in the nation?
Refusing the raise taxes, spend to grow the economy, or find other revenue sources is a fool’s game, as we see now. Deferring the necessary expenses for such as infrastructure only increases the public burden. The no-taxes and reduced income tax pledges and policies put us in this damned mess.
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p>When “stay within the budget” means pushing pending bills on future administrations and the next decade of tax payers, it’s not favor.
…for 20 years or so, and he’s been one of the least productive members of the Senate — Democrat or Republican. This op-ed piece he supposedly wrote was a joke, as is his service to his district. The guy is way too busy running his real estate business to be an effective State Senator.
We live in a great country and our political system has a built-in accountability proceedure – it’s called elections.
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p>If you are represented by a Republican – like Senator Tisei – and you’ve had enough of it, the Massachusetts Democratic Party would like to hear from you – – and we’d like to help!
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p>On January 9th, the Mass Democratic Party will be holding a candidate recruitment workshop focusing on seats held by incumbent Republicans. I will lead the discussion and be joined by a panel of experts who will provide advice and strategies on how to conduct and win a grassroots campaign.
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p>So, if you’ve been thinking about possibly running against a Republican incumbent – no commitments required in advance – please join us. If you are a community leader in one of these districts and you want to learn how to identify and recruit potential candidates, we’ll have advice for you as well.
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p>The workshop will be held immediately prior to the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee meeting that night. Both will be held at the Coelho Middle School, 99 Brown St. in Attleboro. The workshop will be from 5:30-6:30 and the meeting begins promptly at 7pm preceeded by delicious refreshments. All Democrats are invited and welcome to stay for the meeting – or ANY meeting of the DSC for that matter.
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p>Training is a major priority for us as we work to BUILD THE PARTY at the grassroots. Come and be part of it!
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p>John Walsh
Chair
Massachusetts Democratic Party
I was appalled to find out that in the last year’s elections there was no opponent to Tisei.
I think that Katherine Clark, who is now running for Rep. Festa’s vacated 32nd Middlesex seat, challenged Sen. Tisei last year. If I remember correctly, she came within 4 percentage points of beating him, too.
She ran in 2004 and did an amazing job. She lost by a decent margin however as did all the challengers on the North Shore. But Katherine’s momentum has carried over to her current race for State Rep.
It sounded like it could have been written by Sal or a number of other Dem’s in the Lege.!