As cities and towns across Massachusetts struggle with budget problems and overrides, the political class on Beacon Hill is sending a message to the citizens loud and clear,
IT SUCKS TO BE YOU
You see, on Beacon Hill, there is no such thing as difficult choices. There is not even a hint of concern about waste and spending at a time of alleged fiscal crisis. With a ballot initiative to completely repeal the state’s 5.3% income tax on the ballot this fall, Beacon Hill seems to be playing a game of chicken with the citizens of this state, daring them to pass it and repeal the tax.
EXHIBIT 1: The Arrogance of Governor Patrick
’What is this guy doing?’
Deval Patrick’s 80% office budget hike blasted
Despite a slumping economy and looming budget crunch, Gov. Deval Patrick has hiked his office budget by an astonishing 80 percent, adding questionable new staff positions like “director of grassroots governance†and pumping millions into an extravagant “civic engagement†program.
“We know the governor had a goal of creating 100,000 new jobs in his first term, we just didn’t know he was going to create them all in the Corner Office,†said Sen. Michael Knapik (R-Westfield).
EXHIBIT 2: The arrogance of a one-party legislature
MA’s leading liberal blog, Blue Mass Group, declared: It’s official: Life sciences bill now a pork-fest
House lawmakers earmarked $49.5 million to build a science center at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, though the school currently has no science graduate programs. The college is, however, the alma mater of Representative Daniel E. Bosley, a North Adams Democrat who wrote the House legislation and has frequently joked at press conferences and legislative hearings that “spending $1 billion doesn’t go quite as far as it used to.”
He who laughs last, laughs best. We’ll see who’s making jokes when the citizens of this state pass the repeal of the income tax and Beacon Hill has say goodbye to $11 BILLION in what they consider play money. For the rest of us, it’s our money!
With this possibility on the horizon, it puts into sharp focus the obscene level of disregard for the voters AND the unvelievable arrogance of the entrenched politicians on Beacon Hill.