Republicans say Patrick failed to heed warnings on spending
By Lyle Moran
Lowell Sun, October 16, 2008
BOSTON -- Massachusetts Republicans say Gov. Deval Patrick's decision yesterday to drastically reduce state spending and dip into the rainy-day fund wouldn't have been necessary if he listened to their advice.
"The situation we find ourselves in today has been made much more severe by the Patrick administration's refusal to heed the warnings of fiscal watchdogs," Senate minority leader Richard Tisei said yesterday as Patrick announced $901 million in spending cuts and layoffs.
The 19 House Republicans and five GOP senators all voted against the $28.2 million fiscal year 2009 budget that was passed in July, warning that fiscal trouble was ahead.
The Republicans also voted in support of Patrick's budget vetoes that were easily overridden by the Democratic majority.
"I feel regret that the governor didn't do these things earlier, which would have helped us avoid the crisis mode we are in now," said state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester.
Tarr said that he and his Republican Senate colleagues offered proposals during the budget debate earlier in the year to abolish the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and institute pension reform to reduce spending, both of which are now in Patrick's proposals.
But Democrats ignored GOP lawmakers' plans until recently.
State Rep. Bob Hargraves, R-Groton, blamed the Democrats' lack of economic savvy for the state's fiscal crisis, including a closing of business-tax loopholes and an increase in the cigarette tax.
"You don't raise taxes during a recession," Hargraves said. "(The Democrats) spent money like it was going out of style."
Peter Torkildsen, chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party, said Patrick took a step in the right direction by proposing measures that would cut 1,000 state jobs, but said the governor should have cut back further.
"Gov. Patrick has added 2,000 jobs since he has been in office and I would like to see him return employment levels to where they were two years ago," Torkildsen said. "Taxpayers have to live within their means and I believe that the state should also live within its means."
The governor's office disputed Torkildsen's claims, saying that employment under the governor's control has only increased by 1,000 jobs since Patrick took office.
Torkildsen said that one way voters can ensure more fiscal discipline is to elect more Republicans. "Taxpayers are looking for stability and right now the government isn't offering that," he said.
Tisei said he expects Patrick will have more cuts to make soon.
"Most of what we are dealing with now is belt-tightening because we passed a budget that was unrealistic," Tisei said. "What happened on Wall Street over last month will show up in January and February."
