Senate Minority Leader Richard R. Tisei issued the following statement regarding today’s announcement of an economic development and jobs creation proposal by Governor Patrick and Senate President Therese Murray:For the past three years, as the state was hemorrhaging jobs, Governor Patrick not only failed to offer any type of economic development plan to stop the bleeding, but he also put up additional roadblocks for employers that have cemented Massachusetts’ reputation as a state that is not welcoming to businesses. Now that the unemployment rate is at 9.4 percent, it seems the Governor and the Legislature are finally poised to act and focus on helping businesses and getting people back to work.
The proposal from the Senate President to streamline the state’s economic development agencies is a good idea that we should pursue. However, we should not be content to stop there. If we are serious about jobs creation and making Massachusetts more competitive, then we must establish a more business-friendly environment that includes a fair and equitable corporate tax rate, a less burdensome regulatory system for employers, and an economic development plan that will help all businesses and ensure that the Commonwealth achieves sustainable long-term growth.
The Governor’s proposal is nothing more than an election-year lifeline to try to save his own job, as opposed to creating jobs for the more than 323,000 Massachusetts residents who are out of work.
