“Tonight Governor Patrick has spoken eloquently about the strengths of our Commonwealth, and the many attributes of the people of our state. In doing so he has recounted our challenging path through a long and difficult recession, and expressed our prospects for recovery.
Yet the Fiscal Year 2015 budget he has delivered to the legislature creates serious concerns. First, it increases state spending by nearly 5%, an ambitious amount in light of the fluctuating revenue patterns of the past several months, and it depends on revenue from gaming, though it’s proving difficult to get even one facility started in the state.
Unfortunately, the governor’s proposal also once again incorporates new taxes and stabilization fund withdrawals into the state spending plan, continuing a trend of dependence on these things even as we should be seeking to move away from them to build a solid foundation for future prosperity.
Hopefully as the legislative process unfolds we can chart a new course toward prosperity, and one which spends the dividends of robust economic growth rather than making tax increases and one-time revenue measures an integral part of every budget discussion. There are many ways to accomplish that goal, and we must be bold enough to pursue them.”
