CLT UPDATE
Thursday, May 23, 2002
Mitt Romney vs. Sen. Knapik (R-Westfield)
Romney objected to lawmakers' Tuesday announcement
that they have an apparently veto-proof "supermajority" in both the House and Senate in
support of a $1.2 billion tax-hike package.
"Tom Birmingham thinks it's a badge of honor that the Beacon Hill crowd is raising taxes by
more than $1 billion," Romney said in a statement. "I think it's a badge of shame." ...
Meanwhile, Swift reiterated her threat to veto the
"excessive" tax package, even while acknowledging that lawmakers have her beat.
Swift said she would keep trying to convince lawmakers that there are other ways to raise
revenues, but she added that the last hope now lies with voter outrage.
The Boston Herald
May 23, 2002
Birmingham jousts with Romney over $1B tax hike
Chip Ford's CLT Commentary
When Barbara and I met with Mitt Romney a while back, when
he refused to sign the "No New Taxes" pledge, he insisted that he didn't need it, that his business acumen and "power of
persuasion" were all that was necessary for him to hold Beacon Hill in line.
I guess he's begun to apply it. Let's give him the benefit
of the doubt and observe just how effective he is ... Perhaps, just perhaps, he can learn something from Gov. Jane Swift,
who's using everything she's got to protect taxpayers, despite the odds.
But if he has any such "power of persuasion" over Beacon
Hill, perhaps he can demonstrate it by targeting members of his own party, Republican state senators who are abandoning the
reservation, ready to vote for tax increases ... like state Sen. Michael Knapik of Westfield and state Sen Richard Tisei of
Wakefield.
If the GOP standard-bearer cannot persuade them, how can
we honestly expect him to persuade anyone else from the other party?
This is the test, where the rubber meets the road. This
should be a very simple challenge to overcome for The Great Persuader, Mitt Romney.
Did you catch Barbara on The Blute & Ozone Show this morning
on WRKO AM-680 (7:05-8:15)? Barbara is back!
We scored a big one. Blute and Ozone have been polling legislators on how they'll vote on tax hikes on
the air. Yesterday, CLT's Chip Faulkner polled them on the phone. Somehow, the two results were often
at odds, and Barbara brought that up this morning.
For instance, state Sen. Michael Knapik was on their program
twice lately, both times stating on the air that he would vote against the tax increase.
But yesterday, he told Chip Faulkner "I'm looking at it."
So which is it?
Blute and Ozone got him on the air with Barbara ... and the
exchange was classic political double-speak. Bottom line: He's probably going to vote for the tax increase. And didn't care
that listeners to WRKO knew because ... WRKO doesn't reach his constituents in Westfield. And he's received only two calls
from them against him voting for tax hikes!
Mitt Romney: Michael Knapik -- Republican Senator from
Westfield -- is the first test of your "power of persuasion." It should be a piece of cake ... or a clear sign of things to
come, if elected.
 |
|
Chip Ford |
FIND
AND CALL YOUR STATE SENATOR
The Boston Herald
Thursday, May 23, 2002
Birmingham jousts with Romney over $1B tax hike
by Elisabeth J. Beardsley
GOP standard-bearer Mitt Romney and Democrat Thomas F.
Birmingham jousted yesterday over the State House budget crisis even as acting Gov. Jane M. Swift
acknowledged being steamrolled by Democratic lawmakers.
Romney objected to lawmakers' Tuesday announcement that they
have an apparently veto-proof "supermajority" in both the House and Senate in support of a $1.2 billion tax-hike
package.
"Tom Birmingham thinks it's a badge of honor that the Beacon
Hill crowd is raising taxes by more than $1 billion," Romney said in a statement. "I think it's a badge of shame."
Birmingham, the Senate president who is running for
governor, fired right back as a top aide argued that education and health care are more important than Romney's tax-cutting
agenda.
"Maybe Mitt Romney thinks it would be honorable to increase
class size ... and eliminate health care benefits for low-income families and seniors," said Birmingham spokeswoman
Alison Franklin. "Tom Birmingham thinks that would be shameful."
Meanwhile, Swift reiterated her threat to veto the "excessive" tax package, even while
acknowledging that lawmakers have her beat.
Swift said she would keep trying to convince lawmakers that
there are other ways to raise revenues, but she added that the last hope now lies with voter outrage.
"I believe that when families in Massachusetts see a
billion-dollar tax bill on their kitchen table, they'll speak up," Swift said.
The House scheduled the tax-hike debate to start a day after
the deadline passed for legislative challengers to file for election, but a dozen anti-tax sticker candidates have
cropped up since then, said GOP spokesman Nate Little.
Swift complained that lawmakers steamrolled the tax package
through after she expressed willingness to cut a deal.
"There may be some lessons about inches and miles here," She
said. "Once you open the door to taxes, the Legislature has shown an inability to close the door."
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