CITIZENS
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Limited Taxation & Government
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The Standard-Times
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Tuesday, August 18, 1998

Money wasn't government's to spend
By Acting Governor A. Paul Cellucci

BOSTON - "Cellucci vetoes local project." "Local funds cut by Cellucci." These were headlines many of you read in the newspaper after I protected taxpayers' hard-earned money by vetoing more than $200 million in excessive government spending. Remember, the money I refused to spend came from your pocket, it didn't fall from the sky.

     When the state has a surplus, it means government over-billed its taxpayers. That means every dime in the surplus is unexpected revenue that came straight out of the wallets of working men and women. The surplus money that I vetoed should never have been on the table to spend.

     Some of our legislators are sounding like Washington politicians, saying that my refusal to create new ways to spend taxpayer money is somehow a spending cut. That notion is not only ludicrous, it is dangerous.

     My vetoes will protect taxpayers and keep government fiscally responsible. The surplus should not be the rallying point for a childish spending party. The last time families were overtaxed and their money was spent recklessly, the state's economy went belly up. As governor, it is my job to impose fiscal discipline on state government. It is my responsibility to keep taxes low and make sure government spends money wisely. That is why I have vetoed this enormous amount of surplus spending, and that is why I am fighting to return the money to working families through a tax cut.

     Let us not forget that because Bill Weld and I imposed fiscal discipline on state government, we are now able to fully fund education reform, increase local aid to our cities and towns, and give all children in the state access to quality health care. Prudent and cautious spending has allowed us to do more for our families and communities.

     A careful look at the Legislature's spending plan for the surplus shows just how irresponsible a proposal it was. In fact, it wasn't much of a plan at all. It was a last-minute race to spend taxpayer money, ignoring the families who pay taxes and the rules of responsible government. Some of the legislative projects were so carelessly and hastily conceived that three paragraphs on a page allocated millions of dollars in new state spending.

     All of their spending should have been proposed during the normal budget process, and debated on merit. Instead, legislators chose to raid the surplus to fund pet projects that were not properly scrutinized. It is foolish and shortsighted to change the rules that we use every other day for spending and throw fairness out the window just because there was a surplus. My vetoes do not eliminate funding for deserving programs or important projects; they are simply preventing state government from wasting surplus money that was never intended to be spent anyway.

     Many of the proposals I reviewed are certainly worthwhile. They are important to local towns and the people who live there. But funding these projects through the budget surplus is inviting fiscal disaster. I have always supported the Route 18 reconstruction project, but I wanted it funded the correct way. So we are awarding $3 million to the city through my highway department to spruce up Route 18. It is reckless and lazy to fund the reconstruction through the surplus.

     Cities and towns are the lifeblood of our state. No administration has been more committed than mine to strengthening cities and towns through state funding. Last year, we awarded the City of New Bedford $17 million in direct state aid, and just last week we awarded the city an additional $1.6 million. These additional funds were completely unexpected, but they are well deserved. Cities have the ability to fund important local projects through these additional local aid funds, which is another reason why the Legislature should not steal the taxpayer surplus.

     I will continue to give my steadfast support to cities and towns without compromising the state's fiscal integrity.

     Families who work hard and pay taxes deserve a government that spends money wisely. Our smart and efficient spending has produced a vibrant economy, but more importantly it is securing a sound fiscal future for our children.

NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

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