Senate President Thomas F. Birmingham last night refused to
take a "no new taxes" pledge during a televised debate with Governor Paul Cellucci over Question 4, which would reduce
the state income tax rate from 5.85 percent to 5 percent by 2003.
Cellucci said he was worried that the Legislature would
dramatically increase spending if the $1.2 billion tax cut is not adopted. He asked Birmingham, a Chelsea Democrat with
gubernatorial aspirations, to promise not to raise taxes.
"Will you take the 'no new taxes' pledge tonight and give
some assurance to the people of this state that we won't get into these feeding frenzies like we did in the late '80s?"
Cellucci asked.
"No, governor, because we're not in New Hampshire, the most
aptly named Granite State, and I'm not going to take a pledge, because sometime down the road there may be a necessity to
raise taxes," Birmingham said.
The senate president cited the 25-cent tax on cigarettes
that was approved to help fund health care, a proposal Cellucci opposed, as evidence that the governor has become extreme in
his antitax views.
"I think you're in a straightjacket with regard to these
pledges," Birmingham said. "But I don't see any prospect whatsoever of tax increases on the horizon in the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts ... [and] I'm not going to take a back seat in terms of fiscal responsibility to
anybody."
At the start of the 30-minute live debate on WCVB-TV,
sponsored by Channel 5 and the Boston Herald, Birmingham said he had the more difficult argument to make for voters,
conceding that "everyone likes tax cuts."
However, he also noted that he was the author of the largest
tax cut in state history, the 1998 doubling of the personal income tax exemption.
Birmingham said those considering voting for Question 4
should focus on "how best to seize the opportunity" of the roaring economy.
"It's your money," Birmingham said, arguing in favor of a no
vote. "But it's also your roads, your bridges, your parks, your libraries, your schools."
Cellucci said the administration has already increased
spending on education, from $1.5 billion to $4 billion in recent years. He said Massachusetts has the highest income tax
rate in the nation, putting it at a competitive disadvantage with other states, and added that he is worried
about the Legislature spending too much.
"Sometimes I'm the only one in the building who wants to
impose fiscal discipline," Cellucci said, poking the air and warning of a "feeding frenzy."