Mitt Romney Signs Massachusetts Health Insurance Mandate (notice the players?) - Image and article Southcoast Conservative
Although the candidate, Mitt Romney, is a "fiscal conservative" who "creates jobs", and improved the business climate as well as personal income growth in Massachusetts, the actual Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney was a different story. Understanding that Mitt changes his mind on a dime, he may not longer feel that increases in fees for gun permits, marriage permits as well as hikes in corporate taxes, and the like are the stuff of which Presidential candidates are made - however, once President, would he keep the promises to the U.S., the same promises he made to the unwitting citizens of the Bay State?
During the 2008 Presidential primary process, one blog (out of many) for candidate Mike Huckabee (who like Gingrich and anyone else standing in front or near to the front of the "Romney Machine" has been and will be the subject of massive attack ads - by Romney PAC'S and/or the Romney Campaign. So to those who are about to change the direction of our country in Iowa and New Hampshire (crediting the South Carolinian's with a bit more sense), perhaps a trip down Mitt Memory Lane maybe in order.
From South Coast Conservative: (Formerly Massachusetts for Huckabee) comes a plethora of interesting articles on then Governor Romney. (This is well researched Political Intelligence)
(go here to read additional posts that outline exactly how Mitt Romney "helped" Massachusetts
"He did not have any broad-based tax cuts in his four years as governor," said former Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci, who preceded Romney in office.
Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation: More Than $700 Million Per Year In Increased Fees And Taxes Under Romney. "Fees and taxes have increased more than $700 million a year under Governor Mitt Romney and Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, a leading budget specialist said yesterday. Michael J. Widmer -- president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, which closely tracks state finances -- said the state has raised roughly $740 million to $750 million per year by increasing fees and corporate taxes gained from what the Romney administration describes as 'closing loopholes.'(Brian Mooney, "Analyst Puts Increase In Fees, Taxes At $700m," The Boston Globe, 9/27/06)
Massachusetts homeowners paid a steep price for Romney's shell game. The average single-family property tax bill statewide rose from $3,015 in fiscal 2002 to $3,799 in 2006, a 26 percent increase, or $784 a year.4 During the same period, the residential property tax levy (that is, the total amount collected) increased by $1.8 billion statewide, or a staggering 35 percent from fiscal 2002 to 2006.
(Massachusetts Municipal Association Research Bulletin, 4/3/06)
Romney’s Claim That He Didn’t Raised Taxes Is “Mostly A Myth.” “Romney will likely also be eager to push the message that he was a governor who stood by a no-new-taxes pledge. That’s mostly a myth. His first budget included no general tax increases but did include a $500 million increase in various fees. He later proposed $140 in business tax hikes through the closing of ‘loopholes’ in the tax code.” (Stephen Slivinski, “Fiscal Policy Report Card On America’s Governors: 2006,” Cato Institute, 2006, p. 26)
As there was so little difference between Romney and most Progressives, it made sense for the poeple of Massachusetts to elect Deval Patrick, mentored by David Axelrod, and friend to the President, Barack Obama.
If this makes a Conservative, fiscal or social comfortable, then surly we are living in a Rod Serling episode that never ends.
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