Category — Massachusetts

Here’s a surprise—Governor Patrick says tax increases are on the table.  Looking at his massive new programs, fiscal restraint certainly never was.  His spending spree is all the more embarrassing given everyone knew the slowing economy meant tax revenues would be shrinking this year.  Yet the governor didn’t have the stomach to make any hard decisions when it came to spending priorities.

Ultimately, this probably matters very little to him.  If Barack is elected in November, he’ll be picking new curtains and desks for his DC office anyway.  Why not raise taxes on your way out the door when you won’t be around to feel the voter backlash?

MEFA is a quasi-state agency offering student loans at discounted rates.  Last week it announced that some 40,000+ students would have to seek funding elsewhere.  Credit market turbulence closed its traditional funding sources.  But never fear because Deval Patrick has a plan.

Obama Jr. proposes having the state pension fund and large university endowments, ahem Harvard, pick up some of the bonds.  Enter Tim Cahill.  Our chief money man says investing for social returns sets a bad precedent.  He correctly notes that pension fund managers have a fiduciary responsibility to seek the best returns, not feel good returns.

But guess who Treasurer Tim thinks can pick up the $450 million dollar guarantee?  That’s right—it’s you and me.  The investment isn’t good enough for the state pension system, but nobody cares about the taxpayers, so it’s plenty good enough for us.  Now that Patrick has Cahill’s suggestion as top cover, probably the whole point behind this exercise anyway, our spendthrift governor is sure to push a bill through quickly.

You have to hand it to the MA state legislature.  The boys and girls on Beacon Hill have their finger on the pulse of critical issues affecting the electorate.  Praise be that pet rentals are now outlawed in the Commonwealth.  Let’s celebrate with another round of business killing, job slowing “loophole” closures, so more people can move out of state.

Criminal defense lawyer turned MA State Representative James Fagan’s comments on Jessica’s Law aren’t surprising. Criminal defense attorneys don’t have souls, right?

“Let me tell you why it’s so wrong,” said Fagan (D-Taunton). “It’s so wrong because in these situations . . . that 6-year-old is going to sit in front of me, or somebody far worse than me and I’m going to rip them apart. I’m going to make sure that the rest of their life is ruined. That when they’re 8 years old they throw up; when they’re 12 years old, they won’t sleep. When they’re 19 years old they’ll have nightmares and they’ll never have a relationship with anybody. And that’s not because I’m a nice guy. That’s because when you’re in court, and you’re defending somebody’s liberty, and you’re facing a mandatory sentence of those draconian proportions, you have to do every single thing you can do on behalf of your client. That is your obligation as a trial lawyer.”

Fagan, who opposed Melanie’s Law, also criticized laws named in honor of victims, calling such measures “knee-jerk” legislation.

First, I would not hire Fagan as an attorney. Anyone who thinks he’d earn points with a jury by tearing into a 6 year old on the stand isn’t much of an attorney. I doubt even a Cambridge jury would take kindly to that tactic.

Second, 20 years doesn’t seem “draconian” when measured against the life sentence that the victim got from the perpetrator.  But again, you have to have a soul to consider the victim’s travails.

Next, whenever these laws are considered, emotions run high. Normal people–read not criminal defense attorneys and judges–empathize with the victim and family. However, I strongly disagree with the notion that these laws are a “knee-jerk”, emotional reactions.

Mandatory minimums is the logical response to bleeding heart judges whose first inclination is sympathy for the offenders. If MA judges had the good sense to take child rapists off the streets, we wouldn’t even be talking about mandatory minimums. But instead of protecting children, far too many judges slap these highly dangerous criminals on the wrists.

If Representative Fagan is worried about the damage of cross-examination, he should work on reforming the way judges are selected, disciplined, and retained. Until the judicial process experiences some massive reform, mandatory minimums is the only option that the people have to defend themselves against judges who refuse to defend us and our children.

Here’s a group of bright bulbs, eh?

A group of teenage girls made a solemn pact - not to be friends forever, go to the prom together or try out for a sports team.

They agreed to get pregnant. And they kept their promise.

Seventeen girls at Gloucester High School in Massachusetts are expecting babies, Time.com first reported.

None of the mothers-to-be, who are planning to raise their babies together, are over age 16. One of the fathers is a 24-year-old homeless man.

My first reaction was they’ll learn soon enough about the consequences of stupid decisions.  But then I thought about it and that’s not true.  Because the fact is we’ll suffer the consequences.  We’ll pay their rent.  Buy their clothes.  Feed them.  Give them free healthcare.  Finance some form of education for the mother.  And more than likely, we’ll keep paying for the next generation who are much more likely to become welfare wards too.

And all the while, big government types will tell those of us who work, pay taxes, and take care of our families why they need more and more of our money.  This is why Deval can’t give us tax relief.  He has to take care of all the people who need reminders to keep breathing.

Yes, we’re all fathers-to-be and mothers-to-be, but I don’t feel much like celebrating.  How about you?

Who knew MA had an extra billion to throw away on corporate welfare?  I guess it’s just property tax relief the governor and legislature can’t find money for.

John Kerry has a primary challenger. Edward O’Reilly, a lawyer and former firefighter, earned a spot on the ballot with 23% of the vote. Although embarrassing Kerry with a vote for O’Reilly is tempting, I say perish the thought. When choosing between two socialists, it’s wisest to take the layabout. Ed sounds like he’ll show up for work. As experience has proven, the lazy Kerry will do far less damage eating bacon wrapped scallops on Nantucket.

Therefore, I endorse John Kerry in the Democratic primary as the candidate most likely to cause the least damage.

CA might decide to tax the porn industry. Given the whores we have in office here, a tax of this nature is in order.

Porn Tax Considered As Solution To Budget Shortfall

LOS ANGELES - California state lawmakers are considering an unusual idea to solve the state’s huge budget shortfall: Tax pornography.

The idea was proposed by a state assemblyman, and would impose a 25 percent tax on the production and sales of pornographic videos — the vast majority of which are made in southern California. [snip]

All news clips of the VT and MA legislative and executive actions then produce revenue. Compared to these chunks of degradation, CA porn looks like Mother Theresa at Vespers.

Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi (HT: Redstate):

The leader of the Massachusetts House says he will support giving Gov. Deval Patrick the power to appoint an interim successor to U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy if that becomes necessary.

The Democratic-controlled Legislature stripped Republican Gov. Mitt Romney of that authority in 2004 because of fears he would name a Republican to replace U.S. Sen. John Kerry if he had been elected president.

Instead, state law now requires a special election for the seat no sooner than 145 days and no later than 160 days after the vacancy occurs.

But House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi said yesterday if Kennedy should step aside or have to be replaced because of his brain tumor diagnosis, he’d be in favor of a gubernatorial appointment.

“That was a good political reason (then),” DiMasi said of taking the power away from Romney. “It’s a good political reason to change it back.”

I don’t know why they would bother with this. It isn’t like Republicans have any chance of picking up Kennedy’s seat.

A question to everyone who voted for Deval Patrick looking for “change”:

Can you name even one example of positive change since he took office?

While I am awaiting your response, here is yet another negative change to add to the list:

Despite a slumping economy and looming budget crunch, Gov. Deval Patrick has hiked his office budget by an astonishing 80 percent, adding questionable new staff positions like “director of grassroots governance” and pumping millions into an extravagant “civic engagement” program.

“We know the governor had a goal of creating 100,000 new jobs in his first term, we just didn’t know he was going to create them all in the Corner Office,” said Sen. Michael Knapik (R-Westfield).

Added State Sen. Scott Brown (R-Wrentham): “People in my district are asking, ‘What is this guy doing?’ They get 1 to 2 percent increases for their schools, and he gets almost 80 percent? How do you explain that?”

Patrick’s office budget has skyrocketed to $9 million this fiscal year, a boost of nearly $4 million from fiscal 2007, Republican lawmakers said. Much of the increase is due to a $3 million appropriation for Patrick’s new Commonwealth Corps, a volunteerism program aimed at promoting “civic engagement” across the state.

Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll get around to lowering those property taxes eventually.

Together We Can … Increase Deval’s office budget by 80 % while the average citizen gets A 2% salary increase if they are lucky.