Three Years Later

Three years ago, Deval Patrick assumed the title of Governor and as we await his delivery of tonight’s State of the Commonwealth address, we thought it would be appropriate to take a little trip down memory lane.

Let’s start with some of the many promises he made during the campaign and since his inauguration:

> Reduce property taxes
> Put 1,000 more police officers on the streets in local communities
> Create 250,000 jobs by passing the Life Sciences Bill
> Find $735 million in cost savings in state government
> Extend commuter rail service to Fall River and New Bedford
> Implement a full-day kindergarten program
> Did we mention reduce property taxes???
> Reduce the cost of living to keep young talent and jobs in Massachusetts
> Create a simpler, faster regulatory process, a stable and simplified corporate tax structure and a more cooperative relationship between labor and business

Now, let’s see where we’re at three years later:

> Average single family property tax bill has increased by 18%; from $3,962 in FY07 to the current $4,671
> State’s Rainy Day Fund has lost 75% of its value
> 105,000 jobs have been lost since Governor Patrick took office
> Business and residential bankruptcies have increased by 112%; from 2,652 in 2006 to 5,618 in 2010
> Over $1.5 billion in tax increases
> Inadequate spending cuts – only 1% of FY09 spending was cut to deal with fiscal crisis

Any person reviewing this information would come to the same conclusion – Governor Patrick has been a walking, talking disaster as the state’s Chief Executive Officer.