From all of us here at The Capitol View, we hope you and your loved ones have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Please remember to keep the men and women of our Armed Forces in your thoughts and prayers this Thanksgiving as many of them will not have the opportunity to celebrate this joyous occasion with their friends and families.

Assistant Minority Leader Pens Op-Ed for Worcester Business Journal

Assistant Minority Leader George Peterson recently had an Op-Ed published in the Worcester Business Journal. The Grafton Republican discussed his top priorities this legislative session while also reflecting on the success the House GOP had this election cycle.

Click here to read Representative Peterson's Op-Ed in the Worcester Business Journal.

Representative Brad Hill Appears on The Emily Rooney Radio Show

Minority Whip Brad Hill took time Wednesday to sit down and talk politics on The Emily Rooney Show on WGBH radio. The Ipswich Republican chatted about some of the hot topics on Beacon Hill this week including Governor Patrick's plan to give driver's licenses and in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants.

Click here to list to his appearance in its entirety.

Minority Leader’s Statement on Probation Department Report

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. issued the following statement today after having the opportunity to read the report regarding patronage at the Probation Department.

While I have not finished reading through the Independent Counsel’s report on the Probation Department what I have read paints a profoundly disturbing picture of an abuse ridden agency in need of a complete overhaul.

Today’s report, which details widespread “abuse and systemic corruption'' serves as yet another black-eye on state government.

It is clear that the public trust has been violated in addition to the policies, procedures and likely the laws of the Commonwealth. As such the Attorney General and other law enforcement agencies should, with all due haste, pursue by any and all means necessary swift and severe action against those involved.

This report would make even Boss Tweed and the Tammany Hall machine blush.

Assistant Minority Leader Discusses In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants on Fox 25

Assistant Minority Leader George Peterson appeared on Fox 25 News last night to discuss Governor Patrick's desire to provide illegal immigrants with in-state tuition rates. As The Capitol View reported yesterday, the Republican Caucus does not and will not support this initiative.

Click here to watch Representative Peterson's appearance on Fox 25.

Jones: Governor Patrick Putting Illegal Immigrants Ahead of Needs of Massachusetts Residents

BOSTON—House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. issued the following statement after hearing that Governor Patrick intends to push a proposal allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates.

I am confident speaking on behalf of the entire Republican Caucus in saying Governor Patrick’s plan to allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates is not only a ridiculous idea but also a slap in the face to all Massachusetts taxpayers who expect state government to be focusing on stimulating the economy and putting people back to work.

Providing in-state tuition to illegal immigrants should not be a priority of Governor Patrick and the fact that it is does not shock me, but it certainly disappoints me. We’re facing a potential $2.5 billion structural deficit going into the next fiscal year. This is not the direction we should be heading and it sends a very bad message to the taxpayers who are told year after year by the Patrick Administration that they must pay more in taxes, while at the same time receiving less services.

This idea failed miserably in the legislature a few years back and I am confident it will do so again.

SHNS Talks Republican Gains in House

Last week, State House News Service sat down with some of the members of the Republican Leadership team to discuss the Republican gains made in the House this election cycle.

As SHNS reported, "Republicans gained 16 seats last week, 12 by way of rejecting incumbent Democrats and four by winning open seats held by Democrats who opted to run for higher office or retire. All 11 GOP incumbents won reelection, and the party also held five of its own open seats in the House giving them a total of 32. In practical terms, nearly 1.3 million Massachusetts residents will represented by House Republicans on Beacon Hill in January, up from 640,000 this year."

Click here to read the article about the wide-ranging interview its entirety.

Thank You to All of Our Veterans

Let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us re-consecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.
~General Dwight D. Eisenhower

On this Veterans Day, all of us here at The Capitol View would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who have fought in wars past and who continue to fight to protect our great country. We thank you, we honor you and we will never forget the sacrifices you have made.

Budget Gap Finally Recognized, but will Democrats do anything to Address it?

BOSTON—House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. issued the following statement today after hearing Governor Patrick’s A&F Secretary Jay Gonzalez finally recognized the “significant” budget gap the state of Massachusetts is facing going into the next fiscal year.

The fact that this Administration is only now recognizing the enormity of next year’s structural deficit is mind-boggling to say the least. The deficit has been an ongoing issue and the Administration has chosen to continue to put this major problem on the back burner.

Now that the election has passed, it is my hope that Democratic leaders on Beacon Hill, especially the Governor, will make an effort to be more receptive to the many reforms Republicans have offered and will continue to offer.

The only way we’re going to begin to move forward is by being open minded. We must find ways to make government run more efficiently, to improve the business climate in order to foster growth and most importantly we must get people back to work. The only way to tackle this challenge is head on.

Happy 235th Birthday Marine Corps!

Today is a very special day for our country as November 10, 2010 marks the 235th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. We’d like to take a moment here on The Capitol View to say thank you to all of our Marines. Your service to our country and the great sacrifice you make makes us all proud to be American.

Tomorrow we observe Veterans’ Day, but today let us honor the men and women of the Marine Corps. It was on this day in 1775, that the Marine Corps was established and ever since then, brave Marines have fought in many conflicts in order to protect our country and our freedoms. Thank you Marines and happy birthday.

Semper fidelis!

Big Promises, No Results

In case you missed it, the Boston Herald today ran a story highlighting how the Biotech Bill which was sold as a way to create jobs has failed to deliver on that promise. In fact, as the Boston Herald points out, two of the companies to receive aid, Biogen and Genzyme, both recently let go several hundred employees.

According to the report, “This year, Weston-based Biogen committed to creating 50 jobs in exchange for its $1.5 million tax break, but it is unclear whether the firm can meet that goal after last week’s announcement of 86 layoffs in the Bay State.”
The Herald also reports, “Genzyme similarly promised to create 200 Bay State jobs for its $6 million tax credit, but the firm claims it can still meet that goal even as it laid off 127 workers in the Bay State, with plans to leave open another 58 positions.”

Governor Patrick and his Administration made big promises with regard to the life sciences industry; however the results have been minimal. We agree that as a state we must promote sound fiscal policies and provide a climate for economic growth, but Governor Patrick needs to focus on all industries not just the ones who back his agenda.

It is past time for the Legislature and the Governor to implement policies that will foster economic recovery. The House Republican Caucus has been pushing these principles for several legislative sessions. The upcoming session will be no different as we intend to file a number of initiatives that will encourage, not dissuade, businesses from opening up shop here in the Commonwealth.

Massachusetts Media Outlets Recognize GOP Gains in the House

In case you missed it, Massachusetts Republicans made big gains in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. In fact, we more than doubled our Republican membership. Many media outlets throughout the state are recognizing this accomplishment and we wanted to make sure all of our readers had a chance to read what newspaper reporters are saying.

Here’s a sample of outlets covering our gains: Boston Globe report, Boston Globe editorial, Boston Herald report and the Assocaited Press report.

Congratulations to the New Members of the House Republican Caucus

Election Day has come and gone and though there were indeed some disappointing results at the polls yesterday, we here at The Capitol View would like to take this moment to extend a well earned congratulations to the many Republican candidates who were elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives yesterday. We are very proud of your hard work and your impressive achievement at the polls. We'd also like to congratulate those candidates who came up short yesterday for a hard fought campaign.

We look forward to having all of the Representatives-Elect sworn in just two short months! Congratulations!

Election Day 2010

The day many of us have been waiting for is finally here - that's right folks - it's Election Day! Hundreds of thousands of voters will be going to the polls today to vote for their candidates of choice. Be sure to get out there and have your voice heard. Regardless of the results today, it is critical that we all exercise our civic duty. This is what our Founding Fathers wanted for us - so lets show our appreciation and vote!