Unions have been pushing Beacon Hill to act on casinos, last week threatening to withhold support for their allies – including Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill – in November, and earlier today AFL-CIO President Robert Haynes saying he’s trying to broker a deal between the House and Senate on casinos.

“I’m the guy that gets to put the political legislative strategy to work,” Haynes told the State House News Service, also reiterating a threat made by unions last week that Beacon Hill will feel the blowback at the ballot box should they not approve expanded gaming.

Baker said Governor Patrick, Treasurer Cahill and their Beacon Hill allies should have been showing real leadership by tackling legislation and reforms that will save taxpayer money and set a better table to deal with the projected $2.5 billion budget deficit for next year. Specifically, Baker said eliminating the Pacheco Law, allowing municipalities to offer flexible health care plans, raising the retirement age for state employees, and bringing more Medicaid recipients under managed care programs should have been priorities.

“Unions have had Beacon Hill in a choke hold for the past four years, and it’s only gotten worse,” Baker said. “They’ve had two years to really get to work on issues that will save taxpayers money, reform state government, and crack down on illegal immigration – the issues the public is demanding action on – and all they can do is sit behind closed doors to talk about casinos. This is a new low point for Beacon Hill.”

“It is fairly fitting that this session is ending in a gridlock, since the last four years have been marked by the unions and special interests winning out over the taxpayers every time,” Baker said. “Governor Patrick, Treasurer Cahill and their Beacon Hill allies do not support the reforms that will save taxpayers money and instead are hedging all of their economic development hopes on legalizing casino gaming.”

With just four days remaining in legislative formal sessions, Governor Patrick and Beacon Hill have been unable to find agreement on casinos, causing a gridlock on all other legislative work, none of which will really put Massachusetts on a better fiscal track. Unions have threatened not to work hard on behalf of candidates – including Governor Patrick – if casinos are not approved.

Baker for weeks has been calling for serious action on legislation to give municipalities flexibility in designing health care plans for local employees, eliminating the Pacheco Law, ending the use of project-labor agreements, and cracking down on giving taxpayer-subsidized benefits to illegal immigrants – all issues that will save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and put the Commonwealth on better fiscal footing for next year.

Baker has also called for the Legislature to approve a sales tax holiday for one weekend this summer to give consumers and retailers some relief from last year’s tax hike that has driven costs up and jobs out of Massachusetts.

Talking with Women for Baker business leaders in Worcester today, Baker said it is clear that employers are frustrated by Governor Patrick and Beacon Hill’s lack of action on major legislation to help businesses create jobs. Baker continued to criticize Governor Patrick’s decision to abandon Massachusetts’ education standards, saying he will do everything in his power if he’s elected governor to reverse that decision.

“Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill have picked their team – the unions and specials interests, and they’ve gotten their way for years,” Baker said. “I’m the only one who’s serious about reforming state government, cutting spending and putting the taxpayers first, and I’m the only one who will stand up and get it done.”

BOSTON – Standing beside dozens of outraged parents, teachers, school administrators and students by East Boston High School, Charlie Baker on Monday vowed to fight to maintain Massachusetts’ best-in-the-nation education standards if he is elected, and criticized Governor Patrick for giving up control to the federal government and siding with the unions.

For the past week, the Patrick Administration has insisted that adopting the national standards does not mean Massachusetts is abandoning the MCAS exam, and Governor Patrick himself claimed during a WRKO debate on June 16: “nobody is talking about walking away from the MCAS.”

However, the Patrick Administration’s own application to the federal government for Race to the Top funds states: “In four years we will be prepared to administer this assessment [the new national assessment] in place of our current state assessments in those subjects.”

“As governor, I will fight to make sure our education standards remain our standards, not something that comes from the direction of the federal government,” Baker said. “For all that needs to be done to fix Massachusetts, education is what works and we should keep it that way.”

Baker said he would pursue all options as governor, including signing an executive order, to keep the MCAS in place and ensure the curriculum frameworks and standards currently in place remain. If anything, we should be looking for ways to strengthen our standards, not abandon them by becoming one of the pack.

“There is no mistaking what Governor Patrick’s intentions are here,” Baker said. “We need to stop this runaway train before it leaves the station, and I’m the only one who’s willing to stand up to the unions and fight against this outrage.”

Budget gap has been a trend for Patrick in office

BOSTON – Governor Patrick’s spending problem has surfaced once again, with new state documents showing the  three-week-old fiscal year 2011 budget that Patrick hailed as “balanced” and “responsible” is far from that, as spending has outpaced estimates and will now likely require an additional $1 billion in cuts this year. State House News Service reported on Wednesday that new state documents show the potential need for additional cuts this year.

According to these documents, spending projections have already outpaced estimates for the fiscal year that just began, demonstrating once again that Governor Patrick has failed to properly manage the budget while in office. The Governor refuses to embrace the reforms necessary to stabilize the state’s finances and squeeze taxpayer savings when appropriate.

“Governor Patrick and Beacon Hill have failed to live within their means for the past four years,” said Baker. “He has never gotten his arms around the enormity of the problem and done everything he can to ignore reforms that will save taxpayers money. Governor Patrick has raised taxes eight times and he still hasn’t found a way to make the budget work.”

In each of the past three fiscal years Governor Patrick has had to make significant and disruptive mid-year cuts because of irresponsible spending and poor budgeting, despite using roughly $6 billion in one-time federal and reserve funding to balance the budget. Massachusetts is already facing a budget hole of $2.5 billion for next year when the bulk of the federal funds dry up.

In contrast, Charlie Baker has said as governor he will propose a law that limits state spending each year to 99 percent of the revenues the state collects, with the additional 1 percent being deposited in the Rainy Day Fund. Baker has also proposed $1 billion in reforms and restructuring he would seek as governor.

The budget signed by Governor Patrick three weeks ago was not balanced to begin with, since it counted on federal Social Security money that had not arrived, along with savings found through postponing debt payments that had yet to be approved.

It has been well chronicled that this is not a new issue for Governor Patrick.

Patrick and the Legislature just completed work on a $28.2 billion annual budget, but new state documents indicate tax revenues to support the spending may fall $400 million short and the budget doesn’t address $600 million in “likely” demands on safety net services, namely health insurance programs, and “skyrocketing” energy costs. “In total, these updated revenue forecasts and cost estimates for fiscal 2009 suggest the potential need for approximately $1 billion in budgetary solutions,” state officials reported in an Aug. 14 disclosure to bondholders.  – State House News Service, August 28, 2008

Gov. Deval Patrick announced a plan Thursday to cut $352 million in state spending four months into the fiscal year, and rely on up to 2,000 layoffs, $82 million in new “departmental revenues,” and $62 million in federal stimulus aid to close most of a $600 million budget shortfall. The package also pulls $60 million in surplus funds from the fiscal year that ended June 30, begins a phase-out of a police education incentives program, and offers a tax amnesty program estimated to generate $20 million. – State House News Service, October 29, 2009

BOSTON – Charlie Baker on Wednesday vowed to fight to maintain control of Massachusetts’ curriculum and standards and said if elected governor he will keep MCAS in place as a graduation requirement and preserve Massachusetts’ autonomy from the federal government on education.
Baker blasted the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for caving to Governor Patrick’s political allies in Washington D.C., who have pushed for Massachusetts to join the crowd and adopt the Common Core national standards. The board voted for Massachusetts to adopt the national standards after hearing from Baker this morning, who urged the board to vote against the new, weaker, unproven national frameworks.
“Governor Patrick and his administration have refused to tell us why they’re forcing this decision on the students, parents and teachers when our education system is the best in the nation,” Baker said. “Governor Patrick, his administration and the board of education have caved to the special interests who have been pushing to eliminate MCAS for years and this decision has put all the gains made during the past two decades at risk.”
Lieutenant Governor Murray, filling in for Governor Patrick at today’s board meeting, also continued the administration’s misleading claims that the national standards are stronger than what is currently in place in Massachusetts.  Those standards have made Massachusetts students number one in the nation in math and English.
This morning, Murray claimed “adopting the so-called Common Core Standards will make the state’s education guidelines even stronger by raising expectations for students.”  – Associated Press, July 21, 2010
However, Murray seems to not be taking close notes from what his education commissioner says.
“Chester is urging the board to adopt Common Core, saying it matches state standards 90 percent of the time.”
“The independent analysis [by the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education] found the math standards matched the state’s 96 percent of the time, and matched in English 74 percent of the time.” – Boston Herald, July 21, 2010

BOSTON – Testifying before the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Wednesday, gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker urged the board to reject the move to adopt national standards and turn our backs on the high standards set in place through the Education Reform Act, which have made Massachusetts students first in the nation.
Baker said Governor Patrick’s decision to hastily advance recommendations to adopt national standards after a brief review and without sufficient public hearings is threatening the progress our students have made during the past two decades.  Massachusetts students rank number one in the country in math and English.  Baker told the Board that giving up control over our standards and “tinkering with this proven track record makes no sense.”
“I grew up in Massachusetts and attended Massachusetts public schools. All three of my children have attended public schools here, and as a parent I am proud of the high standards all students are held to here. It sets us apart,” Baker said. “Not only does this move reek of political expediency, it has the potential to erode the gains our students and our schools have made during the past two decades.”
Business and educational leaders have come out in recent days against abandoning MCAS, with former Senate President Tom Birmingham, who helped author the Education Reform Act of 1993, saying the move to national standards represented a “huge risk” that could prove to weaken Massachusetts’ standards.
“There are a lot of things that don’t work in state government; education reform is not one of them,” Birmingham told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
Baker, a former member of the Board of Education, agreed, saying this move was especially risky for Massachusetts because our status as an education leader is one of the few competitive advantages we have in attracting businesses to the state, counterbalancing our high tax rates and unpredictable regulatory structure.  Baker went on to say Governor Patrick should not be siding with the unions at the expense of students.
“The teachers’ union has been looking for a way to get rid of MCAS since the fight to make the test a graduation requirement,” Baker said. “If anything, we should be looking for ways to strengthen our standards, not taking a step backwards because the governor’s friends in Washington D.C. are telling us to.”
Baker’s full testimony to the Board is below:
Dear members of the Board of Education:
Thank you for the opportunity to be here to discuss this very important matter that is before you.  My name is Charlie Baker.  Yes, I am running for Governor of Massachusetts, but I am also a former member of the Massachusetts Board of Education.  I spent five years working on implementing the standards developed in response to the landmark education reform act of 1993.
I am here today to testify in opposition to the state’s adoption of the Common Core State Standards and to urge you to continue with the rigorous Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks that have been the key to student success since they were put into place more than a decade ago. I believe moving away from our own standards would be a mistake – for students, for schools, and for the state of Massachusetts.
I was involved in the contentious fight to establish the curriculum frameworks and implement the MCAS exam as a graduation requirement. It was a difficult time and a difficult debate, but it was worth it. Our fourth and eighth grade students have ranked first in math and English on the national assessment of educational progress (NAEP) since 2005.  More importantly, the state’s status as THE LEADER in K-12 education is one of the biggest reasons employers invest here. Tinkering with this proven track record at a time when the Commonwealth faces enormous economic and fiscal challenges makes no sense.
The Common Core standards may be comparable with our own standards, but it’s impossible to tell if this decision will or will not mean a major change in the way this state educates students in the future.  I believe that over time, it has to.  After all, we will no longer be making most of the major decisions.  But that’s not the point.  As former Senate President Thomas Birmingham, one of the chief architects of our education reform law, put it yesterday, “There are a lot of things in state government that don’t work.  Education reform is not one of them.”  He went on to say that changing the curriculum offers “high risk, and very very little reward.”  I agree.  My opposition to this decision is about ensuring that Massachusetts determines what is good for Massachusetts, not some combination of other states and the federal government. This is about Massachusetts keeping our competitive edge, and not becoming one of the pack.
On a personal note, I grew up in Massachusetts and attended Massachusetts public schools. All three of my children have either attended or continue to attend public schools here. As a parent, I am proud of the high standards all students are held to here. It sets us apart. By hitching our wagon – and our future – to some national consortium that’s still very much a work in progress, this move has the potential to erode the gains our students and our schools have made during the past two decades.
I urge you to reject Commissioner Chester’s recommendation to adopt the federal Common Core standards.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak before you today.

BOSTON – Charlie Baker on Tuesday accused Governor Patrick of siding with his political allies at the expense of Massachusetts’ students and called on the Board of Education to reject the national standards Governor Patrick is pushing to replace the rigorous standards put in place through MCAS.
Further, Baker said the Patrick Administration’s recommendations to abandon the MCAS education standards that have made Massachusetts students first in the nation are short-sighted in that they will effectively relinquish any control Massachusetts has over standards and testing to the federal government.
“Governor Patrick is trading student success for political expediency by doing exactly what the teachers union has wanted all along – to get rid of MCAS,” Baker said. “It’s not surprising, but it is outrageous given that this change will be giving up the national edge in education Massachusetts spent two decades building up.”
Baker was joined today by education and business leaders, including Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios, and Michael Sentance, secretary of education under Governor Weld, who are equally outraged at the proposed changes. Baker said Massachusetts – as a high tax, high regulation, and no growth state – must maintain its educational edge to have any economic advantage from the rest of the nation.
Governor Patrick has never supported having the MCAS as a graduation requirement. In 2006, upon receiving $2.6 million from the Massachusetts Teachers Association, Patrick opposed MCAS as a graduation requirement.
Below are examples of Governor Patrick’s statements on this issue in 2006:

“Patrick said he supports the tests but only as one tool to measure child development.”
Boston Globe, August 8, 2006

“Support MCAS as a graduation requirement? Deval Patrick: No”
Boston Herald Issues Page, September 17, 2006

The funding for remedial programs for MCAS is important and I think we need to develop additional tools to measure the other dimensions of a child’s progress.
Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg), September 17, 2006

“I think there are work-a-rounds for the MCAS, which were intended in the legislation, if I am correct, and we’ve walked away from funding, and we won’t walk away from funding when I’m Governor.”
Revere Rally 8/3/06

However, the MCAS should not be the sole assessment of student academic progress or teacher performance. Therefore, I will also look into developing using additional assessments.
BostonGlobe.com, Points of View: Education

• According to S&P’s ratings as of March 26, 2010, 42 states are rated the same or higher than MA – 24 of which are higher.

• According to Fitch’s ratings as of July 7, 2010, 29 States had the same or higher rating than MA- 14 or which are higher.

• According to Moody’s ratings as of July 14, 2010, 31 states had the same or higher rating than MA – 13 of which are higher

• Rating agencies cite the state’s hefty reserve fund and “new revenues” – tax increases – as reasons for maintaining rating.

In taking credit for the state’s bond rating, Patrick ignores the fact that the rating agencies cite our remaining reserve balance as a sign of strength – reserves which were built up by previous administrations and which Patrick began to draw down before the economic crisis hit.  If Patrick hadn’t inherited such a large Rainy Day fund ($2.4 billion), it would be completely spent down by now, which would likely affect the state’s bond rating. That Rainy Day fund is now at $631 million and we still face a $2.5 billion deficit for the next fiscal year.

Moody’s cites:
“Strong reserves going into current recession due to rapid reserve replenishment following 2001-02 recession”
Standard and Poor’s cites:
“Continued budget stabilization reserve balances despite planned reductions in the current fiscal year, which in our opinion provide flexibility to manage through the current economic climate.”
Fitch cites:
“Although significantly reduced in the downturn, reserves remain to provide a hedge against the Commonwealth’s somewhat volatile revenue stream.”

The agencies have also warned that the state’s rating could be in jeopardy if the state doesn’t address the structural deficit and reliance on one-time funds, like federal funding and the Rainy Day fund:
“The agencies raised concerns that Patrick’s budget assumes a six-month extension of stimulus federal medical totaling $608 million.
“The state could lose ground from its AA rating, Moody’s said, through a “protracted structural budget imbalance driven by deeper and/or prolonged economic downturn,” further draws on the Rainy Day Fund, increased leveraging of state resources to pay down debt, liquidity strain fueled by cash flow narrowing, or a failure to plan how to fill the gap once federal stimulus funds disappear.”
State House News Service, March 8, 2010

In addition, the ratings agencies have cited the state’s use of “new revenues” (tax increases) as a reason for affirming the state’s bond rating.

Moody’s cites:
Massachusetts has generally reacted quickly to identify and correct emerging gaps, using a variety of measures including spending down reserves, revenue increases, expenditure cuts, and use of federal stimulus and other one-time balancing measures.

FITCHBURG – Charlie Baker on Monday criticized Governor Patrick for his pursuance of higher taxes and higher spending in the face of falling revenues, a trend during the past four years that has set Massachusetts up for bigger problems down the road if Governor Patrick is re-elected. Baker has proposed limiting state spending to 99 percent of the revenues Massachusetts collects each year, sending the remaining 1 percent to the Rainy Day Fund.

Baker’s criticism comes as Beacon Hill enters the final days of formal sessions this year, with just 12 days remaining before legislators head home for the summer. Beacon Hill has spent the vast majority of its time deciding how and if Massachusetts should expand its gaming laws, a process that has become the crux of Governor Patrick’s economic development and political strategy. On Monday, the urgency became more evident with unions threatening to limit their work on behalf of candidates in November if casinos are not approved this year.

Earlier today, Massachusetts Building Trades Council President Frank Callahan told the State House News Service: “If something doesn’t get done, I think it’ll be viewed, certainly by me and I think by our membership, as more than a missed opportunity. I think it’d be extremely difficult to get our members involved. I think they’d throw their hands up in frustration.”

“Instead of pursuing a real, sustainable economic development strategy that would create a predictable, stable and competitive environment for Massachusetts, Governor Patrick is doing the easy thing by pushing for casinos to please the unions,” Baker said. “The real way to create jobs in Massachusetts is to cut taxes and cut spending – both of which Governor Patrick is unwilling to do.”

Today in Fitchburg, Baker detailed his proposal unveiled last week to limit spending to 99 percent of the revenues Massachusetts collects each year, a strategy that state has not been following during the past four years. Within that proposal, one percent of revenues would be directed to the Rainy Day Fund and any withdrawal from that fund would need to be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. Beacon Hill has not maintained this fiscal discipline during the past four years, spending more than the state takes in each year Governor Patrick has been in office.

BOSTON – Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker on Friday assailed Governor Patrick for news reports today that Massachusetts is abandoning the MCAS exam and the education standards that have helped make Massachusetts students and schools the best in the nation.

Today’s announcement by the Patrick Administration comes on the heels of Governor Patrick’s endorsement earlier this week by the Massachusetts Teacher Association, a staunch opponent to the MCAS exam. Since he was a candidate for governor in 2006, Patrick has talked about pursuing “work-a-rounds” for the MCAS exam and opposed having MCAS as a graduation requirement.

The news also comes just weeks after Governor Patrick claimed that “nobody is talking about walking away from the MCAS” during the WRKO debate between three of the gubernatorial candidates on June 16, 2010.

“Massachusetts students are the best and the brightest in the country and to walk away from the MCAS exam is to walk away from the progress we have made during the past two decades,” Baker said. “I am appalled at this move, but I am not surprised given the governor’s long history of siding with the unions on this and many other issues.”

Other experts agree that the MCAS exam is the key to education reform that has brought Massachusetts students to the top of the chart nationally.

“Our standards and the MCAS are the lifeblood of the entire reform effort that began in `93,” said Jim Stergios, executive director of the Pioneer Institute, a public policy research group. “What’s our competitive advantage if we get rid of the high standards and the MCAS?” – Boston Globe, May 20, 2010

“The 1993 Education Reform Act – and the adoption of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam – has put the commonwealth ahead of many states in the nation for setting a standard of excellence for high school graduates.” – Springfield Republican editorial, May 21, 2010

“Massachusetts stands apart in public education precisely because it created high academic standards, developed an objective measure of student performance and progress through the MCAS test, and required a passing grade in order to graduate. Students, as a result, rank at or near the top of standardized testing not just nationally but on tough international achievement tests in math and science. Any retreat from this strategy would be a profound mistake.”  – Boston Globe editorial, May 4, 2009

MEDFORD – This week we saw more signs of a troubling economic recovery for Massachusetts, with more people leaving the job market, a new report showing Massachusetts with one of the highest costs in the nation for doing business, and basically flat job growth for the month of June.

“With more and more people giving up on their job search, it’s clear that Governor Patrick’s economic policies of the past four years are failing Massachusetts,” Baker said. “Governor Patrick has no plans to get Massachusetts working again. I do, and I’ll get Massachusetts on the right path to recovery.”

Today’s event, held with a business owner who has been saddled with higher taxes under Governor Patrick, comes as the Legislature remains in a gridlock with little progress on the horizon as the session comes to an end in 16 days. Beacon Hill has continued to argue over whether or not to legalize casino gaming, rather than focusing on the real reforms that will result in sustained economic growth for Massachusetts.

“It’s time for Massachusetts to have real leadership and it’s time for Beacon Hill to get focused on the right priorities – creating jobs,” Baker said. “After four years of higher taxes and irresponsible spending, Massachusetts residents and businesses cannot afford another four years of Governor Patrick’s failed policies.”

BOSTON – Unemployment figures released on Wednesday show an increasingly frustrated job market, with more people halting their search for employment as businesses still are not in a solid position to hire back the 100,000 people who have lost their jobs during the past four years.

The Patrick Administration today revised its jobs report from May allowing it to show a modest gain in job growth for June. According to the Patrick Administration’s announcement, there were 15,200 jobs added from April to May, contrary to the 15,800 continually touted by the Governor Patrick from both his campaign and in his official capacity. In fact, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development website still shows May’s job number at 3,182,400 not 3,181,800 as reported in today’s release.

The drop in the unemployment rate is also not good news. In reality, 9,800 Massachusetts residents looking for jobs actually stopped their search during the past two months, reducing the size of the labor market and directly causing the lower unemployment rate for June.

“This is no time for Governor Patrick to take a victory lap,” Baker said. “It’s no wonder people have lost hope in finding a job since Governor Patrick has refused to rule out raising taxes and continues to ignore the reform policies that will put Massachusetts on a solid path to recovery.”

BOSTON – Charlie Baker on Wednesday proposed a sweeping new reform designed to ensure state spending is kept within its means, build up the Rainy Day Fund, and provide cities and towns with a more predictable estimate for state funding each year.

Baker’s proposal would limit state spending to 99 percent of projected revenues, while requiring at least 1 percent to be deposited into the Rainy Day Fund each year. Also included in the proposal is a requirement that all withdrawals from the Rainy Day Fund receive two-thirds approval from the Legislature, ensuring the fund is only used in emergencies. During the past four years, Beacon Hill has raided the Rainy Day Fund by nearly $2 billion and consistently spent more than the revenues brought in by the state.

Massachusetts is facing a $2.5 billion budget deficit for next year due in part to the out-of-control state spending.

“Beacon Hill has not had the self control to ensure that Massachusetts is living within its means and that has led to higher taxes and a depleted Rainy Day Fund,” Baker said. “This proposed law will protect Massachusetts’ resources and ensure we are not faced with year after year of budget deficits like we have during the past four years.”

Baker said he plans to file legislation for this proposal on his first day in office and push legislators for its swift approval by pointing out the potential balance of the Rainy Day Fund and the need to rein in spending. For instance, had this law been in place during the past four fiscal years, Massachusetts would have spent roughly $2.7 billion less than it did under Governor Patrick and the Rainy Day Fund balance would be nearly $2 billion higher.

Currently, 29 other states have laws on the books that limit state spending and expenditures; Massachusetts does not. This proposal will set up a more sustainable budget system and make sure spending increases at a reasonable rate that does not exceed revenues.

SPRINGFIELD – Talking with voters here on Monday, Charlie Baker called on Governor Patrick to get serious about making the tough choices that Beacon Hill has avoided for years under his leadership that will help the state and cities and towns save taxpayer money by enacting reforms.

Governor Patrick has spent Massachusetts into a $2.5 billion hole for next year, and continues to spend money on the fiscal year that has already ended – quietly filing a $28.5 million bill on Friday afternoon that gives nearly $10 million to unions he is counting on for his re-election bid.

“Governor Patrick has a spending problem,” Baker said. “After four years of more than $2 billion in tax and fee increases, the taxpayers want to know when it’s going to end. He won’t rule out raising taxes if he’s re-elected and his policies have cost Massachusetts residents 100,000 jobs during his term. I’ve taken on a turnaround before and know how to do it for Massachusetts.”

Patrick continues to defend his handling of the budget as “responsible,” though Massachusetts is ranked in the bottom five of states to do business in, unemployment has doubled while Patrick has been in office and is now at a 34-year high, and Massachusetts residents have the fifth highest tax burden in the country thanks in part to the eight tax increases of the last four years. During his tenure, Patrick proposed raising taxes 13 times.

“I don’t know how Governor Patrick can be proud of his record on job losses and tax hikes,” Baker said. “It’s already going to take Massachusetts three years to recover its jobs lost at this rate. If Deval Patrick has his way we’ll see another round of tax increases starting next year.”

BOSTON – After four years of more than $2 billion in tax and fee hikes, Governor Patrick last week refused to rule out raising taxes again if he is re-elected. On Friday, Charlie Baker and Richard Tisei said that is all the warning voters should need to recognize that Patrick will come back to the taxpayers asking for more as soon as next year.

Baker called on Beacon Hill to get to work during the last 22 days of the legislative session to approve reforms that will save taxpayers money and lessen the blow to cities and towns that are now dealing with the third local aid cut in as many years. Baker also called on Governor Patrick to get serious about creating jobs.

Today, Patrick said he is “proud” to defend his record on jobs while serving as governor. Massachusetts has lost 100,000 jobs since Patrick became governor in 2007 and the unemployment level has doubled, making Massachusetts one of the five worst states in which to do business. Much of that is due to the tax policies of the Patrick Administration.

While in office, Patrick has raised taxes eight times and sought to raise five additional taxes. The new taxes have hit products ranging from satellite television and telephone poles to hotel stays and a stop at the local convenience store.

“Governor Patrick’s tax policies of the last four years have led to fewer jobs, the highest unemployment in 34 years and one of five worst places to do business in the nation,” Baker said. “He and his allies on Beacon Hill have avoided the tough reforms that will save taxpayer money, instead opting to raise taxes year after year.”

At a press conference in Boston’s North End, Baker and Tisei acknowledged the dozens of restaurants and retail shops in the area that are directly affected by these higher taxes and said these policies are costing Massachusetts jobs.

“We have to get serious about creating jobs and right now Richard and I are the only ones with real plans to get our economy moving and help employers grow here,” Baker said. “I’ve made the tough decisions before that are required for a turnaround and I’m the only one who can do it now for Massachusetts.”

BOSTON – Governor Patrick is hitting the road again today to talk jobs, hoping that voters forget about the last four years of higher unemployment and higher taxes. Unfortunately for Patrick, residents in Massachusetts are saddled with the fifth highest tax burden in the country and his policies as governor have created a business climate that ranks Massachusetts in the bottom five states to do business in. Massachusetts has lost 100,000 jobs on Patrick’s watch.

Today, the Baker/Tisei Campaign released the below web video and has five questions for Governor Patrick as he travels to Milford to talk about jobs:

Click here to see the new video

1)      You have raised taxes eight times, costing taxpayers more than $1 billion a year. Can you honestly say your tax-and-spend policies have helped to create jobs in Massachusetts?

2)      The unemployment rate was 4.3% when you took office and has more than doubled while you’ve been governor and is now the highest it’s been in 34 years. How long will it take for the unemployment rate to return to even 5%?   (Answer: We would need to add 146,000 jobs to get the unemployment rate to 5%.  At the current rate, it would take 23 months to get the unemployment rate to 5%, or June 2012.)

3)       After four years, Massachusetts is ranked among the five worst states in the nation to do business. Is it any wonder 320,000 people are out of work?  How can you claim you’re taking Massachusetts in the right direction?

4)      Last week, you refused to rule out raising taxes again in the future. You’ve already proposed 5 tax increases that haven’t passed yet.  How many taxes are you planning to increase if you’re given another four years?

5)      Do you really blame the majority of voters in Massachusetts that have Had Enough of your administration?

BOSTON – With just 25 days remaining before the legislature adjourns for the summer, Charlie Baker on Tuesday called on Deval Patrick, Tim Cahill and their allies on Beacon Hill to tackle the reforms and tax savings they have so far avoided. These changes will save taxpayers money and lessen the pain cities and towns and businesses are feeling from more than $1 billion in tax hikes during the last four years.

Baker, who last month called for a sales tax holiday this summer, said a weekend of tax relief for consumers and retailers would be a huge boost following two years of job and revenue losses. The weekend holiday, however, cannot alone solve our economic issues.

“Last week, Governor Patrick signed a budget that will lead to more tax hikes and fewer jobs without any significant reforms,” Baker said. “After four years and eight tax hikes under Governor Patrick, taxpayers deserve a break.”

Baker also called for Beacon Hill to approve reforms that can save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and begin addressing the $2 billion budget deficit likely for next year. Among other reforms, proposals to save taxpayer money include:

• Giving cities and towns flexibility to alter employee health care plans;
• Eliminating project labor agreements;
• Eliminating the antiquated Pacheco Law;
• Reforming the pension system;
• Cracking down on taxpayer benefits to illegal immigrants.

Under Gov. Patrick, these reforms have been ignored to appease the unions who benefit most from the status quo and are backing Patrick’s re-election. Instead, the administration has handed down the third year of local aid cuts, handed out union-only contracts for $750 million in improvements on the UMass-Boston campus, and is now focusing all its energy on expanded gaming.

“It’s sad that Governor Patrick’s job-creation strategy hinges on casinos,” Baker said. “Economic development is about more than gambling, and we’re the only ones with a real plan to create new jobs and help businesses expand here.”

BOSTON – Charlie Baker on Thursday called for at least five televised debates in the gubernatorial election between Labor Day and Election Day, saying the voters deserve a full and unfiltered discussion about the issues between the candidates to understand the clear choice in this election.
 
As part of the five televised debates, Baker is calling for one of them to take place in Western Massachusetts. Baker has already accepted one debate with WWLP, as well as one debate for September 8 on WBZ-TV, a debate Tim Cahill and Jill Stein have also accepted but Governor Patrick has yet to.
 
“Debates are a great opportunity for the voters to get a real sense of what the differences are between the candidates and understand how we each would govern,” Baker said. “Deval Patrick is apparently proud of the eight taxes he’s raised in office and the $3 billion in additional spending he’s approved, while I have plans to cut the size of state government, create jobs and reduce spending. These are real differences and we should discuss them in an unfiltered setting.”

BOSTON – At a time when working families and businesses have been reducing their budgets, Governor Patrick has increased state spending by more than $3 billion and raised taxes seven times in three years, costing taxpayers $1 billion more annually. Apparently the governor is proud of his excessive taxing and spending.

I have plans to actually reform state government, reduce the size of state agencies and bureaucracy, and repeal Governor Patrick’s tax increases. That’s the choice in this race. Governor Patrick has lacked the courage to fight for reforms that will change Beacon Hill, and his choices have led to higher taxes and fewer jobs for the people of Massachusetts.

BOSTON – Charlie Baker on Wednesday chided Deval Patrick for signing a fiscal 2011 state budget that will lead to tax hikes, fewer jobs and includes no meaningful reforms to save taxpayers money. The budget Patrick was handed by the Legislature included $160 million in federal money that had yet to arrive and $300 million in savings from debt restructuring that had yet to be approved.

Governor Patrick was to make last-minute cuts when signing the new budget, continuing his pattern of crafting unrealistic budgets and then being forced to make emergency cuts when fiscal reality sets in.  Baker pledged that his budgets would be responsible and balanced and would prepare for the worst rather than hoping for the best.

Today’s budget signing also sets up a budget for fiscal 2012 that already has a roughly $2.5 billion deficit due to a heavy reliance on one-time spending and federal dollars this year. As governor, Baker said he would not sign this budget, but rather approve a budget for 60 days and work with the Legislature to begin tackling the reforms that will save money and put Massachusetts on the right path.

“There is no doubt in my mind that this budget will lead to further tax hikes and fewer jobs,” Baker said. “Deval Patrick has cost taxpayers $1 billion a year in tax increases and we’ve lost jobs because of it. Nothing is changing under this budget because Beacon Hill is satisfied with the status quo.”

Baker pointed to a long list of reforms and savings that are continually ignored by Beacon Hill, including eliminating the Pacheco Law, eliminating the use of project labor agreements, giving cities and towns the flexibility they are looking for to change health care plans for local workers, reforming the Medicaid system, and cracking down on illegal immigration. These reforms are among those Baker has proposed to save taxpayers $1 billion.

The budget signing comes a year after Deval Patrick signed into law a 25 percent increase in the sales tax, driving more consumers out-of-state and causing more employers to eliminate jobs. The sales tax hike, signed into law as part of fiscal 2010 budget, was just one of the many tax hikes Patrick has supported and campaigned for while he’s been in office.

BOSTON – Today marks the one-year anniversary of Deval Patrick’s signing into law the 25 percent increase in the sales tax for Massachusetts, a move that has dug further into the pockets of Massachusetts residents and driven more jobs out of state. This comes as Patrick is about to sign the fiscal 2011 budget that lacks meaningful reforms and will lead to further tax hikes and fewer jobs.

The sales tax hike, signed into law as part of the fiscal 2010 budget, was just one of the many tax hikes Patrick has led the charge for while in office. That same budget last year also included increases in taxes on satellite television, alcohol, meals and hotels. Patrick has yet to file a budget without proposing a tax increase, and in 2009 he campaigned across the state for an increase in the gas tax.

“Deval Patrick and Beacon Hill continue to ignore reforms that are going to get Massachusetts back on track,” Baker said. “Unless we change directions, this sales tax increase will be another item on a long list that will continue to drive jobs out of Massachusetts.”

Baker will hold a press conference at 11:30 am today on the Mansfield Town Common to highlight the one-year anniversary of Patrick’s signing of the sales tax hike.

Tim Cahill hasn’t been far behind in his support for higher taxes, backing a higher gas tax in 2009 and endorsing Deval Patrick in 2006 for his “courageous” stance against rolling back the income tax rate to 5 percent.

The sales tax hike is just one of many contributors to the anti-competitive business climate that Baker hears about on the road across Massachusetts. Requirements to use union-only construction companies on state projects, not giving cities and towns flexibility in designing health care plans, and outlawing the use of private services through the Pacheco Law are all handouts to special interests that Patrick and Cahill support which cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Baker, as part of his Baker’s Dozen proposals to save taxpayers approximately $1 billion, proposed eliminating the Pacheco Law and project labor agreements, and supports giving cities and towns the ability to design health care plans. Baker has also pushed for Beacon Hill to authorize a sales tax holiday this summer as a way to give retailers and consumers a break.

BOSTON - It’s not surprising that my two opponents, Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill are spending their day with the special interests who oppose real reforms that will get Massachusetts back on track and save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Meanwhile, Beacon Hill is about to pass a budget that was irresponsibly built on a $700 million federal handout that has yet to arrive, weakens a crackdown on illegal immigration, ignores the pleas from cities and towns to have greater tools for designing health care plans, and takes another bite out of the rainy day fund.

This is exactly the behavior that has gotten Massachusetts into the mess we’re in and it’s only going to get worse unless we get serious about cutting spending and reforming the way we do business.

This comes as new poll results released today show Baker’s message resonating with more Bay State residents as he has cut Deval Patrick’s lead in half in just one month.

Business leaders in Falmouth, already struggling with consistently increasing taxes and a fluctuating regulatory structure, echoed that reality and reiterated what Baker has heard from employers in other parts of the Bay State: Beacon Hill is not playing by the same rules employers or taxpayers are, and they’ve had enough.

“Employers are united by their shared concerns for the economy and the long-term viability of their businesses here in Massachusetts,” Baker said. “For the last four years, Beacon Hill has changed the rules, increased taxes and regulations are never consistently applied which only adds to difficult economic conditions. It’s time for state government to help, not hinder, employers here in the Commonwealth.”

Today’s event comes as the budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins next week, is still in limbo while Beacon Hill tries to plug an probable $700 million gap due to poor planning. Another $160 million in Social Security funds from the federal government is now in question, which may create an even bigger hole for the budget, requiring more cuts. Meanwhile, with more than 320,000 people unemployed in Massachusetts, the number of workers who have been jobless for at least a year has increased to more than 100,000 – six times what it was when the recession began, according to a new report.

“It is outrageous that we think we should settle for unemployment levels this high,” Baker said. “In order to lead the recovery, the next Governor and Beacon Hill have to be serious about reforming the business climate. With lower tax rates on businesses and a moratorium on new regulations, Massachusetts will be more competitive with other states and in the process will attract new jobs, new businesses and outside investment.”

Baker was joined by construction workers near the UMass-Boston campus to voice their outrage about the agreement reached last week by a UMass panel under the direction of Governor Patrick. The decision adds to the long history of Beacon Hill protecting union work regardless of the price tag. As part of his Baker’s Dozen package of reforms to save taxpayers $1 billion, Baker has proposed eliminating the use of PLAs.

“This is exactly why our taxes continue to rise and our state continues to lose its competitive position,” Baker said. “If we’re going to get serious about getting Massachusetts back on track we need to change the way it does business, and get serious about the reforms that will save taxpayers money and end the union handouts that are driving up costs.”

Baker is the only candidate running for governor who supports ending project labor agreements. Courting unions for support during the campaign, Treasurer Cahill has continually defended the use of PLAs, and schools built under the School Building Assistance program he oversees use PLAs. Governor Patrick has boasted about his administration’s use of PLAs without mentioning the higher costs to taxpayers.

Today’s event comes after news yesterday that the state plans to borrow $1 billion to pay for the salaries of some employees within the Department of Transportation, and continued uncertainty today about the availability of federal funds to close a potential $700 million budget gap for the fiscal year that begins next week.

“Beacon Hill continues to dig a deeper hole for taxpayers that will only get worse unless we have a governor who is willing and able to get into the thick of things and make the tough decisions everyone else has been avoiding,” Baker said. “Deval Patrick and Tim Cahill have been part of the problem for the last four years. We’re not going to change Beacon Hill by promoting or rewarding someone who is already part of Beacon Hill.”

TAUNTON – Talking with small business leaders and local residents here today, Charlie Baker pushed for Massachusetts to adopt more competitive business tax policies and adjust the regulatory environment so it encourages job growth in Massachusetts, instead of driving it to other states.

Business leaders in Taunton, an area of Massachusetts with a higher unemployment rate than the state average, echoed what Baker has heard from employers in other parts of the Bay State: the tax rates and regulatory structure in Massachusetts makes it difficult to grow here and hire more employees. Other states are friendlier and more affordable, and thus win expansions from Massachusetts companies.

“Employers in every part of the state tell me that it has become increasingly more difficult to grow and succeed in Massachusetts,” Baker said. “Until we get serious about reforming the business environment to encourage growth here we’re not going to see the gains we need or deserve to catapult out of the recession.”

Today’s event – on Bunker Hill Day – comes as the state announced new job numbers and unemployment figures for May, showing the majority of new jobs added are due to temporary hiring for the federal Census project, and there are more than 320,000 residents still without a job.

“The job growth we are seeing is not enough,” Baker said. “Massachusetts should be leading the nation in job growth and creating the business environment we need to get the 320,000 people without a job back to work faster. We shouldn’t settle for 9.2 percent unemployment and think that our work is done. We have to do better than this and I believe we can do better than this, but we have to lower the cost of doing business here to truly lead in this recovery.”

CLAIM:
“And I’ll also say this, Charlie.  In the eight years you stewarded state government you never achieved a AA bond rating.” – Governor Patrick
FACT:
The state’s bond rating was upgraded eight times between 1992 and 1998.  It was AA when Governor Patrick took office and it has never been upgraded during his tenure.
http://www.mass.gov/Ctre/docs/debt/magoratinghistory.pdf

CLAIM:
“We’ve cut corporate taxes.” – Governor Patrick
FACT:
The reduction in the corporate tax rate was designed to soften the blow of new corporate tax provisions that increased taxes on corporations by as much as $400 million.
Boston Globe, January 2, 2009
http://www.boston.com/business/taxes/articles/2009/01/02/tax_law_debuts_amid_controversy/
Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont all have lower corporate tax rates than Massachusetts.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/230.html

CLAIM:
“The reason we didn’t win Race to the Top, and the reason we were marked down is because we were asked, as a condition, to sign on to standards no one had even seen.  And we said there’s no way we’re going to do that.  Why in the world would be jeopardize one of the signature elements of this education system?  We were docked I think 15, 20 points, and that was the edge.” – Governor Patrick
FACT:
This is empirically false.  Massachusetts finished 13 out of 16 in the Race to the Top rankings, 40 points behind the winners of the funds.  The state’s application lost 43 points for not evaluating teachers based on performance (a concession to the teachers unions) and only 15 points for not signing on to national standards.
http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/blog/education/why-ma-finished-13th-of-16-on-the-race-to-the-top/

CLAIM:
“We have now been rated by CNBC the 8th best state in the nation in which to do business, up from 15th just two years ago.” – Governor Patrick
FACT:
Massachusetts is ranked 8th overall (based in part on our high rankings on Quality of Life and Education), but the CNBC study ranks us 40th in terms of the cost of doing business, a rating based on “tax burden, including individual income and property taxes, business taxes, even the gasoline tax. Utility costs can add up to a huge expense for business, and they vary widely by state. We also looked at the cost of wages and state workers’ compensation insurance, as well as rental costs for office and industrial space.”
http://www.cnbc.com/id/31965917

BOSTON – Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker released the following statement on the University of Massachusetts’ decision to use project labor agreements for $750 million in construction on the UMass-Boston campus:

“The decision by the University of Massachusetts and Governor Patrick to use project labor agreements will cost taxpayers $100 million more for these construction projects. Governor Patrick continues to be reckless with spending taxpayer dollars and continues to prove that he is unwilling to push for the reforms necessary to save millions of dollars.”

BOSTON – Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker on Thursday detailed his plans to create new jobs in Massachusetts by reducing business taxes, streamlining the regulatory structure of state government, and lowering the cost of doing business in Massachusetts.
Speaking to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Baker outlined “Getting Massachusetts Back in Business,” his plan to create a business climate that is more predictable, competitive, and stable so employers can have the confidence to hire people in Massachusetts and expand here, instead of in our lower-cost competitor states.
Baker’s plan is a response to the sluggish recovery Massachusetts has in store unless it shakes up the status quo. Unemployment in Massachusetts is currently at 9.2 percent, the highest rate in 34 years, with roughly 320,000 people out of work. Baker plans to push policies that will get people back to work quickly by lessening the tax and regulatory burden on employers.
Baker, who led successful turnarounds of state government in the 1990s and at Harvard Pilgrim, said Massachusetts should not settle for a mediocre recovery, or believe that high unemployment, higher taxes and an out-of-control state budget is the new norm.
“We should not be satisfied with double-digit unemployment rates in many areas of this state or a 9, 8 or even 7 percent statewide rate,” Baker said Thursday.  “We should not be satisfied with a state budget deficit that never goes away.  We should not be satisfied with tax rates that go up, and change all the time.  And we most especially should not be satisfied with a state government that seems either unwilling or unable to get its act together and fix its fiscal mess. If we want to be on the front end of that national recovery – if we want to drive that unemployment rate down as fast as we can – we have to reform the three anchors that impede our capacity for growth – tax policy, business costs and regulatory policy.”
Baker continued: “We can drive this recovery and become the great state we all know Massachusetts can be again, but we can’t sit back and wait for it to happen. We have to drive it.”

Getting Massachusetts Back in Business

1.      Establish a simple and equitable tax system to send a strong message to the business community that Massachusetts is a business-friendly state

·        Adopt a statutory tax rate of 5 percent for all business entities. Massachusetts has a complicated system that sets forth a series of tax rates depending on the type of business entity, the industry the company represents and the size of the company.  An across the board uniform state rate for all business classifications is the simplest form of taxation.

·        Phase out ancillary taxes.  This includes the $456 minimum tax on S and C corporations, the sting tax on S corporations, and the tangible property tax on C corporations.

To accomplish the above, the state must phase down the corporate tax rate and ancillary taxes over four years.

Year one – 8%; Year two – 7%; Year three – 6%; Year four – 5%

·        Reduce the filing fees.  Annual filing fees range from $125 for C and S corporations to $500 for LLCs and LLPs.  There should be one equitable and reasonable fee of $125 for business entities.

2.      Make Massachusetts’ tax policies competitive with other states so that jobs are created here.

·        Reduce the state’s sales tax to 5 percent. Right now, Massachusetts is competing with states like New Hampshire with no sales tax and 40 other states in the country with a sales tax rate of less than 6.25 percent.

·        Reduce the state’s income tax rate to 5 percent. Many of the state’s small businesses, such as sole proprietorships, S corporations, limited liability companies and limited liability partnerships, pay the state’s income tax.  There are 600,000 small businesses in the Bay State – a reduction in the income tax rate could be the difference in helping them afford to a new employee.

·        Enact a true water’s edge provision in the combined reporting law. Massachusetts has set up a taxation system that tries to apportion business profits made from world-wide operations which are already taxed in the country where the businesses are located. Massachusetts risks foreign investment, key to its recovery, by its failure to act to enact true water’s edge provision.

·        Reform the unemployment insurance program. Unemployment Insurance is one of many areas in which Massachusetts employers struggle with some of the highest costs in the nation.  The state must reform the UI program, without cutting benefits, by:

1.)   Charge employers with a stable workforce history lower UI rates while charging employers who frequently layoff staff higher rates.

2.)   Require workers to work longer, and to earn their compensation over two quarters in order to be eligible to collect.
3.)   Charge new employers a UI rate that reflects their actual rate rather than a rate that is artificially low – this results in significant increases in UI rates once the new employer rate period is over (12 months).

4.)   Compute payroll tax for UI purposes on a three to five year average payroll rather than a 12 month average.  MA is one of only 3 states to use the 12 month average; all other states have a longer look back period.

3.      Provide businesses with a predictable set of rules on how to conduct business in Massachusetts

·        Immediate moratorium on regulations. On day one, impose an immediate moratorium on all new regulations and amendments and launch a full competitive regulatory reform initiative to be completed within one year.

·        Eliminate anti-competitive policies. Perform a top-to-bottom review and rescind or modify regulations that place undue burden on Massachusetts citizens and stifle competition in the business community.

• Make it Business Friendly.  Establish a licensing and regulatory review board with representatives of the business community, trade/professional organizations, and other key regulated parties.  No regulation, license, permit, or certification will be created or amended without this board’s review.

·        Stop the madness.  Veto any bill that is overly burdensome, anti-competitive, or excessively restrictive for businesses.

4.      Adopt a reasonable and effective statewide energy policy

·        Support Hydro Quebec as a renewable energy source. Hydro Quebec has significant potential to provide Massachusetts with clean, renewable power that will expand the state’s energy portfolio while reducing the cost of electricity for ratepayers.  The state should support the efforts to bring this power to Massachusetts and qualify it as a renewable energy source.

·        Focus on energy efficiency. The state should continue to invest in energy efficiency.  Given that only a limited amount of electricity can be generated within Massachusetts, the state should focus more heavily on energy efficiency as a way to lower energy costs.

1)      Waive sales tax on energy efficiency appliances and upgrades. This will encourage homeowners and businesses to purchase energy efficient appliances and technologies such as appliances, windows, insulation, over the next five years.

2)      LED lighting rebate program.  LED lighting is extremely energy efficient but is still cost prohibitive to many homeowners and businesses.  LED lights use up to 75% less energy than the average light bulb.  The state should offer a rebate program for businesses and homeowners to encourage the transition from traditional lighting to LED lighting.

5.      Regional Economic Development

There are many regions of this state that are struggling well-beyond the Boston metropolitan area.  Most notable are the former industrial cities that anchor these regions which have been struggling with double digit unemployment figures for the past year and a half.  The current approach to economic development in the state is leaving these cities and the surrounding regions behind.  The state needs a bold, innovative and coordinated approach that allows for the development of regional strategies to help these cities rebound.

·        Provide a single point of contact.  There should be a single point of contact at the state for municipal government to make sure that state assistance is targeted and that timely, meaningful and measurable results are achieved.

·        Provide industrial cities with block grant funding. Create a block grant program that would foster a partnership between cities and state government.  Cities should have a seat at the table and work collaboratively to develop strategies that fit the needs of their region. The strategy should include criteria established by the region and state with attainable goals towards economic development.  Providing one source of funds and one point of contact at the local level will offer these cities the flexibility it needs to develop plans that meet the specific needs of their area, while making oversight and assistance from the state efficient and accountable.  As a foundation, improvements should target the public schools and public safety.  The block grants will allow cities and towns to target their funds to these areas to take innovative community-driven approaches to solving specific problems.

·        Invest state funds in community banks.  The state should work with community banks to establish partnerships to help entrepreneurs in former industrial cities access start up and expansion funds.  If the state aggressively invested state funds in community banks in these locations, the banks will in turn lend to qualified entrepreneurs to help revitalize downtown areas.

In Andover, condemns Patrick’s tax-and-spend policies of the last four years

ANDOVER– Charlie Baker was joined by supporters today outside the Old City Hall in Andover in calling for a sales tax holiday this summer as a long overdue boost to consumers who have been burdened by Governor Patrick’s $2 billion in new taxes and fees. Businesses in border communities have been particularly hit hard by Patrick’s 25% increase in the sales tax and the new liquor tax has pushed local customers to drive across the border to New Hampshire.

Recent publications have also ranked Massachusetts as one of the five worst states in which to do business due in part to increased taxes and a constantly evolving and expanding regulatory system. And when asked recently about 300 jobs leaving a biotech company in Andover, Governor Patrick was unaware that Pfizer had made international news in announcing the job cuts.

“Today, there are 320,000 people in Massachusetts still out of work. Governor Patrick’s tax and regulatory policies have pushed Massachusetts into the unenviable position of being one of the worst states in which to operate a business in the country,” said Baker. “As Governor, I will fight to keep every job we have in Massachusetts and will fight to create a climate conducive to business expansion and investment in order to make Massachusetts work again.”

Baker’s tax relief plan will bring relief to Bay Staters and begin the process of making Massachusetts competitive again. Baker’s tax plan includes reducing the income and sales tax to 5 percent, eliminating the new liquor tax, and providing a sales tax holiday as a boost for consumers and businesses this summer. Beacon Hill has refused to support reforms that would save municipalities hundreds of millions of dollars, opting instead to raise taxes and cut local aid.

“As Charlie and I visit communities across the state, there is a common theme that is enough is enough,” said Baker’s running-mate Richard Tisei. “Beacon Hill has continued to operate oblivious to the economic realities that face families and businesses. Massachusetts cannot afford to finish what Governor Patrick has started.”

Baker’s visit in Andover was part of the campaign’s “Had Enough?” tour that has taken Baker and running-mate Richard Tisei to dozens of cities and towns during the last few weeks to ask residents what they’ve had enough of.

NORTH DARTMOUTH – Standing with local supporters today at a recently shuttered elementary school, Charlie Baker criticized Governor Patrick for not focusing on protecting the working families on the South Coast by failing to join a federal lawsuit against egregious fishing regulations that are threatening to decimate the fishing industry in Massachusetts and eliminate even more jobs.

Baker also called for Beacon Hill to support a sales tax holiday this summer as a boost for consumers and struggling retailers and criticized Patrick for being late to get behind that effort as well.

On April 29, 2010, Baker sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke urging him to increase the catch limits for commercial fishermen, estimated to be a $313 million contributor to the region’s economy. Patrick has been late to speak up and fight for this industry and the jobs that the industry supports.

“For families living and working along our coastline, this is their number one issue,” Baker said. “Right now, 320,000 people in Massachusetts are still out of work. Deval Patrick should be spending every minute working to keep the jobs we have and earn back the ones we’ve lost.”

And noting the irony of Governor Patrick’s recent hint of support for a sales tax holiday – the very tax he raised by 25 percent last year – Baker called on Beacon Hill to give consumers and businesses the relief they are desperate for and approve a sales tax holiday weekend this summer.

“It’s clear wherever I go, whoever I talk to, that people are struggling and looking for relief from the state,” Baker said. “After three years of higher taxes, we owe them at least a weekend of not having to drive over the border to find tax relief.”

Baker’s visit in North Dartmouth was part of the campaign’s “Had Enough?” tour that has taken Baker and running-mate Richard Tisei to dozens of cities and towns during the last few weeks to ask residents what they’ve had enough of. The Dartmouth area has been one of the hardest hit during the economic recession, with an unemployment level of 10.4%. Today’s press conference was held at the Job S. Gidley Elementary School, which was shut down three years ago due to budget cuts.

“Local aid cuts have forced cities and towns to make difficult decisions while Beacon Hill continues to operate oblivious to the status quo,” said Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson. “Charlie Baker understands that taxpayers need to be at the front of the line not the back of the line and has a bold plan to put our economy back on solid ground.”

Baker and Tisei’s discussion comes as Governor Patrick and the Democratic Party hailed the progress made in Massachusetts during the last four years, even with the state’s unemployment rate at 9.2 percent.

“The folks we met today are struggling, and are just a small segment of the hundreds of thousands of people here who do not have a job,” Baker said. “We are only going to be able turn this state around and get people back to work if we take Massachusetts in a new direction.”

Baker and Tisei have offered plans to save taxpayers roughly $1 billion through reforms and streamlining of state government, and are pushing for the income and the sales tax to be reduced to 5 percent, all measures that will dramatically improve the economic climate in Massachusetts and help small businesses grow. Currently, Baker said, employers are hesitant to rehire for jobs that were lost or expand because the tax climate is so volatile.

“Today I heard from a project manager from Needham who said he’s getting no help from the state to find a job, a construction manager from Framingham who doesn’t believe the governor is serious about competing for every job, and an office manager from Wakefield who said a lot of people have given up looking for a job,” Baker said. “This is not the Massachusetts that I know we can be.”

Baker continued: “Deval Patrick believes Massachusetts is heading in the right direction, but the truth is that 320,000 people are out of work. We can make Massachusetts great again, but it has to start with changing the leadership on Beacon Hill.”

BROCKTON – Highlighting the educational gains Brockton schools have made during the past few years as a case for why the state needs to protect local aid, Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and his running-mate Richard Tisei today talked with teachers, administrators and students at Brockton High School about his commitment to streamline state government to ensure local aid is held harmless.

Brockton schools are some of the hardest hit from projected fiscal 2011 local aid cuts, potentially laying off more than 100 teachers and dozens of other staff positions in the district to fill a budget gap. Today’s visit was part of the Baker/Tisei “Had Enough?” tour as the campaign travels the state to talk with residents about how we can take Massachusetts in a new direction.

“Brockton schools, just like dozens of others across Massachusetts, have seen their budgets plummet because the state is unwilling to make the tough choices and tough reforms necessary to save money,” Baker said. “For schools in Brockton, that means fewer teachers, larger class sizes, and fewer resources. The students deserve better and Massachusetts deserves better.”

Baker and Tisei also continued to stress their commitment to strengthening the MCAS exam, which the Patrick Administration is considering eliminating. The standards set by the MCAS exam are one of the reasons why Brockton students have made great gains during the last decade.

“The MCAS exam is one of the greatest successes of education reform,” said Tisei. “To walk away from the MCAS exam would be to walk away from the gains we have made as a state in becoming a national leader, and the gains made by students who have proven to be national models.”

Baker and Tisei also outlined several of the education reform initiatives they would pursue as an administration, including tying teacher evaluations to student performance, giving superintendents and principals a greater authority to hire and fire teachers, and giving the state more tools to reform schools that are found to be consistently underperforming.

Baker and Tisei plan to visit several other schools as part of the “Had Enough?” tour, to talk with teachers, administrators and students about how local aid cuts are damaging their budgets.

Today’s Boston Globe details how lobbyists seeking state contracts have been provided with exclusive access to Governor Patrick for an intimate dining experience in exchange for $5,000 from the corporate executives and lobbyists who attended.

Even before he took on a more prominent role with the campaign, Curran had been helping Patrick raise money. He has not been shy about linking contributions to access to the governor.- Boston Globe, June 3, 2010.

And Cahill, again proving his insider status on Beacon Hill, this morning on WRKO’s Tom and Todd Show refused to support repealing the Pacheco Law, which prohibits competitive bidding from private contractors. Without such a prohibitive law, other states have saved hundreds of millions of dollars, and even our own fiscal experts claim it will save Massachusetts cities and towns money.

Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation told the Boston Globe on May 7, 2010: “Repealing or amending the Pacheco law would produce large and growing savings year after year.  States and municipalities across the country have shown that competitive bidding can save money and improve services.’’

But Cahill again shows his allegiance to unions, saying today on WRKO: “You know, I don’t think it’s going to create more jobs…The Pacheco Law has not hurt us in bringing down the cost of building schools.”

Neither of these revelations is surprising, though, considering Patrick and Cahill are both part of the Beacon Hill problem.

“After years on Beacon Hill, Deval Patrick and Tim Cahill have become products of their environment,” said gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker. “These guys will do anything to protect the status quo. They represent the failures of the past, not the future of Massachusetts.”

“This has the potential to devastate many state programs before we even get the fiscal year off the ground,” said Baker. “I’ve been concerned about this since the day the governor proposed his budget, and it’s only going to get worse. Not only is Massachusetts facing a $2 billion deficit for fiscal year 2012, but we could begin the next fiscal year with a $700 million budget hole.  Governor Patrick should immediately announce his contingency plan to deal with this potential outcome.”

Speaking with teachers, school officials, and students in Gardner today as part of the campaign’s “Had Enough?” tour, Baker highlighted the importance of protecting the gains made in Massachusetts due in part to our strong commitment to the MCAS exam. To retreat from that exam would be yielding ground on education standards.

“School budgets have been decimated across Massachusetts because Beacon Hill is unwilling to cut its own fat to keep local aid off the chopping block,” Baker said. “Our schools and our students have done great things, but they cannot continue their progress when the state is pulling the rug out from under them.”

Gardner is one of many schools across the state that is facing a large budget gap and considering staff and program cuts to fill the gap. Baker said the state must get serious about reforms to save money, as well as allow cities and towns to find savings through more flexible health care employee contracts and pension reform.

“We are so proud of what our students and our schools are accomplishing, but the state cannot walk away from this progress by draining our budget,” said Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke. “The longer Beacon Hill stalls on the necessary reforms to save hundreds of millions of dollars, the more students who suffer.”

Baker also outlined several of the education reform initiatives he’d pursue as governor, including tying teacher evaluations to student performance, giving superintendents and principals a greater authority to hire and fire teachers, and giving the state more tools to reform schools that are found to be consistently underperforming.
Baker plans to visit several other schools as part of his “Had Enough?” tour, to talk with teachers, administrators and students about how local aid cuts are damaging their budgets.

NORTH ATTLEBORO – Area residents and local officials today joined Charlie Baker in saying they’ve had enough of the excessive taxes and regulations businesses face in Massachusetts and called for systemic changes to the way state government approaches regulating businesses.

Today’s event was part of the Baker/Tisei statewide “Had Enough?” tour that began last week with a bus tour to 10 different cities and towns. Baker and Tisei each week plan to visit different communities to talk with local residents about what they’ve had enough of.

“Beacon Hill has got to get serious about taking a hard, fresh look at the regulations businesses face in this state,” Baker said. “Small business owners across the state uniformly tell me that they are struggling to survive in this environment and we have to change that. State government should get out of employers’ way and let them create jobs, not slap them with new taxes and regulations.”

Baker also criticized the overall Senate budget passed today during the early morning hours for failing to tackle the hard reforms needed for the state to live within its means, including repealing the Pacheco Law, providing more local government health care savings options, and reforming our pension system.

“Massachusetts has for too long ignored the reforms that can put us on the right track,” Baker said. “We have a plan to fix Massachusetts that can save taxpayers $1 billion and we have to start getting serious about moving forward.”

Throughout the “Had Enough?” tour, Baker and Tisei have been joined by local residents and elected officials who have personally been affected by the tax-and-spend policies of the Patrick Administration and have had enough of the broken promises he made on the campaign trail.

John Ryhno, owner of John and Ed’s Garage in North Attleboro, joined Baker today to point out the struggles he has faced as a small business owner near the border of Rhode Island.

“Beacon Hill does not understand how the decisions they make to raise taxes and increase regulations on small business impact us, the people who are trying to create new jobs,” Ryhno said. “Charlie Baker is the only candidate who knows what it takes to turn our state around who and can get the job done.”

Information on the “Had Enough?” tour can be found at: www.masshadenough.com

BOSTON – Republican Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker on Thursday released the following statement on the illegal immigration reform amendment passed by the state Senate:

“The Senate took a strong step forward today in ensuring that taxpayer money is spent on legal residents seeking state services and should be applauded for listening to the residents here who have long called for serious action on illegal immigration.

There is more work to be done, and I urge Deval Patrick to support this bipartisan measure and recognize the severity of continuing the status quo.”

BOSTON – Taking the final stop on the statewide 10-city “Had Enough?” tour to Beacon Hill, Charlie Baker today called for Deval Patrick and Tim Cahill to join him in opposing the arbitrator’s award to Boston firefighters and any attempts to weaken our school standards.

Baker’s announcement today comes after several weeks of silence from Beacon Hill on an exorbitant Boston firefighters contract proposal that taxpayers cannot afford, and news on Thursday that the state is eyeing weakening its education standards.

“We have to start getting serious about changing the culture in Massachusetts, and we have to start now,” Baker said. “Massachusetts needs a new direction, and what is happening in Boston with the firefighters contract is just one example of the culture that has to change. Voters have had enough.”

Baker and running-mate Richard Tisei also believe the education standards Massachusetts has in place should be strengthened, and expressed serious concern of any changes being discussed to water-down the MCAS system.

“Massachusetts should be proud of the gains its students have made with the MCAS in place. We have some of the highest standards in the nation, and we should work to retain our competitive edge, not make any moves that could potentially weaken our schools,” Tisei said. “The future of our schools, and the future of our students is not something we can take for granted. We have to do better.”

Baker and Tisei have been touring the state this week as part of their “Had Enough?” tour, during which voters have said they’ve had enough of the excessive property taxes, broken promises and a different set of rules for Beacon Hill. Throughout the tour Baker and Tisei have talked with voters about the serious reforms they have proposed that will save taxpayers roughly $1 billion.

“This week convinced me that the people across the state agree – they want reforms,” Baker said. “They want change. They want to know their governor can deliver on the promises they make because they have the guts to get it done.”

The “Had Enough?” tour wrapped-up today with events in Danvers, Methuen and Boston, after talking to voters during stops this week in Worcester, Chicopee, Framingham, Lowell, Dennis, Bridgewater, and Quincy. More information on the tour, including video footage and coverage of the tour can be found at: www.masshadenough.com.

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The Baker/Tisei Campaign’s “Had Enough?” tour today hit the towns of Dennis, Bridgewater and the City of Quincy to talk with voters about the tax hikes, cuts to local schools and town services, and the need for pension reform that Cahill has opposed.

Baker and Tisei have been traveling the state all week to talk with voters about the issues they care about and the reforms the campaign has proposed thus far that will save taxpayers more than $1 billion.

“We have a great vision for Massachusetts but we need to make some tough decisions to get there,” Baker said. “Voters are tired of the old way of doing business and they recognize the potential that exists if we can institute the reforms we have proposed.”

In Bridgewater, the town is facing a projected $3.5 million budget gap for next year, with insurance, health care and pension costs rising twice as fast as the revenue it is collecting. The town has already slashed its services and emptied its rainy day fund. Financial issues like this are not unique to Bridgewater, and Baker continues to talk with voters about the need to reform local services and save money.

“Charlie Baker is the only candidate that actually has the guts to stand up to the special interests that have been having their way with Deval Patrick and Tim Cahill,” said Lieutenant Governor candidate Richard Tisei. “Massachusetts needs a new direction, one that is committed to the reforms that will shake up the status quo.”

The “Had Enough?” tour continues on Thursday with stops in Danvers, Methuen and Boston. Information on the tour can be found at: www.masshadenough.com.

WORCESTER – Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker today continued to talk with voters about the issues they care about and the reforms the Baker/Tisei Campaign has put forward, hitting the streets of Worcester and Lowell while Deval Patrick tries to change the subject to talk about campaign ads.

Today’s stops are the second leg of the campaign’s “Had Enough?” bus tour crisscrossing the Commonwealth to discuss a new direction for the state with voters.

“We’re talking with voters all over the state about our proposals to save the Commonwealth $1 billion by reforming the way we do business,” Baker said. “Voters are telling me they’ve had enough of the empty rhetoric followed by more and more tax hikes, and we need a new direction.”

Today’s events come one day after Deval Patrick was forced to backtrack on his claim that his 2006 campaign wasn’t supported by millions of dollars in negative ads from outside groups.

Baker was joined in Worcester by local officials and residents who are keenly affected by the tax hikes and broken promises of the Patrick Administration. Voters around the state continue to say they want state government to go in a new direction to build up the economy and disrupt the way business is done.

“I’ve had enough of the tax hikes and the insider deals that game our pension system and waste millions of taxpayer dollars every day,” said local business owner John Boyd. “We need a governor who will protect the promises made to our teachers, our firefighters and police officers without raising taxes.”

The “Had Enough?” tour heads to Lowell this afternoon, where last year Deval Patrick stumped for increasing the gas tax, a proposal soundly rejected by many local officials and residents there. Instead of raising taxes, Baker today will talk with voters about many of the 13 reforms included in the Baker’s Dozen he has already proposed during this campaign to save taxpayers more than $1 billion.

“We’re the only candidates in this race talking about real solutions to real problems that the voters care about,” Baker said. “And we’re the only ones with the guts to get it done.”

Information and details on the weeklong tour of Massachusetts can be found at the “Had Enough?” website: www.masshadenough.com, including a new web video released this week.

FRAMINGHAM – Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and running-mate Richard Tisei today kicked-off their weeklong tour of Massachusetts, beginning a discussion about what residents have had enough of with Deval Patrick and Tim Cahill and calling for a new a direction in Massachusetts.

The campaign has also launched a “Had Enough?” website – www.masshadenough.com, which by Monday morning had already received nearly 50,000 hits before the bus left the campaign’s headquarters. The weeklong effort also includes an online advertising campaign to continue the grassroots efforts of the campaign and a new video posted on the website.

Accompanied by dozens of supporters each day, Baker and Tisei began the bus tour today from their South Boston headquarters to Framingham to highlight property tax increases, and plan to visit 10 different regions this week.

“Massachusetts deserves better than this, and as I’ve traveled across the state people have told me they’ve had enough of excuses for why we can’t get there. They want to take Massachusetts in a new direction,” Baker said. “Voters in November have a historic opportunity to replace half the management team on Beacon Hill with one vote and get this state moving again.”

Framingham is one of many communities where residents are facing higher property taxes, despite Deval Patrick making property tax cuts one of his central campaign promises in 2006. Since taking office, Deval Patrick has not only cut local aid, forcing cities and towns to increase property taxes, he has proposed countless tax increases, including a higher gas tax, sales tax, alcohol tax, sugar tax, tobacco tax, and many others.

“Deval Patrick and Tim Cahill have been unwilling to make the tough decisions to reform Beacon Hill,” said Tisei. “The special interests have gotten exactly what they want during the last four years because all Deval Patrick and Tim Cahill offer is empty rhetoric. We can do better and we have to do better.”

Baker and Tisei have already proposed 13 reforms, known as the Baker’s Dozen that can potentially save taxpayers more than $1 billion. Those reforms include pension reform, eliminating the Pacheco Law, cutting the state’s workforce, and reforming Medicaid.

Baker continues to advocate for his 13 reforms, dubbed the Baker’s Dozen, which would reduce state government and save the taxpayers $1 billion; they are reforms which Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill have failed to implement in their time on Beacon Hill. Baker also addressed Patrick’s attacks on his character.

“If we want to talk about a lack of honesty, let’s talk about Governor Patrick’s broken campaign promises. Where are the property tax cuts, where are the increases in local aid, where’s the real reform to state government?” said Baker. “He is falling back on negative personal attacks because he can’t defend his failed record.”

Governor Patrick has recently turned to negative attacks, accusing Baker of a “lack of integrity” and saying he “makes up a lot of stuff.” On his Ask the Governor radio appearance this morning, Patrick also said that “I keep hearing about a surplus that was there waiting when I came to office in January 2007. If that surplus was there, I sure wish somebody would show it to us …There was no such thing.” (Jim and Margery Show, May 5, 2010)

The state ended FY2007 with a $307 million budget deficit (see attached page from the State Comptroller’s Statutory Basis Financial Report). If Governor Patrick hadn’t restored $383 million in cuts on his first day in office, he would have ended the fiscal year with a budget surplus instead of a budget deficit.

“It’s no surprise that the state is in the situation it’s in when Deval Patrick forgets spending close to $400 million on his first day in office,” said Baker. “He reversed $383 million in emergency cuts on Day One, and he increased spending by 20% in his first two years in office. Deval Patrick has mismanaged our state’s budget and is now attempting to rewrite history in hopes that the voters will forget what his real record is.”

The ‘Baker’s Dozen’ include reforms geared at saving taxpayers over $1 billion. The full list is available at http://www.charliebaker2010.com/issuesGovReforms.php.

Today’s announcement is one of a host of policy solutions put forward by the Baker-Tisei team; for more information please visit www.charliebaker2010.com.

PATRICK RESTORES $383 MILLION TO THE BUDGET ON HIS FIRST DAY

“[Patrick] formally rescinded the $383 million in emergency budget cuts that Romney made in November.
According to a letter to the Legislature from Administration and Finance Secretary Leslie Kirwan, if there is not enough money at the end of the fiscal year on June 30 to pay for the restored services and programs, the administration will use the state’s rainy day fund to cover the gap.”

The Boston Globe, January 6, 2007

“One of Patrick’s first official acts as governor was to restore $384 million in funding slashed by former Gov. Mitt Romney. Romney was assailed because some of the cuts were crippling to essential social services, but a large chunk of the spending was for questionable projects such as a $150,000 moth worm study, $200,000 for Victorian lights in Melrose, $100,000 for a Braintree gazebo and $250,000 to repair a New Bedford schooner.”

The Boston Herald, January 19, 2007

“While families, businesses and cities and towns across Massachusetts have had to make do with less, our state government has failed to cut back and change the way it does business,” Baker said. “The mentality here on Beacon Hill is tax and spend first, reform last. This failure to reform is no longer acceptable, and Richard and I will change it with our real proposals for reducing state government.”

Last week, Baker and Tisei held a press conference in the same spot to talk about Beacon Hill’s out-of-control taxing and spending. Today, they laid out a series of reforms that make it clear that government can make do with less if our leaders are willing to make tough choices.

“The last four years have been squandered by Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill,” said Baker. “They have had the opportunity to implement sweeping pension reform, eliminate project labor agreements and consolidate and eliminate redundant state agencies. But instead of exhibiting strong fiscal leadership, Patrick and Cahill have relied on one-time stimulus dollars and $2 billion in new taxes to fund state government, oblivious to the economic realities in Massachusetts.”

Recently, both Deval Patrick and Tim Cahill have shown they will fight reform at every turn. Tim Cahill recently admitted that he has no claim to being a reformer, telling Howie Carr, “Howie, I want to make it clear, though, I’m not passing myself off as a reformer or as a good government guy.” (Howie Carr Show, April 27, 2010). And Governor Patrick would rather launch personal attacks at Charlie Baker, recently accusing him of a “lack of integrity,” than defend his failed record to the people of Massachusetts.

The ‘Baker’s Dozen’ include reforms geared at saving taxpayers over $1 billion and the time to act is now:

The Baker’s Dozen
13 ways to save taxpayers more than $1 billion

1. Reduce construction costs by increasing competition – Between $75M to $100M in savings
Public construction projects should be open to all bidders. Competition is important to ensure the best deal for the taxpayers. Only 20 percent of the construction industry is comprised of union workers, therefore project labor agreements exclude 80 percent of the market from bidding on projects. Several studies estimate that PLAs add at least 12 percent to overall project costs. This is significant considering that the state spends nearly $1 billion per year on capital construction projects plus another $600 million in municipal aid for the School Building Assistance program.

2. Lower health care costs for cities and towns – $100M in savings
Municipal health insurance relief is needed to provide communities with the power to update their health insurance plans outside of the collective bargaining process. State law must be amended to allow municipalities to join the state’s Group Insurance Commission without union approval. Cities and towns must also be given the same authority that the state has to change, update and modernize the design of municipal health insurance plans, provided the plans are comparable to the state plans offered to state employees.

3. Implement real pension reform – $50M in savings
The current pension system is unaffordable, unaccountable and unsustainable. It is unfortunate that it took three years for the current Governor to file a pension reform bill and the Treasurer believes that the current system is working fine as it is. The fact that taxpayers and future pensioners face an unfunded liability that exceeds $22 billion didn’t happen by accident. Reforms must be enacted now to control costs and eliminate overly generous payouts for state workers.

4. End union control of public contracts – Between $75M to $100M in savings
The Pacheco Law, passed in 1993, is the strictest-in-the-nation anti-privatization policy. The law severely limits the state’s ability to provide cost-effective services by allowing unions full control on the delivery. This law has required the government to perform services well beyond its core mission because all contracts over $500,000 for outside entities to provide services must be reviewed and approved by the State Auditor. The Auditor uses restrictive legislative conditions when reviewing the outside contracts. Absent repealing this law, these restrictions must be modified to allow for greater flexibility in making determinations.

Many states have used competitive bidding to save money and improve services. For example, Florida has used competitive sourcing more than 130 times, saving more than $740 million. These are opportunities for Massachusetts too. Examples include:

5. Consolidate and shrink state government – At least $400M in savings
The state is facing a $2.5 billion structural deficit – the result of the Governor and Treasurer relying heavily on one-time funds for three budget cycles. The state has lost three valuable years to simplify and restructure the way the state does its business and reduce state spending to adapt to the loss of the one-time federal and rainy day funds. There are many opportunities to reform the way the state operates, allowing for a significant reduction in the state’s workforce. The opportunities are endless but here are two examples::

6. Reform Medicaid – Between $175M to $250M in savings
The state spends approximately $9 billion per year on Medicaid, which represents 25 percent of the state’s budget. Last year, Medicaid spending increased by more than $1 billion. According to an op-ed by the Pioneer Institute, 35 cents of every new tax dollar pays for Medicaid. Clearly, status quo is not an option. Enrolling Medicaid recipients into managed care plans is estimated to save the state up to $1 billion over five years. This budget saving option cannot be ignored any longer.

7. Require proof of legal residency for state benefits – Between $10M to $25M in savings
Applicants applying for state services should be required to verify their legal status in this country. It is only fair that recipients of state services should be required to prove to state agencies they are in this country legally before obtaining government benefits. Currently, there is no uniform policy that requires the state to verify the legal status for those applying for all state services including public housing, unemployment benefits, workers compensation, and welfare. Although conservative estimates were used for this purpose because the data does not exist, this new requirement could produce significant savings considering the amount of money the state spends each year on these programs.

8. Conduct forensic financial analysis for benefits eligibility – Between $10M to $20M in savings
State agencies need to consider more than just tax returns when determining individuals’ eligibility for public benefits and services. A lifestyle analysis quantifies the living expenses of individuals – such as credit card bills, recreation activities, auto loans, grocery bills – and compares the expenses to known sources of income. If the money spent during the period analyzed exceeds the known funding sources, it is quite possible that there is another source of income. The state should conduct this analysis on a pilot basis for a few services – such as public defendants and public housing – before individuals are deemed eligible for the benefits.

9. Eliminate costly duplication of services for Medicaid and Medicare – Between $50M to $70M in savings
Massachusetts is one of a handful of states that offers an integrated Medicare and Medicaid program for dual eligible seniors through managed care. This program is voluntary, and since it was created in 2004, only a small percentage of seniors have opted to join. Six year later, there are still more than 100,000 dual eligible seniors that receive care outside this program through traditional fee for service plans. Because service providers using the fee for service plans are not authorized to share information about patients’ care, the fragmented system is expensive and does not offer patients the best possible care. The state should offer incentives to seniors to enroll in the Senior Care Options Plan. The state should also pursue a shared savings model with the Federal government to share the savings from moving seniors into the managed care plans.

10.Bring welfare reform in line with Federal standards – Between $50M to $75M in savings
Massachusetts was once a welfare reform leader, moving more people into the workforce with the goal of attaining self-sufficiency. However, today Massachusetts is out of compliance with the Federal law because the large portion of those who receive benefits are exempted from the work requirements. Working under a Federal ten-year waiver that expired in 1996, Massachusetts boosted its work participation rates by placing the difficult-to-employ in a state-run welfare program. The state must move more welfare recipients into the workforce to comply with Federal standards and ultimately reduce the state-funded portion of welfare benefits.

11.Offer incentives to state agencies to collect state revenues – Between $15M to $25M in savings
Some state agencies are authorized to retain a portion of the revenues they collect as an incentive to collect what is owed to the state. For example, the State Parole Board collects parolee supervision fees and is authorized by law to retain a portion of the fees collected. The trial court collects and retains fees collected from probation services and court fees. Some agencies do a better job at collecting the fees than others. The state should increase, by 10 percent, the amount of fees state agencies are allowed to retain in order to provide incentives to collect the revenues owed to the state.

12.Charge inmates room and board – Between $10M to $40M in savings
There are more than 23,000 inmates in Massachusetts within the control of the Department of Correction and Sheriffs’ Departments. It seems reasonable and logical to charge these inmates a nominal daily room and board fee to help off-set the costs of incarcerating them. Inmates that are unable to pay should have their bills forgiven for good behavior after they are released. The Bristol County Sheriff’s Department has shown that this program can work, collecting $750,000 from inmates and forgiving bills for those with good behavior after released, before a court ruled that the state must pass a law permitting the collection of the room and board.

13.Restructure overly generous public employee retiree benefits– Between $50M to $100M in savings
Similar to pension reform, the state must also reform the “other post-employment benefits” provided to state employees. The state is facing a $15 billion unfunded liability due to the overly generous benefits – namely health benefits – provided to state employees upon retirement. Reforms include:

Today’s announcement is one of a host of policy solutions put forward by the Baker-Tisei team; for more information please visit www.charliebaker2010.com.

“For the past four years, Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill have nurtured a culture of tax hikes over reforming government and cutting spending,” said Baker. “Families and businesses have been forced to make difficult financial decisions while state government continues to operate oblivious to the economic situation in Massachusetts.”

Baker and Tisei have been discussing the dangers of one-party rule all week, beginning with a press conference Monday to condemn the Legislature’s attempt to raise property taxes, which was ultimately unsuccessful. Baker and Tisei were joined Monday by anti-tax crusader Barbara Anderson, who has endorsed the ticket for their strong stances on the issues of taxes and spending.

“While we are glad that the Legislature was forced to back down on Monday, we need to do more than just stop tax increases,” said Baker. “We need structural reform of state government to cut the waste and over-spending and get our fiscal house back in order.”

Today’s event comes as the debate heats up as to which gubernatorial candidate is the real reformer.

“The next governor is going to face a $2.5 billion operating shortfall thanks to the lack of leadership and reform of Patrick and Cahill,” said Tisei. “The one party rule experiment on Beacon Hill has been a failure and only Charlie Baker has the record of reform needed to turn around state government.”

Yesterday, Tim Cahill admitted that he has no claim to being a reformer, telling Howie Carr, “Howie, I want to make it clear, though, I’m not passing myself off as a reformer or as a good government guy.” (Howie Carr Show, April 27, 2010)

Baker added, “Patrick and Cahill have taxed and spent Massachusetts into a ditch and have failed to enact the necessary reforms to fundamentally change Beacon Hill. I know I can enact the real reform our state government needs because I’ve done it before.”

Thanks to the failed policies of Beacon Hill, taxpayers will pay over $1 billion more in taxes next year:

In the last four years, Patrick and Cahill have overseen a massive increase in the size of state government – 20% in the first two years of Patrick’s administration – while adding $2 billion more in taxes and fees. Baker and Tisei support cutting the income and sales taxes to 5% and repealing the new alcohol tax.

Today’s announcement is one of a host of policy solutions put forward by the Baker-Tisei team; for more information please visit www.charliebaker2010.com.

Rick Gorka, Baker Spokesman, released the following response:

“The Beacon Hill double standard is alive and well after the House failed to include plan design in the Municipal Relief Bill which would have saved cities and towns $100 million. No one disputes the savings, yet the failure of the House, Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill to support plan design is appalling. After three years of decimating cities and towns with $600 million in cuts to state aid, granting municipalities the same powers currently enjoyed by state government would have been a meaningful step towards substantial municipal relief.”

BOSTON, MA – Charlie Baker, Richard Tisei and Barbara Anderson, executive director of Citizens for Limited Taxation and Government, were joined by elected officials today on Beacon Hill to condemn the one party rule that has run amok with tax hikes and increased spending, as the Legislature has been forced to backtrack on its latest attempt to raise taxes.

“The Legislature’s most recent attempt to raise taxes, by doing an end run around Proposition 2 ½, is typical of the Beacon Hill mentality which always chooses tax hikes over doing the tough work of reforming government and cutting spending,” said Baker. “Whether it’s serious pension reform or giving cities and towns plan design authority, Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill have ignored the real reforms necessary to improve our state. It’s no wonder spending has spiraled out of control under their watch.”

Baker continued, “Patrick and Cahill have been part of the problem for years and the voters will not be fooled by their election year rhetoric. Their records speak for themselves – they are on the side of the tax hike, not the taxpayer. These two Beacon Hill insiders only have one play in their playbook: tax and spend for another four years.”

Thanks to the failed policies of Beacon Hill, taxpayers will pay the following additional amounts in taxes next year:

While Tim Cahill now claims to be an election year convert on taxes, in 2006, he endorsed Patrick and “praised Patrick’s opposition to reducing the state income tax to 5 percent. ‘He believes in not rolling back the income tax, and I believe it is the right thing to do. I believe it shows courage,’ Cahill said.” (Patriot Ledger, September 12, 2006)

Tisei added, “Unchecked one party rule has been a disaster on Beacon Hill. Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill have failed to reform Beacon Hill, opting instead to increase taxes and balance the budget on the backs of the hardworking taxpayers of Massachusetts.”

In the last four years, Patrick and Cahill have overseen a massive increase in the size of state government – 20% in the first two years of Patrick’s administration – while adding $2 billion more in taxes and fees. Anderson recognized Baker and Tisei’s fiscal leadership and the need for Massachusetts to rein in out-of-control spending.

“When you’re a taxpayer group fighting Beacon Hill, and the legislative leadership tries to raise taxes again, who ya gonna call,” asked Anderson. “I of course called Charlie and Richard to save Proposition 2 1/2 this week, and look forward to fighting with them for fiscal responsibility next year.”

“For the past four years, the arrogance of one party rule has led to billions in new taxes and a drastic increase in the size of state government,” said State Senator Bruce Tarr. “A Baker Administration will bring fiscal balance to Beacon Hill at a time when the next Governor will inherit a $2.5 billion operating shortfall.”

Tarr added, “Treasurer Cahill’s endorsement of Governor Patrick’s income tax position and support for increasing the gas tax shows his ‘independent party’ conversion is politically motivated, not a genuine embrace of fiscally conservative positions. Only Charlie Baker understands these issues and has the proven record of reform needed to turn around our state government.”

Baker and Tisei support cutting the income and sales taxes to 5% and repealing the new alcohol tax. Before the Legislature caved to the outrage of overtaxed Massachusetts residents, Baker had vowed that if he were governor, the Legislature’s attempt to undermine Proposition 2 ½ would be “dead on arrival.”

Today’s announcement is one of a host of policy solutions put forward by the Baker-Tisei team and for more information please visit www.charliebaker2010.com.

“Four years after Governor Patrick vowed to cut property taxes, this proposal by House leadership to raise property taxes shows exactly what happens under one party rule on Beacon Hill,” said Baker.

“As foreclosures skyrocket and Massachusetts struggles under a fiscal crisis, this tax increase would make homeowners pay $500 million more in property taxes while failing to enact much needed government reforms on pensions, local aid funding and healthcare costs.”

“In a Baker Administration, this legislation would be dead on arrival.”

“No candidate in modern Republican Convention history has trounced his opponent like this,” said Baker-Tisei Convention Chair and House Minority Leader Brad Jones. “It was a wipeout.”

“To receive the endorsement of the Republican Party is truly an honor,” said Baker. “As I have campaigned across Massachusetts, a consistent theme has been apparent, people are extremely worried about out-of-control spending from the insiders running Beacon Hill. Today marks the start of change.”

Today’s resounding endorsement continues the growing momentum of the Baker and Tisei campaign to bring strong leadership and real results to the Corner Office.

“Governor Patrick has failed over the last four years to reform and restore Massachusetts and the voters are keenly aware that the spending and malaise will continue if he is re-elected,” said Tisei. “Billions in new taxes and fees, record high unemployment and massive government expansion is the record of the current leadership on Beacon Hill and voters don’t want to sign up for more of the same.”

For more information about Team Baker-Tisei please visit www.charliebaker2010.com

“I’m confident that Charlie and Richard will fight for the taxpayers of Massachusetts, working to cut taxes and restoring fiscal responsibility to Beacon Hill. This is the strong leadership we need to regain our fiscal footing, creating a favorable environment for taxpayers and businesses to succeed and grow, in which government starts to work for us,” said Anderson.

Baker and Tisei’s Day 1 Tax Relief Act comprises three bills they plan to file with the Legislature on their first day as Governor and Lt. Governor:

“Families and businesses have adjusted to current economic realities by making tough budget cuts while Governor Patrick and Treasurer Cahill have operated state government by a different set of rules,” said Baker. “Rolling back the income and sales tax to 5% will provide immediate relief to those families and businesses burdened by Beacon Hill’s tax increases.”

Tisei added, “The liquor tax has adversely affected businesses here in Massachusetts while border businesses have watched former customers go to New Hampshire and Rhode Island instead.”

In the last four years, Patrick and Cahill have overseen a massive increase in the size of state government – 20% in the first two years of Patrick’s administration – while adding $2 billion more in taxes and fees. Anderson recognized Baker and Tisei’s fiscal leadership and the need for Massachusetts to rein in out-of-control spending.

Today’s announcement is one of a host of policy solutions put forward by the Baker-Tisei team and for more information please visit www.charliebaker2010.com.

Under Baker’s plan, customers would process basic RMV transactions up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week using consumer-friendly kiosks in strategically located retail locations such as convenience stores, supermarkets, banks, shopping malls, department stores, AAA offices, and others across Massachusetts.  Using widely available technology, the new plan would be revenue neutral.

“Anyone who has recently been forced to conduct business at the RMV knows wait times have skyrocketed because of the Patrick Administration’s mismanagement,” said Baker.  “While other states have created award winning programs to meet the needs of their customers, the Patrick Administration has imposed more than $75 million in outrageous new RMV fees.”

“My plan will ease the everyday burden of doing business with the RMV, while saving millions of our tax dollars and countless numbers of hours currently being wasted by Massachusetts consumers at over burdened branches.  As Governor, I will make sure state government starts working for taxpayers starting Day One.”

Under Baker’s plan, the state will work with retail establishments to sell the rights to place kiosks in their locations, allowing the state to use the revenue to pay for the kiosks, which can include service options such as:

Baker said states like Nevada have successfully deployed self-service kiosks for department of motor vehicle transactions to improve customer service and cut average wait times, while saving taxpayer dollars.  According to the Nevada DMV, the average kiosk transaction took 86 seconds while the average transaction at a DMV counter takes 12 minutes. The convenience is available to all motorists and not only to those who have access to the internet.

Tisei added, “This is a revenue neutral plan, and it’s a win-win for the state, for retailers and for taxpayers.”

The kiosks do not retain any personal information. The collected data is transmitted via a secure encrypted line from the kiosk workstation to the DMV host server and database system where it is stored and managed by the state. Photos taken at the kiosk are purged from the machines after they are taken and transmitted to the central image server.

Governor Patrick has closed almost a third of the state’s RMV offices and has failed to address the obvious consequences of his budgetary decisions. In fact, according to a recent Springfield Republican article, consumer traffic at some Springfield area locations has jumped 24%-74% in just one year.

The Patrick Administration recently enacted a $5.00 penalty for customers doing business in person at RMV branches.  The fee was rescinded after the Boston Herald blew the whistle on Administration’s plan.

The campaign also announced a new online feature on its Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/charliebaker2010 and on Twitter, allowing visitors to post their RMV horror stories, tweet their waiting times and encourage their friends to do the same.  Voters on Twitter can use the hash tag #RMVWait to tweet their wait times and send messages to @BakerforGov.

Today’s RMV reform plan is one of a host of government and spending reforms proposed by the Baker-Tisei campaign. The detailed proposal is available at www.charliebaker2010.com.

Baker’s Municipal Health Benefits Relief Plan focuses on two major areas:

“Governor Patrick has consistently tried to balance the state budget on the backs of our cities and towns,” said Baker. “As a former Selectman in my home town, I know how devastating local aid cuts have been to municipalities.”
“This plan will give local governments long-needed relief, and provides them the necessary tools to continue providing vital public safety services, and to spend tax dollars more efficiently,” said Baker. “My plan will help local governments save tax dollars and help them meet their needs over the long term, and I look forward to enacting them as the next Governor of Massachusetts.”
Tisei added, “Massachusetts’ cities and towns have been hit the hardest by the economic crisis and have faced major cuts to local aid while Beacon Hill maintains the status quo and fails to change the way state government operates. According to the Boston Foundation, instituting these two simple reforms could collectively save local governments and taxpayers up to $100 million per year. Cities and towns are facing more cuts to local aid this year and we must implement these changes before even more firefighters and police officers are laid off.”
Baker and Tisei said it is long overdue for Beacon Hill to empower local government to save much-needed resources on health care costs. Job losses at the local level have directly impacted essential services such as public safety and education.  Communities have also responded to declining revenues with cuts to core municipal services, increases in local fees and the adoption of local option meals excise taxes.
Since taking office, Governor Patrick has failed to assist local towns in controlling their health care costs, while State Treasurer Tim Cahill has stood silent on this issue. If lawmakers refuse to support these reforms on their own, support must be given to a referendum to put plan design on the 2012 ballot.
Today’s announcement is one of a host of policy solutions put forward by the Baker-Tisei team throughout the course of the campaign.

Baker and Tisei also call on the Legislature to enact stricter campaign finance disclosure requirements for all candidates seeking state office and said they would propose the following reform, if elected, should the Legislature fail to act:

“For too long Beacon Hill has been a bastion of abuse and secretive business dealings. Our elected officials, like Tim Cahill, have had the opportunity to create an open and transparent environment yet they have failed to enact meaningful reforms necessary to restoring the public trust.  His lack of action in 8 years as Treasurer demonstrates Tim Cahill’s disdain for reform and sunlight throughout state government,” said Baker.
Tisei add, “Not only does the Treasurer’s Office need to require disclosure from organizations and individuals with business before it, the Legislature needs to enact stricter punishments for candidates that fail to comply with existing laws. The only way to make certain candidates comply is to enact stiffer financial penalties.”
Today’s announcement is just one of a number of commonsense solutions which the Baker-Tisei team will put forward throughout the course of the campaign.
“Cahill ally brokered pension fund deal; Fund-raiser takes home $2.3 million fee”
Boston Globe, May 24, 2009
“He is a close political ally and prodigious fund-raiser for state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill.  When a blue-chip New York financial firm was trying to persuade Cahill and his staff to award it a lucrative contract to manage state pension money, it hired Anthony S. Rust to push their cause…Ivy paid Rust an estimated $2.3 million for brokering the deal…Rust’s introduction to Ivy came through Cahill’s closest political associate and close friend, Thomas F. Kelly, whose firm, CanAm Consultants, specializes in acting as placement agent for financial firms seeking to manage public pension funds.”
“Cahill taps firms tied to state pension investor; A $100m deal came a day after a cluster of donations…”
Boston Globe, March 21, 2010
“The contributions…total more than $100,000…Nothing obvious connects Cahill to these donors…But an extensive review of Cahill’s aggressive fund-raising practices uncovered a common link, Michael A. Ruane, a Boston investment manager…who counts the Massachusetts pension board as one of his clients…Cahill, meanwhile, offered three conflicting descriptions of his dealings with Ruane…”
“Officials lag in reporting information on donors; Cahill has lowest disclosure rate”
Boston Globe, December 30, 2009
“Cahill…has the lowest current disclosure rate for any statewide candidate.  Occupation and employment information and perhaps the potential business interests of 36 percent of his major donors since 2002 have not been reported, according to a Globe analysis of campaign finance records.”

The Patrick-Murray administration has raised taxes by over $2 billion, including a 25% sales tax increase that continues to decimate small businesses. After three and a half years of taxing small businesses into the ground, the Patrick-Murray proposal on small business health care costs is simply a re-election ploy. Just last month, they buried a report from their own Division of Health Care Finance and Policy on provider costs, failed to enact payment reform, and have yet to hold a single public hearing on provider rates as the Health Care Cost Containment law requires.

Charlie Baker and I have been talking about these issues all over the state: reducing the cost of unemployment insurance, using transparency to reduce health care costs for all people, and cutting taxes to create a competitive environment for all businesses. Deval Patrick has raised taxes and spending repeatedly and by billions of dollars and he thinks a speech about rising health costs, which he’s done nothing about in 3 years as governor, is going to change the subject? I don’t think so.

The Baker for Governor and Tisei for Lieutenant Governor campaigns announced today that they raised a combined $561,773.75 in the month of February and outraised their opponents by as much as a factor of six. Charlie Baker’s campaign raised $454,878.77 last month while Richard Tisei brought in $106,895.08, from over 2,000 individual donors combined. In the first two months of 2010, the Baker-Tisei Team raised just under $1 million dollars, reaching $950,224.56 combined.

In February, Baker and Tisei’s fundraising far surpassed that of their opponents, both as individual candidates and as tickets. According to OCPF records, Baker-Tisei outraised Patrick-Murray ($249,737.47 combined) by 2 to 1, and outraised Cahill-Loscocco ($86,594.85) by 6 times.

“Every day, more people are joining the Baker-Tisei team because they know Charlie and Richard will cut spending, lower taxes, and bring back jobs in order to get Massachusetts back on track,” said campaign manager Lenny Alcivar. “Massachusetts citizens know they will put taxpayers first and bring real leadership and real reform to Beacon Hill.”

For more information about Charlie Baker and Richard Tisei, please visit www.charliebaker2010.com and www.richardtisei2010.com.

“This is just another example of Tim Cahill’s protecting big spending and the status quo on Beacon Hill. The next Governor is going to have to be willing to make tough choices and big decisions on the budget, and Charlie Baker will.  We know Governor Patrick doesn’t have what it takes to run the state effectively and to control spending, today Treasurer Cahill reaffirmed that he doesn’t have the knowledge or the willingness to bring about change either.”

From today’s Boston Globe story, “Patrick challengers offer ideas to close budget gap; But Cahill demurs on detailing a plan”:

“And state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, although he promises to cut spending on health care, education, and local aid, says he cannot offer more details about his plans until he is elected governor. ‘I don’t have enough insight into the budget, especially particular areas where money is being wasted, until I get in there,’ he said.”

“Will the real Tim Cahill please stand up? Two weeks ago, Tim Cahill publicly opposed some of the same tax cuts he announced his support for today. First, he’s against cutting the state income tax, and now he’s for it? In fact, three years ago, Tim Cahill endorsed then fellow-Democrat Deval Patrick for Governor for his ‘courageous’ stand against income tax cuts.

“Charlie Baker is the only candidate with a strong record of supporting tax cuts – including 27 separate tax cuts enacted during his service in Massachusetts state government.

“Voters would be wise to take Cahill’s positions on taxes with a grain or a shaker of salt. His position on the state income tax is a lot like his 15-second Super Bowl ad – over before it started.”

Also, please consider the following:
Just two weeks ago Tim Cahill was quoted by State House News Service saying he was AGAINST cutting the income tax.

“Cahill disagreed with a proposed income tax cut, saying it would not “put people back to work,” which he called his primary focus. “I don’t think it’s necessary at this point…” http://www.wickedlocal.com/belmont/news/x1878073589/
Campaign-2010-Baker-says-its-time-to-send-in-the-grownups

And three years ago, former Democrat Tim Cahill endorsed Deval Patrick for his “‘courageous’ stand against a state income tax rollback.” (The Boston Globe, 9/12/06)

For the past three years, as the state was hemorrhaging jobs, Governor Patrick not only failed to offer any type of economic development plan to stop the bleeding, but he also put up additional roadblocks for employers that have cemented Massachusetts’ reputation as a state that is not welcoming to businesses. Now that the unemployment rate is at 9.4 percent, it seems the Governor and the Legislature are finally poised to act and focus on helping businesses and getting people back to work.

The proposal from the Senate President to streamline the state’s economic development agencies is a good idea that we should pursue. However, we should not be content to stop there. If we are serious about jobs creation and making Massachusetts more competitive, then we must establish a more business-friendly environment that includes a fair and equitable corporate tax rate, a less burdensome regulatory system for employers, and an economic development plan that will help all businesses and ensure that the Commonwealth achieves sustainable long-term growth.

The Governor’s proposal is nothing more than an election-year lifeline to try to save his own job, as opposed to creating jobs for the more than 323,000 Massachusetts residents who are out of work.

The Baker for Governor and Tisei for Lieutenant Governor campaigns announced today that they raised a combined $388,348.54 in the month of January and outraised their opponents by a factor of three.

Charlie Baker’s campaign raised $342,592.04 from 1,106 donors last month while Richard Tisei brought in $45,756.50 from 198 donors.

Baker and Tisei’s fundraising far surpassed that of their opponents, both as individual candidates and as tickets. According to OCPF records, Baker-Tisei outraised Patrick-Murray ($136,818 combined) by 3 to 1, and outraised Cahill-Loscocco ($112,368 combined) by 3 1/2 to 1.

“Every day, more people are joining the Baker-Tisei team because they know Charlie and Richard will end the circus on Beacon Hill and bring real leadership and real reform to state government,” said campaign manager Lenny Alcivar. “Charlie and Richard’s message is resonating because they share the priorities of the people of Massachusetts. They will lower taxes, cut spending and bring back jobs in order to get Massachusetts back on the right track.”

For more information about Charlie Baker and Richard Tisei, please visit www.charliebaker2010.com and www.richardtisei2010.com.

“After Massachusetts taxpayers have been hit with higher taxes and unbridled spending by the Patrick Administration, Treasurer Cahill is adding insult to injury by forcing taxpayers to pay the tab for defending him against pay to play charges.

When Beacon Hill politicians see nothing wrong with making taxpayers pay the costs of defending Tim Cahill and Sal DiMasi against corruption charges, something is seriously wrong, and we need a change in leadership right now.

Treasurer Cahill’s campaign should reimburse the Treasury for the money spent thus far on legal defense, and pay the bill going forward.  Taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for his $500 an hour defense lawyers.”

In a letter to Patrick, Baker wrote, “Year after year, the groundfish and scallop industries in Massachusetts have suffered under the weight of arbitrary and overly restrictive regulations that have put their future at risk. Unfortunately, new regulations that go into effect in the spring of 2010 will have a devastating impact on our state’s economy.”

These new regulations include cutting the days at sea for the scallop industry and changing the groundfish industry from a days-at-sea system to a catch-share system. These changes could result in losses of over $1 billion for the fishing industry.

“Imposing burdensome new regulations that have no scientific basis on one of our state’s top industries is exactly the wrong thing to be doing in a recession,” Baker said today. “The commercial fishing industry is on the brink of an economic disaster and many Massachusetts fishermen are in danger of losing their livelihoods. It is imperative that the state act now, before these damaging regulations go into effect. Governor Patrick needs to step up and show some leadership on this critical issue.”

Baker made the announcement in New Bedford, accompanied by dozens of commercial fishing boat captains. His letter urges Governor Patrick to call for a moratorium on the new fishing rules, advocate for changes to the federal Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, commission a scientific study of the groundfish, and appoint commercial fishing representatives to the New England Fishery Management Council.

State Senator Bruce Tarr, whose district includes Gloucester, joined Baker in urging immediate action by the Governor. “Massachusetts fishermen and their families are already hurting,” he said, “and these regulations will make a bad situation even worse. I applaud Charlie for recognizing the importance of this industry to the Massachusetts economy and for bringing attention to this urgent issue.”

Ron Smolowitz, head of the Fisheries Survival Fund, applauded Baker’s efforts. “Unlike some politicians, Charlie Baker has taken the time to listen to us and understand our concerns and now he’s actually doing something about it,” he said. “These government regulations will hurt our ability to make a living for our families. The government should be working for us, not against us, and Charlie gets that.”

Baker said, “These new regulations could put many of our state’s scallop and groundfish fishermen out of business. Once these jobs are lost, they are never coming back. If I were governor, I’d be doing everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

To read the full text of the letter, Click Here .

“Voters are responding to our campaign for one reason – Charlie Baker is the only candidate who will stand up for taxpayers and put our fiscal house in order starting on Day One, and he has the record to prove it,” said campaign manager Lenny Alcivar.  “Our strong fundraising this year means the Baker-Tisei team will have the resources we need to win on Election Day and start a turnaround in Massachusetts.”

The campaign received a boost this month from the announcement that State Senator Richard Tisei has joined the team as Baker’s running mate.

The Baker campaign has raised over $1.5 million this year from more than 5,000 individual donors.

“Public employees are supposed to be serving the public, not getting sweetheart deals which are unavailable to any private employee,” said Baker.  “It’s time to stop rewarding political insiders at the expense of the hardworking taxpayers of Massachusetts.”

“The current pension system is unsustainable,” Baker continued.  “We are in a fiscal crisis.  As governor, my priority starting day one will be to get us out of this mess by bringing fiscal responsibility to all aspects of state government.  My pension reform plan will save the state a minimum of $50 million a year and go a long way towards getting our house in order.”

Baker’s running mate, State Senator Richard Tisei, also applauded Baker’s plan.  “While Governor Patrick and those running the pension system on Beacon Hill have failed to fix the broken pension system, Charlie has come up with a plan that would provide meaningful reform. This is the kind of bold problem-solving that will make Charlie Baker an effective governor.”

Baker’s plan, which would apply to state employees with fewer than 10 years of service, calls for the following reforms:

“Throughout his career in public service, Richard has built a solid voting record as a fiscal conservative and a reformer of state government,” said Baker, introducing Tisei in his hometown of Wakefield. “If, on Election Day, the people of this Commonwealth stand behind our vision for helping future generations put their stake in the ground and pursue their dreams at home in Massachusetts, Richard Tisei will help the Baker Administration get the job done.”

Speaking to a roomful of supporters, Tisei declared, “I’ve known Charlie for more than 20 years, and I strongly believe with all my heart that he’s the very best hope for the future of the Commonwealth. He’s the right person at the right time to get us out of this mess and to put our state back on track.”

Tisei continued, “Charlie and I share the same philosophy: We understand that the economy needs to be jump-started to get people back to work, that we need to change the ‘business as usual’ attitude on Beacon Hill, and that we need to make Massachusetts more competitive and more affordable.”

Tisei was first elected to the State Senate in 1990 and elected Senate Minority Leader in 2007. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served six years in the State House of Representatives. Elected to the House at age 22, he was the youngest Republican ever elected to the Legislature and he is the longest serving legislator in the Republican delegation.

A resident of Wakefield, Tisei represents the Middlesex and Essex district, which includes Malden, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield and Lynnfield.

“I want to hear from voters so we can start a conversation about the direction of our state and the important issues we face,” said Baker. “I look forward to receiving their questions via email and video—with technology we can converse more than ever–but also to continuing the conversation in person at upcoming meetings and forums as I travel around the state.”

In his first video, Baker answers the question: “Is state government spending our tax dollars effectively?” Said Baker, “It is especially appropriate to address the question of spending, since budget watchdogs are predicting a deficit of half-a-billion dollars or more less than three months into the state fiscal year. Instead of cutting the number of state employees or implementing a hiring freeze, Governor Patrick has hired thousands of new state employees and proposed pay raises. Deval Patrick has the wrong priorities when it comes to spending.”

The Baker for Governor campaign today announced that it raised $404,085 in the month of September, far exceeding the top monthly amount of any other candidate for Governor in all of calendar 2009. The Baker campaign has now raised $543,379 in its first 60 days in the race, and has more than $461,000 in cash-on-hand.

“I’d like to thank my fundraising team and the thousands of donors who agree with me that Massachusetts state government is terribly broken and I’m the guy to fix it,” said Baker. “This is a really strong showing for any candidate, let alone a first-time candidate. These numbers indicate that my message of fiscal discipline, my turnaround track record, and my willingness to take on the special interests that dominate Beacon Hill are resonating with voters across the Commonwealth.”

“State government has a gigantic spending problem, and the people on Beacon Hill have no will to fix it. They’ve actually managed to turn a crisis into a calamity,” said Baker. “We need to start from scratch on the budget, and with a governor who is fiscally responsible, fearless of the special interests, and committed to balance.”

Baker said that the current leadership on Beacon Hill has taken a number of irresponsible actions on the budget, including adding thousands of new state employees, spending down the stabilization fund before there was a crisis, raising taxes, and making spending promises and commitments that they can’t keep. These mistakes will hamstring the economic health of Massachusetts for at least a decade unless there is a leadership change in 2010 that forces responsible budgeting. Said Baker, “Once the budget gets away from you, bad things happen and continue to happen until you have the courage to fix them. There’s not a lot of courage on Beacon Hill right now.”

Baker noted that the current state budget carries structural deficits that will extend far into the future, meaning that the only way out is a major overhaul of how the state does business.

Baker also announced that he has appointed State Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei as Campaign Chairman. “I am really pleased to have Richard on my team. He helped Bill Weld get elected then straighten out the budget and stop new taxes in the early 1990’s, and that kind of know-how will help me immensely,” said Baker.