Massachusetts' Worthless Governor

I remember the fall of 2006 well. Back then, Deval Patrick's Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign was all the rage. Every day there were stories in the Boston Globe gushing about what a Patrick Administration would do for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. While offering few specifics, Patrick would dazzle crowds at campaign stops with his trademark feel good slogan, "Together We Can", promising how his property tax cut proposal would greatly benefit working familes.

Two and a half years later with the economy in shambles, Patrick's idea of helping working familes is to jack up the gas tax by $0.19 a gallon, which would give the Commonwealth of MA the highest gas tax in the nation. Together we can! Together we can balance the budget on the backs of small businesses that drive trucks and vans to work every day. Let's take more money out of the pockets of plumbers, electricians, dry wallers, and carpenters.

If Deval Patrick has proven anything, it is he is one of the most worthless high profile politician this state has ever elected. In a state that continually elects John Kerry to the U.S. Senate, that's saying something.

Deval Patrick's idea of reform is to trade in the standard Governor's Ford Crown Victoria for a Cadillac, spend over $10,000 on drapes for his Governor's office, larding the state payroll with 2,000 new jobs, including a $70,000 secretary for his wife. Why would Mrs. Patrick, who has a private sector job at a law firm, need a full time secretary to schedule her appearances? Another hire was a Milton neighbor of Patrick's for $120,000 to perform some dubious role.

There's been no reform at the state level and barely any layoffs. We have MA state troopers making $180,000, severe toll increases on the Mass Pike, and no consolidation of agencies. In the private sector, employees are getting laid off every day, while watching the value of their 401K's dip in value. It's a bloodbath for those not on the state payroll. For those who work for the Commonwealth at Massachusetts, it is business as usual. There are guaranteed pensions, and terrific health benefit plans.

Due to Patrick's gross mismanagement of the state budget, cities and towns across the state are suffering to balance their budgets because of local aid cuts that are trickled down from the state. Class sizes are increasing due to teacher layoffs and local public safety efforts are being decreased because police and fire fighters are losing their jobs.

So together we can: vote this bum out of office in 2010.