Romney Increases State Spending by $130 Million

Carla Howell and Barbara Anderson Disagree

Mitt Romney is increasing state spending by $130 million, says Carla Howell.

Although Romney promised during the campaign, "I will cut $1 billion -- maybe more -- from the Massachusetts state budget," he apparently meant from the projected state budget, because state spending will be going up this year under his proposal, not down.

These are the numbers of state spending, according to Howell:

$21.30 Billion -- Fiscal Year 2001
$22.63 Billion -- Fiscal Year 2002
$22.73 Billion -- Fiscal Year 2003
$22.86 Billion -- Fiscal Year 2004 (Romney's first budget).

CLT's Barbara Anderson doesn't disagree. She says that Romney's budget is "close to what is being spent this year." But she is excited about that. She says that finally "state government thinks of shrinking, just a tad; and in shrinking, maybe working better than it has in decades." She says that, "Romney's budget is a far cry from 'business as usual.'"

But Carla Howell disapproves. She says that Romney is a "Big Government, high-tax Republican."

Anderson says that Romney is on a positive track: "Let's hope the lion-like Romney budget doesn't go out like a lion when the legislative circus begins. Long live the revolution!"

But both these citizens are fighting against the tide on Beacon Hill, say the analysts and nothing will change unless the citizens get angry.

Howell points out that: "The Boston Globe says Romney cut the budget. So does the Boston Herald. And all of the newspapers they own. So do the Big Boston TV News Departments. Don't buy the lie. Rocks are hard. Water's wet. And Mitt Romney increased Massachusetts government spending, while claiming he cut it. Mitt Romney raised taxes while claiming he won't raise taxes. Mitt Romney is trying to out-Clinton Bill Clinton. When it comes to 'increasing spending' or 'raising taxes' it depends on what 'is' is.

"I wish I had been wrong about Mitt Romney. But Mitt Romney is a Big Government, high tax Republican."

What we are talking about, say the analysts, is what Rush Limbaugh complains about over and over on the national level. Someone comes up with a budget for the following year and then as they lower that projected budget, they say they are "cutting," even though they are increasing the budget over the last year's spending. That, says Rush, is not lowering spending. It is increasing spending. But all the press report it as "unfair" and "inhuman" "cuts on the poor."

Howell's website is www.smallgovernmentact.org.
Anderson's website is at http://cltg.org.