State House News Service 

Boston March 10, 1999--House Ways and Means chairman Paul Haley today ripped into Gov. Paul Cellucci's promises to expand health care, build new roads and bridges and create early childhood education programs while simultaneously promising to cut taxes by $1.3 billion.

Speaking to business and community leaders at a breakfast forum intended to build support for the United Way's Success by Six early childhood education program, Haley said the state can't afford to cut taxes and spend lavishly.  He then advised business leaders to open their own wallets before seeking state money.

"The bottom line is money.  We need to ... partnership more with businesses and other sources of wealth ... to recognize that they not look to the state to fill the voids the federal government has created," Haley said. "(These)  people have the resources to help out.  We need to look to them to help us out." 

But while Haley (D-Weymouth) chastised business leaders for seeking state funds for their pet programs, he saved his harshest criticism for Cellucci. The governor has traded political reality for political rhetoric, said the House budget chief: Cellucci isn't admitting the devastating impact federal budget cuts will have on the state's road and bridge projects. 

Under Cellucci's plan, the state would help pay for highway projects with surplus budget dollars.  Haley said that source would dry up if Cellucci wins his push to roll back the income tax to 5 percent from 5.95 percent.

"It just doesn't add up.  We're very concerned with the enormous pressure the Central Artery is placing upon our capital spending.  We're going to have to commit operating dollars for the significant future to run pay-as-you-go infrastructure improvements.  That's a significant commitment we need to make, but it will limit our ability to expand programs that are effective for kids," Haley said. 

Yesterday, Haley, who is writing the House budget, suggested the House may need to allocate $400 million in its operating budget to meet neglected maintenance and capital needs.

Haley also served notice that he will hold up bond bills for important projects until Cellucci agrees to reduce the amount of spending currently authorized.  The state has $11 billion in authorized projects, but currently plans to spend $5 billion on capital projects in the next five years.  In most cases, projects will be substantially delayed.

Haley said Cellucci and Lt. Gov. Jane Swift are not being held accountable. "This is the year that I intend to hold them accountable," he said.

Earlier in the morning, at the same event, Swift promised to expand child health care, health insurance and early education programs like Success By Six.  Swift said the state could fund the $8 million worth of programs with some money from the multi-state tobacco settlement.

"Making sure children are on the right track by the age of six is critical to their future," Swift said.  "The governor and I will continue to work hard to make Massachusetts a place where every child has the opportunity to thrive."

Haley said he supports the early childhood programs outlined by Swift, but said she and Cellucci need to either give up on cutting taxes or look at increasing other revenues to pay for headline-grabbing programs.

"We have not put in place a plan to adequately pay for the Central Artery. We are going to pay that off in 2015 by committing enormous resources to it well after the construction is finished.  That doesn't make sense," Haley said.  "One way of doing it would be to scale back the reduction in licenses and registration fees."

The Weymouth Democrat then complained that newspapers are covering what he considers minor funding requests - naming Secretary of State William Galvin's request for $25 million to protect historical buildings - while the Big Dig will need 20 times that amount. 

"They're writing about the $25 million that Bill Galvin can't have.  We're talking about a $400 to $500 million gap for the next five years," Haley said.  "That's going to have to be absorbed with operating money because you can't borrow any more."