Representative Don Humason



STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE DON HUMASON ON THE MASSACHUSETTS FY 2010 BUDGET The House and Senate voted today on the tax-raising, reform-lacking, job-killing, economy-slowing budget 110-46 and 31-8. For the record, I voted AGAINST the terrible budget bill. It hurts taxpayers, cities and towns, schools, libraries, police, veterans, and so many more. It seemed to me the Legislative Leadership was intent on ramming the budget through. They claimed they wanted to give the Governor his 10 days to review the bill but they didn’t even give their own members one day to read it and ask questions. What’s that quote about “absolute power?” I am pleased to see that the united Republican House and Senate caucuses were joined by 33 members of the Democrat party in opposing the budget which, by all accounts, was heavy on taxes and light on reforms. The Massachusetts economy has taken an awful beating. We are facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Unemployment is at 8.4% and families are struggl ing to make ends meet. If my Democratic counterparts in the Legislature think raising every tax under the sun is going to make the lives of those families better, they are sadly mistaken. The budget increases the state sales tax from 5% to 6.25%. It raises the restaurant meals tax from 5% to 6.25%. It removes the sales tax exemption o n alcoholic beverages which already have an excise tax. It taxes satellite TV and telephone wires and poles. It lets municipalities impose local meals and hotel taxes. It raises fees at the Registry of Motor Vehicles while closing 12 RMV branches. And it taxes seniors who privately pay for their own nursing home care. I am disappointed but not surprised. Last year, my Republican colleagues and I voted against a budget we said was bloated and unsustainable. We said that passing that budget would cause long term damage and, unfortunately, we were right. Had the state been more responsible in Fiscal Year 2009, we may not be in such a dire situation today. When will government learn to live within its means? Instead, it goes after its cash-strapped citizens who already have to make the difficult choices for themselves when they sit around their kitchen tables to pay their bills. While I am happy that several Republican proposals made it into the final budget including the elimination of the line items for the Governor’s expande d Washington, D.C. office and the elimination of the Governor’s paid volunteer program, I still felt compelled to vote against the bad budget. God save The Commonwealth of Massachusetts! * * * Representative Don Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org
This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group

STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE DON HUMASON ON THE MASSACHUSETTS FY 2010 BUDGET

The House and Senate voted today on the tax-raising, reform-lacking, job-killing, economy-slowing budget 110-46 and 31-8. For the record, I voted AGAINST the terrible budget bill. It hurts taxpayers, cities and towns, schools, libraries, police, veterans, and so many more.

It seemed to me the Legislative Leadership was intent on ramming the budget through. They claimed they wanted to give the Governor his 10 days to review the bill but they didn’t even give their own members one day to read it and ask questions. What’s that quote about “absolute power?”

I am pleased to see that the united Republican House and Senate caucuses were joined by 33 members of the Democrat party in opposing the budget which, by all accounts, was heavy on taxes and light on reforms.

The Massachusetts economy has taken an awful beating. We are facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Unemployment is at 8.4% and families are struggl ing to make ends meet. If my Democratic counterparts in the Legislature think raising every tax under the sun is going to make the lives of those families better, they are sadly mistaken.

The budget increases the state sales tax from 5% to 6.25%. It raises the restaurant meals tax from 5% to 6.25%. It removes the sales tax exemption o n alcoholic beverages which already have an excise tax. It taxes satellite TV and telephone wires and poles. It lets municipalities impose local meals and hotel taxes. It raises fees at the Registry of Motor Vehicles while closing 12 RMV branches. And it taxes seniors who privately pay for their own nursing home care.

I am disappointed but not surprised. Last year, my Republican colleagues and I voted against a budget we said was bloated and unsustainable. We said that passing that budget would cause long term damage and, unfortunately, we were right. Had the state been more responsible in Fiscal Year 2009, we may not be in such a dire situation today.

When will government learn to live within its means? Instead, it goes after its cash-strapped citizens who already have to make the difficult choices for themselves when they sit around their kitchen tables to pay their bills.

While I am happy that several Republican proposals made it into the final budget including the elimination of the line items for the Governor’s expande d Washington, D.C. office and the elimination of the Governor’s paid volunteer program, I still felt compelled to vote against the bad budget.

God save The Commonwealth of Massachusetts!

* * *

Representative Don Humason and his Chief of Staff Sarah Latour may be reached at their Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us Website: www.donhumason.org

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group