How Deval Patrick Destroyed Massachusetts

In looking at the Rodney Allen Ripney of Massachusetts politics plans to ' close tax loopholes' to decrease the budget deficit in Massachusetts, I can't help but be reminded of the Taxachusetts stereotype that we never quite lived down.

I remember Gov Gary Coleman ruminating on and on about how we need to make Massachusetts a friendlier place to do business so we can stimulate economic growth and keep businesses here as well as the right employees to do the jobs.

Clutching crayon in hand, Patrick has panicked. And the knee jerk reactions have been taxes. Taxes at the local level with the options taxes and taxes ) regardless of what you call them) by 'closing loopholes' on businesses.

Has this dolt learned nothing from the Fidelity issues that are occurring. Maybe if you're secure in your job or part of a union that protects your ability to earn a living wage, whats going on with Fidelity isn't a blip on your radar.

Now me, I use Fidelity as a vendor for my job and I actually still work in one of their biggest money making and thus revenue generating ventures. So I watch them. And I've read about Fidelity's exodus from Massachusetts. Its happened already, jobs left the state to Kentucky, Rhode island ( how insulting is that) New Hampshire and now Texas. The operative phrases in these announcements? That these states have offered Fidelity 'generous tax incentives' to bring Fido's business to their states.

I can't blame Fidelity for taking the hook. Wouldn't you? If you were offered the option of driving to RI to buy a car for 7000.00 or stay in MA and pay 12,000.00 where would you go? Its that simple.

Yet our ignoramus governor seems to be blind to these simple truths. He's not trying to make Massachusetts more friendly to business from the biggest to the smallest. The local options taxes will drive business down. If I can eat in a 99 one town over and not have to pay the tax that my town has opted to impose, how will the 99 in my town fare? Small business screwed. The greenhouse emissions fees he signed into law week 3? Would I pay to retrofit my factory or pull up stakes? Depends on the cost, but I ain't happy about writing a check to the state. And how do those penalties get funded? Passed on to the consumer. The citizen just got screwed. And finally this ludicrous crap load about 'closing loopholes'. Way to go moron. How hard is it going to be for a company who does business in multiple states to just relocate to one of them? In my professional career I've changed offices dozens of times. If the business doesn't actually manufacture something in this state and their offices are administrative, its simple to pull up stakes & take off.

Everyone expected you to take the hard stances on making my home state a better place to live. Don't tell me that you're taking a hard stance by taking the cowards way out and raising taxes. With a 25 billion dollar budget, you can't tell me you can't make it work.