Deval Patrick met with Democratic legislative leaders before and after the election, presumably private deal making was going on. I guess they were just talking about the weather, or the Patriots, because it doesn't seem like the troubled governor is on the same wavelength as House Speaker Sal DiMasi.
House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi said Tuesday he opposes Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposal to raise hundreds of millions of dollars by closing what he calls ”corporate tax loopholes,” setting up the new governor for what could be a major legislative battle.Patrick’s budget introduced last month includes $295 million of added revenue in 2008 and $500 million in 2009 from closing seven ”tax loopholes.”
But DiMasi said the House Ways and Means Committee’s budget to be released April 11 would not include any new revenue from businesses.
Poor Deval Patrick can't even get the House Speaker on his side on anything...and not the first time, either. DiMasi explained his opposition to Patrick's plan.
”We are still in the midst of an economic recovery. We should be cautious about sending the wrong message at this critical juncture,” DiMasi said at a breakfast meeting of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. ”These kinds of proposals just raise the level of uncertainty and could stall decisions by employers to grow jobs, expand their businesses and even move here to Massachusetts.”Patrick has said the loopholes were unintended by state legislatures. But business leaders and some lawmakers quickly came out against the plan, saying it would dramatically increase taxes for businesses.
So what were those closed-door meetings for, anyway?
