We need another D'Amico Legislative Update

Rep. D'Amico recently produced and aired a program on local cable called "A legislative update" starring Massachusetts’s Tax Foundation's Michael Widmer and Jeffrey B. Mullen, Undersecretary of the Executive Office of Transportation. While thinking this was going to be a show about what our Representative is doing for his constituents, it was propaganda for a tax hike and putting blame on the last Republican Administrations.


With our Rep. reading his questions from a queue card, Mr. Widmer answered like the "conservative watchdog" D'Amico claims his organization to be. "The past administrations mortgaged our future and now we have to pay for it" says Widmer. "The bonding arrangements for the Big Dig in the early years were low, now we have to pay."


With D'Amico poised, "Boston is the economic engine to the State". "If Boston falters, the whole state does…the benefits of a gas tax is to spread throughout the state." Widmer agrees that the 19 gas tax could correct all the wrongs of the past and get this state on sound footing again.


Then D'Amico brings on Mullen...I figure because Jim Aloisi, the transportation secretary who is suddenly no longer the state's most imperiled transportation official, could not make it. It was time to layer on the tax gas and bash the MBTA and The Turnpike Authority. “The benefits that the MBTA receives are unheard of." "The two agencies should be combined and overlooked by a new Ombudsman." “We inherited this mess.”

Well, my first reaction to all this…is Boston the problem? D’Amico being the devil advocate says, ‘why should my constituents care about Boston?” The devil is right!
The economy is faltering right now because of overspending. It has nothing to do with the city of Boston. D’Amico’s predecessors in the legislature are the ones to blame.

The mismanagement of the MBTA and the Turnpike Authority were the results of decisions by this legislature. The Big Dig was a small part of the economic engine providing jobs for workers across the state, with the blessings of our representation in Washington. Now that the monies are dried up from the Fed, the Turnpike Authority owes $15.5 Billion. So, they argue the gas tax is to help the Turnpike Authority. Which then in combining MBTA/ Turnpike with the other agencies would bring all of the debt to Boston?

We now learn the House (led by D’Amico with his Hollywood amendment) passed an increase of the sales tax from 5% to 6.25%. Next week the plan for the gas tax, bailing out the Turnpike Authority/MBTA is to vote yes by D’Amico. Also, as we all knew, the Speaker of the House Democrat Robert DeLeo spoke at the 76th Anniversary of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. I guess he thanked them for all these years for being the fiscal watchdog for the Democrats. So, let’s be clear…D’Amico is for Boston, not for Seekonk, Norton, Rehoboth, or Swansea. We need another update from Rep. D’Amico to explain how he will be voting to spend our tax dollars at home.