Polito continues to stand her ground against $400 million in new spending on Beacon Hill

For the fifth day in a row, state Rep. Karyn Polito continued today to single-handedly block hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Polito, R-Shrewsbury, sat in the House chamber for more than seven hours today as Democratic leaders waited for her to give up her opposition to the supplemental spending bill. Because the House is in informal session, an objection from a single member can stop legislation from moving forward.

Polito remained in her seat all day in the virtually empty chamber, with leadership aides allowing her a single trip to the restroom.

House budget leaders released the spending bill to members over the weekend, but will not allow members to debate the bill. Polito has made multiple compromise offers, including a plan to cut the spending in half and provide six months of spending until January formal sessions resume. She also offered to allow the bill to move forward if millions of dollars in pay raises for state workers were deferred. Both compromises were rejected.

"I'm here today for the taxpayers," Polito said. "A bill of this size and scope needs to be debated. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars and setting such expansive new policy is something that is clearly beyond the scope of an 'informal' session. I've offered reasonable compromises to help move this bill forward, but those offers have been summarily rejected despite their fairness. I will sit here until 9 p.m. tonight when House Rules require an adjournment. I will not make it easy for the majority party to pass hundreds of millions of dollars of spending in an informal session."

Statement of Karyn Polito on Comments by Steve Grossman Related to the Murders in Mattapan

Karyn Polito, Republican candidate for State Treasurer, issued the following statement this afternoon in response to comments by her opponent, Democrat Steve Grossman, tying Polito's efforts to block a supplemental spending bill in the House of Representatives to the quadruple homicide in Mattapan earlier this week:

"For Steve Grossman to politicize the murders of four people for his own selfish political ends is despicable. It's well known that Steve Grossman supports higher spending and more taxes, but that does not mean those opposed to his tax-and-spend views are somehow complicit in the murders that took place in Mattapan this week."

Grossman's comments were made on Thursday to the State House News Service:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/allston/newsnow/x55985412/House-GOP-agree-to-spending-bill-Polito-keeps-it-on-hold

Statement of Karyn Polito on Supplemental Budget Spending by the House

"I'm extremely disappointed by the political gamesmanship on display in the House of Representatives this week, but I can't say I'm surprised.

Sadly, spending hundreds of millions of dollars without debate or the opportunity for amendment appears to have become business as usual on Beacon Hill. This supplemental spending bill includes loads of new spending for agencies beyond what the Legislature approved only 90 days ago. It funds $11 million of pay raises for public employees and it includes over a hundred outside sections setting new policy for our state.

We all know this is not the time to be handing out pay raises, when so many people in the private sector are hurting and struggling to make ends meet. Debating these decisions and reaching a consensus is why we have a Legislature in the first place. But this bill is not open to such treatment. That's wrong for Massachusetts taxpayers, and it's bad precedent for our democratic process.

We face a $2 billion budget shortfall next year, and the spending decisions we make right now have a profound effect on our ability to address that gap without new taxes. For the third straight day, I have objected to this half-billion-dollar spending bill moving forward out of deep concern for its effects on Massachusetts taxpayers. I have had discussions with House Ways and Means Chairman Murphy on how to pare back the spending in the bill. Today, I offered to remove my objections to the bill's passage if the Democrats would agree to defer the collective bargaining agreements. That was rejected.

I have been assured by my Republican colleagues that an objection will be in place for the remainder of the evening and that no action will be taken on the bill tonight. As for tomorrow, I will be back at the Statehouse to continue discussions with my colleagues."

Polito Criticizes Steve Grossman's Support for Graduated Income Tax

State Treasurer candidate Karyn Polito today criticized her opponent, former Democratic Party chairman Steve Grossman, for his continued support for a graduated income tax in Massachusetts.

"Steve Grossman’s support for a graduated income tax is just another Beacon Hill money grab by the tax-and-spend crowd. The graduated income tax would raise taxes on middle-income families that are struggling to make ends meet in this recession. It was bad enough that Steve Grossman donated $25,000 of his own money to stop the income tax rollback in 2000. Now, we learn he supports raising the tax on a graduated basis. As treasurer, I’ll fight to keep taxes low."

Statement of Karyn Polito on Supplemental Spending Bill

"Massachusetts faces a fiscal crisis. Governor Deval Patrick is asking us to add to the state budget by approving almost a half billion dollars in new spending -- without debate, without the possibility of anyone offering amendments, and without recording anyone’s vote on the matter. This is no time for business as usual. I registered my objection to the spending bill in the Ways and Means Committee. I am not a rubber stamp for Deval Patrick or anyone else. Because of the extraordinary financial situation we find ourselves in today, and because we are facing a multi-billion dollar deficit in the next fiscal year, I am asking that the Legislature return to formal session for the purpose of debating this spending bill. Alternatively, we can either wait three months for the resumption of formal sessions or consider a pared-down bill containing only the spending that is considered essential. To do anything else would be irresponsible."