Posted on 06/15/2008 4:59:40 AM PDT by bocopar
With the news of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s $1 billion initiative to “woo” biotech businesses to The Bay State, not all are blindly cheering.
State Representative candidate Bob Parks (R) of the 2nd Franklin District is suspicious of the governor’s motives.
“Two years ago, I suggested our district apply directly to HUD and receive Empowerment Zone status. This would enable existing businesses here to grow and hire more people, while luring others. The difference between my plan and Governor Patrick’s is that it doesn’t require taxpayers to foot the bill, and my plan isn’t discriminatory, giving preference to one business sector over another.”
(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...
From the “Canada Free Press” instead of from any of the Massachusetts press?
Gov. Levall Patrick, idiot.
Hmm, Patrick’s first name is Deval. Who knew. He’s still an empty suit.
A release went out to the Northeast. Someone “may” run it today or tomorrow...?
omg. what do they do, buy the "empowerment zone ring" from the box of Cheerios with $3.95 and two proofs of purchase?
Democrats are now doing state wide what they did to Lawrence and Lowell. Economic Planning. Good jobs at good wages...blah...blah...blah..
This is so typical of government types throwing money at businesses. Here in the People's Republic of New York, our money gets shoveled at the nanotechnology folks including backdoor money to the head of it, Alain Kaloyeros that brings his total compensation close to a million. The nanotech folks are more than happy to be here while the spigot is open, but you know the moment the flow diminishes, they'll be off for the next place.
Meanwhile, the state is doing everything it can to destroy businesses outside itself and its favored industries through taxes and regulations. Immensely frustrating to be here and see how these clymers are ruining the place day by day while fattening themselves and their pet projects.
There's a surprise. If I read Mr. Parks correctly, he castigates the Massachusetts state government (and rightly so) for being somewhat schizophrenic about doing everything on one hand to make it difficult for businesses to exist here and driving them out of the state, then on the other hand, proposing to spend more money to bring them back in.
Why not just make it a broad, across the board effort to make it attractive to ALL businesses instead of just some in given areas? That is, just make the environment as a whole more conducive to making money for entepreneurs and business.
But hey, if they took that approach, we wouldn't NEED to have people like Bob Parks running for office here.
Massachusetts: Census Bureau Data
The Census Bureau estimated that in July 2007 Massachusetts’s population had increased by an annual average of about 13,790 residents since 2000 (to 6,449,755 residents). Over that period net immigration was adding about 28,280 persons each year (more immigrants arriving than leaving). During the same period there was a net annual average population loss of about 41,875 residents from net domestic migration (more native-born residents leaving than arriving)....
No wonder Patrick's in a pickle...
290,000 Republicans fleeing the stinking hulk of a sinking ship. If it weren’t for the huge number of schools of higher education in and around Boston, the city would probably look like something out of On The Beach.
Since it's a targeted and specific incentive that uses MA taxpayer money how much you wanna bet it's about state (D) bureaucrats getting fat kickbacks from a deal they've already made.
Follow the (R)'s comments.
I don’t believe I’m advocating taxpayers in Massachusetts to pay for the Empowerment Zone. As I’m ONLY running for state rep in one district, I can’t at this time make a proposal for the whole state. The towns involved have to agree to the designation.
Federal tax relief via HUD is a lot different than using state taxpayer monies to pay people to lobby businesses to stay and other to come here, just to become revenue sources for an irresponsible state government.
And if you don’t think the businesses lured aren’t going to be hit up for campaign contributions....
Thank you for the clarification...I understand the distinction you make.
There is not a lot of detail in the article, so I don’t want to misinterpret it and put words in your mouth.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.