Posted on 07/27/2002 7:54:24 AM PDT by vannrox
By Elisabeth J. Beardsley / Boston Herald
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
House lawmakers overwhelmingly reinstated a $1.14 billion tax hike yesterday - less than 24 hours after acting Gov. Jane M. Swift nixed it.
The ink was barely dry on Swift's veto before House members voted, 120-29, to restore the biggest tax hike in state history.
The five-tax package now proceeds to the Senate, where President Thomas F. Birmingham, a gubernatorial candidate, has described it as a ``fait accompli.''
Previous votes have demonstrated a comfortable two-thirds margin for override, prompting Senate Republicans to throw in the towel even as they prepare a token opposition.
``Every day is more amazing,'' said Senate Minority Leader Brian P. Lees (R-East Longmeadow). ``The contempt that the Democratic leaders have for the taxpayers just blows my mind.''
The tax hike is one part of lawmakers' solution for plugging a deficit exceeding $2.5 billion. They're also relying on $1 billion in program cuts and $800 million in ``rainy day'' reserve funds.
In a repeat of last week's tax debate, neither Speaker Thomas M. Finneran nor his leadership team offered any defense or explanation.
Instead, a handful of rank-and-file Democrats squabbled with the tiny band of Republicans for nearly three hours - in front of a largely empty House chamber.
Democrats claimed they'd received no constituent complaints about the tax hikes. Rep. Gale Candaras (D-Wilbraham) added that business groups and local officials supported the package.
``We didn't make this decision in a vacuum, in some insular and abstract way,'' she said. ``The support for that vote has been enormous.''
Fewer than two dozen Democrats were on hand when debate began, and that number dropped to half a dozen by the time the vote was called.
In a highly unusual move, House members began the tax debate immediately after gaveling into session at 11 a.m. yesterday. Usually, House lawmakers handle informal tasks in the morning, holding off on serious debate until after 1 p.m. - when live television broadcast of the session begins, per contract with the House.
Republicans accused Democrats of trying to sneak the tax hike past the public, after ignoring revenue alternatives like casinos.
``The TV cameras weren't on,'' said Assistant House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones (R-North Reading).
Eight Democrats bucked Finneran by voting against the tax hike, including two chairmen - House Personnel and Administration head James R. Miceli (D-Wilmington) and Health Care chief Harriett L. Stanley.
Like other Democrats who left the reservation, Stanley (D-West Newbury) said she didn't like being forced to take an up-or-down vote on a whole stack of tax hikes, not all of which she supported.
``Packages are for vacations, not for tax policy,'' Stanley said.
Outside the State House, advocates for the poor set up a vigil they say they will maintain until state leaders restore at least $7.3 million in cuts that affect shelter beds for about 4,000 people.
``It's a moral crisis,'' said Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance Director Mary Ellen Hombs. ``We've got a state of emergency.''
In regards to the homeless "activists" (kind of an oxymoron here) staging a vigil, perhaps their time would be better spent working jobs so they can donate their own money directly as opposed to sitting on their butts claiming to be helpful.
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