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Will the Real Tom Reilly Please Stand Up
DJ
DEEB
07/05/06
 It just seems like Attorney General
and gubernatorial candidate Tom Reilly lives in his own
little world. Blunder after blunder has helped to
destroy any credibility that Reilly may have once
enjoyed. Politics aside, Reilly’s biggest
problem is that he fails to grasp a basic understanding
of economics in his policy proposals for the commonwealth
and has proven by his record that he is nothing more than
a political opportunist.
In a recent article authored by Reilly, titled
“Getting Massachusetts Moving,” Tom Reilly
correctly observes that we have lost more than 155,000
jobs since the beginning of 2001 and the Bay (or
“Pay”) State ranks 45th nationwide in terms of
job growth.
He also notes that Massachusetts is the only state in the
country to experience a decline in resident population
for the last two years. Reilly’s solution to
the problem is what is most disturbing. He proposes
that the state increase spending on pet projects (i.e.,
pork!) to facilitate growth. This is the same
Keynesian economic approach that has been failing
Massachusetts (and the nation) since President Lyndon B.
Johnson’s “Great Society” War on
Poverty of the 1960’s. Reilly writes:
“I’m proposing to invest $500 million in this
initiative over the next five years - $400 million from
the state and $100 million in private money.”
Where’s all that money going to come from? You
guessed it: All of us taxpayers! Massachusetts
residents pay the highest taxes in the nation. The
reality is that people are leaving Massachusetts because
the Bay State has become the “Pay State” and
it’s getting worse. Since Tom Reilly is
opposed to any effort to bring casinos to Massachusetts
or legalize gambling in the commonwealth, the only way he
is going to raise revenue to implement his proposals is
to raise taxes. The impact of Tom Reilly as
governor will be more people fleeing Massachusetts.
More failed socialist policies will not correct the
problems and make Massachusetts a more affordable state
to live in. The real solution requires a healthy
dose of free market economics. Let’s cut taxes
on individuals, working families, and businesses in order
to put more money in their pockets to spend on other
essential items. This will stimulate real economic
growth, create jobs, and ease the burden on working
people. Obviously, this will require reducing state
government spending in order to free up revenue, but
reducing government spending and overhauling the state
bureaucracy, not feeding it, should be the focus, Mr.
Reilly!
On another note, since Attorney General Reilly wants to
be governor, it begs the question: “What has Tom
Reilly done as attorney general?” The attorney
general should be committed to prosecuting the
lawbreakers, right?
Well, speaking of lawbreakers, has Attorney General
Reilly prosecuted a single business operating in the
commonwealth that employs illegal aliens? I think
not! Attorney General Reilly pledged not to
prosecute such businesses when he ran for attorney
general. Who does this guy work for anyway?
There are plenty of businesses functioning in our state
that are employing illegals. Illegal aliens do not
pay taxes and drain the commonwealth of millions of
dollars in benefits and services each year. Not
only has Tom Reilly failed in his job as attorney
general, but in his previous position as Middlesex
district attorney, he turned a blind eye to businesses
employing illegal aliens as well. By the way,
isn’t the governor supposed to be the chief
executive officer who enforces the law? If Attorney
General Reilly has failed to do that so far, what makes
us think he will execute the law as governor?
Speaking of law-enforcement, Tom Reilly is the same
attorney general and gubernatorial candidate that
originally asked state Representative Marie St. Fleur, a
tax evader, to join his ticket and run for lieutenant
governor several months ago. In discussing his
proposal for the commonwealth, Reilly writes,
“I’ve made a career out of tackling these kinds
of tough fights and getting real results. I
can’t wait to get started.”
Let’s hope and pray that Tom Reilly never gets the
chance to “get started” as governor of
Massachusetts. Tom Reilly has failed us as attorney
general and as district attorney, so he will surely
disappoint us as the governor if elected.
Tom Reilly is a career politician and political
opportunist, who will say anything to get elected.
Reilly’s proposals as governor, if enacted, are
likely to cause more hardships on Massachusetts taxpayers
and result in more people fleeing the “Pay
State.”
D.J. Deeb is an Adjunct Professor of
History and Government at Bunker Hill Community College
in Boston, MA, and at Northern Essex Community College in
Haverhill, MA. He teaches Social Studies fulltime
at Reading Memorial High School in Reading,
Massachusetts. He also serves as an elected
member of the Greater Lowell Technical School Committee
and Dracut School Committee in Dracut,
Massachusetts. D.J. is the author of The Collapse
of Middle East Peace: The Rise and Fall of the Oslo Peace
Accords (New York: IUniverse, 2003).
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The June, 2006 Edition
of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2006, Valley Patriot, Inc.
We publish 8,000 newspapers and distribute in Andover,
North Andover, Methuen, Haverhill,
Lawrence, Dracut, Tewksbury and Lowell.
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Valley Patriot Archive
Prior columns by TomDuggan
Classroom Credit to Support
Terrorism?
Editorial
1
Trash Talk in N. Andover
Editorial
2
The NY Times & Treason
Actions Speak Louder Than
Platitudes
Tom Duggan's Notebook
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