Patrick Makes Good on Stanley Cup Wager in Chicago
Massachusetts governor volunteered at the Greater Chicago Food Depository Tuesday. South End Patch News
Patrick, Legislature in Tax Hike Standoff
By: Jake O'Donnell Gov. Deval Patrick's grandiose plans for new spending on transportation appear to be dead in the water, at least if Beacon Hill legis South End Patch News
Categories: Arrests Tags: Hike, Legislature, patrick, Standoff
Gov. Patrick Won’t Support Latest Transportation Finance Plan
By: Bret Silverberg Gov. Deval Patrick said he would not support a new transportation finance plan that would create $ 500 million in new taxes.
Gov. Patrick on Manhunt Aftermath: “I Got Drunk”
People on the streets of Boston weren’t the only ones drinking following the arrest of the lone living Boston Marathon bombing suspect April 19. Gov. Deval Patrick had a few rounds himself, according to the Boston Herald. The Herald reports that Patrick drove to Rouge, a bistro in West Stockbridge, Mass. Saturday, April 20, the day after authorities captured suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in a boat in Watertown, where he dined alone and was served numerous alcoholic beverages. “By the end of the meal I was actually quite drunk, by myself,” he is quoted as saying in the paper. Patrick offered candid insight into his decision making during the manhunt, the “shelter-in-place” order and the aftermath in a Q&A session hosted by HubSpot, a Cambridge marketing firm Wednesday. Patrick detailed discussions he had with President Barack Obama, the reasoning behind a decision to let the FBI run the investigation and the admission that he wasn’t sure when (or if) the situation would be resolved. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Patrick Signs Bill to Appoint Sean Collier to Somerville Police Department
Sean Collier, who authorities say was killed by the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects, will soon realize his dream of becoming a Somerville police officer. Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill Tuesday allowing the city of Somerville to appoint Collier postumously to the city’s police force, according to WHDH. Collier, a Somerville resident, was serving as an MIT police officer when, on April 18, he was allegedly shot to death by the suspects in the Boston Marathon Bombing. Jackie Rossetti, a spokesperson for the city of Somerville, said Tuesday afternoon the city was planning a ceremony for Collier’s appointment to the Somerville Police Department, but no date had been set. She said the city was in the process of working with Collier’s family to make those plans. According to WHDH, Somerville State. Sen. Patricia Jehlen, who co-sponsored the home rule petition allowing the postumous appointment, said, “While nothing we do can bring Collier back, this posthumous appointment is a meaningful way to honor his memory and brave service.” Somerville State. Rep. Denise Provost also co-sponsored the bill, according to WHDH. Collier was working toward becoming a Somerville police officer, and he would have been sworn onto the force on June 3. Read the WHDH article here. More Police, Residents Attend Officer Sean Collier’s Wake Thousands Mourn Sean Collier at MIT Bill to Honor Sean Collier Coming Closer to Reality SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Categories: Arrests Tags: Appoint, Bill, Collier, department, patrick, Police, Sean, Signs, Somerville
Murray to Resign June 2; Patrick Calls Him ‘Outstanding Partner’
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Tim Murray said none of the controversies that have dogged him during his tenure on Beacon Hill contributed to his decision to announce his resignation. In a press conference at the State House Wednesday, Murray said his final day on the job will be June 2. The next day he will take over as president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce where his salary will reportedly be around $ 200,000. In January, Murray said he had no intention of running for governor when Gov. Deval Patrick’s term expires in January 2015. “This has been a very difficult but empowering decision,” Murray said. “It has been an honor to serve as lieutenant governor.” Patrick called Murray an “outstanding partner” during his time in the corner office. Among the accomplishments Patrick touted were his work with the homeless and on domestic violence as well as working closely with government leaders in cities and towns. Murray is also currently the head of the National Lieutenant Governors Association. “He was here, in every way, for the right reasons,” Patrick said. “This is no small loss to our team or for me.” Indeed, there will be no replacement for Murray. Under the current state Constitution there is no mechanism for replacing the lieutenant governor if they leave office before their term ends. Murray said the current investigation into former Chelsea Housing Authority director Michael McLaughlin, who has pleaded guilty to felony charges related to concealing his salary and has ties to Murray, had nothing to do with his decision to resign. “This was a unique and special opportunity that was not going to be there in January 2015,” Murray said. “It builds on everything that I’ve been working on.” Murray said he had no concerns about a possible indictment coming his way in connection with the McLaughlin investigation. Murray was also involved in an early-morning car crash while driving a state vehicle in 2011. He added he was not “actively pursuing” any job when he was approached about the Worcester job and at first was not interested before changing his mind after discussing the idea with his family. Murray would not rule out a run for higher political office at some point in the future. “We’ll see,” Murray said. “I’ve got young kids right now … It takes a toll, (campaigns) are non-stop, frenetic events.” Patrick was asked if the resignation reinforced the idea his administration is entering a “lame duck” phase. “You judge us over the next 18 months and see if we slow down,” Patrick said. “I believe we will show you that […]
Gov. Patrick Seeks Federal Relief for Businesses in Blast Zone
Gov. Deval Patrick appealed to a federal administration today to get relief for the business impacted by the Boston Marathon bombings. Patrick sent a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration requesting that the administration issue an Economic Injury Declaration for Suffolk County so that long term/low interest SBA loans may be available to the affected businesses and private non-profit organizations, according to a press statement from the governor’s office Friday. Numerous businesses on Boylston and its cross streets were forced to stay closed from April 15 to April 24 or 25 because a 12-block area surrounding the bombing site was considered a crime scene by the FBI. In order to receive this federal assistance, the Commonwealth must show that businesses were negatively impacted and suffered substantial economic injury, according to Patrick’s statement. “Requesting this federal aid will help Boston and the Commonwealth recover faster from the tragic events that unfolded at the Marathon,” Patrick said in the statement. “I urge the Small Business Administration to approve our request quickly to help the small businesses that keep our Commonwealth strong rebuild.” A preliminary Massachusetts Energy Management Agency survey found that at least five small businesses in the area were severely impacted, which satisfied the requirement for Patrick to file for the assistance, the statement says. President Barack Obama has already issued an Emergency Declaration for Suffolk, Norfolk and Middlesex Counties (the counties that host the Marathon route). The Emergency Declaration authorizes the federal government to reimburse municipalities, state agencies and certain non-profits for 75 percent of the cost of Direct Federal Assistance and emergency protective measures necessary to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of catastrophe in the designated counties. South End Patch
Patrick Addresses Hundreds at Rally to Support His Budget Plan [VIDEO]
Hundreds of people bused in from across the state packed into a State House auditorim Tuesday morning to rally in support of Gov. Deval Patrick’s tax plan, which they say is critical to make much-needed improvements in education and transportation infrastructure. The rally, which was organized by Campaign for our Communities, a coalition of over 120 organizations across the commonwealth, ended with attendees heading off to the offices of their representatives, urging them to vote for Patrick’s plan. The governor’s $ 34.8 billion budget proposal calls for an increase in the income tax from 5.25 percent to 6.25 percent and the elimination of 44 deductions coupled with a decrease in the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 4.5 percent and a doubling of personal exemption. Patrick said at Tuesday’s rally that the time had come to speak as “grown-ups, in a fact-based way, about taxes, because taxes are the price of civilization.” By Patrick’s estimates, those who make under $ 62,000 a year shouldn’t see an increase in taxes and that those who make $ 100,000 will, on average, see a rise of a $ 300 to $ 400. To allow individuals to see how the plan would affect their taxes, the governor’s office last week released an online tool that calculates users’ tax bill. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
See Your Own Tax Bill Under Patrick Budget Plan
In an effort to further promote his proposed $ 34.8 billlion budget, Gov. Deval Patrick this week rolled out an online tool that would help families see the effect his plan would have on their bottom line. The tool was released less than a week after Patrick unveiled 400 online maps showing what each district would receive in transportation and education benefits under his tax plan. “We are proposing meaningful investments in education and transportation, and people want to know what that means for them,” Patrick said. “Last week, with the maps, we showed what long-postponed projects would get done in each community. Now, with this tool, we show just what the costs or savings will be for individual households.” The program not only lets users enter their income information to see how their tax bill would change, it also allows them to develop their own tax reform proposal and see how it would alter their net income. The administration claims that about half of Massachusetts taxpayers will see a reduction in their tax burden, or come out the same, under Patrick’s proposal, which is marked by an increase in the income tax from 5.25 percent to 6.25 percent and the end of 44 deductions combined with a reduction in the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 4.5 percent a a doubling of personal exemptions. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Patrick Budget Eliminates 44 Tax Deductions
A recent analysis of Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposed budget finds that it eliminates 44 tax breaks that benefit a large slice of Massachusetts taxpayers. Patrick’s $ 34.8 billion FY2014 budget includes not only a 1 percentage point hike in the income tax – from 5.25 percent to 6.25 percent – but the end of such deductions such as the capital gains from the sale of a person’s primary home, college tuition, and contributions to a health savings account. The analysis, by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, found that the eliminations would raise an additional $ 1 billion for the commonwealth. But Patrick’s assistant secretary for fiscal policy, Gregory R. Mennis, told The Republican that that amount would be offset by the doubling of personal exemptions, which benefit all taxpayers. Another key aspect of Patrick’s plan is the lowering of the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 4.5 percent. When taking this change, along with the rise in personal exemptions, about half of Massachusetts households – in particular those earning less than $ 60,000 a year – will see their taxes stay the same or drop, by Mennis’ calculations. “It’s important to look at the tax package as a whole,” Mennis told The Republican. The goal of the budget, Patrick has said, is to make the tax code simpler and fairer, with the tax burden shifting from the lower and middle classes to the more affluent. The bill is being reviewed by the House, which will release its budget proposal in April. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Categories: Arrests Tags: Budget, Deductions, Eliminates, patrick