In The News: Budget

"This puts the pressure on the Legislature, because if you don't get the new savings and the new revenues, you'll have to cut more deeply than the governor has in this budget," said Michael Widmer, president of the business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

We reported on this a number of times in 2008, when Romney’s GOP primary opponents kept bringing it up. It’s true that the independent Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation put the total of increased fees and corporate taxes under Romney at $740 million to $750 million per year.

Mike Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Tax Payers Foundation, recognizes that the current economic climate makes it challenging to address all of the State's needs in the current budget.

But Beacon Hill lawmakers in the past have rejected similar tax proposals from the governor. And Michael Widmer of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation questioned whether they would accept them this time around. "Those tax proposals I think are reasonable but nonetheless this is an election year so there’s an open question on whether or not the legislature will approve them," he said. "So this puts the pressure on the Legislature because if you don’t achieve the new revenues then you have to cut more deeply than the governor has in this budget."

Michael Widmer, President of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, described the governor's budget as "fiscally responsible" but said it was built on "question marks" about health care savings and initiatives that lawmakers are unlikely to support.

“It’s going to be very tight,’’ said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. “There are going to be a number of places where there are budget cuts. “It’s better news than the last several years for sure, but it’s also a fifth consecutive year of budget squeeze,’’ he said. “This is the longest fiscal siege that state and local government have experienced in decades.’’

Michael Widmer, president of the independent Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, noted that lawmakers had previously rejected some of the governor’s revenue proposals and questioned whether they would be more willing to accept them this around. “The Legislature always puts its own imprint on the budget, but this year they are facing the same limited options the governor faces,’’ Widmer said.

Michael Widmer, the president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation predicts state budget writers will find a way to boost local aid.

Mike Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, tells NPR that Romney raised state revenues more than he cut them. Widmer says most of those 19 tax cuts Romney talks about were pretty modest. Some were weekend sales tax holidays. "He raised corporate taxes. He also raised fees very dramatically in his first year," said Widmer.

"The small growth in tax revenues will put great strains on the fiscal 2013 budget with increases in nondiscretionary spending outpacing the additional revenues available," Michael Widmer of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation testified.