Romney Draws Winske's Fire

In this letter to the editor, Disability Policy Consortium Chair John Winske criticizes lame duck Governor Mitt Romney for his self serving and unnecessary budget cuts.

"Dear Editor:

Recently, Gov. Mitt Romney chose to end his tenure in the same mean-spirited manner in which he began it. Less than one week after America ’s voters rejected the politics of divisiveness and partisanship, Romney has slashed $425 million from the state budget by using his emergency (9c) powers, which is disturbing but not surprising.

The “financial crisis” or “spending crisis” as the Romney administration is calling it is a figment of the governor’s politically driven agenda. This manufactured scheme is designed to burnish his image with fiscal conservatives nationwide. This is reinforced by the fact that state revenues for the first two months of the fiscal year are within the expected range.

According to Michael J. Widmer, President of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, “The governor was acting prematurely, because the state’s fiscal year is only four months old and the economy is generating strong revenues that will cover potential deficits.”

The pain caused by the $425 million budget cuts is severe. Since we are three and a half months into the fiscal year, the magnitude of the cuts would be equivalent to more than $700 million annually. Throughout Romney’s tenure his administration has pitted the “haves” against the poor and vulnerable citizens in the Commonwealth.

This is a telling statement on the type of presidential campaign he will wage as he gears up to raise $50 million for his run to the White House. Hopefully, citizens across America will continue to take a dim view of the politicians seeking higher office who practice the distressing art of divisive politics.

It is now critical for the Massachusetts General Court to reconvene and override Gov. Romney’s callous and unnecessary cuts to the programs and services used by the neediest of our citizens.


John Winske, Chair
Disability Policy Consortium
Boston