Mitt the Massachusetts Moderate: Broke His Campaign Pledge Not To Raise Taxes But Raised Taxes as Governor

Top Line Points

While campaigning for Governor, Mitt Romney pledged not to raise taxes, but after he became Governor, Mitt Romney did raise taxes In 2008, John McCain agreed that Romney raised taxes as Governor, which is why McCain said that Romney raised taxes by $730 million. He called them fees; I'm sure the people that had to pay it whether they called them bananas, they still had to pay $730 million extra. It is also why the McCain campaign published a web video describing Romneys record of raising taxes in Massachusetts.*** According to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation and John McCain, Romney raised fees and taxes by over $700 million (between $730 - $750 million)

In just his first two years as Governor, Romney hiked corporate taxes by $350 million Romney raised fees by $400 million on the people of Massachusetts It is little wonder then that Massachusetts ranked 47th in job creation during Romneys four years as Governor (Brett Arends, Marketwatch.com, 2/23/10) During Romneys Tenure Massachusetts Was Ranked #1 In The Nation For Fee Hikes (2003)

Romneys raised fees on people who are blind, on drivers, on hunters, on veterans, on drivers, on those getting married, on homebuyers, on boaters; on golfers

Romneys fees burdened even societys most needy: people who are blind and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities At the end of Romneys term as governor the tax burden was heavier than when he began

*** McCain Campaign Video Mittsurfing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=pu3r67ApOUQ

(continued on next page..) Updated: January 7, 2012

BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED GOVERNOR, ROMNEY PLEDGED NOT TO RAISE TAXES

Romney Pledged Not to Raise Taxes Before He Was Elected Governor of Massachusetts. GOP standard-bearer Mitt Romney eagerly joined the no-new-tax brigade yesterday, vowing not to stop the voterapproved income tax rollback or hike other levies - all while boosting services and dodging layoffs. All voters . . . care about great education, improving our environment, bringing more jobs to Massachusetts and balancing the budget without raising taxes . . . That being the case, I think I have a very strong proposition to take to the voters of Massachusetts." (David
R. Guarino, Romney vows to balance budget without new tax, The Boston Herald, 3/22/02)

When Campaigning for Governor, Romney Said It Was Not the Job of Management To Tell the People You Have to Pay More Money and Pledged We Are Not Going to Raise Taxes. Romney chided Democrats for taking the easy way to fix problems by passing the tax hat. The easy way to fix any problem is to go to the people and say you have to pay more money, but that's not what the job of management is, Romney said. That's my pledge, we are not going to raise taxes. (David R. Guarino,
Romney vows to balance budget without new tax, The Boston Herald, 3/22/02)

After Elected Governor and Before His Swearing In, Romney Reiterated His Campaign Pledge Not to Raise Taxes, And Called Raising Taxes A Draconian Solution And That It Would Make The State A Basket Case. Romney firmly stood by his campaign pledge not to raise taxes, calling that a Draconian solution that would make the state a basket case. (Joe Battenfeld, Romney: Cuts Are Not Enough; Gov.-Elect Eyes
Consolidation, Elimination Of Programs, The Boston Herald, 12/6/02)

After Being Elected Governor and Before His Swearing In, Romney Said He Anticipated Being Able to Do What We Were Sent To Do, Which is to Balance our Budget Without Having To Raise Taxes. I anticipate we'll be able to work together to do what we were sent to do, which is to balance our budget without having to raise taxes. (David R.
Guarino, Dem Leaders Doubtful On Romney's Tax Cut, The Boston Herald, 11/8/02)

After Being Elected Governor and Before His Swearing In, Romney Said the Voters Spoke Loud and Clear, They Dont Want To See Us Raising Their Taxes. Romney said he wasn't daunted at all when the stark budget numbers were laid out before him and vowed to stick with his campaign promises. I think the voters spoke loud and clear, they don't want to see us raising their taxes. (David R. Guarino, Dem Leaders Doubtful On
Romney's Tax Cut, The Boston Herald, 11/8/02)

AFTER HE WAS ELECTED GOVERNOR, ROMNEY RAISED TAXES

MITT THE MASSACHUSETTS MODERATES TAX AND FEE RECORD IN-DEPTH
When Mitt The Massachusetts Moderate Was Governor, Taxpayers Paid Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars More In Taxes And Fees
According To Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Romneys Fee Hikes And Tax Loophole Closings Were Between $740 And $750 Million A Year. As we've noted before when the subject of Romney's fee vs. tax increases has come up, the Massachusetts Department of Administration and Finance says that fee increases during Romney's tenure added up to $260 million per year, with another $174 million raised from closing some corporate tax "loopholes." The independent Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation puts the revenue total of fee hikes and tax loopholeclosings at between $740 and $750 million a year. (Simi Valley Showdown,
FactCheck.org, 1/31/08)

During The 2008 Election, John McCain Blasted Romney For Raising Taxes By 730 Million. As I understand it, [Romney's] record was that he raised taxes by $730 million. He called them fees; I'm sure the people that had to pay it whether they called them bananas, they still had to pay $730 million extra. (Simi Valley Showdown, FactCheck.org, 1/31/08)

[T]he Tax Burden Is Heavier For Many Across The Commonwealth. This Is How The Massachusetts That Mitt Romney Left Behind Yesterday Compares With The Massachusetts That He Inherited Four Years Ago. (Scott Helman, Romney Exits With Pomp, Ambition, The Boston Globe, 1/4/07) During Romneys Governorship, He Raised Fees By Over $400 Million And Closed So-Called Corporate Loopholes By Over $300 Million. On the presidential campaign trail, Romney brags about a $3 billion budget shortfall he said he closed as governor, without any tax increases. He doesnt mention the more than $400 million in fees he raised instead. He also raised more than $300 million by closing so-called corporate loopholes, a revenue-raising measure the business community calls a tax increase. (Joan
Vennochi, Op-Ed, Mitts No-Tax Mirage, The Boston Globe, 10/11/07)

Romney Claims He Only Closed Tax Loopholes, But Grover Norquist Of Americans For Tax Reform Views Them As Tax Hikes. Mr. Norquist acknowledged that he had been deeply disappointed by Mr. Romneys corporate tax overhaul. Unlike the governor, Mr. Norquist regards the changes as tax hikes. They changed the laws and the rules to significantly raise taxes, he said. That is a tax increase. (Seeking Taxes,
Romney Went After Business, The New York Times, 10/1/11)

In 2003, Massachusetts Led The Nation In Fee Hikes. This time it's fees, not taxes. Still, Massachusetts may have enhanced its reputation as "Taxachusetts. A survey of states grappling with spending crises has found that Massachusetts imposed more fee hikes than any other state in the nation this year - at least $500 million. The study by the National Conference of State Legislatures found that Massachusetts was one of 30 states that enacted fee increases this year. The organization found that 17 states enacted significant tax increases, unlike last year, when many states were hesitant to turn to taxes because it was an election year in most places. Of the 30 states to raise fees this year, only nine are bringing in $100 million or more from those fee hikes. Massachusetts reported $501.5 million in fee hikes; the second-biggest fee increaser was New York, with $367 million, though New York has a much larger budget. (Rick Klein, Mass. Is Called No. 1 In Fee Hikes,
The Boston Globe, 7/24/03)

Romney Raised Fees On Marriage Licenses. Governor Mitt Romney and the Legislature, faced with a multibillion dollar shortfall, made it more expensive to get a marriage license or a divorce, file a court case, buy a 4

house, renew a driver's license, or tap into a host of other state services.
(Rick Klein, Mass. Is Called No. 1 In Fee Hikes, The Boston Globe, 7/24/03)

The Boston Globe Headline: Mass. Is Called No. 1 In Fee Hikes

(Rick Klein, Mass. Is Called No. 1 In Fee Hikes, The Boston Globe, 7/24/03)

"Fees have been the name of the game in the past year," said Corina Eckl, the NCSL's fiscal program director. "In Massachusetts, the sheer number of fees stood out." Almost Immediately Upon Becoming Governor, Romney Increased Fees By $260 Million And Closed Tax Loopholes To Fill Government Coffers With Another $255 Million. [I]n his first year in office, the state increased hundreds of fees, making it more expensive to get a drivers license, marry, or buy a house. Those changes, which he defends as limited in scope and long overdue, brought in an additional $260 million. The new governor also collected an additional $255 million from businesses by closing what he called tax loopholes. (Scott S. Greenberger, Romney Often Casts Himself
As Budget Hero, The Boston Globe, 10/24/05)

Massachusetts Revenue Commissioner Admitted Romney Told Him To Scour The Tax Code For Provisions To Close In Order To Bring In More Money. Revenue Commissioner Alan LeBovidge said yesterday that Romney has asked him to scour the tax code in search of provisions that can be tightened to bring in more money, but he argued that it isnt accurate to refer to the proposed changes as tax increases. (Scott S. Greenberger, Governors Fiscal
Plan Targets Tax Loopholes, The Boston Globe, 3/4/04)

In His First Two Years As Governor, Romney Collected Almost $350 Million More In Corporate Taxes, And He Then Proposed Another $170 Million. [Romney] collected an additional $345 million from businesses during his first two years in office by closing what he called loopholes in the corporate tax code. This year, the governor initially proposed changes worth an additional $170 million, but he halved that figure in March in response to an uproar from businesses and their lobbying groups. (Scott S. Greenberger, Romney Often Casts Himself As Budget Hero, The Boston Globe, 10/24/05) Flashback 2004: The Bill The Joint Committee On Taxation Considered Yesterday An Act To Clarify Certain Tax Provisions And Improve Various Activities Of The Department Of Revenue Includes More Than Two-Dozen Measures Designed To Bring In More Money. (Scott S. Greenberger, Governors Fiscal Plan Targets Tax Loopholes, The Boston Globe, 3/4/04) [T]ax Specialists And Other Observers Have Argued That Romney Effectively Raised Taxes By Boosting The Fees And Eking More Money Out Of Corporations. (Scott Helman, Romney Exits With Pomp, Ambition, The Boston
Globe, 1/4/07)

Utilizing The Language Of The Progressive Left, Revenue Commissioner Alan LeBovidge Said He Wanted Companies To Pay Their Fair Share And Establish Equity. LeBovidge defended the changes as a way to crack down on companies that push the envelope. I view it as people paying their fair share, LeBovidge said. Its all about equity. (Scott S. Greenberger, Governors Fiscal Plan Targets Tax Loopholes, The Boston Globe, 3/4/04)

FROM DUKAKIS TO ROMNEY TO PATRICK, RAISING FEES IS A TIME HONORED BAY STATE TRADITION ROMNEY DIDNT CHANGE MASSACHUSETTS; MASSACHUSETTS CHANGED HIM
Like Mitt Romney In 2003 And Beyond, Former Gov. Michael Dukakis (D-MA) Swore Off Taxes And Proposed Fee Increases Instead. Politicians turning to fees when taxes are not an option is nothing new in Massachusetts history. In the early 1980s, then-governor Michael S. Dukakis swore off tax hikes, but proposed a set of fees under a package he called the Revenue Enhancement and Protection Program. (Joanna Weiss, Romney Proposals On
Fees Draw Fire, The Boston Globe, 2/28/03)

Upon Taking Office, Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA) Studied How Romney Raised Taxes By Declaring War On Corporate Tax Loopholes. Governor Deval L. Patrick, facing a daunting challenge as he tries to balance his first state budget, is looking hard at the same solution that his predecessor, Mitt Romney, employed in the early difficult fiscal days of his administration: declaring war on corporate tax loopholes. (Steve Bailey, Patrick
Eyes Corporate Tax Changes, The Boston Globe, 2/16/07)

DANCING ON THE HEAD OF A PIN: ROMNEYS TORTURED LOGIC ON TAXES VERSUS FEES
Fees Are Different From Taxes, Romney Said Yesterday, Because They Affect Narrow Groups Of People, And Pay For Specific Services That Are Generally Considered Relatively Voluntary. (Joanna Weiss,
Romney Proposals On Fees Draw Fire, The Boston Globe, 2/28/03)

The Romney Administration Asserted Fees Were Different Than Taxes Because Fees Are Voluntary If You Dont Want To Pay The Fee, Dont Use The Service. A fee is something that you pay and receive an immediate, direct service for, [Romneys top budget aide Eric] Kriss asserts. Moreover, its voluntary, he says. In other words, if you dont want to pay the fee, dont use the service. OK, were with him so far, especially when it comes to fees for golfing or mooring a boat at a stateowned park, or professional license fees that support regulatory oversight.
(Editorial, The Slippery Slope Of State Fee Hikes, The Boston Herald, 2/4/03)

A Romney Official Said Driving A Car Is Voluntary, And If People Did Not Like Paying Fees, They Could Turn To Public Transportation. But when it comes to more broad-based fees, like those charged by the Registry of Motor Vehicles for licenses and registrations, Romney is on shakier ground. Driving a car is voluntary, Kriss contended in an interview with Herald editors and reporters. Oh? And how is one supposed to get to work, get the kids to soccer practice or go grocery shopping? Take public transportation, Kriss said. Right, that will work for most suburbanites.
(Editorial, The Slippery Slope Of State Fee Hikes, The Boston Herald, 2/4/03)

Romney: The Fees That Weve Increased Are Those Which We Believe Are Justified On The Basis Of The Cost Of Delivering The Service. (Joanna Weiss, Romney Proposals On Fees Draw Fire, The Boston Globe, 2/28/03) Romneys Proposal Affects 88 New Or Existing Fees.
Romney Proposals On Fees Draw Fire, The Boston Globe, 2/28/03) (Joanna Weiss,

Noting The Line Between A Tax And A Fee Is Sometimes Blurry, Romney Claimed His Budgets Only Contained Fees Narrowly Drawn. Romney said the lines between taxes and fees can sometimes be blurry. A drivers license fee, he said, affects a broad enough population to be considered a form of tax. But he said his budget - which would not hike fees for a standard drivers license - contains only fees that are more narrowly drawn. Budget writers sought to raise fees that are not currently covering the cost of the service, said Romney spokeswoman Shawn Feddeman, who said revenue from fees would not go into the states general fund. (Joanna Weiss, Romney Proposals On Fees Draw Fire, The Boston Globe, 2/28/03) Romney Acknowledged That Some See Little Difference Between The $500 Million In New And Higher Fees He Approved This Year And An Increase In Taxes. (Tom Benner, Romney: No New Taxes In Coming Budget, The Patriot
Ledger, 10/23/03)

ROMNEYS POLICIES HELPED MAKE MASSACHUSETTS THE LEADING STATE IN RAISING FEES
Romney And Lawmakers Came Up With More Fee Hikes Than Any Other State This Year, According To The National Conference Of State Legislatures. (Shaun Sutner, Fee Foes Begin Giant-Sized Fight In Legislature, Worcester
Telegram & Gazette, 7/29/03)

In 2003, The National Conference Of State Legislatures Found Only Nine States Collected $100 Million In Higher Fees Massachusetts Topped Them All By A Wide Margin. Of the 30 states the National Conference of State Legislatures found raised fees this year, only nine are bringing in $100 million or more from those fee hikes. Massachusetts $500 7

million boost even topped the $367 million fee increase in New York, which has a much larger budget. (Were No. 1; States New Moniker Will Be Feeachusetts Sunday
Telegram, 7/27/03)

NCSLs Fiscal Program Director Corina Eckl: Fees Have Been The Name Of The Game In The Past Year. In Massachusetts, The Sheer Number Of Fees Stood Out. (Rick Klein, Mass. Is Called No. 1 In Fee Hikes, The Boston Globe,
7/24/03)

State Rep. Paul C. Casey, D-Winchester Chairman Of The House Taxation Committee: Im Not Surprised Were Number One. Our Approach Was To Hit Every Fee In Sight. (Rick Klein, Mass. Is Called No. 1 In Fee
Hikes, The Boston Globe, 7/24/03)

DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE UNDERSTOOD THEY WERE PASSING ROMNEYS TAX INCREASES
Massachusetts Democrats Welcomed Romneys Proposals, Noting Its Certainly, Positively, Without A Doubt An Increase On Taxes In Certain Categories. The Democratic lawmakers who cochair the Taxation Committee agreed that the governors proposals are taxes, saying they welcome Romneys attempt to raise revenue. Its certainly, positively, without a doubt an increase on taxes in certain categories, said Representative Paul C. Casey of Winchester. (Scott S. Greenberger, Governors Fiscal Plan
Targets Tax Loopholes, The Boston Globe, 3/4/04)

State Sen. Mark Montigny, D-New Bedford: If You Believe More Revenues Are Needed, You Need To Stand Up And Say It. We Might As Well Say To People That Were Going To Start Charging A Fee For Breathing, And Why Dont You Stop Whining And Hold Your Breath If You Dont Want To Pay It? (Joanna Weiss, Romney Proposals On Fees Draw
Fire, The Boston Globe, 2/28/03)

State Rep. Paul C. Casey, D-Winchester: What The Governor Wants To Call It Is Just A Semantic Battle. (Scott S. Greenberger, Governors Fiscal Plan Targets
Tax Loopholes, The Boston Globe, 3/4/04)

State Rep. John J. Binienda, D-Worcester: These Fees Are Nothing More Than Taxes In Disguise. (Shaun Sutner, Fee Foes Begin Giant-Sized Fight In
Legislature, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 7/29/03)

State Rep. Kevin Murphy, D-Lowell, On Fees Versus Taxes: The Terms Are Different But Its All The Same. Rep. Kevin Murphy, DLowell, said the bottom line is the same whether its a tax or fee more money is coming out of residents pockets. The terms are different but its all the same, Murphy said. When you increase the cost of recording a mortgage from $50 to $150, youre not getting any more of a service for that extra $100. Its not a fee, its a tax. (Jennifer Fenn, Romney Budget Raises Fees, Lowell Sun, 8

2/28/03)

Murphy: Im Not Criticizing What Hes Doing Hes Doing The Right Thing, But Lets Be Intellectually Honest With The Citizens.
(Jennifer Fenn, Romney Budget Raises Fees, Lowell Sun, 2/28/03)

THE FEES/TAXES TOUCHED EVERY PART OF LIFE IN THE STATE

Romneys Fees Hit A Broad Spectrum Of People: People Who Are Blind; Mentally Retarded; Veterans; Drivers; Hunters; Lawyers; Boaters; Skaters; Developers; And Golfers. Gov. Mitt Romney is vehemently opposed to raising taxes. Yet new fees proposed in his budget would hit a broad spectrum of people, including the blind, mentally retarded, veterans, drivers, hunters, lawyers, boaters, skaters, inmates, developers, aircraft owners and golfers. (Jennifer Fenn, Romney Budget Raises Fees, Lowell Sun, 2/28/03) Romneys Fees Hit The Societys Most Needy: People Who are Blind And Those With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The changes include a $100 fee for clients to determine eligibility for Department of Mental Retardation services, imposing a $10 fee to issue Certificates of Blindness to legally blind citizens, and increasing user fees for long-term care at the Chelsea Soldiers' Home. (Jennifer Fenn, Romney Budget
Raises Fees, Lowell Sun, 2/28/03)

Romneys Fees Hit Gun Owners, Horseback Riding Instructors And Those Learning To Drive. If you own a gun or a boat, kill termites or teach horseback riding for a living or just want to learn to drive, you may have to pay more for a state permit. Along with proposed budget cuts and reorganization plans, Gov. Mitt Romney sent the Legislature a four-page list of fees that would be increased to help balance the state budget. In all, the fee hikes would add $60 million in revenue next year. The proposed fee increases come on top of $290 million in fee hikes the governor imposed under emergency budget balancing authority given him by the Legislature in February that would be carried over into next years budget. (John J. Monahan,
Romney Asks For Fee Hikes, Telegram & Gazette, 2/28/03)

Romney Wanted To Massively Increase The Cost Of Real Estate Transactions, Child Care Licensing And Birth, Death And Marriage Certificates. Romney wants to double or triple many common real estate transactions, such as recording mortgages, deeds and homesteads. He is also proposing to raise child care licensing fees by 30 percent and to double fees for birth, death and marriage certificates. The proposals are also soon expected to become law after the Legislature approved them last week.
(Shaun Sutner, Closing Loopholes Not Popular Stand, Telegram & Gazette, 2/21/03)

Some Of Romneys Fees Were So Outrageous, Even The Democratic Legislature Had To Repeal Them. Gov. Mitt Romney and the Legislature approved hikes for dozens of fees in 2003 to raise $500 million, hoping to close a budget shortfall rather than raise taxes. Some new fees were so unpopular lawmakers repealed them, such as a $10 annual charge to get a certificate of blindness and anniversary fees for civil-court cases. (State Fees
Climbing Higher, Lowell Sun, 3/10/06)

Romney Signed Off On A Two-Cent Gas Tax Hike To Fund An Obscure Petroleum Cleanup Fund The Fund Was Killed But The Tax Remained. [E]very consumer who drives a car and fills a prescription with any regularity is about to take a hit, unless there is a breakout of soul searching at the State House. Bay State motorists have quietly been forced to swallow a 2-cent hike in the gas tax since April, after the Romney administration signed off on a 400 percent increase in an obscure petroleum cleanup fund. Last week, the House and Senate killed the fund as part of their budget plan. But the $ 60 million in annual revenue will keep flowing into state coffers, just like black gold from a geyser. (Cosmo Macero, Jr., This Isnt How
No New Taxes Should Feel, The Boston Herald, 6/27/03)

Romneys Budget Calls For Expanding The Bottle Bill To Include A 15-Cent Deposit On Wine And Hard Liquor, And A 5-Cent Deposit On Bottled Water And Non-Carbonated Beverages. (Jennifer Fenn, Romney Budget
Raises Fees, Lowell Sun, 2/28/03)

State Lawmakers Worried Romneys Fees Were Irresponsible Increasing Fees On Background Checks Could Limit Screenings At Child Care Facilities And Nursing Homes. [S]ome Massachusetts lawmakers yesterday said Romneys proposed fees could discourage actions that increase public safety. Senator Mark Montigny, a New Bedford Democrat, took issue with Romneys proposal to increase fees for criminal background checks. Lawmakers have long encouraged private day care centers and nursing homes to use those checks to screen job applicants. Besides, Montigny said, by relying on fees instead of taxes, Romney was avoiding a broader debate about the need for tax increases. (Joanna Weiss,
Romney Proposals On Fees Draw Fire, The Boston Globe, 2/28/03)

In His Search For Money To Fund The Government, Romney Even Created A New Fee On People Who File Complaints With The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. He vowed not to raise taxes. But Governor Mitt Romney never made any promises about fees. The governors proposed 2004 budget includes about $60 million in fee increases, on everything from daily fees at state golf courses to a new fee on individuals who file complaints with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. (Joanna Weiss, Romney Proposals On Fees Draw Fire, The Boston Globe, 2/28/03)

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Under Romney, The Commonwealths Blind Were To Pay For Certificates Of Blindness And A Blind Identification Card. It now costs to be blind in Massachusetts. The states approximately 35,000 blind and legally blind residents must now pay $10 annually for a certificate of blindness and $15 every four years for a blind identification card. Without the formerly free documents, blind people cannot take advantage of tax abatements, affordable housing programs, health care services, transportation discounts and other benefits. The new fees, which took effect July 1 with the 2004 state budget, have sparked a backlash; lawmakers are sponsoring a bill to repeal the charges after widespread complaints by blind residents and their advocates. (Shaun Sutner, Advocates Fight Fees For The Blind, Worcester
Telegram & Gazette, 8/5/03)

Romney Originally Proposed Raising Fees On People Who Are Blind In February 2003. The fees originated in February, in Gov. Mitt Romneys budget proposal for fiscal 2004. Lawmakers then incorporated them in their budget, which was approved in late June and included more than $200 million in revenue from fees. (Shaun Sutner, Advocates Fight Fees For The Blind, Worcester
Telegram & Gazette, 8/5/03)

[L]awmakers Repealed Fees The Massachusetts Commission For People Who Are Blind Was Charging For Identification Cards And Certificates Of Blindness. (Scott S. Greenberger, House Rejects Raising Tax Bill,
The Boston Globe, 4/27/04)

Romneys Fee Increases Hit Those Seeking Eligibility For Mental Retardation Services. The changes include a $100 fee for clients to determine eligibility for Department of Mental Retardation services, imposing a $10 fee to issue Certificates of Blindness to legally blind citizens, and increasing user fees for long-term care at the Chelsea Soldiers Home. (Jennifer
Fenn, Romney Budget Raises Fees, Lowell Sun, 2/28/03)

The Fee Changes Include $6 Million In Hikes At State Labs And Hospitals, As Well As A New $50 Charge For Tuberculosis Tests And A $400 Fee For Those Who Test Positive. (Cynthia Roy, Plan Would Raise Fees On
Certain Services, The Boston Globe, 2/27/03)

One Health Care Activist Called Romneys Plan To Tax TB Screenings Ludicrous, Warning The Disease Could Spread If Fewer Individuals Are Tested. Stephen E. Collins, executive director of the Massachusetts Human Services Coalition, a health-care advocacy group, called the TB screening fee ludicrous. Theres going to be a real problem if people start declining the screening and the disease starts to spread, he said. (Cynthia Roy, Plan Would Raise Fees On Certain Services, The Boston Globe,
2/27/03)

Even The Dead Were Not Exempt From Romneys Reach He Raised Fees On Cremations By 50 Percent A New Hidden Tax On The 11

Dead. The state has quietly increased the fee for cremations by 50 percent to raise money for the embattled Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, prompting outrage among funeral providers over a new hidden tax on the dead. This is another rip-off, said Byron E. Blanchard, treasurer of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Eastern Massachusetts. It represents a sizable portion of the cost of a cremation. Its a boondoggle. (Tom Mashberg,
Cremation Fee Increase Called Tax On The Dead, The Boston Herald, 1/21/04)

Romney Even Tried To Slap Volunteer Firefighters With A Fee, But Opponents Finally Convinced His Administration To Rescind The Tax. [O]pponents of a $100 biannual fee that Gov. Mitt Romney slapped on volunteer firefighters last spring have succeeded in getting the administration to rescind the fee. The charge, for the flashing blue and red lights that volunteers affix to their vehicles to identify themselves as emergency workers, will now only be charged if volunteers have more than one vehicle they use to get to incidents. Leicester Selectman Mark E. Armington: Its A Lot To Ask For People Who Fight Fires For A Pretty Nominal Fee. It Was Insult To Injury To Impose That Kind Of Fee. (Shaun Sutner, Fee Foes Begin Giant-Sized
Fight In Legislature, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 7/29/03)

MASSACHUSETTS PUBLICATIONS RECOGNIZED ROMNEYS TAX INCREASES, WHETHER HE ADMITTED IT OR NOT

Boston Globe: This Time Its Fees, Not Taxes. Still, Massachusetts May Have Enhanced Its Reputation As Taxachusetts. (Rick Klein, Mass. Is
Called No. 1 In Fee Hikes, Boston Globe, 7/24/03)

The Boston Herald: [F]ees Can Become Addictive For A RevenueHungry Government, And What Was Once Cost-Based And Voluntary Quickly Can Become Excessive And Compulsory. (Editorial, The Slippery Slope
Of State Fee Hikes, The Boston Herald, 2/4/03)

The Boston Herald: Gov. Mitt Romney Is Coming Perilously Close To Deserving The Reputation Of A Politician Wholl Slap A Fee On Anything That Moves - And Sometimes That Which Doesnt Move.
(Editorial, Here A Fee, There A Fee, The Boston Herald, 1/23/04)

The Boston Herald: A Tax By Any Other Name Is Still A Fee? That Is The Question Citizens Will Find Themselves Asking As They Pay More For State Services (Editorial, The Slippery Slope Of State Fee Hikes, The Boston
Herald, 2/4/03)

The Boston Heralds Cosmo Macero, Jr. On Romneys No New Taxes Theme: A Plain And Simple Fraud. This year, however, with a no new taxes theme adopted from Gov. Mitt Romney, it was a plain and 12

simple fraud. Im very pleased that we held the line on taxes, Romney said last week - one day after a compromise $ 23.14 billion budget was approved by the House and Senate. Romneys blind eye to nearly $ 100 million in new tax revenues the budget actually contemplates suggests the Republican governor wields a selective description of the word tax. (Cosmo Macero, Jr., This
Isnt How No New Taxes Should Feel, The Boston Herald, 6/27/03)

Lowell Sun: The Truth Is Fees Are Hidden Taxes. Lawmakers Like Them Because They Dont Have To Admit To A Tax Increase. (Editorial,
Fee-Fi-Fo-Phooey! Lowell Sun, 8/20/03)

Lowell Sun On The Difference Between Taxes And Fees: The Main Difference Is That Its Taboo For Lawmakers To Raise Taxes, But More Acceptable To Increase Fees. Smokers pay a tax when they buy cigarettes, but drivers pay a fee when they get a license. Nursing home residents pay a bed tax, but veterans at the Chelsea Soldiers Home pay a fee for long-term care. When it comes to taxes and fees, there is often very little distinction. The main difference is that its taboo for lawmakers to raise taxes, but more acceptable to increase fees. (Jennifer Fenn, Romney Budget Raises Fees,
Lowell Sun, 2/28/03)

Worcester Telegram & Gazette: With Massachusetts Emerging As The Most Fee-Happy State In The Nation (Shaun Sutner, Fee Foes Begin GiantSized Fight In Legislature, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 7/29/03)

Worcester Telegram & Gazette: [C]ritics Say That In Many Cases The Boosted Fees Are Really Tax Hikes, Particularly When The Revenues Exceed What Is Necessary To Run The Program Associated With The Fee. (Shaun Sutner, Fee Foes Begin Giant-Sized Fight In Legislature, Worcester Telegram &
Gazette, 7/29/03)

The Berkshire Eagle: Governor Romney Sells Himself On The Campaign Trail As A Hard-Liner Against The Income Tax, But Property Tax Increases And Hikes In Fees Dont Bother The Alleged Fiscal Conservative. (Editorial, The Fee-And-Spend Governor, The Berkshire Eagle, 9/28/06)

ADVOCATES FOR LOWER TAXES RECOGNIZED ROMNEYS TAX INCREASES, WHETHER HE ADMITTED IT OR NOT
Cato Institute On Whether Romney Stood By His No-New-Taxes Pledge: Thats Mostly A Myth. Romney will likely also be eager to push the message that he was a governor who stood by a no-new-taxes pledge. Thats mostly a myth. His first budget included no general tax increases but did include a $500 million increase in various fees. He later proposed$140 in business tax hikes through the closing of loopholes in the tax code. (Steven Slivinski, Fiscal Policy Report Card On Americas Governors: 2006, Cato Institutes Policy
Analysis, 10/24/06)

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Cato Institute: Romneys Tenure Is Clearly Not A Triumph Of SmallGovernment Activism. (Steven Slivinski, Fiscal Policy Report Card On Americas Governors:
2006, Cato Institutes Policy Analysis, 10/24/06)

In 2006 Alone, Romney Proposed $170 Million In Business Tax Hikes. In his budget for 2006, he proposed $170 million more in business tax hikes, almost completely neutralizing the proposed income tax cut. (Steven Slivinski, Fiscal Policy Report Card On Americas Governors: 2006, Cato Institutes
Policy Analysis, 10/24/06)

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation Estimated Romneys Administration Raised Three-Quarters Of A Billion Dollars Per Year By Increasing Fees And Corporate Taxes. Fees and taxes have increased more than $700 million a year under Governor Mitt Romney and Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, a leading budget specialist said yesterday. Michael J. Widmer president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, which closely tracks state finances said the state has raised roughly $740 million to $750 million per year by increasing fees and corporate taxes gained from what the Romney administration describes as closing loopholes. (Brian C. Mooney, Analyst Puts Increase In Fees, Taxes At $700M, The Boston
Globe, 9/27/06)

Massachusetts Tax Foundation President Michael Widmer: Saying That [Romney] Didnt Raise Taxes Is An Incomplete Picture. Foundation President Michael Widmer said several of Romneys policies while governor resulted in higher taxes, including local aid cuts, fee hikes and changes to corporate tax codes. I think its a mixed record, Widmer said. He faced a large shortfall in the budget when he came into office and I think one has to be realistic about the problem he faced, but at the same time saying that he didnt raise taxes is an incomplete picture. (Casey Ross and
Dave Wedge, Its Official: Mitts In Mix For 08, The Boston Herald, 2/7/07)

Widmer On Romneys Ideas: Many Of The Proposals Were A Direct Reversal Of State Tax Policies And Were Legitimately Called Tax Increases. (Brian C. Mooney, Analyst Puts Increase In Fees, Taxes At $700M, The Boston Globe, 9/27/06) Widmer On Romneys First Year: [W]eve Had Property Tax Increases, Fee Increases And Corporate Tax Increases. (Tom Benner,
Romney Promises Collide With Reality, The Patriot Ledger, 12/27/03)

Widmer In 2004: Many Of The Changes Last Year, And A Number Of These In This Package, Are Clearly Tax Increases In Our View. (Scott S.
Greenberger, Governors Fiscal Plan Targets Tax Loopholes, The Boston Globe, 3/4/04)

Widmer On Massachusetts Under Romney: [W]ere Bending Over Backward To Find Surcharges Or Fees Or Some Other Euphemism Because Broad-Based Taxes Have Been Ruled Out So The Fees Are 14

Really Adding Up.

(Raphael Lewis, State Senate Eyes New Fees Says Proposed Hikes Would Raise $500M, The Boston Globe, 5/22/03)

Widmer: It Is Striking The Extent To Which We Are Turning To Fees To Close The Budget Deficit, And Stretching The Meaning Of The Word Fee. (Raphael Lewis, State Senate Eyes New Fees Says Proposed Hikes Would Raise $500M, The
Boston Globe, 5/22/03)

Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundations Senior Research Associate Cam Huff: As Part Of The Budget Process They Have Turned To Fees As A General Revenue-Raising Measure. To A Large Extent The Fees Seem Indistinguishable From A Tax Increase, And That Is A Concern. (Casey Ross, Fee Hikes More Than Nickels And Dimes, The Patriot Ledger, 7/9/03) Citizens For Limited Taxation Contemplated A Lawsuit Against Romneys Tax Hikes Masquerading As Fee Increases. [Barbara Anderson Citizens for Limited Taxation] is planning a lawsuit to challenge some of the $500 million in hikes they say are tax increases disguised as fees. They include a boost in the gun permit fee from $25 to $100, and a new $3,000-a-year fee on nursing home self-payers, or residents who are not on Medicaid. (Tom Benner, Romney Promises Collide With Reality, The Patriot Ledger, 12/27/03) Barbara Anderson, Director Of Citizens For Limited Taxation, On Romneys Agenda: Based On Our Definition, These Are Taxes.
(Jennifer Fenn, Romney Budget Raises Fees, Lowell Sun, 2/28/03)

Stating Its Not Simply Loophole-Closing, The Council Of State Taxation Noted Romney Went Further Than Any Other Governor To Wring More Money Out Of Corporations. Joseph R. Crosby of the Washington-based Council on State Taxation, which monitors tax policy for 575 corporations, said its hard to discern the difference between Romneys changes and tax increases. Crosby said Romney went further than any other governor in trying to wring more money out of corporations. The fact remains that businesses are paying more out of their pockets than they were. Its not simply loophole-closing, Crosby said. (Scott S. Greenberger, Romney
Often Casts Himself As Budget Hero, The Boston Globe, 10/24/05)

MASSACHUSETTS BUSINESSES RECOGNIZED ROMNEYS TAX INCREASES, WHETHER HE ADMITTED IT OR NOT

While Romney Claimed He Was Closing Tax Loopholes, Massachusetts Businesses Protested The Corporate Tax Increases Romney Signed Into Law. Not in the lexicon of Governor Mitt Romney, who makes similar distinctions between raising taxes - bad - and raising fees - good. When it comes to business, the Romney administration is closing tax loopholes, not changing tax policy, insists Robert Pozen, the governors chief economic adviser. Call it whatever you like; Massachusetts business is not 15

pleased about it. Hundred of businesses wrote letters protesting the corporate tax increases - no, make that corporate loophole closings - which Romney yesterday signed into law. (Joan Vennochi, Op-Ed, A First Step On Business Taxes,
The Boston Globe, 3/6/03)

Many Business Leaders And Antitax Groups View The Loophole Closures As Tax Increases. (Scott S. Greenberger, Romney Often Casts Himself As Budget
Hero, The Boston Globe, 10/24/05)

Associated Industries Of Massachusetts Executive Vice President Brian Gilmore: Whether You Call It A Tax Or A Loophole, Its An Increased Cost Of Doing Business. [B]usinesses arent happy that Romney closed loopholes, as he put it - or took away exemptions and effectively raised taxes on them. Since he took office, those loopholes have cost the business community close to $300 million, and there are more on the way, were told, said Brian Gilmore, executive vice president of Associated Industries of Massachusetts. Whether you call it a tax or a loophole, its an increased cost of doing business. (Tom Benner, Mitt: Big Plans, Mixed
Reviews, The Patriot Ledger, 12/22/04)

Eileen McAnneny Of Associated Industries of Massachusetts: Theyre Not Loophole Closings - They Are Policy Changes. (Scott S.
Greenberger, Governors Fiscal Plan Targets Tax Loopholes, The Boston Globe, 3/4/04)

American Petroleum Councils Stephen Dodge On Romneys Fee Increase On Gas: Now, By Anyones Definition, This Is A Tax. This Is Treated As A Tax And Collected As A Tax And Passed Down To Consumers Like A Tax. (Cosmo Macero, Jr., This Isnt How No New Taxes Should Feel, The
Boston Herald, 6/27/03)

Lawrence A. Schwartz, Tax Director For Carlin, Charron & Rosen LLP: You Are Going To Create A Climate Where Businesses Will Move Out Of Massachusetts, Period. You Cant Be In A State Where There Are Arbitrary And Rigid Tax Rules. (Shaun Sutner, Closing Loopholes Not
Popular Stand, Telegram & Gazette, 2/21/03)

Rosalind K. Levine, Broker/Associate With RS Residential: Our Wonderful Governor Said Hes Not Going To Raise Taxes, But What Is A Fee? Is It Not A Tax? Its A Tax On The Seller, And The Fee Will Be Passed On To The Buyer. (Shaun Sutner, Closing Loopholes Not Popular Stand,
Telegram & Gazette, 2/21/03)

MASSACHUSETTS GUN OWNERS RECOGNIZED ROMNEYS TAX INCREASES, WHETHER HE ADMITTED IT OR NOT
When Romney Raised Sportsmens License Fees, The Massachusetts Conservation Alliance Stated To Them We Consider It A Tax On Hunters. Environmentalists and hunters said they are not only concerned 16

about the potential loss of federal aid, but the fact that budget-makers would take fees assessed to hunters and spend the money as they wish. We consider it a tax on hunters, said James Wallace, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Conservation Alliance, a newly formed group of sportsmen and wildlife preservationists. (Erik Arvidson, Feds Warn State On Improper Use Of Fees, Lowell
Sun, 10/3/03)

A Gun Owners Action League Spokesman Called The Fee Increase A Tax On Your Rights. Some constituent groups are already questioning whether Romneys specific fees are fair. James Wallace, spokesman for the Gun Owners Action League, said his organization considers the state firearm registration fee - which Romney proposes raising from $25 to $75 - to be a tax on the 200,000 state residents who hold firearm identification cards. Its not a service, Wallace said. Its a tax on your rights. Were not getting anything. (Joanna Weiss, Romney Proposals On
Fees Draw Fire, The Boston Globe, 2/28/03)

Gun Owners Action League Executive Director Michael Yacino: In General, The Government Has Failed To Meet Its Obligations And Now Its Passing The Buck. It Just Shows They Dont Have Any Answers. (Casey Ross, Fee Hikes More Than Nickels And Dimes, The Patriot Ledger, 7/9/03) After Gun License Fees Skyrocketed Under Romney, One Massachusetts Gun Owner Said Voting For Him Was The Biggest Mistake Of My Life Ive Been Kicking (Myself) For Voting For That Jerk. Donn A. Boulanger voted for W. Mitt Romney because he liked the Republican candidates stance against raising taxes. But, as he stared down the barrel of a $75 increase in the fee for his gun license yesterday, Boulanger called the vote the biggest mistake of my life. He said, I bought his deal, but in the last six months, Ive been kicking (myself) for voting for that jerk. Hes trying to solve the states problems by taking things out on the people. (Fred Contrada, Area Gun Lovers Mad At Romney, The [Springfield, MA] Republican, 7/10/03)

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