by Bob Parks — published on October 3rd, 2008
Like the clarion call on Capitol Hill for leadership regarding the mortgage bank bail-out crisis, there seems to be a lack of leadership here in Massachusetts regarding those who back the ballot question to eliminate the personal state income tax.
According to Boston’s NBC affiliate, “Even Beacon Hill Republicans have been muted in their response, saying they’re sympathetic with the frustrations of taxpayers, but have stopped short of backing the question.”
Why is that? Why are our elected officials reluctant to be seen in the same room with people who pay taxes that are routinely wasted, and/or used against us by elected officials? Maybe we should find politicians who listen to us instead of the current crop who talk nice to us every other November and blow us off during the two years in between.
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by Bob Parks — published on September 30th, 2008
On Thursday, October 23 at 7pm,
Republican candidate for State Representative Bob Parks
will debate
Democrat incumbent State Representative Christopher Donelan
at the Orange Armory, 141 East Main Street, Orange, Massachusetts.
The debate is being sponsored by the Pioneer Junior Women’s Club.
For more information, contact Brenda 978 544-5442 or gtaylor@mass.rr.com
by Bob Parks — published on September 9th, 2008
As many of you know, a few weeks ago I attended the 1st annual Black Republican Forum meeting in Manhattan, which was also rebroadcast on C-SPAN. It was quite well received… almost.
The following email was sent and posted on the NBRA comment page.
Hey, where were you guy at the RNC?….
Cleaning toilets? Parking cars?
Or in the Kitchen
Oh if only I could be white……sigh.
The gentleman who sent the email is a Mr. Kenneth Jones (Kenneth.Jones@state.ma.us), who works in District 4 of the Massachusetts Highway Department in Arlington.
Nice use of taxpayer time and equipment.
by Bob Parks — published on September 5th, 2008
Let’s talk district politics (and Patriots football) at the Franklin County Fair Sunday, September 7 pretty much all day, at the Greenfield Republican Town Committee Booth.
See you there!
by Bob Parks — published on August 29th, 2008
On Friday August 29th, I was a guest on the Reese Hopkins radio program on WRKO 680AM, Boston.
Here’s what went down.
Segment 1 - 8:50
Segment 2 - 18:46
Segment 3 - 11:42
Segment 4 - 7:30
by Bob Parks — published on August 28th, 2008
That’s a rhetorical when it comes to Massachusetts. The only thing citizens and businesses are good for, at least when it comes to the state legislature, is the hard-earned money they can take from us under penalty of law.
Laws that the legislature can always find a way to get around.
Speaking of Beacon Hill, how do they figure in the way that cities and towns have had to resort to double taxation? Perhaps it can be found in the magic bullet that the policy wonks under the golden dome came up with in 1971 and implemented in 1975. It was an innovation called The Lottery.
Remember that? It was an idea by which all revenue above the operating costs of the agency would be “returned to the cities and towns.”
Unfortunately, the Legislature put a cap on that money in 2003 to deal with their “deficiency budget.” Since then, $450 Million has been diverted in to the Stabilization or “Rainy Day” Fund — doubling its size to $1.5 Billion.
This was called fiscal responsibility by our legislators, who knew —or should have known — that the cities and towns figure that money in when configuring their budgets.
Based on their actions of blowing off lawfully obtained signatures for initiatives they could be bothered with allowing to make a ballot, why would anyone think the Massachusetts state legislature would respect us or our money?
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by Bob Parks — published on August 22nd, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I owe each and every one of you sincere thanks for all the years we’ve been communicating and your putting up with my rants in the various media I’ve had the privilege to be part of.
In my commentaries over the years, I’ve chided all sides of government and in particular have focused on the absurd. Unfortunately a majority of the absurdity that comes our way each day is born on the Democrat side, at least here in Massachusetts where they hold a super majority. I’ve also chided folks for not becoming involved, saying on more than one written or televised commentary,
“We get the government we deserve.”
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by Bob Parks — published on August 11th, 2008
While Governor Deval Patrick hosted a picnic at his Berkshire mansion, should our lawmakers really be taking time off to have a good time when our state is in need of real leadership and a clear change in fiscal and economic direction?
The poll of 281 U.S. corporate executives put Arizona at No. 8 with 10.5 percent of respondents citing the Grand Canyon state as having the most favorable business climate. Texas ranked No. 1 with a 40.8 percent tally.
California was viewed as the state with the least favorable business climate with New York, Michigan, New Jersey and Massachusetts sharing the bottom rungs.
We can have all the 10-year, $1-billion Life Sciences initiatives we want, but the word is out: Massachusetts is a bad place to do business.
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by Bob Parks — published on August 8th, 2008
by Bob Parks — published on July 30th, 2008
Sure this is old news, but I’m catching up.
Athol, MA - Bob Parks, candidate for State Representative in the 2nd Franklin District, today criticized incumbent State Rep. Christopher Donelan for his vote concerning local aid, when late last year he voted against using the state surplus to restore cuts made in local aid.
On October 11, 2007 Rep. Brad Jones and the House Republicans offered an amendment to the FY07 supplemental budget appropriation that would have returned $450 Million in surplus money as Local Aid to the cities and towns. Not only was that the amount of the surplus that year (since squandered by Deval Patrick and the Democrats), but it is also the amount of money that would of been returned to cities and towns if lottery aid had not been “capped” to divert money to the general fund several years ago.
Nearly every Democrat, including Representative Donelan, voted against this increase in funding, despite the fact that our towns are hurting for local aid dollars.
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