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<blockquote data-quote="BrownArmy" data-source="post: 1021818" data-attributes="member: 18225">Romney likes to say that he didn&#039;t raise taxes during his governorship of MA.This is correct.What is also correct is that he increased a bunch of &#039;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#Fiscal_policy" target="_blank">fees</a>&#039;:&quot;...Upon entering office, Romney faced an immediate budget shortfall for&nbsp; the current fiscal year and a projected $3 billion deficit for the&nbsp; following year. To close the deficits, he asked the state legislature&nbsp; for emergency powers to make &quot;9C authority&quot; cuts to the fiscal year 2003&nbsp; budget. (Massachusetts&#039; fiscal year Y runs from July 1 of year Y-1 to&nbsp; June 30 of Y.) Romney cut spending and restructured state government.[SUP]<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-7" target="_blank">[8]</a>[/SUP]&nbsp; Romney, in concert with the legislature, doubled fees for court&nbsp; filings, professional regulations, marriage licenses and firearm&nbsp; licenses, increased fees for many other state licenses and services as&nbsp; well as creating new fees. In all 33 new fees were created and 57 fees&nbsp; were increased, including some that had not been adjusted in over a&nbsp; decade. Some of these were service fees, such as charging businesses&nbsp; more to put up signs. Opponents said the reliance on fees imposed a&nbsp; hardship on those who could least afford them.[SUP]<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-Telegram-8" target="_blank">[9]</a>[/SUP]&nbsp; The state of Massachusetts thereby raised $501 million in new income in&nbsp; Romneys&#039; first year, more than any other state in the nation (New York&nbsp; was second with $367 million). Nine other states raised fees and fines&nbsp; by more than $100 million.[SUP]<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-Washington_Post-AP-Leblanc-2007-08-28-9" target="_blank">[10]</a>[/SUP][SUP]<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-taxreform-10" target="_blank">[11]</a>[/SUP]&nbsp; Romney also increased a state gasoline special fee, dedicated towards&nbsp; cleanup of contamination around underground fuel storage tanks. An&nbsp; increase in two cents per gallon, generated about $60 million per year&nbsp; in additional revenue.[SUP]<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-bgseries6-2" target="_blank">[3]</a>[/SUP] This made for a total effective state gasoline tax of 23.5 cents per gallon,[SUP]<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-bgseries6-2" target="_blank">[3]</a>[/SUP] compared with the national average of 28.6 cents per gallon.[SUP]<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-11" target="_blank">[12]</a>[/SUP] &quot;Have at it, and while you&#039;re at it, square this with his campaign platform about taxes.Good Luck.States&#039; rights indeed.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="BrownArmy, post: 1021818, member: 18225"] Romney likes to say that he didn't raise taxes during his governorship of MA. This is correct. What is also correct is that he increased a bunch of '[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#Fiscal_policy"]fees[/URL]': [I]"...Upon entering office, Romney faced an immediate budget shortfall for the current fiscal year and a projected $3 billion deficit for the following year. To close the deficits, he asked the state legislature for emergency powers to make "9C authority" cuts to the fiscal year 2003 budget. (Massachusetts' fiscal year Y runs from July 1 of year Y-1 to June 30 of Y.) Romney cut spending and restructured state government.[SUP][URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-7"][8][/URL][/SUP] [B]Romney, in concert with the legislature, doubled fees for court filings, professional regulations, marriage licenses and firearm licenses, increased fees for many other state licenses and services as well as creating new fees. In all 33 new fees were created and 57 fees were increased, including some that had not been adjusted in over a decade. Some of these were service fees, such as charging businesses more to put up signs[/B]. Opponents said the reliance on fees imposed a hardship on those who could least afford them.[SUP][URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-Telegram-8"][9][/URL][/SUP] The state of Massachusetts thereby raised $501 million in new income in Romneys' first year, more than any other state in the nation (New York was second with $367 million). Nine other states raised fees and fines by more than $100 million.[SUP][URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-Washington_Post-AP-Leblanc-2007-08-28-9"][10][/URL][/SUP][SUP][URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-taxreform-10"][11][/URL][/SUP] Romney also increased a state gasoline special fee, dedicated towards cleanup of contamination around underground fuel storage tanks. An increase in two cents per gallon, generated about $60 million per year in additional revenue.[SUP][URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-bgseries6-2"][3][/URL][/SUP] This made for a total effective state gasoline tax of 23.5 cents per gallon,[SUP][URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-bgseries6-2"][3][/URL][/SUP] compared with the national average of 28.6 cents per gallon.[SUP][URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorship_of_Mitt_Romney#cite_note-11"][12][/URL][/SUP] "[/I] Have at it, and while you're at it, square this with his campaign platform about taxes. Good Luck. States' rights indeed. [/QUOTE]

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