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Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Gotta Have Hart

Please.

Team Reform is claiming a higher standard, at least if you believe Romney's $150,000-a-year loathsome spokesman who recently claimed that "the (fraud) governor is in the position of having to enforce all of the laws of the Commonwealth. He can't pick and choose which ones." (source: Boston Globe, 4/26/2004)

So when will Mullah Willard Mitt start enforcing the statutes relative to blasphemy?

Or fornication?

Or vagrancy?

Or obscene books?

Or begging?

Or spitting?

Or selling research papers?

Or throwing glass?

Or adultery?

After all, a (fraud) governor must enforce all of the laws of the Commonwealth. He can't pick and choose which ones.

Thursday, April 22, 2004
Romney Country

During his first losing campaign for public office, Willard Mitt said that cities and towns with "jobs leaving" should be called "Kennedy Country." (source: Boston Globe, 10/29/1994)

Really?

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to "Romney Country."

Brockton
Unemployment as of January 2003: 5.0 percent
Unemployment as of January 2004: 5.8 percent

Fitchburg/Leominster
Unemployment as of January 2003: 6.9 percent
Unemployment as of January 2004: 7.8 percent

Lawrence
Unemployment as of January 2003: 7.5 percent
Unemployment as of January 2004: 7.9 percent

New Bedford
Unemployment as of January 2003: 7.0 percent
Unemployment as of January 2004: 7.8 percent

Pittsfield
Unemployment as of January 2003: 4.8 percent
Unemployment as of January 2004: 5.5 percent

Springfield
Unemployment as of January 2003: 5.0 percent
Unemployment as of January 2004: 5.6 percent

Worcester
Unemployment as of January 2003: 5.8 percent
Unemployment as of January 2004: 5.9 percent
(source: New England Economic Indicators, March 2004)

If you lived here, you'd probably be home by now.

Thursday, April 15, 2004
Bank Shot

Yesterday, commenting on an SJC ruling that a 2002 capital gains tax hike was unconstitutional, Romney's $150,000-a-year loathsome spokesman said Willard Mitt "thinks it is unAmerican to tax people retroactively." (source: Boston Globe, 4/15/2004)

Too bad the Fraud Governor wasn't thinking so 'jingoisticly' in 2003 when he signed legislation removing the ability of banking institutions to receive tax deductions for dividends received through their real estate investment trust subsidiaries, and enforcing the change retroactively from 1999 through 2002. (source: Boston Herald, 3/6/2003)

Romney, we presume, would explain away his retro-flip by saying that 'banks are not people,' ignoring the fact that bank shareholders are, in fact people.

We prefer a simpler explanation: Romney is a Fraud.

Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Institute of D-oh!

The bucket most associated with Beacon Hill was filled with pitch and set on fire by Boston colonials as a warning beacon.

The bucket most associated with the Beacon Hill Institute, however, appears to be filled with something else.

The Institute recently unveiled an updated ‘study’ showing that the 2004 Democratic Convention 'will cost area businesses $23.8 million in lost productivity and push the economic impact of the event into the red.' (source: Boston Globe, 4/13/2004)

Which was not news to us because we read Cosmo Macero, and the Herald's cagey business guru had reported on this self-same issue back on April 2 – exactly three days after Beacon Hill Institute director David Tuerck trumpeted that that the Convention would be a $122 million net gain to the city. (source: Boston Globe, 3/30/2004)

To Tuerck's credit, it took him less than two weeks to admit his millions dollar mistake and reform his message.

To Cosmo's credit, he hasn’t written, "I told you so."

So who’s right, old Tuerck, new Tuerck, or Cosmo?

Or Convention spokesman Angus McQuilken, who called Tuerck’s group, "a right-leaning interest group with an agenda, which apparently includes causing trouble for the Democratic National Convention"? (source: Boston Globe, 4/13/2004) (To McQuilken's credit, he did not mention that Tuerck has been affiliated with the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning interest group.)

Either way, the Institute's about-face is bad news to policy mavens who read one of their future reports. They'll always be waiting for Tuerck's other shoe to drop.

Or for Cosmo's follow-up correction piece.

Institute Shines Beacon On Columnist

The bucket most associated with Beacon Hill was filled with pitch and set on fire by Boston colonials as a warning beacon.

The bucket most associated with the Beacon Hill Institute (BHI), however, appears to be filled with something else.

The Institute recently unveiled an updated 'study' showing that the 2004 Democratic Convention 'will cost area businesses $23.8 million in lost productivity and push the economic impact of the event into the red.' (source: Boston Globe, 4/13/2004)

Which was not news to us because Cosmo Macero, the Herald's cagey business guru, had reported on this self-same issue back on April 2, exactly three days after Beacon Hill Institute director David Tuerck trumpeted that that the Convention would bring a $122 million net gain to the city. (source: Boston Globe, 3/30/2004)

To Tuerck's credit, it took him less than two weeks to admit his millions dollar mistake and reform his message.

To Cosmo's credit, he hasn't written, "I told you so."

So who's right, old Tuerck, new Tuerck, or Cosmo?

Or Convention spokesman Angus McQuilken, who called Tuerck's group, "a right-leaning interest group with an agenda, which apparently includes causing trouble for the Democratic National Convention." (source: Boston Globe, 4/13/2004)

Either way, the Institute's about-face is bad news to policy mavens who read one of BHIs future reports. They'll always be waiting for Tuerck's other shoe to drop.

Or for Cosmo's follow-up correction piece.

Monday, April 12, 2004
Late Michigan

Can't a cyber-cynic get some rest? As we implied last week, we're trying to let this site sleep for a bit. Really, we are.

But Team Reform is making it difficult.

Willard Mitt went home to Michigan. To campaign for George W. "That's the reason I came," he told the press. (source: Boston Globe, 4/9/2004)

But Romney also let drop a weird little line that he would use the trip to meet with four Michigan-based companies to try to persuade them to expand operations in Massachusetts. (source: Boston Globe, 4/9/2004)

Which begs the answer: was the Michigan trip a political trip, or a job recruiting trip? Who paid for it? Since Romney was purportedly recruiting for Massachusetts jobs, will the taxpayers foot part of the bill? If so, shouldn't the tax-payers be told which companies Romney purportedly visited?

And if jobs from four Michigan businesses were really in play, why did Willard Mitt wait to recruit them? Why weren't the Michigan companies worth a visit before the Bush campaign trip?

Is the recruiting thing a secondary mission so that the taxpayers pick up part of the tab, or is it real, and just of secondary importance to the Fraud Governor?

And did Willard Mitt or any of his entourage go to the Tigers/Twins game at Comerica Park? And if so, did they pay for their tickets?

Okay, so we begged more than one answer. But probably more answers than the total number of jobs that Romney will bring home from his home state.

Thursday, April 08, 2004
On The Job

Proving once again that he is one of the best political business writers around, the Boston Herald's Cosmo Macero shot and scored Wednesday with "Romney can't be called on the job", a savage column that picked apart Willard Mitt's lack of job creation to date.

Two graphs that caught our eye:

"Five fiscal quarters into Republican Romney's jobless administration, the only people more frustrated than his political rivals are the business-community supporters who hailed his 2002 victory over Democrat Shannon O'Brien."

And,

"Time is running out. On our patience with this economy, and with this (fraud) governor."

Note to whomever is running the Herald these days, put this guy on the Op-Ed page.

Romney may not be on the job, but Cosmo certainly is.


Outsourcing 202

Look what the Rat dragged in:

Team Reform's Group Insurance Commission has a new dental provider for retirees - Altus Dental. And guess where they're from?

10 Charles Street, Providence. The one in Rhode Island.

Good jobs at good wages. Somewhere else.

Willard Mitt: Doing More For Almost Everywhere Than Massachusetts.


Puck Off

1. Boston-Montreal.

2. Opening Day at Fenway.

We've got our priorities in order.

Team Reform weighs in at number 300 (which, coincidentally, appears to have been Willard Mitt's draft number during the Vietnam War (from which he hide in a series of Parisian Spider Holes.))

So keep your eyes on the playing field at all times, beware of foul balls, and remember, if an ordinary person cannot easily obtain tickets for an event, a politician who uses clout to buy them is violating the state's conflict-of-interest law. (source: Boston Globe, 1/30/2004)

Happy Opening Day.

(RiaF will return, but probably not before the ice melts.)

Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Survey Says

Some say that the recent UMASS poll shows that 62 percent of those surveyed view Willard Mitt favorably. (source: Boston Globe, 4/6/2004)

We’d suggest looking a bit deeper.

When asked to rate the job that the Fraud Governor was doing, the 'excellent to good' responses dipped to 58 percent. (source: Univ. of MA Quarterly Poll, 4/6/2004)

Which is good, but not excellent.

When asked if they felt things in Massachusetts were 'going in the right direction' only 39 percent said yes. Which is fair, not good.

And when asked whom they trusted to 'make the right decisions with regard to taxes and budget cuts' only 33 percent sided with Willard Mitt. Which is poor, not fair. Particularly insofar as an over-whelming portion of Romney's function involves taxes and the budget.

Just think, another four questions and the Fraud Governor could have hit single digits.

Signs of the Times

Donald Trump wants to own the words, "You're Fired."

It's a good thing he doesn't want to also scoop up "Space Available" or "For Lease," because it looks like those fine phrases are already owned by Route 128.

Not too long ago, Romney said 'knocking on doors of businesses' would be a large part of his administration to create a climate to encourage growth. (source: Lowell Sun, 9/28/2002)

If the "Space Available" and "For Lease" signs along the Big Highway are any indication of the climate that Romney is creating, might we suggest that he stop knocking on doors? He's obviously scaring the prospects away!

Of course, almost any sign is better than the one Team Reform has slung over the front of the Fraud Governor's balcony of the State House: For Sale.

Tuesday, April 06, 2004
Tsk Task

It bears repeating.

Back when he was Fraud Candidate, Willard Mitt disparaged his opponent, State Treasurer Shannon O’Brien, saying of her that "you see consistently rhetoric on commissions, task forces, new committees, new departments, new agencies - not action.” (source: Boston Globe, 10/15/2002; RiaF 10/30/2003)

It bears repeating.

Back when he was Fraud Candidate, Willard Mitt disparaged his opponent, State Treasurer Shannon O’Brien, saying of her that "you see consistently rhetoric on commissions, task forces, new committees, new departments, new agencies - not action.” (source: Boston Globe, 10/15/2002; RiaF 10/30/2003)

It bears repeating.

Back when he was Fraud Candidate, Willard Mitt disparaged his opponent, State Treasurer Shannon O’Brien, saying of her that "you see consistently rhetoric on commissions, task forces, new committees, new departments, new agencies - not action.” (source: Boston Globe, 10/15/2002; RiaF 10/30/2003)

It bears repeating.

"Our auto insurance structure is a mess. Fixing it is a priority of mine. It has been something I have been working on for six months," Romney said. (source: Boston Globe, 12/18/2004)

It bears repeating.

"Fixing it is a priority of mine. It has been something I have been working on for six months."

It bears repeating.

"It has been something I have been working on for six months."

Ladies and gentlemen: The Plan.

"(Fraud) Governor (Willard) Mitt Romney yesterday began a push for auto insurance competition, calling for the creation of a special task force...." (source: Boston Globe, 4/6/2004)

It bears repeating.

"It has been something I have been working on for six months."

It bears repeating.

Romney is a Fraud.

Monday, April 05, 2004
Pay Back Payback

We hear things. And while we generally refrain from printing without a corroborating, published cite, once in a while we have to trust our sources.

Today is another one of those days.

Hey, here’s a quick question - what do the following all have in common: social workers, DOR dead-beat-Dad trackers, and DOC employees?

If you guessed 'they all lost body parts or hoarded a plasma TV' you were WRONG!

But thanks for playing. You’ll find lovely parting gifts behind the curtain on your way

Because the correct answer is: they are all over-paid. At least according to Team Reform.

According to the Rat Line, Willard Mitt is looking to cut the pay of 2,500 employees by five percent.

This is not to say that the Fraud Governor does not value these departments. In fact, "sources say" that managers of these self-same departments were all given healthy raises, many of whom bring little more to the job than a Globe, a Herald, and a large-light, two sugars.

Oddly enough, many of the workers that Wilard Mitt has targeted for pay cuts have a 50 percent federal reimbursement through triggers like the Department of Mental Retardation's 'Omnibus Waiver.' Which means that while each worker will get whacked for a 5 percent loss, the state will save but 2.5 percent.

Holy smokes. That doesn’t even make sense from a Romney point of view.

And from a worker’s stand-point, it just plain stinks. Each affected employee stands to lose upwards of $200 a month.

Yikes. That’s a lot of books and CDs that they could otherwise be buying from sales-tax-free venders like Amazon, which stock such worthwhile titles as Angry Eric Kriss' Barrel House and Boogie Piano, which not too many people have reviewed yet.

And of course we’d never advocate reviewing an item to spite the author - not even an author who is squeezing your paycheck.

That wouldn’t be fair.

Friday, April 02, 2004
Steady As A Crock

When Willard Mitt is in front of George W, Romney calls him "a man of character, a true leader, a great leader." (source: Boston Globe, 3/26/2004)

But when Bush is not around, the Fraud Governor's tone changes dramatically.

According to recent reports, Romney has been "calling around town soliciting suggestions" for a replacement to Sen. John Kerry (D-MA.) (source: Boston Globe, 4/1/2004)

Kerry, of course, will not be replaced unless he ... beats George W in November.

Now those unfamiliar with the Mess on Beacon Hill may dismiss Romney's musings as mere musings. But trust us on this one, there are few sins more mortal in politics than disloyalty. Correction: there are few sins more mortal in politics than the appearance of disloyalty.

And by "calling around town, soliciting suggestions" on Kerry's replacement, Romney is signalling to the outside world that he thinks Bush is going to lose.

Think we're off base? The next time you see your favorite Senator or Rep, or CEO or Foreman, tell them you support them 100 percent, then ask them who's going to replace them when they get fired.

Or ask Lightweight LG Sherry Kerry Healey who she thinks Willard Mitt will choose as his next running mate.

We're sure they'll enjoy the intellectual exercise.


Romney Dangerfield

Who was it said humor shines a light on the inner soul? Probably no one.

But our pals over at Kmarx (the real "big K") write convincingly on Willard Mitt's "joke" about Whacko Hurley.

They also shoot and score with a top-shelf piece on The Inherent Contradictions of (Willard) Mitt Romney.

Kmarx may be to the left of RiaF, but when it comes to the Fraud Governor, we think they are dead-eye right.

Thursday, April 01, 2004
Outsourcing 201

Those who say Willard Mitt hasn’t traveled to other states to talk about Massachusetts jobs haven’t been paying attention.

Just last January, for example, Willard Mitt traveled to New Hampshire. And hit pay dirt!

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Sherman, set the Way Back Machine for January 27, 2004.

(We’re in New Hampshire, watching Willard Mitt stump for George W. Shhh. He’s about to say something hard-hitting about John Kerry. Let’s listen.)

"I like him personally, and we get along socially." (source: Boston Globe, 1/28/2004)

Wow. That's rough. Okay Sherman, now set the Way Back Machine for January 29, 2004.

That was a pretty short trip, Mr. Peabody.

Pick up that newspaper and read.

State hires N.H. firm to administer MCAS. (source: Boston Globe, 1/29/2004)

The Fraud Governor’s Department of Education in January signed a $118 million contract with a New Hampshire firm to administer, score and report the results of the MCAS exam through 2009. (source: Boston Globe, 1/29/2004)

The contract was signed on January 29. Two days after Willard Mitt went to New Hampshire to stump for George W.

Did Romney go to New Hampshire to facilitate the contract? Who knows? But we do recall that "Romney savors both the big picture and the smallest detail." (source: skimag.com, March/April 2001)

So this may be something to be concerned about.

Because look at what the Rat dragged in:

(Fraud) Gov. (Willard) Mitt Romney (R-MA) will speak at the Kent County GOPers' (sic) Lincoln Day dinner on April 8. (source: Associated Press, Detroit News, 3/28/2004)

Willard Mitt is going home. To Michigan.

We can only guess how many Massachusetts jobs he'll take with him!


Road Work

Team Reform yesterday signed the state's first "open systems'' computer contract which is designed to cut costs for the Commonwealth's information technology. (source: Boston Herald, 4/1/2004)

So which Bay State firm received this contract? None of them! Because Willard Mitt signed the contract with Praxium Consultants, of ... Pelham, New Hampshire.

Hmmm. Wonder when Romney will start to grow jobs in Iowa?

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