What Citizens for Limited Taxation Won't Tell You
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WHAT CITIZENS FOR LIMITED TAXATION WON'T TELL YOU
… and My Opponent Won't Either
By State Representative Carolyn Dykema
The special interest group Citizens for Limited Taxation recently made statements about my record that need to be corrected. The truth is, fiscal discipline is key to my voting record.
Fiscal discipline doesn't just mean voting against taxes - it means paying our bills and being realistic about expenses. For too long, those running government, at every level, have put off paying down our debts so that they could fulfill empty pledges like those perpetuated by Citizens for Limited Taxation and their endorsed candidates. I call it the "have your cake and eat it too" strategy. And it's not a strategy that's in our interest or in the interest of future generations.
I believe that we need to be fiscally prudent and be able to make the hard calls.
My record shows that I can, and I have.
Here are some facts about my record that CLT won't tell you:
- I voted for budgets for the past three years that did not increase taxes or fees.
- I voted for budgets that maximized aid to cities and towns because every dollar that comes from the state is one less dollar that must come from local property taxes.
- I voted for budgets that increased our savings in the rainy day fund which is now one of the three highest in the country at $1.4 billion.
- I voted for sales tax holidays that have benefitted our residents and local retailers.
- I voted for municipal healthcare reform that is already saving towns millions of dollars annually,
a reform that has been attempted for decades and was not achieved until last year.
- I voted for reforms to the pension system - twice - including increasing the retirement age for state employees and addressing abuse. Expected savings to taxpayers over the next 30 years will total $5 billion.
- I voted for legislation to require performance-based management, provide data for a more disciplined approach to state budgeting, and require longer-term fiscal planning.
What you also may not know is that both the Massachusetts state income tax rate and the corporate tax rate decreased this year.
Because of our sound fiscal management policies, Standard and Poor's increased Massachusetts’ bond rating to AA+ last year. They cited our legislative efforts over the past few years when they rewarded Massachusetts with our highest credit rating ever.
We need to get the most value for every dollar, and we will. I promise to do that while also making sure that we can invest in education and infrastructure projects that will be the foundation for our future economic success, especially here in MetroWest.
There is another point made by CLT that needs to be addressed; their confirmation that my opponent has signed their "no new taxes" pledge. To my constituents, I want you to know that the only pledges I will ever take will be to you, not any special interest. Voters have had enough of elected officials who take their agendas from outside interests. I will always, and in every case, put your interests and those of our towns and our Commonwealth first.
Sincerely,
Carolyn C. Dykema
State Representative
8th Middlesex District
Kelly Roney
6:21 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
There it is, a pitch for intelligent, responsible government. You won't hear that from the other side.
Carolyn Dykema is a gem of a representative.
SJohnson
8:06 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Dykema -" I will always. ...put your interests and those of our towns and our Commonwealth first." That was apparent when she went AGAINST what her constituents wanted because an outside solar group meant more to her. She voted for forced unionization for small in home daycares, because unions are more important to her than the small businesses in her district. Yup, I'm all warm and fuzzy inside. Tell it like it is, Carolyn, there will be TONS of mailings coming from outside interests on your behalf right before the elections. No...you're not in their pocket! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Kelly Roney
10:59 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Was Carolyn still sitting on the Planning Board when Bullard Farm came up? Nope, so she stayed out of it.
Marty opportunistically jumped on this horse. Since he had no local government position, that was easy. His so-called principles oppose regulation, but conveniently he abandoned them in this case.
As for mailings, we know the sort of lies that Marty's Boston political consultant has used in the past. Don't believe them - they won't even be half-truths, they'll be outright lies. And they'll probably be anonymous, as they have been in the past.
BJ Babineau
7:42 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
All Ms Dykema's release really says is that she believes the definition of fiscal responsibility is raising taxes. This is typical for a liberal. Her voting record shows this many times over.
People are struggling in a lousy economy to make ends meet. We are number one in the country in underemployment.
Yet, she has the strong burning desire to continue to raise taxes which hurts business and people more by confiscating their money.
Thankfully, the watchdog group Citizens For Limited Taxation knows this, and made the right choice in endorsement Marty Lamb For State Representative.
A State Representative Marty Lamb will truly represent the taxpayers on Beacon Hill. He has the intelligence and the experience in the business world and is the refreshing positive change that is sorely needed in the legislature.
Iron Mike
8:06 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
What you FAILED to do Mz Dykema – is ANYTHING to reduce the size of our bloated, inefficient and corruption-riddled state government.
You FAILED to address our $103 BILLION state DEBT. It INCREASED during your time in office.
You voted like a Liberal Lemming for Sal DiMasi – KNOWING he was just days away from his perp walk.
>> “I voted for legislation to require performance-based management”
Yeah? How's that working out at the Hinton Crime Lab? Taxachusetts is going to be paying out MILLION$ is settlements and compensation to drug convicts.
Why were you so SILENT when the voters of your district clearly wanted Governor Patrick to sign onto Secure Communities? Who's side are you on – the illegal aliens or our US Citizens?
Why have you been so SILENT about the Probation Department scandal?
Why have you remained SILENT about Judge Wolf's decision? Do you think the taxpayers should be paying for sex-change operations for MURDERS?
Since you had time and energy to write and post this letter, WHERE is your apology for violating our Campaign Finance Laws? Did your forget? Or did you hope we would?
Sean
8:42 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Nice try Dykema, your spin on the CLT's report is hollow and baseless. The fact that you had to respond shows that you are desparate and can't dispute the truth. You are a rank and file liberal that panders to special interest groups and illegal immigrants.
Jul Palladino
8:42 pm on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Ms. Dykema voted to increase taxes repeatedly. It's an awful record that can't be defended. Her votes to raise taxes has made the economy worse. It hurts families and business.
Parents are hurt and have less money in their pocket to support themselves and the children. We are the worst in underemployment nation wide. Parents can't find enough work to earn a living. Ms. Dykema makes it worse by taking more money out of parents' pockets.
Senior citizens on fixed incomes are hurt and are burdened with her vote to raise the sales tax a huge 25%. Their spending power is already limited. The economy and inflation already make matters worse for these senior consumers.
Businesses are hurt by the sales tax increase and also by her vote against the meals tax holiday. Restaurants are hurt.
She voted for the double tax on alcohol. That hurts the working man who would like to come home after a hard day and have a beer.
She voted to force the unionization of home daycare. This hurts small women owned daycares. She's putting women out of work. This hurts mothers by raising costs of daycare because of the forced unionization. Trusting local daycares close the doors, This hurts children
Citizens for Limited Taxation made the right choice based on facts and the voting record in endorsing Marty Lamb as the next State Representative. We need balance and diversity on Beacon Hill and that comes with voting for Marty Lamb.
pat fuller
9:59 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
Wow- so much hostility and sarcasm, never mind distorted facts. Thanks, Carolyn, for sticking your neck out to represent us despite such irrational vitriol. While I have not agreed with every decision you or any politician makes, none of you would be doing this work unless you sincerely believe you can make our state or town better.
Iron Mike
9:22 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Hi Pat. I'm not sure I understood your comment...
Were you one of the people who asked Mz Dykema to UNIONIZE our state's day care centers? How exactly did that make our state or our towns better?
Kelly Roney
11:35 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Mike, since you're a source of the vitriol and distortions from well outside the district, it's not surprising you wouldn't get it.