Local Leaders Discusss Romney's Massachusetts Record

by: Publisher

Mon Jun 04, 2012 at 08:00:45 AM EDT

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz:

Looking at his record in Massachusetts as Governor, we can see how he would take his private sector experience to the Federal Government.  Running for Governor he promised that he would create more jobs, there would be less debt and smaller government, but that actually didn't work.  The actions that he took in fact lead to opposite outcomes, he really failed to deliver on those promises.

Somerville, Massachusetts Mayor Joe Curtatone:

Despite a lot of the campaign rhetoric at the time, where Romney promised us more jobs, less debt, and smaller government, as Governor Romney broke each and every one of these promises. Romney Economics actually led to slower job creation, more debt and bigger government. So when Mitt Romney claims his business experience will be good for America, he's hoping voters don't look at the evidence right here in Massachusetts. But they should, because we can't afford to make the same mistake twice.

We can't afford to let Romney do to America what he did to Massachusetts. While Romney Economics promises more outsourcing, loopholes and risky financial deals, that's exactly the opposite of what President Obama believes. President Obama is fighting to move America forward, not backward. He believes we need a job-creating economy built to last — one where we grow the economy from the middle out, not the top down, and where hard work pays off, responsibility is rewarded, and everyone from Main Street to Wall Street does their fair share and plays by the same rules.

Mitt Romney's successor in the Massachusetts statehouse, Governor Deval Patrick:

I'm here on behalf of the people of Massachusetts and the successor, myself, of Governor Romney. And I can tell you, he sold to the people of Massachusetts when he was running for governor the same lines he's trying to sell to the United States and it just didn't happen that way... He told us he would be about creating more jobs. We were 47th out of 50 in job creation during his time in office. He said that he would shrink government and make it more efficient. In fact, government grew in size in terms of the workforce. He told us he would bring fiscal discipline and left a structural deficit of over a billion dollars. So the record, which is relevant and indeed his only experience in public leadership, in government leadership, doesn't point to the case he's trying to sell to the American people today.