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One-party rule on Beacon Hill has led to dysfunction
Democrats not only hold supermajorities in the Legislature, they also hold every other statewide office. On Beacon Hill, this has predictably resulted in a concentration of power in the hands of a few.
By Amy Carnevale Updated July 31, 2023, 3:00 a.m.
House Speaker Ron Mariano, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Governor Maura Healey, and Senate President Karen Spilka are all Democrats. SUZANNE KREITER/GLOBE STAFF
The Republican Party in Massachusetts has long held the unenviable position of being a superminority on Beacon Hill. This means Republicans do not hold enough seats to uphold a veto or force much of anything. We get it; we have a lot of work to do after the 2022 election.
What’s different today though is that Democrats not only hold supermajorities in the Legislature, they also hold every other statewide office. On Beacon Hill, this has predictably resulted in the concentration of power in the hands of a few. Increasingly, decisions are being made behind closed doors, not only to the exclusion of Republicans but also leaving out rank-and-file Democrats, the public, and the media who communicate to the public.
The Founding Fathers designed our democratic republic to be based on a system of checks and balances. Our own John Adams, when making the point that democracy should be cherished but yet can still result in abuses of power, wrote, “My opinion is and always has been that absolute Power intoxicates alike Despots, Monarchs, Aristocrats, and Democrats, and Jacobins and Sansculottes.”
The dysfunction on Beacon Hill has reached all-time dismal levels of inaction and discord. The state budget was a month late, joint committees can’t agree on rules for making decisions, and the center left is fighting with the far left. The result is that citizens and communities are being left behind. Likewise, transparency has become an afterthought, with many committee votes not available to the public and conference committee negotiations closed to all but a few power brokers.
Complacency reigns as the new fiscal year ticks forward. The state’s credit rating is one important factor at risk, but so too are the recipients of taxpayer dollars. The Chapter 90 program provides cities and towns with funding for infrastructure and transportation. The budget impasse prevented municipalities from putting these much-needed funds to use during the beginning of this construction season. Many nonprofits receive state government funds, which are also tied up due to the late negotiations, leading to uncertainty.
The delay in enacting tax relief designed to stem the exodus of residents from Massachusetts is particularly concerning for its long-term stability. The Pioneer Institute recently documented the outmigration of residents from the Bay State. In an examination of Internal Revenue Service data, Pioneer found that in 2021, the state lost $4.3 billion in adjusted gross income to other states.
The number of residents leaving the Commonwealth is widely expected to dramatically accelerate due to the voter-approved surtax last November and the ease of remote work in our post-pandemic economy. Given that the top 1 percent of taxpayers typically account for nearly a quarter of all tax receipts, legislative leaders should be sprinting to enact short-term capital gains tax relief. Such relief was first proposed by then-Governor Charlie Baker and more recently was picked up by Governor Maura Healey. But such relief is not happening quickly under one-party rule.
With Democrats no longer accountable to their own membership, much less the public, it is past time we remember the axiom of John Adams warning about the corrupting influence of absolute power. It is clear that absolute power has once again worked against the interest of a government that is accountable and responsive to its citizens. It is now up to residents to chart a better path forward.
The Republican Party in Massachusetts is working to realign and rebuild to once again be a voice for sound fiscal policy and strong leadership. Come November and into 2024, our party is working to present voters with real alternatives to add to our numbers on Beacon Hill. In the meantime, residents should remember that this is our Commonwealth — if we can hold our leaders accountable.
Amy Carnevale is chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party.
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