Romney Campaign Press Release - The Romney Record: A Massachusetts Turnaround

"As governor, Mitt Romney presided over a historic turnaround of Massachusetts. Under Governor Romney's leadership, Massachusetts' unemployment rate fell to 4.7%, the economy created tens of thousands of new jobs, and the state's rainy day fund grew to over $2 billion. If President Obama had half of Mitt Romney's record, he'd be running on it." – Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

GOVERNOR ROMNEY'S RECORD OF SUCCESS IN MASSACHUSETTS

While Serving As Governor, Mitt Romney Presided Over An Economy That Added Tens Of Thousands Of New Jobs And An Unemployment Rate That Fell To 4.7%:

Under Governor Romney, Massachusetts Added Tens Of Thousands Of Net New Jobs – The Best Jobs Record Of Any Massachusetts Governor In The Last Decade. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 8/28/12)

Massachusetts' Unemployment Rate Fell From 5.6% To 4.7% During The Romney Administration. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 5/31/12)

Boston Business Journal, January 2007: "Thousands Of People Are Re-Entering Massachusetts' Work Force As Its Jobs Engine ... Continues To Gain Traction." (Boston Business Journal, 1/1/07)

Boston Globe: "Romney's Policies Are Credited With Improving The State's Competitiveness." "Romney's policies are credited with improving the state's competitiveness. His administration promoted high-density development to increase housing production, got a fast-track permitting law enacted by the Legislature to help businesses expand, and revived an agency to help firms move to the state." (Brian Mooney, Stephanie Ebbert and Scott Helman, "Ambitious Goals," The Boston Globe, 6/30/07)

Mitt Romney Entered Office Facing A $3 Billion Budget Shortfall And Left The State With A $2 Billion Rainy Day Fund:

Governor Romney Closed A Nearly $3 Billion Shortfall Without Raising Taxes And Balanced Four Budgets. "When Mitt Romney became governor of Massachusetts in 2003, the state had a budget gap of almost $3 billion and was losing thousands of jobs a month. In Mr. Romney's four-year tenure, the deficit was eliminated without raising the sales tax or the income tax, and since the labor slump hit bottom in December 2003, the state has gained 81,000 jobs." (Pam Belluck, "Romney Candidacy Puts Massachusetts Economy In Spotlight," The New York Times, 3/16/07)

Governor Romney Left More Than $2 Billion In The State's Rainy Day Fund.  "Yet much good conservative work was done on his watch: restructuring and streamlining of state government, the elimination of a $3 billion deficit and the addition of $2 billion to a 'rainy day' fund, and reducing red tape for small businesses - all without raising taxes or adding to state debt." (Editorial, "Vote For Romney On Saturday," Charleston Post & Courier, 1/20/12)

GOVERNOR PATRICK'S RECORD OF DISAPPOINTMENT IN MASSACHUSETTS

Governor Deval Patrick Has Presided Over Thousands Of Lost Jobs And An Unemployment Rate That Has Increased To 6.1%:

Massachusetts' Unemployment Rate Has Increased From 4.7% To 6.1% Since Governor Patrick Took Office. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 9/4/12)

• Massachusetts Currently Has 210,958 Unemployed Workers. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 9/4/12)

Under Governor Patrick, Massachusetts Has Lost A Net 14,900 Jobs. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, 9/4/12)

And Governor Patrick Has Presided Over A Shrinking Rainy Day Fund:

In July, Governor Patrick Signed A State Budget That Withdrew $350 Million From Massachusetts' Rainy Day Fund – Leaving A Balance Of Only $1.28 Billion. "Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday signed a $32.5 billion state budget that raises state aid for public schools by 4.5 percent and counts on $700 million in health care cost savings to achieve balance. ... The budget supports spending with $350 million drawn from the state's reserve account, leaving the rainy day fund with a projected balance of $1.28 billion." (Michael Norton, "Patrick Signs $32.5B State Budget," State House News Service, 7/9/12)