Giuliani Campaign Press Release - Mitt's Fitts Spending Edition

"Campaign Trail Mitt Romney is at it again in an effort to cover up his own lackluster record as Governor by attacking Rudy Giuliani. Then again, what other choice does Romney have considering he never cut taxes, received a 'C' rating from the CATO Institute for his handling of the economy as Governor, and passed a mandate-laden universal health care plan that he's now running away from?

"Mitt Romney simply has his facts wrong – not only did Mayor Giuliani turn over a balanced budget to his successor, but the city ended that fiscal year with a surplus."

– Paul Cellucci, Former Massachusetts Governor

Cato Institute Gave Gov. Mitt Romney's Fiscal Policy A "C," Noting, "If You Consider The Massive Costs To Taxpayers That His Universal Health Care Plan Will Inflict Once He's Left Office, Romney's Tenure Is Clearly Not A Triumph Of Small-Government Activism." (Stephen Slivinski, "Fiscal Policy Report Card On Amercia's Governors: 2006, Cato Institute Policy Analysis, pg. 42, 10/24/06)

Romney's Recommended Budgets Increased Real Per Capita Government Spending By 7.85%. ("Governor's Annual Budget Recommendations, FY2003-FY2007," http://www.mass.gov/bb/, Accessed 8/20/07; U.S. Census Bureau, "Annual Estimates Of The Population For The United States, Regions, And States And For Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 To July 1, 2006," http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html, Accessed 8/20/07; Bureau of Labor Statistics' Inflation Calculator, http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl, Accessed 8/22/07)

Club For Growth: Romney "Clearly Loosened The Purse Strings For FY 2006" And His Proposed FY 2007 Budget Grew "Whopping 10.12%" Over FY 2006. "At the same time, Governor Romney clearly loosened the purse strings for FY 2006 and in his proposed budget for FY 2007…. The result was a budget proposal for 2007 that was a whopping 10.12% larger than the preceding fiscal year." (The Club For Growth, "The Romney Record: Promise And Puzzlement," Report, 8/21/07)

Total Spending In Recommended Budgets Grew 22.2% Under Romney's Watch, From $29.477 Billion In Fiscal 2003 To $36.021 Billion In Fiscal 2007. ("Governor's Annual Budget Recommendations, FY2003-FY2007," http://www.mass.gov/bb/, Accessed 8/14/07)

Romney Claims He "Closed" The "Budget Gap Inherited When He Took Office." (Mitt Romney For President 2008 Website, www.mittromney.com, Accessed 9/8/07)

But In November 27, 2006 Budget Presentation To Governor-Elect Deval Patrick's (D-MA) Budget Advisors, Romney Aides "Projected A Budget Deficit For Fiscal 2008 … Of Between $400 Million And $1.1 Billion." (Andrea Estes and Michael Levenson, "State Could Face $1 Billion Deficit In '07," The Boston Globe, 12/30/06)

Romney Proposed Nearly $400 Million In Business Tax Increases. (Alex Bolton, "Romney's Tax Record Gets A Closer Look," The Hill, 3/27/07)

Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation Said Romney Administration Was Responsible For $700 Million In Fee Hikes. (Glen Johnson, "Patrick Refuses To Outline How He Would Have Closed 2003 Deficit," The Associated Press, 9/27/06)

Romney's Health Care Plan Increased Taxes And Burdensome Mandates On Businesses. (Brett Amends, "For Romney, Reforms May Be Just What Doctor Ordered," Boston Herald, 4/6/06)