"Romney touts his Massachusetts record as fiscal hawk" (not so much) - LA Times

Romney touts his Massachusetts record as fiscal hawk

Romney says that as governor he guided the state out of a financial crisis by cutting spending despite opposition from Democratic lawmakers. A look at his record reveals a more complicated picture.

By Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-romney-budget-massachusetts-20120609,0,3451443,full.story

"SNIP.........................................

Romney takes credit for vetoing more than 800 spending items passed by the Legislature, saying he wiped out unneeded programs, cut taxes 19 times, built up a $2-billion rainy-day fund and balanced the budget four years in a row. All of that, he says, shows he can stop overspending. "We can balance our budget and live within our means," he recently told supporters in Ohio.

But Romney's telling omits key facts that clash with the agenda of his campaign for president:

• The Legislature overrode most of Romney's spending vetoes.

• State spending rose by 22% on Romney's watch, nearly double the rate of inflation.



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