In the midst of an ongoing financial crisis, the question of who will be state treasurer is perhaps more important than ever.
But for Democrat Steve Grossman and Republican Karyn Polito, the candidates for the Massachusetts state treasurer, how best to deal with the Commonwealth’s budget problems is a contentious issue.
For instance, while Grossman, a Harvard University graduate and former Democratic National Committee chairman, opposes lowering the sales tax, arguing that it would create a budget deficit of nearly $5 million dollars by next year, Polito believes it should be lowered.
“We need to get the sales tax back to five percent. It’s been five percent for over 30 years; it was a money grab on Beacon Hill to increase the sales tax to six and a quarter,” Polito said in a debate on Sept. 29. “I believe the best way to honor the will of the people is to fight for lower taxes, unlike my opponent who believes that the sales tax should be higher.”
Polito is a New England School of Law graduate and state representative for the 11th Worcester District.
One of the issues she’s running on is ending pensions for elected officials, announcing in her advertisements that she won’t be taking a pension.
“We need to turn public service to service of the people, not self service,” Polito said in a phone interview, citing the fact that taxpayers are paying $1.4 billion to sustain the public pension system. “One party dominating the decision making process is leading to higher taxes and more wasteful spending.”
Grossman has said that he also does not support using taxpayer’s money for state pensions, but argued that Polito herself had been in the state pension system for nine and a half years.
Another contentious issue is the Massachusetts Lottery, for which the treasurer is responsible.
Grossman advocates more advertising for the lottery and calls it an important source of local aid.He said he wants to use the office of the treasurer to create jobs.
“I got into this race for treasurer really because I saw the economic tsunami hit this country a year and a half ago, and I said what can I do to help get this state back on track? What can I do to help solve problems?” Grossman said in an Oct. 4 radio forum. “And I realized that as tens of thousands of people were losing their jobs, that I had spent my life creating jobs.”
Grossman, who also has the support of several senators, has gone an “ice cream tour,” throughout his campaign in order to show his dedication to Massachusetts residents and to connect with them on a local level.
The election for state treasurer will take place on Nov. 2.
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