Republican candidate for treasurer and state Rep. Karyn Polito, R-Shrewsbury, accused her opponent of playing a “dirty political trick,” in a WBUR radio debate on Tuesday over an alleged ethics flap.
Polito made the charge against former Democratic Committee National Chairman Steve Grossman after she was asked by a caller to address a Boston Globe story reporting that her family may have benefited from Polito helping to secure funds for an access road from her hometown of Shrewsbury to a nearby Commuter Rail station.
Her family owns land near the road, The Globe reported. An anonymous complaint was filed with the State Ethics Commission, and Polito charged that Grossman’s campaign “planted” the complaint.
“I will not let you get away with this,” Grossman retorted. “An anonymous complaint is not my campaign.”
Polito said the project dated back to the 1990s when she was still in law school.
“This is negative politics,” she said. “I’m disappointed my opponent has decided to run a negative campaign.”
Polito, a graduate of the Boston University School of Management, also clashed with Grossman over the role of the treasurer, banks and the pension system.
Grossman called for greater transparency in the treasurer’s office, saying he would do more than current treasurer and gubernatorial candidate Tim Cahill to show where the state’s money is going.
“I think it’s critical with so little trust in state government these days we put the state’s checkbook up online,” Grossman said.
Polito said there was nothing controversial about the idea and added “I’d like to put the checkbook on a diet.”
The candidates also sparred over the role banks should have in lending money to stimulate the Bay State’s economy
Grossman said he wanted to direct money toward local credit unions instead of larger banks.
“It’s common knowledge the big banks aren’t helping small businesses,” he said.
Polito argued that Grossman was “beating up on the larger banks.”
“I don’t want to beat up on anyone in the private sector, I want to do business with all banks,” she said.
The debate ended with both candidates supporting an eventual return of the sales tax to five percent from 6.25 percent. However, Polito confirmed she would vote yes on Question 3, which would roll back the tax to three percent.
“The legislature has the ability to adjust the sales tax to five percent,” she said.
Grossman is against a sales tax rollback to three percent, but also said it should be returned to five percent in better economic times.
“When we have the economic growth and can afford it, but not now because right now it would destroy the quality of life in this commonwealth,” he said.
But Polito did not take Grossman at his word.
“There’s never a time that you would agree to lowering taxes,” she said.
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