Sen. Robert L. Hedlund (R-Weymouth) stood alongside small business owners today to oppose plans by Gov. Deval Patrick to raise taxes on everything from meals and gasoline, to snack food and alcohol.

Sen. Hedlund, Rep. deMacedo, and Rep. Webster, and their Republican colleagues were joined by Peter Christie, of the Mass. Restaurant Association, and gas station owner Arthur Pappas, of Sharon, at a State House press conference this afternoon. They said that the new taxes, if approved by the Legislature, will result in reduced sales at gas stations, restaurants, and convenience stores, and drive even more working people onto the unemployment line.  
“We keep hearing about how the government is trying to stimulate the economy, but hiking taxes by hundreds of millions of dollars will have the exact opposite effect,” Sen. Hedlund said. “The increased gas tax alone will eat up any extra money Massachusetts residents receive through the federal tax credit.”

“To impose an even greater tax burden on Massachusetts residents and business owners, especially during such a difficult economic climate, is outrageous,” Rep. Webster said.  “Now is not the time to be raising taxes and fees before a comprehensive spending reform package has even been considered.  I will do all in my power to prevent or eliminate new programs which have added millions to our budget in the past few years.”

“Small business owners in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are hurting,” Rep. deMacedo said. “We should be trying to find ways to help them, not hurt them, and these tax increases will hurt them.”

Gov. Patrick’s fiscal year 2010 budget includes $150 million in revenue from new taxes on soda and candy. An increase in the meals tax would cost taxpayers another $150 million.  Meanwhile, the state’s cigarette tax collections are down despite a new $1 tax hike that went into effect last June.

This release was submitted by Sen. Hedlund's office. - Ed.