Being An Independent Watchdog For You

As the Green-Rainbow Party nominee, James O'Keefe is not beholden to entrenched political party interests and will be a watchdog over our government. He cannot be bought by special interests. He will clean up the state treasurer's office, end sweetheart deals at the lottery, fight corporate welfare and make the treasurer’s office accountable only to the people of Massachusetts.

Making the Treasurer's office accountable to you

James O'Keefe is committed to making sure that all areas controlled by the state treasurer are open for public scrutiny. He will open meetings to the public, make sure they are advertised in advance and post all meeting minutes on the internet for public review.

Opposing expanding gambling in Mass.

James O'Keefe is the only candidate for State Treasurer who opposes the introduction of casino and slot machine gambling in Massachusetts. As can clearly be seen in Atlantic City, NJ, casinos hurt small businesses for miles around them and do not promote economic development in the area around casinos. As soon as a casino exists, all of the race tracks will want to introduce hundreds of slot machines. Opening ourselves to casinos will see gambling interests try to influence the state legislature for the introduction of more gambling establishments. We cannot win at that game, so lets make sure we don't try!

Fighting corporate welfare

James O'Keefe opposes corporate welfare, such as State funding for a new Fenway Park stadium, and $5 million each year for Greyhound racing. He will root out such subsidies that are wasting our tax dollars and destroying our environment and communities. The Commonwealth's money should go towards those in need, not corporations.

Here are a list of yearly corporate tax breaks that cost us over $600 million annually:

Exemption of Insurance industry from income taxes. Cost to state: $33 million. #

1995 cut allowing defense contractors and manufacturers (mutual funds added in 1997) to use their sales in Massachusetts to determine taxable income as a way to encourage businesses to hire more workers. Cost to state: $233 million. $

1993 tax credit for major corporate purchases that was intended to help manufacturing and research firms invest and expand. Cost to state: $12 million. *

1995 cut on what banks paid on net state income designed to include financial institutions not traditionally considered banks. Cost to state: $30 million. *

1991 tax break on corporate research that was supposed to encourage businesses to develop new products or refine existing products. Cost to state: $95 million. *

1991 sales tax on services that was repealed only days after it took effect, although some services, like telecommunications and energy, remained taxed. Annual cost to state: About $313 million. *

Sources:

# Tax Equity Alliance of Massachusetts.
$ from the Tax Expenditure Budget FY2003 published by the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.
* reported in Proposed tax hike hits single parents, seniors (Associated Press - 3/13/2002);

Links

James O'Keefe Blasts Welfare for Race Track, Lottery Problems - 8/30/2002