Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance made the following statement today in response to the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) 13th annual ranking of “Rich States, Poor States.”
ALEC scored all 50 states on their “Economic Outlook Ranking,” in which Massachusetts came in at #35. In 2019, Massachusetts was ranked at #28, making Massachusetts the steepest drop off for any state in New England. A copy of the ranking may be found at: https://www.alec.org/publication/rich-states-poor-states-13th-edition/.
The economic outlook ranking is a forward-looking forecast based on the state’s standing (equal-weighted average) in 15 important state policy variables. Massachusetts ranked among the worst states in the country for how it treats taxpayers who want to retire here due to the estate taxes and was one of the most restrictive states for its treatment of workers who do not want to join a union.
“The warning signs are becoming too obvious for Massachusetts to continue to ignore,” stated Paul D. Craney, spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.
As recent legislation has dramatically increased the state’s minimum wage costs, MA is now the third most expensive state in the country. Also very concerning for Massachusetts, is the fact that the state is ranked among the bottom ten states for “debt service as a share of tax revenue.”
“That category seems to get very little attention at the State House. Lawmakers and legislative leaders continue to borrow billions to pay for today’s spending and further fund pet projects. State House leaders own all the responsibility for Massachusetts’ significant slip in the region. We even outdid Connecticut in how quickly we fell last year,” noted Craney.
“While borrowing millions, at best, our State House leaders are idle while other states are proactive. Governor Baker, Speaker DeLeo, and Senate President Spilka should wake up to the fact that raising taxes, creating new taxes, and adding more regulations will not make our state more economically competitive,” concluded Craney.