Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance (MassFiscal) made the following statement today in response to Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito joining the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI).

TCI released their latest memo of understanding (MOU) today, over a year since their last official draft MOU on the project was released. The final details of the TCI scheme were released with questionable timing, during the week of Christmas, when countless residents are not paying attention to local news and more focused on the holidays and ongoing pandemic. Gov. Baker and Lt. Gov. Poltio will enter Massachusetts in joining the scheme along with Gov. Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island, Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut and Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington DC.

“With Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito supporting TCI and entering Massachusetts into the scheme, I don't see a path for either of them being able to win an election in 2022. People are hurting right now and the administration’s obstinance on this issue is insensitive to their plight and tone-deaf to their ongoing struggles. TCI is bad policy and even worse politics,” stated Paul Diego Craney, spokesman of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

Several candidates embraced TCI or “putting a price on carbon” this past November and lost. Those that lost were the Speakers from Vermont and Maine, the Lt. Governor of VT, the Senate President of VT, the Progressive House Chair of VT, and the Democratic House Minority leader of Pennsylvania. Those that rejected it won big, including New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and Vermont Governor Phil Scott. Governor Sununu even managed to flip his legislature from Democrat to Republican, despite a Democratic sweep of up-ballot races.

“The multiple studies conducted show an increase in gas prices up to 38 cents per gallon with very small emissions cuts. Those were assuming every state would join. With the updated information that only the smallest jurisdictions are set to join, the costs will likely be much higher with even less emissions reductions,” continued Craney.

“TCI is perhaps best summed up from a participant in a virtual TCI listening session—a left-wing climate justice advocate—who commented that, ‘It’s taxing poor people, so we can subsidize rich people’s electric cars.’ That observation couldn’t be truer,” concluded Craney.

To view that interview, tune in at 3:14 minute mark and follow this link: https://vimeo.com/463527394.