Ben Patton video: Memories of my father Filmmaker creates memoir of two Army generals named Patton "People should look under the surface for their relatives' rich history," Patton said. His grandfather was World War II Gen. George S. Patton Jr., and his father was Hamilton's other military Patton, Maj. Gen. George S. Patton IV, who served three distinguished tours of duty in Vietnam. That gave Ben Patton plenty of fodder for an article in the June issue of Smithsonian Magazine, but Patton doesn't want others to feel intimidated by that. "You don't have to be named Patton," he said. "Everyone's story is important." Patton is a filmmaker who specializes in family-centered documentaries. He has also interviewed Manfred Rommel, former long time mayor of Stuttgart and son of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the famed "Desert Fox" of World War II. One of Patton's tips for interviewing is to be patient, and allow whatever time is necessary for a question to be answered. During his interview of Rommel, he asked him what it takes to be a great leader. "It seemed to take forever, but it was worth it," Patton said. Eventually, Rommel replied: "It takes a great soul." Ben Patton's father and Manfred Rommel had much in common, including birthdays, and became lifelong friends. Ben's father was the unwitting catalyst for Patton's decision to pursue a career in filmmaking — and at the time, his father was unhappy about it. His dad used to spend evenings in his basement study at Green Meadows Farm in Hamilton, smoking cigars and writing in his diaries, which he kept most of his life. One night, he accidently set fire to the journals, destroying nearly all of them. Later, Ben Patton suggested he interview his father and record it. He did it as much for his father as for the family. "The loss of his journals had caused him even more sorrow than his retirement from the military six years earlier," Ben Patton wrote in the Smithsonian article. Rarely seen family films are part of the story Patton tells. There is footage of both his grandfather and father, and his father narrates a scene in which he is seen as a young boy on his father's sailboat. As the camera pauses for a moment capturing his father at the wheel of the vessel, George Patton the younger offers a voice-over assessment of his father in a tone that leaves you wondering what he means by it. "He was something else," he says, pausing. "That guy was something else." Being the son of a legend isn't always easy. Ben Patton writes that when his father graduated from West Point, he was approached by an old veteran who shook his hand and said, "Well, George, you'll never be the man your father was, but congratulations." "Can you imagine that?" Ben asked. George Patton IV would eventually see more frontline combat in Vietnam than his father did in Europe, and was just as highly decorated. "Along the way, he earned the nation's second- and third-highest medals for bravery—twice each—and a Purple Heart," Ben Patton writes of his father. Patton says the people who say they don't want to have their history committed to tape or film are those who are the most likely to have interesting stories. "My father was one of those guys," he said. Staff writer Steve Landwehr can be reached at 978-338-2660 or by e-mail at slandwehr@salemnews.com. Record your history Ben Patton offers some tips for creating a good record of your loved ones' lives: "Audio quality is key. I deal in visual media, but an interview with well-recorded sound, done in a quiet room with the microphone close and few distractions, is priceless." "Be sure to professionally copy old films or audiocassettes before you play them. You'll never forgive yourself if your tape deck eats the original while you're listening to it for the first time." "When interviewing a family member, consider having a family friend or professional ask the questions. A subject might feel self-conscious about retelling a story to a son or daughter who's heard it before." Ignore that feeling that you've heard it all before. "You're not doing it for yourself," Patton said, "you're doing it for your kids." Green Meadows Farm is a property with a long history as a private estate. The main house has been dated in its central part to 1786. Successive owners added pieces to it over the years, hence its rambling character! Major and Mrs. George S. Patton Jr. bought the property in 1928. The Pattons lived here only occasionally until World War II, when Beatrice Patton took up residence, expecting to welcome her husband home from the war, to retirement. Unfortunately, an untimely vehicle accident caused General Patton's death in 1945, so he never was here in extended residence. Mrs Patton lived here until her death in the hunting field in 1953. Upon his retirement after 34 years as a career Army officer, the next George Patton and his family moved here permanently in 1980. Major General Patton was determined to make something more of his property than "leisure land", so with the help of agricultural, environmental, and forestry experts -- and the advice of seasoned farmers -- he initiated Green Meadows Farm, originally as a blueberry operation. Naming his fields for brave soldiers who had lost their lives in service with him in Vietnam, he and his farm personnel have worked hard to maximize the potential of the land. Major General Patton died in 2004 but his wife, Joanne, as owner, remains dedicated to continuing the mission of Green Meadows Farm.
STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Ben Patton video: Memories of my father Filmmaker creates memoir of two Army generals named Patton
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
DanversBank to Acquire Beverly National
Danvers Bancorp Inc. said Wednesday it plans to buy the parent company of Beverly National Bank for about $62 million in a deal that will create the 9th largest bank in Massachusetts. The acquisition also will give Danvers (Nasdaq: DNBK) the No. 1 position in the town of Beverly, where Beverly National Bank ranks first in market share with $222.1 million in deposits. That’s 23 percent of the Beverly market, according to the latest available FDIC data. The Danvers bank only has a small presence in Beverly with $22.5 million in deposits, or a deposit market share of 2.3 percent, FDIC data shows. The transaction is valued at about $23.04 a share for the Beverly bank. That’s a premium of 36 percent over Beverly National Corp.’s (AMEX: BNV) Tuesday closing price of $16.90 a share. Beverly shareholders will receive 1.66 shares of Danvers common stock for each share of Beverly they own. Upon the deal’s close, Danvers Bancorp., run by CEO Kevin Bottomley, will have more than $2.2 billion in assets, compared with about $1.7 billion currently. The Danvers bank has 16 branches in Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk counties. Beverly National Bank has about $350 million in deposits. “This transaction is a combination of two complementary business models which we believe will increase our earnings prospects in the near- and long-term,” Bottomley said in a press release. In the first quarter, Beverly National posted net income of $896,000, compared with $890,000 in the year-ago quarter. - Tim McLaughlin, Boston Business Journal, 6/17/09
Curtain Falls on Music Theatre
BEVERLY — The North Shore Music Theatre announced yesterday that it has closed for good due to insurmountable financial problems, marking the end for one of the area's leading cultural institutions. The theater, which opened in 1955, is buried under $10 million in debt, considering bankruptcy and looking for a buyer, said David Fellows, chairman of the theater's board of trustees. "It is heartbreaking," Fellows said. "But realistically, our debts are overwhelming." The nonprofit theater's future has been in doubt since December, when officials made their financial woes public. They had hoped to reopen under a new business model that included a shorter season and partnerships with other theaters. But Fellows said the theater secured commitments for only $500,000 in donations, well short of the $2 million it needed. Fellows said he is hoping a "friendly buyer" will step forward and continue to operate the theater in some form. The theater and its property could be sold at a foreclosure auction, he said. The shutdown will leave thousands of people who prepaid for 2009 tickets without a refund. Fellows said the vast majority of the estimated 4,400 subscribers are unlikely to get their money back because the theater must first pay off the banks that hold mortgages on the property and buildings. Fellows said the theater's $10 million debt includes $5 million in mortgages owed to the banks and $5 million owed to subscribers, vendors and other creditors, including the state of Massachusetts. The theater's assets are worth about $5 million, he said, "which means for subscribers, vendors and other people, there's very little likelihood there will be any money left at the end of the day." People who have bought tickets since December will get their money back, he said, because that's when the theater started putting ticket money in an escrow account. That applies to about 5 percent of the 4,400 subscribers. 'Sad, really sad' News of the closing was devastating to longtime theatergoers like Janet Guerette of Danvers. Guerette has been attending shows for 25 years, the last 17 as a season-ticket holder. "What a shame," she said. "They were always great shows and you didn't have to drive into Boston. It's sad, really sad, how it got so deep in debt. Didn't anybody see it coming?" Guerette said she stands to lose the $300 she paid for her 2009 season ticket in November. "I feel bad, but a lot of people are not going to get their money back," she said. "We can't do anything about it. They're so deep in debt." On Dunham Road in North Beverly, North Shore Music Theatre evolved from a small summer theater into one of the largest nonprofit professional theaters in New England. At its peak, the theater drew 350,000 people per year, and 100,000 children took part in its educational programs. Former Executive Producer Jon Kimbell called yesterday's announcement "a devastating thing." "We worked so hard, and it was such a wonderful organization for all those years," said Kimbell, who retired in 2007 after 25 years with the theater. "Things change, and certainly in the theater you look forward and not backward. That's what closing nights are all about. There's always another show." Kimbell said the theater injected millions of dollars into the local economy every year through spending at restaurants, gas stations and other businesses. Deepening financial losses North Shore Music Theatre's money problems began in 2004, when the theater lost $2 million on a failed expansion plan. In 2005, a fire destroyed the interior of the theater and led to $3 million in lost ticket sales, only half of which was covered by insurance. The theater was rebuilt, but with 420 fewer seats due to handicapped-accessibility requirements. That reduced the amount of money the theater could make on sold-out shows. Those problems put the theater in a precarious position when the economy started to fail. The final blow came last winter when ticket sales to "High School Musical 2" fell far short of expectations. The theater had angered many longtime patrons by replacing its annual production of "A Christmas Carol" with the Disney show. Fellows, who as a trustee does not get paid, loaned the theater $400,000 of his own money last year, money he now stands to lose in bankruptcy. He has also donated about $2 million to the theater since joining the board in 1999. In April, theater officials announced a plan to cut costs by partnering with other theaters and running a shorter season. They revised their original fundraising goal from $4 million to $2 million. Fellows said potential donors seemed enthused about the new business model but were reluctant to give money. He said most people will consider the theater's closing "a horrible shame, but it didn't seem to occur to them that they need to step up and help support the theater. "Perhaps in some people's minds they were still afraid we'd get back into business and then go back out of business," he said. North Shore Music Theatre is the third Massachusetts theater to close this year, joining Foothills Theatre in Worcester and Fiddlehead Theatre in Norwood, according to Jeffrey Poulos, executive director of StageSource, a Boston-area theater organization. Poulos said North Shore's closing has "more of a national impact" on the theater industry because it was one of the few larger theaters that developed its own musicals. "To lose that venue, it's a loss for the patrons and it's a loss for the artists performing, designing and directing the work," Poulos said. "It'll leave a big void." Poulos said many other theaters in the state are thriving, however. He said many North Shore Music Theatre patrons will now go to the Stoneham Theatre. Stoneham Theatre sent out a press release yesterday offering North Shore Music Theatre subscribers one free ticket to its Friday night performances and discounts on season tickets. North Shore Music Theatre has been operating with only three full-time employees since December. Those workers will soon lose their jobs, Fellows said. Executive Producer Barry Ivan, who has been working part time since December, will also lose his job. "We'll have zero employees," Fellows said. - Paul Leighton, Salem News, 6/17/09
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
State Commits $2.5M to Waterfront Plans
BEVERLY — Another piece of the city's waterfront plan has fallen into place. Gov. Deval Patrick's office announced last Friday that the state will kick in $2.5 million to support the city's plans to improve the public pier and two city-owned marinas. Mayor Bill Scanlon said the state money will be combined with city money and private investment from Black Cow restaurant owner Joseph Leone for what could be an overall $10 million investment in the waterfront. "When you put in money to be invested in the restaurant, and the likelihood of some additional city funds based on revenues we'll collect from that project, we hope to really make a difference along that water's edge," Scanlon said. The city is planning to coordinate repairs to the waterfront with a plan by Leone to build a Black Cow restaurant on the site of the vacant McDonald's restaurant. The city's plans include making repairs to the public pier, the two city-owned marinas, the seawall, and the "apron" that leads up to the waterfront. Leone has said he will spend about $4 million to build his restaurant and improve the adjacent city-owned Ferryway public park. A public hearing on the Black Cow proposal is scheduled to continue tonight at 7:45 before the Planning Board at City Hall. The $2.5 million in state money is included in the Patrick administration's $1.7 billion capital plan for fiscal year 2009 as part of the capital investment program, according to the governor's office. The money will help "create jobs and spur economic development in the area," the press release said. Along with the state's plan to help pay for an MBTA parking garage in Beverly, state Rep. Mary Grant said the city now has "two firm capital commitments for development projects that will enhance the vitality of our city." "These projects have been 20-plus years in the making and are now coming together because of persistent attention and coordination," Grant said. Scanlon said more state funding for the waterfront could be forthcoming. Asked how much the city will spend on the project, he would not give an amount. As for when the project will begin, Scanlon said, "It's a case of 'stay tuned.'" "Putting a restaurant on the waterfront is complex," he said. "There are simply so many rules and regulations to comply with." - Paul Leighton, Salem News, 6/16/09 Waterfront plans Build Black Cow restaurant Improve public pier. Options include building a handicap-accessible ramp, new fenders to protect pier from boats, and a steel float at end of pier where harbor cruise boats, water taxis and small cruise ships could dock Repairs seawalls and replace or repair floating docks at city's two marinas Demolish or move harbormaster's building and/or marina management building
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Millipore expands factory to add 120 new jobs
DANVERS — Millipore Corp. opened a new manufacturing facility inside its Cherry Hill Corporate Center building yesterday in a move that will produce 120 jobs here by the end of the year, company officials said. The new, 33,000-square-foot "bioprocess" facility shares space with the Billerica-based company's "bioscience" division. The combined work force will eventually be 268. Lt. Gov. Tim Murray yesterday took a tour of the company's new, $3.5 million facility, before touting the state's $1 billion life sciences initiative and hoisting giant scissors during a ribbon-cutting. Murray peered through a window into a 12,500-square-foot clean room where workers stood at tables wearing white coveralls and blue hair nets, assembling what looked like large plastic bags with tubes attached. "We are looking for assembly skills," said Chris Ross, director of manufacturing operations, to Murray, "people with attention to detail. ... It's light manufacturing work, and we have a great work force around Danvers to pick from." The plant manufactures a line of disposable products called Mobius. Millipore's products help drug companies make cancer medicines or vaccines "to be manufactured in a simple, flexible and cost-effective way," said Martin Madaus, chairman, president and CEO. "That's our mission. That's why we exist." Officials for the company, which employs 6,000 worldwide, said it was good news during a recession to be adding jobs. Millipore purposefully consolidated its disposables production in Massachusetts, Madaus said. The company came into the business a few years ago with the acquisition of a California company. It also expanded its facility here in 2002. Town Manager Wayne Marquis, selectmen Chairman Gardner Trask and North Shore Chamber of Commerce President Robert Bradford were also on hand. "I'm happy to have them here," Trask said. "Happy for the opportunity for jobs." all about Mobius The plastic bags workers were assembling in a 12,500-square-foot clean room yesterday were part of the company's Mobius single-use technologies, equipment that drug and biotech companies would use as they switch from stainless steel systems to disposable ones. The company plans to produce a wide range of components in Danvers. - Ethan Forman, Salem News, 6/10/09
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Voke Project an Ideal Use of Stimulus Funds
A shovel-ready project that would accomplish the Obama and Patrick administrations' stated goal of providing new job opportunities through better education, sits waiting in Danvers. The North Shore Agricultural Technical High School could be a model for what President Obama hopes to accomplish via the $787 billion economic stimulus program approved by Congress earlier this year. And it would fit perfectly with Gov. Deval Patrick's goal of creating job opportunities in growth sectors like the life sciences and new energy technology. Thus we think there's a very good case to be made for the recent request by the region's political and business establishment that $47.5 million in the state's share of the stimulus money be appropriated for the construction of the new school on the Essex Aggie campus off Route 62 in Danvers. The state's School Building Authority and the Legislature have already committed $137.5 million to the project, which would combine the existing Aggie, North Shore Technical and Peabody Vocational high schools in a single campus that would accommodate new programs and hundreds of additional students. But with the 17 member cities and towns struggling to keep their heads above water, getting them to commit the additional funds needed to begin construction is problematic at best. Fortunately, there's an alternative. As noted in a recent letter to the governor from the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, "The mission of ARRA (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) — to jump-start the economy by creating new jobs and saving existing jobs — is the very essence behind the proposed new ... school." It points out that the project will immediately provide jobs for 1,000 construction workers, create 60 new permanent staff positions in addition to those currently in place at the three institutions, and, most significantly in our view, "create a state-of-the-art, regional learning facility for trades that are highly in demand" for many more students that can currently be accommodated. "Each year," the chamber noted, "three out of every four students who apply ... are turned away due to lack of space and resources." That amounts to hundreds of North Shore students who each year are denied the opportunity to learn the skills that would allow them to obtain productive and rewarding employment. We can think of no better way for Washington and Beacon Hill to show that they're serious about providing new opportunity and reversing the alarming increase in unemployment plaguing the state and country. - Nelson Benton, Salem News, 6/10/09
Friday, June 5, 2009
Riding out the recession
Coping with the recession was the topic at yesterday's meeting of the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, and executives from four area businesses related how there's opportunity, despite the inevitable hardship, in the tough times we are experiencing.
Probably the most encouraging story of all was told by Edward Hurley of Peabody's Eastman Gelatine Corp.
A decade ago speculation was rife that the company, a presence in the city since 1930, would soon follow the path of too many other North Shore manufacturers — out of town or out of business. The market for its major product — the gelatine used for photographic film — was in fast decline and there were rumors owner Eastman Kodak would soon shut the place down.
But instead of surrendering to the advance of technology, the company went out and looked for other markets for its product. And it found that while traditional photography was on the way out, the demand for the high-quality gelatine it makes was on the rise in industries like pharmaceuticals and food manufacturing.
By expanding its market both domestically and globally, Eastman Gelatine continues to generate a profit for its parent company and in fact, Hurley pointed out, is the only Eastman Kodak division that won't be shedding employees this year.
Indeed, innovation and a willingness to embrace change characterized the messages all four company executives brought to the panel at Salem's Kernwood Country Club yesterday morning. For Osram Sylvania, which traces its roots to a company that made filaments for electric light bulbs in Middleton more than a century ago, the future is in light-emitting diodes (LEDs); for Peabody's JEOL USA, manufacturer of advanced scientific instrumentation like electron microscopes, it's the need for high-tech security and crime detection equipment; and for EBSCO Publishing of Ipswich, whose database is used by libraries and research intitutions throughout the world, it's the effort to transform itself from information aggregator to content provider.
The nation's first cotton mill opened its doors in North Beverly in 1788. Alexander Graham Bell made his first telephone call in what is now the Lyceum restaurant in downtown Salem in 1877. And Beverly's United Shoe Manufacturing Corp. once boasted more patents than any company in the world.
It's good to see that spirit of entrepreneurship is still flourishing here on the North Shore.
Editorial, The Salem News, June 4, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
New Voke School will get $77.5M from State
A state agency yesterday committed $77.5 million to build a big vocational school in Danvers, finding in just a few minutes most of the long-sought money to replace Essex Aggie, North Shore Tech and the Peabody vocational program.
"Today in some way means the beginning to the end," state Rep. Ted Speliotis, D-Danvers, said. "We've been fighting for a decade."
Yesterday's vote by the Massachusetts School Building Authority sets the clock ticking on a four-month period in which another state agency and some 17 cities and towns would need to commit to collectively pay $47.5 million more to build the school.
The new school would be built on the north side of the Essex Aggie campus. It would host 1,440 students from Essex Aggie, North Shore Tech and the Peabody vocational school. Essex Aggie and North Shore Tech together turn away 200 students each year because they don't have the extra space.
State Treasurer Timothy Cahill told The Salem News that the state's Division of Capital Asset Management will have to commit more funding before North Shore cities and towns can think about paying for their share. DCAM, which is controlled by the governor, has long talked about funding the project.
"They've got to find the money," Cahill said. "The ball's in their court."
Danvers Town Manager Wayne Marquis said DCAM was authorized last year to put more than enough money into the project to finish it. Marquis said he expects DCAM could allot about $25 million, leaving the rest for member communities to pay. The entire project is expected to cost up to $125 million.
Marquis said teamwork over more than 10 years made yesterday's vote possible.
"This is a good day for the North Shore, to be sure," he said. "Lots of local support."
Katherine Craven, executive director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, pointed out the presence of Beverly Mayor Bill Scanlon, North Shore Tech Superintendent Amy O'Malley and other people in the audience. Some 15 supporters signed in to the meeting, while others skipped the visitor's book. At least four state legislators were there yesterday supporting the school, joined by staff from three other representatives.
Mary Pichetti, director of capital planning for the Massachusetts School Building Authority, recommended 337,000 square feet of new construction with four "academy" buildings. While the school's cost was already slashed by nearly a third, from $180 million, Pichetti said the state will keep pushing for cost savings.
State Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, noted the state's tight finances, and those of the MSBA.
"Even in a fiscal storm, MSBA is committed to this project," he said.
Craven said local towns and cities will have to ante up. The MSBA requires that all money be committed within 120 days of yesterday's vote. That gives about four months for school backers to find any additional money from the state through DCAM, for local city councils to vote and for Town Meetings to be scheduled and held. The cities and towns will want to know just how much the state will pay before they vote, she said.
Scanlon said he expects the new school could be somewhat cheaper to run, offsetting the city's share of building the school. He, like others, is anxious to see how much more state money could go in.
"We don't have the complete picture in front of us, but certainly this is a major step forward," Scanlon said.
The new school would be a mix of new and old. Programs on the new north side campus would include auto repair, masonry, carpentry, veterinary tech, small engine repair and landscaping. Administration would stay in Smith Hall, on the south side.
Speliotis said legislators and others were going to start calling Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday, lobbying for more money.
"We can see the light," he said.
Breaking it down
Yesterday, the state School Building Authority pledged $77.5 million to build a new voke school on the Essex Aggie campus. Nearly $50 million more is needed, and that money would come from the state Division of Capital Asset Management and the 17 member cities and towns. Mike Stucka, The Salem News, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Job Market Looks Brighter on North Shore
SALEM — Local unemployment figures dropped again last month, but state labor officials aren't yet ready to declare victory. "Everyone wants to say the recession is over, and we feel not quite ready to say that. It has leveled off a little bit," said Mary Sarris, executive director of the North Shore Workforce Investment Board, which oversees the area's unemployment centers. Mark Whitmore, executive director of the North Shore Career Centers, said he's getting more positive as more people find jobs. "We're very encouraged when we see the unemployment going down a little bit and the number of jobs going up," he said. State figures released yesterday show that in the Salem area 203 people dropped off the unemployment rolls in April. State officials could not say with certainty yesterday whether all those 203 people found work or had simply had their unemployment benefit expire. Nevertheless, the reduction brings the area's unemployment rate to 7.18 percent, down from 7.33 percent in March and 7.37 in February, the highest encountered here in 16 years. Despite the good news, 9,454 people were still seeking work in April — nearly double the number who were unemployed just one year earlier. - Mike Stucka, Salem News, 5/27/09
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Senate OKs Hike in Sales, Alcohol Taxes
BOSTON (AP) — The state Senate on Tuesday approved a string of tax measures including a 25 percent increase in the sales tax, a new tax on alcohol and a municipal aid package allowing cities and towns to raise taxes on meals and hotel rooms.
By a 29-10 vote, enough to overturn a threatened veto by Gov. Deval Patrick, the Senate agreed to raise the sales tax rate from 5 percent to 6.25 percent, mirroring a vote taken last month by House lawmakers, also by a veto-proof majority.
Supporters said the sales tax increase would raise about $633 million for the state in the next fiscal year. The estimate is lower than a $900 million estimate offered by the House, in part because the Senate plan is based on just 10 months of revenue to give the state time to switch over to the new system.
Critics said the higher sales tax would hurt local businesses by driving consumers to the Internet or to New Hampshire, which has no sales tax.
"Maybe we should call this the New Hampshire economic stimulus bill, because that's what it's going to do," said Sen. Robert Hedlund, R-Weymouth.
Backers said the size of the fiscal crisis made the option of balancing the budget solely with cuts and reform measures unacceptable.
Senate Ways and Means Chairman Steven Panagiotakos, D-Lowell, ticked off a series of programs he said could be restored in part if the sales tax hike is approved, from summer jobs and work force training to scholarship and pre-kindergarten programs.
"We cannot cut our way out of this problem. We cannot tax our way out of this problem. We cannot reform our way out of this problem," he said. "It must be a balanced approach."
Patrick has threatened to veto the sales tax unless lawmakers first deliver to his desk pension, ethics and transportation reform bills.
Also Tuesday, senators agreed to lift an existing exemption from the sales tax on beer, wine and alcohol purchased in stores, a change that would bring in an estimated $80 million annually for substance abuse programs.
They also approved on a voice vote a measure to allow cities and towns to impose local taxes of up 2 percent on restaurant meals and hotel rooms, on top of the meals and hotel taxes already levied by the state.
The local meals tax could bring in up to $250 million annually if all communities imposed it, while the hotel tax could generate up to $40 million.
The Senate began its budget debate by quickly rejected by a 28-11 vote a proposal to increase the state income tax rate from 5.3 percent to 5.95 percent. Senators also rejected a proposed 19-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase similar to one being pushed by Patrick.
Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, D-Boston, said increasing the income tax rate would not only more evenly distribute the tax burden but would bring in about $1.3 billion in additional annual revenues.
"This is the fairest way to do what is necessary for the commonwealth," she said.
Critics pointed to a 2000 ballot question overwhelmingly backed by voters. That question was supposed to gradually lower the income rate from 5.95 percent to 5 percent. Lawmakers later froze it at the current 5.3 percent.
Raising it back to 5.95 percent would not only defy the will of voters but also make little economic sense, opponents said.
"Take money out of people's pockets and they will have less to spend, and that will have a ripple effect in a consumer economy," said Sen. Michael Knapik, R-Westfield. "I cannot imagine the damage from raising the income tax rate."
Patrick proposed a 19-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax hike as part of a package of targeted tax increases, with the money intended to go toward fixing the state's crumbling roads, bridges and public transit.
But Sen. Steven Baddour, D-Methuen, co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation, said it doesn't make sense to approve a gas tax increase before the state has approved a final transportation reform package.
"There is no point in throwing good money into a broken system," he said. "We need to fix the system first."
Republicans plan to offer their own amendments, including temporarily reducing the sales tax on cars and eliminating tax breaks on the production of movies in Massachusetts.
The push for new taxes comes as the state grapples with plummeting tax revenues.
The Senate's stripped-down $26.7 billion state budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is based on a revenue estimate that's $1.5 billion lower than an earlier estimate Patrick and the House used to craft their budget proposals.
As the Senate launched it debate, hundreds of protesters including Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey, two-thirds of the 1960s folk group Peter, Paul and Mary, gathered outside the Statehouse to urge lawmakers to back higher taxes to maintain services for the disabled. - Steve LeBlanc, Salem News, 5/20/09
