The Romney record as governor

http://www.politicususa.com/state-senator-massachusetts-romney-grimm-fairy-tale.html

By: Sarah JonesOctober 19th, 2012

During a press conference call Friday afternoon, Democratic Massachusetts state Senator Karen Spilka debunked Mitt Romney’s claims of bipartisanship. She said many legislators– including Republicans — would say that Mitt Romney not only wasn’t bipartisan, but he didn’t even know where that aisle was.

Sen. Spilka recounted that at one point, after she had been working with Romney for weeks, he still didn’t know who she was. Romney then came to her district and still didn’t know who she was. In retelling this to a Republican colleague, the colleague told her not to feel bad because Romney didn’t know who the Republican legislators were either. He said, “Karen, don’t feel so badly. He doesn’t know who we are either.”

The picture painted by Senator Spilka is not one of a hard working Governor, much less a bipartisan one. ..... She said it was clear by the end of year two that Mitt Romney was more interested in running for president than anything to do with Massachusetts. He was gone 417 days from Massachusetts, prompting the New York Times to dub him the “absentee” governor.

Spilka repeated the often echoed charges that Romney was aloof and distant to such an extent that he had stationed police around his office so that the legislators and public couldn’t get in to see him. According to her, no other governor before or since has done that. She said, “He treated us like employees.”

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It [the bipartisan healthcare reform law] is the single example of Romney actually sitting down, rolling up his sleeves, working with legislature. In all other instances, he wanted to tell us what should happen. When there was other dialogue, it was his way or the highway.”

The Senator charged that Romney failed to deliver on his promises of jobs and a balanced budget, noting that even as the national economy was growing, “We were sinking.” Spilka added, “He promised to balance budget, but he left his successor with billion dollar deficit.” Businessman Romney also left the highest debt per person of any state in the country.