Massachusetts Tries "Pay As You Stay"

A Massachusetts Democrat sees what the rest of us see: young people fleeing, jobs moving to other states, slower economic growth here than in the rest of the nation.

His solution? Lowering taxes to make it easier for working families to pay their bills? Reducing the cost of doing business here? Stemming the tide of illegal immigrants who cost everyone millions in government services and take jobs from blue-collar citizens?

Uh, no.

Instead, he wants to pay people $10,000 in tax money not to move away.

State Senator Brian A. Joyce, a Milton Democrat, this month filed legislation that would provide any graduate of a Bay State college $10,000 for a down payment on a house or condo. Joyce hopes the payment would soften the blow from the high cost of living and might persuade some graduates to stay and raise families here.

The stipend would go to anyone who graduated from a state-accredited post secondary school, vocational-technical program, or apprentice program in the last 10 years. The catch: The recipient would have to agree to stay in Massachusetts for at least five years, or repay the money with interest. Also, the graduate's yearly salary could not exceed 135 percent of the community's median income.

Where will he get the $25 million to fund this bumbling bribery attempt? Why, from Massachusetts taxpayers, of course! And since Governor Patrick says we're already broke, we'll have to raise taxes to get it. And higher taxes mean it will be even harder for young workers to afford to live here, so they'll need bigger bribes, which will mean higher taxes, which will make it ever harder....

Meanwhile, Rep. Joyce--and every other politician in Massachusetts--is avoiding the huge, obvious, "natural truth" question: Who wants to live in a state that has to PAY YOU to live there?

Hey, geniuses! Think maybe the taxes and the goofy government and the tolls and the abusive political system that ignores the basic rights of the people and the welcoming of illegals and the bans on playing tag and on and on and on...think maybe all this is driving people away? How about this crazy idea: Making Massachusetts such a great place to live that people will pay us to come here!

My lovely bride The Warden and I love living in Massachusetts. It would take more than $10,000 to get us to move away. But every day, our political overlords make it a little bit harder for normal people (average, hard-working, taxpaying families) to stay. They seem to believe we have a bottomless capacity to take abuse. Young workers respond by fleeing to New Hampshire or North Carolina, and the solution? Another multi-million government program.

How do you explain to people who just don't get it that the problem is they just don't get it?