From the Department of Not Getting It...

Beacon Hill bids to boost business

Governor Deval Patrick and Senate President Therese Murray plan to propose this week several ways to improve the Bay State’s business climate, saying they need to be more aggressive in steering the region out of its economic malaise.

Patrick said he will unveil a new $50 million tax credit for small business, a plan to make available $25 million in loans to small businesses, and a proposal to freeze unemployment insurance rates, which are set to rise April 1.

Let's see. A one-time, limited tax credit, loans, and a rate freeze. Wow, that's thinking outside the box there guys. Read the fine print on the tax credit, too - it has to be a small ( <30) business, and they have to keep the new employee on the books for a year. IOW, it's at least a year before the company sees any money - hardly an incentive to start or grow a business in MA. As for the loans, well, it still needs to be paid back; and as for unemployment insurance rates, well, there's no details on how long the freeze will be good for...

This jumped out at me:

The first piece of the Senate’s plan seeks to streamline the more than 30 economic development agencies. With so many agencies doing the same thing, Murray said, businesses don’t know where to turn. Without the help they need, she said, they may move to another state or shut down completely.

Thirty agencies with the alleged aim of assisting with economic development. How many six-figure agency heads do you suppose that is? 30? 35? Add in assistant heads, executive assistants, etc. and how many millions of dollars a year are being thrown out the window for "economic development"? All the while businesses are fleeing MA in droves because of the mandatory health insurance requirement and high tax rates.

But Deval's going to freeze the unemployment insurance rates! Oh, that ought to bring businesses flooding into the state. They'll have to contend with sky high tax rates, wages driven artificially high through a combination of patronage and high cost-of-living in MA, and competition from the more business-friendly states to the north. Something tells me that halfway measures aren't going to cut it to get us out of this hole; certainly not just starting to offer plans after two years of declining revenues, job losses, and business migrations.

Giving us "more of the same, only harder" ain't gonna cut it this time - just ask Marcia Coakley...

That is all.