April 2003
As a candidate Romney pledged not to raise taxes. The result: "Romney's new and expanded "fees" look and smell a lot like taxes." Cosmo Macero, Boston Herald, April 24, 2003

September 2003
As a candidate Romney said to the Patriot Ledger in September of 2002: "I will spend my time selling Massachusetts around the country, around the globe, to other businesses to encourage them to come here." The result: during his first eight months in office, Governor Romney took only one out of state business trip. Of course in September 2003, the Governor said he could go to California to politic for Arnold Schwartzenegger, a trip canceled at the last minute.

But as Christopher Anderson, president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council noted, "If you're going to be salesman and CEO, go out and sell your product. Show me the commitment to the changes we need to make Massachusetts more productive." House Speaker Tom Finneran actually took the first giant step in the effort to lure companies and jobs to the state with his $110 million economic development plan. Finneran said he welcomed Romney's 'cheerleading' efforts, but he emphasized that the state had improved its image considerably after a decade of tax cuts and pro-business tax credits.