Massachusetts Governor's Dilema: To Raise Taxes, Or Not?

Boston, MA (AHN) - Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick faces a tough decision whether or not to raise taxes in the state. Patrick is not inclined to increase levies, to compete globally, however, the state needs additional funding for educational institutions, businesses and infrastructure.

Among the beneficiaries of an extra funding allocation will be a 10-year revamp of Massachusetts' educational system, which aims to cut the dropout rate and come up with a universal pre-kindergarten.

Previous Republican state governors have consistently aired anti-tax increase stands. Patrick said he will not be a traditional politician who avoids mentioning taxes. He explained that while people generally hate paying taxes, they also dislike bad roads and low educational standards.

Meanwhile, despite the lobby by pharmaceutical and biomedical groups in Massachusetts, Patrick signed Monday into law the bill that mandated the reporting of all gifts to doctors worth $50 and above.

While that provision is the most controversial part of the law, the legislation also mandates medical facilities and physicians to use a state-wide electronics records-keeping system by 2015, requires the reporting of all infections acquired in the hospital and prohibits hospitals from collecting payments for medical mistakes.