![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_12889767
LOWELL -- Gov. Deval Patrick said Massachusetts will come out of this recession more quickly and in a stronger position than many other parts of the country, the result of wise economic development decisions made over the past decade.
As part of a day-long tour of the city Tuesday, that included an anti-gun violence event at UTEC, a meeting with grassroots campaign supporters and stops at downtown businesses as he walked his 9-week-old black lab puppy, Tobey, down Market Street, he stopped in the Sun offices for a meeting with the newspaper's editorial board.
He said that experts and economists have told him "we should start coming out of this in the third or fourth quarter this year, but we will not come roaring out of this, it will be gradual and we will come out stronger," he said. "We still lag the unemployment rate nationally, by one point and our foreclosure rate is not as high," he said.
Traditionally, the governor explained, in times of recession, the state has "gone in deeper and stayed in longer. I don't think that is going to happen this time."
Decisions to invest in growing fields including nanotechnology, life sciences, green technologies, education and health-care will propel the state's economy as fiscal conditions improve, he said, adding that the state has the third largest concentration of video game developers.
Patrick fought back against critics who say state government has not cut back.
"I've eliminated 1,000 position in this last fiscal year and there will probably be about 1,000 this year," he said. The only thing we have held harmless is Chapter 70, public education funding.
"When a factory lays off 1,000 people, people say that's a tragedy," he said. "When state government lays off 1,000 employees, people say good."
The governor also said he will not push forward with a move to increase the state's gas tax.
"I can't now," he said, adding that he knows the idea is "wildly unpopular," and that he understands that people cannot afford any additional increases at this time. "It just won't fly."
Patrick had proposed a 19-cent per gallon increase in the state's gas tax, projected to add about $500 million to the state coffers.
It is estimated that $275 million from the 25 percent increase in the state's sales tax, which goes into effect on Aug. 1 will be directed toward transportation funding.
"I still think it is the best way to ensure a consistent investment in transportation over time," Patrick said, of a gas tax increase, adding that constitutionally, those funds cannot be used for any other purpose. "We have to be thinking in all areas of economic development about the long term."
He added that the state has never committed to transportation out of the general fund and that the Legislature favored the sales tax increase because it bring in more revenue and that money can be used for a variety of purposes. "We need to show that we are willing to change the way we do business," Patrick said, stating that he is very happy with the pension reforms pushed through this spring.
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
![[laugh2]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/014.gif "Laugh at above [laugh2]")
that would be a good place for him, he can stand and watch the tumble weed roll down the street, because tumble weed is all that is left in Detroit.![[thinking]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/010.gif "Thinking [thinking]")
