RANDOLPH - Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito spent Thursday morning touting recent state changes that have made Massachusetts a more business-friendly environment, including cutting the state LLC fee, supporting a tax credit for those who hire unemployed veterans and pumping investment dollars into the redevelopment of local downtowns. In full campaign mode, the governor's right-hand woman outlined what she considers to be the successes of the Baker-Polito administration thus far, and what she plans to focus on in the future.
Baker and Polito are up for reelection this November.
"The New England Patriots are not done and neither are we," she said. "We have a lot more we want to do this year and we hope to have more time in the future to build upon the future we feel we've set as an administration."
Polito was the keynote speaker at the South Shore Chamber of Commerce's annual luncheon in Randolph. The luncheon introduced the chamber's new president for 2018, George Toma of George Washington Toma TV in Weymouth, and outlined the chamber's long-term economic development plan "South Shore 2030." Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, Weymouth Mayor Bob Hedlund and Braintree Mayor Ed Sullivan, all trustees of the Economic Development Corporation that came up with the plan, were in attendance.
"We all know that the chamber is very important for small businesses going forward," Toma said. "Growing something means starting with something. With an economy it means starting with the businesses we already have and keeping them going."
In her address, Polito compared the function of the executive branch of Massachusetts to that of the national government in Washington D.C.
"It sounds so simple, yet when you look at what's happening in Washington, the division, and you see the focus on the things they disagree on rather than the things they agree on, they're not getting the job done for the people," Polito said. "But here in this commonwealth, as the governor stated the other night, the state of our commonwealth is strong and we're very proud of the opportunities we have ahead to do even more."
Earlier in the day, Polito signed a deal with the town of Pembroke, which made the town the 329th community to enter a Community Compact Program with the Baker-Polito administration. Through the compact, the town will receive a grant from the state to develop a transportation plan that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The state will also assist in developing a long-term financial model to asses the short- and long-term needs of the town.
Polito said every community within the chamber has participated in the compact program and that 800 projects have been completed statewide.
"All throughout the Commonwealth we have these best practices projects underway," she said.
It is the same kind of into-the-future thinking that she admires about the chamber's 2030 plan, Polito said.
"This is a plan that you're breathing life into," she said. "It's a real, living road map for you and for our administration and the legislature to work with you on... This kind of plan is completely consistent with our kind of vision for cities and towns."
Mary Whitfill can be reached at mwhitfill@ledger.com.