Democrats: What do You Propose Doing to Help Tewksbury Businesses Thrive?

(Editor's Note: Tewksbury Patch asked the Democratic candidates for state representative and state senator five questions on issues related directly to Tewksbury. Questions 1 through 3 ran Thursday through Saturday. Question 5 will run Monday.)

Question 4. While not a border town, Tewksbury businesses certainly lose some revenue to New Hampshire. What policies do you support to help Tewksbury businesses compete and thrive?

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State Senator, 2nd Essex/Middlesex District

Jack Wilson, Democrat, Andover

As state senator, I will fight to repeal the increase in the sales tax and eliminate the sales tax on alcohol.  These increase have crippled already struggling Merrimack Valley businesses.  And while Tewksbury is not directly on the New Hampshire border, it is certainly close enough to have a negative impact on local merchants even in good economic times.  It is unthinkable that a legislator who represents any piece of the Merrimack Valley would support these increases.  As for supporting Tewksbury businesses overall, we need to reverse the anti-business direction the state's been going on for some time.  We need a comprehensive jobs bill that removes barriers to economic recovery by providing tax breaks to businesses that create new jobs and expand in the Town.

Barry Finegold, Democrat, Andover

One of the things I supported is to cut the long-term capital gains tax to 3% and to allow losses for start up companies to be taken over 20 years instead of 5 years. I also don't support the added tax on alcohol, which is really a tax on a tax.

Debbie Silberstein, Democrat, Andover

I support repealing the sales tax increase and restoring it to a 5% level. I also support repealing the recent liquor tax.

 My priority as state senator will be jobs and the economy. Most job growth will not come from government – nor should it. It will come from people like you and me--small business owners, entrepreneurs and innovators. Government needs to become part of the solution by helping to create and then support a pro-jobs environment. This means making low cost start-up funds available (i.e., bringing micro finance institutions to the district), reducing capital gains tax for start-ups, and creating incentives for research and development. Reducing the payroll tax and unemployment insurance are also key. These are long term pro-small business, pro-growth – and pro-jobs strategies.

Access to good roads, people with a variety of skills from technical school through advanced college degrees, and public safety will attract larger businesses to the area as well.  

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State Representative, 17th Essex District

Pat Commane, Democrat, Andover

Massachusetts and it's taxpayers have had a hard time over the last couple of years with falling revenues, unacceptable unemployment and an increased demand for state services.  The sales tax increase that the legislature voted on last year would not have been the path I would have chosen to close the budget gap.  Our proximity to New Hampshire does, of course, affect our local business owners.   To encourage the growth of businesses in our community, I would push for policies that would decrease the cost of doing business in the state.  I would continue the freeze in unemployment insurance premiums and I would also work on reducing health care costs for small business owners.  Specifically, I would support the ability to purchase health care plans across state lines, importation of prescriptions from Canada, and tort reform to address medical malpractice liability and awards.

The following candidate did not submit a response to this question: Frank Bonet, Democrat, Lawrence.

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State Representative 19th Middlesex District

The following candidate did not submit a response to this question: James Miceli, Democrat, Wilmington.