Join hundreds of Massachusetts business leaders in charting a course for full recovery.
Please Read and Sign
Dear State Leaders –
As committed Bay Staters who represent large and small businesses collectively employing tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents, we want the Commonwealth to thrive and we hope to work with you to achieve that goal. As business leaders, we feel compelled, however, to express alarm at tax proposals that we believe would both be harmful to overall state employment and break with historical precedents — and we respectfully urge the legislature to refrain from initiating any tax increase.
There are currently before the legislature numerous statutory and even constitutional proposals to raise taxes and fees on Massachusetts businesses. We believe that the legislature must move in a different direction and refocus its attention on creating the premises for an economic recovery that will support robust job creation for the Bay State’s working men and women.
We believe that the legislature should adopt a do-no-harm approach to Massachusetts’ post-pandemic economic recovery.
At the start of 2020, just a year ago, the Massachusetts economy was the envy of the Northeast and much of the nation. More of our residents were working than ever before. Individuals and families across the Commonwealth benefitted from historically low unemployment rates that made skilled workers in high demand, provided stronger wages and expanded economic opportunity.
Growing economies at full employment generate robust tax revenues, and even without tax hikes, Massachusetts businesses and workers contributed to recurring state budget surpluses of over $1 billion. The windfall allowed the public sector to further invest in infrastructure and vital services like education, and to build an emergency fund that has not been drawn down in seven years.
Just a year later, hundreds of businesses have closed as a result of the virus and more than 300,000 people who were in the workforce in February 2020 are no longer working. State policy should stimulate, not hamper, our recovery. Additional taxes will make it harder for Massachusetts businesses to get our people back to work — especially as the adoption of remote work has lowered barriers to relocating jobs outside the state.
We are excited to get back to providing the products and services that people want and need. We are heartened to get those who are hurting — our neighbors and friends — back to work. Unemployment rates capture only a slice of the picture; many have stopped looking for work altogether. We want them back working, productive, able to pay their mortgages, rents and bills, and saving for the future.
We appreciate the legislature’s support of our employees at a time of duress, just as we applaud the decision by legislative leaders to lighten the burden of unemployment insurance rate hikes on Massachusetts businesses.
Many surprises await us in 2021 and 2022. Listening intently to the Biden administration’s announcements, we expect significant changes in regulations and tax policy for both individuals and businesses.
With all these changes, what we need most to get people back to work is stability and predictability, including stable state tax policies. The influx of federal money from COVID relief legislation can help avoid the potentially devastating impacts of state tax increases on Massachusetts’ already fragile economy. It is worth noting that the Commonwealth was due to receive $8.3 billion in federal relief in 2021 and 2022, even prior to the recently enacted $1.9 trillion federal stimulus law.
We urge you to make getting Massachusetts back to work your top priority. Jobs enhance the well-being of families across Massachusetts. They are a source of dignity and hope. Jobs and prosperity are what will bring us back to being the envy of the Northeast.
As always, the business community hopes to work in partnership with you as you chart a course toward recovery. We firmly believe that dialogue between the public and private sectors is the best way to arrive at policies that benefit all Massachusetts residents.
Respectfully,
SIGNATORIES
Bill Achtmeyer
Chairman & Managing Partner, Acropolis Advisors
Irina Aguirre
Owner, Boston Psychotherapy Group
Aron Ain
CEO, UKG
Durron Allen
Co-founder, Pardon Our Appearance
Richard W Anderson
President, R. W. Anderson & Sons Inc. Builders
Matthew Anderson
President, Anderson Framing & Remodeling
Nancy S Anthony
Chair, Fernwood Council. LLC
Kevin Barbary
Principal, Office Resources Inc.
Joseph Basile
President, Catania Oils
Andrew Beaudry
Member, Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Western Mass
Jeanne Bell
Controller, Westside Finishing Co., Inc.
Jeffrey Bergeron
President & Owner, N.R. Bergeron Drywall Contractor, Inc
Mat Bergeron
Owner, Bent Tree Development
Peter Berube
President, PS Berube Construction design-Build inc./ BGL Custom Homes LLC
Christopher Bilotto
President & COO, Office Properties Income Trust
John Bologna
President & CEO, Coastal Engineering Co., inc.
David Breazzano
President, DDJ Capital Management, LLC
Kenneth Briand
Operations Manager, Semper Diving & Marine Corp.
Carleton Burr
Chairman, Burr Brothers Boats Inc
Gary Campbell
CEO, Gilbert Campbell Real Estate
Donald Chace
President, Chace Building Supply
Cathy Chaisson
Broker/Owner, Mass Properties
Michael Chaisson
President, Chaiss Construction Inc.
Maedon Coburn
Owner, Appleseed Pesonnel Services
Mark Cohen
President, Oprsystems, Inc.
Oleg Cohen
CEO, AssureBridge
Thomas Colatosti
CEO, Oasis Systems
Ryan Conway
Owner, Digital Tradesman
Paul Cormier
President & CEO, Red Hat
Stephen Costello
President & CEO, The Bank of Canton
Frank Cousins
President, Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce
Anne Cronin
Owner, Annie’s Gluten Free Bakery, LLC
Sue Curtis
Owner, Cooperstown Environmental
Thomas Davis
Retired Executive Director, Greater New Bedford Industrial Foundation
Stephen DeFalco
Chairman & CEO, Creation Technologies
David DelGallo
Senior Consultant, Baystate Benefit Services
George DeMambro
Senior Consultant, Schooley Mitchell
Gjergj Demiraj
President & CEO, Guttenberg Technology
Brian DeVellis
President, ESG Associates Inc.
Stephen Dixon
Presdient, Stephen Dixon, Inc
Deane Dolben
President, The Dolben Company, Inc.
Andrew Dolben
Executive Vice Presidnet, Dolben Company
Shannon Donovan
Owner, Sunflour Pastries
Zhanna Drogobetsky
Owner, Casa Design Group
Christopher Egan
Manager, Carruth Capital LLC
Laurence Ehrhardt
CEO, Ballast Lane Applications LLC
Thomas Erb
President, Electric Time Company, Inc.
Stephen Fantone
Founder, President, & CEO, Optikos Corporation
Carlos Flores
President & CEO, Sonesta International Hotels Corporation
John Foley
Owner, AJZ Windmill
Robert France
CEO, Senate Construction Corp.
Jennifer Francis
President & COO, Diversified Healthcare Trust
Tom Gamble
President, Tag Heating & Cooling
Lee Gaudette
President, Gaudette Insurance Agency, Inc.
Peter Goedecke
Founder, Goedecke & Co., LLC
Jeff Gordon
President, EXIT Assurance Realty
Jon Gorrie
Account Executive, EBP
Rick Green
CEO, 1A Auto Inc.
Harold Grinspoon
Founder, Aspen Square Management
Mario Guay
Controller, SMC Ltd.
Scott Gutz
CEO, Monster Worldwide
John Hajjar
President, Foxcroft, Inc.
William Harris
President, WH Cornerstone Investments Inc.
Ellen Herzfelder
Chair, BetterVet
Weston Howland
CEO, Howland Capital Management
Mike Hullinger
President, Capital Risk Management, Inc.
Harvey Hurvitz
CEO, Cape Cod Lumber Company
Frank Hyer
CEO, Thayer Scale
Christine Jarest
HR Manager, Berry Global
Lawrence Kady
Managing Director, Jay Development Corp
Margie Kaitz
CEO, National Lumber
Michael Kane
President, 126 Self Storage
Peter Kershaw
Chief Operating Officer, Crystal Engineering
David Kindred
President, Kindred Homes, Inc.
Daniel Lagan
President, Congress Asset Management Company
Joseph Landers
Executive Officer, Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Massachusetts
Edward Laquidara
Owner, Animal Adventures
John Largey
Owner, Skyline Homes
Pamela Layton
CEO, 4Immune Therapeutics
Toby Leary
President, Cape Gun Works
Thomas Lorenzini
President, Tremont Mortgage Trust
Brian Lupien
VP of Finance, Pulte Homes of New England
Ted Mahoney
President, Fairview Millwork
Paul Malzone
Owner, Data Destruction Services
James McCabe
President, Pulte Homes
David McGrath
Owner, Northeast Veterinary Partners
Jeffrey Mitchell
Owner, Closets by Design
Kathleen Mitford
EVP and Chief Strategy Officer, PTC
George Mock
President, Nye Lubricants, Inc.
William Montone
Senior Vice President, Brooks Automation
Gerard Moufflet
CEO, Acceleration international
John Murray
President & CEO, Service Properties Trust
Joel Murray
President & CEO, The Norfollk & Dedham Group
Antoine Nader
Manager, Longwood Group
Avi Nelson
Manager, Besrev, LLC
David Nislick
CEO, Excelitas Technologies
Dave Nolan
President & Owner, South Wharf & Cape Yachts
David Parker
President, Old Boston Restorations Inc
Jonathan Peckham
Division Manager, Concord Lumber Corporation
Jonathan Pertchik
CEO, Travel Centers of America
Alex Peselman
President, Mission Capital Group
David Peterman
President, PR Restaurants LLC
Ted Pietras
President, Dwight Realty
Michael Plisinski
CEO, Onto Innovation
Adam Portnoy
President & CEO, The RMR Group
Katherine Potter
President & CEO, Five Star Senior Living Inc.
Noel Powell
Owner, Aaronap Cellars
Thomas Rauh
President, TR3 Solutions
Michael Reilly
President & Chairman, Fred C. Church, Inc.
Mitchell Roberts
CEO, PR Restaurants
Vincent Roche
President & CEO, Analog Devices Inc.
Peter Sabettini
Manager, Littleton Storage Solutions
Ronald Salvucci
Treasurer, Mass Bay Electrical Corp.
Chris Saucier
VP, Northeast Tool Supply
Steven Saunders
Partner, Nutter McClennen & Fish
Edward Schatz
President & CEO, Clocktower Development Corporation
Diane Schmalensee
President, Schmalensee Partners
Vladimir Shclover
President, VSL Technology, LLC
Jeffrey Sheehy
President, Whittemore Company
Hamilton Shepley
President, Shepley Wood Products Inc
Thomas Shields
CEO, Dalton Electric Heating Co., Inc
Brian Shortsleeve
Founder, M33 Growth
Thomas Silva
President & Owner, Triple S Construction Company
David Slutz
Director, Potentia Manufacturing Group
Sara Stancombe
Owner, Owen Jacobs Salon
Ray Stata
Chairman, Analog Devices, Inc.
Edward Stikeleather
President, IBC Corporation
Arthur J Stock
Founder, New England Cranberry
Chris Sullivan
President, BiltRite Construction Inc.
Richard Sullivan
Vice President, F&L Landscaping Corporation
Ann Sullivan
President, Metro Equipment Corporation
Scott Swain
President, Dave Swain Associates
Mike Szelest
Owner, Ayer Shop ‘n’ Save
Stephen Themelis
Owner, Niklaus Painting and Construction Co.
Peter Townsend
CEO, M.L. McDonald Sales Company, LLC
Alan Trefler
Founder & CEO, Pegasystems
Michael Trotta
President & CEO, Crystal Engineering Co., Inc.
Mark Vasapolli
Regional Vice President, Primerica
Frank Wezniak
Chairman, Photovac, Inc.
Landen Williams
Co-founder & Managing Partner, WilliamsMarston LLC
Tripp Woodland
President, Woodland Contracting
Matthew York
President, YORK Building & Remodeling
Fabio Zellino
Owner, Pure Italian LLC
SIGNATORIES BY LOCATION
Number of employees represented: 15,645