Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to present this testimony.

For the record, let me begin by saying that The Research Bureau is not anti-union or anti-anything – We are PROWorcester. The case for abolishing Worcester’s REO is simple and has two parts.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify before you today. I will outline a number of proposals which, if adopted, would dramatically reduce the cost of local government in Massachusetts, and ultimately, the cost of doing business in the Commonwealth.

The Worcester Regional Research Bureau is on record opposing the recently approved bill ALLOWING AN INCREASE IN THE DISPARITY BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAX RATES.

I want to thank the Senate Post Audit and Oversight Committee, chaired by Senator Pacheco, for holding this hearing on the Route 146/MassPike Interchange Construction Project, and for inviting me to testify.